Goal:
To talk about Principle One (The inherent worth and dignity of every person) adn the meaning of the words on the "bingo game"
Preparation:
Print & distribute bingo cards for each person – Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7
Collect & distribute beans or button tokens to every player
How to Play:
The leader will call out words from the list below, saying, for example, "We believe that you are awesome–‘A’ for awesome." The players will cover their words as they are called, using beans or buttons. Take time to discuss what the words mean, and how they relate to Principle 1. The game is finished when someone has three words covered going in a straight or diagonal line. Or you can decide to play "full house" (every word on a player’s board is covered). Play enough rounds to familiarize everyone with the words below.
Word list:
awesome |
beautiful fantastic lovable outstanding special valuable |
capable great memorable precious terrific wonderful |
awesome
excellent
important
nice
remarkable
unique
Game playing is not only fun for children, it is one of the ways they learn all sorts of things. Adults continue to practice skills and find enjoyment in games, also. Especially popular are games in which something is hidden and the goal is to find it. From peek-a-boo to mystery weekends, it is clear that our love of searching for something hidden is more than just a game. Our normal curiosity about things and life’s way of always providing something new for us to figure out, combine to make the metaphor of hide and seek inherently meaningful to us.
At times, it can seem as though the purpose of our being here on earth is for us to search for answers to the hidden mysteries of life. It can seem as though a divine power created a world full of paradoxes and then put us here, without explanation, leaving us to try to figure it all out. Another way of explaining this feeling that life is something of a game is expressed by Alan Watts in his book entitled The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. In this book, Watts works with the following Hindu concepts: that all is ultimately Brahman or God; that our lack of understanding this is because of the magic of maya; and that figuring it out is lila, a playful game. He likens the game to Hide and Seek in which God, who is all, hides by pretending to be all the various things in the world including each one of us. However, Watts says, "when the game has gone on long enough, all of us will wake up, stop pretending, and remember that we are all one single Self, the God who is all that there is and who lives for ever and ever."
Religions, other than Hinduism, in varying ways, also have a sense of God as hidden. In Islam one of the ninety nine names of God is The Hidden; but for Muslims, God is totally other and ultimately unknowable. Christian belief presumes that God, though originally concealed, finally becomes known through God’s own revelation. In general, the emphasis is on God’s revealing rather than on human discovery. Paul, however does write in Acts 17: 26, "From one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and [God] allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for [God] and find [God] though indeed [God] is not far from each one of us. For ‘In [God] we live and move and have our being;’ …"
Where one might find God differs from religion to religion; in fact, answers to this question may well be a part of what differentiates one religion from another. Jews might say they find God in historical actions of freedom and justice; Christians might say God is revealed in the love found in the life and person of Jesus; and Muslims might say they find the one God in the words of the Quran. In Alan Watts’ story and~ in the story in this curriculum God is found in everything that is: earth and sky; light and dark; people’s caring actions; within ourselves; and even in the not knowing. For if God is a symbol for ultimate reality, values, and mystery,one’s unknowing can be considered one’s ultimate reality.
This metaphor in which God hides and humans search is supported by the UU Principle which urges us to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We search in all of our Sources: our own experience, the `words and deeds of prophetic women and men,wisdom from the world religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, and humanist teachings.
Once upon a time God said, "I’m bored because I don’t have anything to do. I want to play with my friends." And because God is God, as soon as the words were spoken God’s friends were there. When God saw them all gathered, God said, "I’ve been bored because I haven’t had anything to do. Let’s play something." "Good idea," said God’s friends, "What shall we play?" God thought for a minute and then said, "I know, let’s play hide and seek!" The friends all said, "Yeay", for they knew that hide and seek with God was always exciting and different because God was the one who hid and God always thought of wonderful places to hide.
So God’s friends closed their eyes tight and they counted to ten. When they opened their eyes God wasn’t there anymore. So they all went off to look for God.
One friend decided to look close.upon the earth and soon came to a meadow. As he was searching, he stopped to admire the tender new sprouts of green grass pushing their way up toward the sun. As he bent over to look more closely at the tender green, he realized there was something special and amazing and wonderful about it. So he jumped up and ran back to home base, calling out, "I found God! God is green and growing. I found God in the grass"
Another one of God’s friends decided to look for God m the night. She watched the sun go down, and the work-a-day noises stop, and the lights in the houses go out. As it got darker and as the peaceful night wrapped itself around her, she listened very hard, and then she realized there was something special and amazing and wonderful about it. And when it was so still that she could see and hear nothing at all, she suddenly jumped up and ran to home base, calling out, "I found God! God is dark and peaceful. I found God in the night!"
A third friend looked upon the earth and he felt the mystery of the grass growing toward the sun. He stayed and watched the night on and he felt the mystery of the darkness and the stars. He thought to himself, "These mysteries are special and amazing and wonderful". But when he finally came back to home base, he said, "I found wonderful mysteries but I’m not sure if I want to call them God."
A fourth friend decided to look for God where people were. He joined a group of people going home from work and went with them into the store where they bought food. He went with them back out on the street as they started for their homes. He was with them when someone came up and said, "Please, I am very hungry. Could you share a little food with me?" The people readily agreed and as he watched,~he realized there was something special and amazing and wonderful about those people and he suddenly turned around and ran to home base, calling out, "I found God! God is love and sharing. I found God in people who care for others"
Finally, two more of God’s friends, a boy and a girl, decided to look for God together. After a time, they came to a house and they decided to look for God in the house. In the house they saw a room and they looked for God in the room. And in the room they saw a mirror and they looked for God in the mirror. As they looked into the mirror they realized there was something special and amazing and wonderful being reflected in it and they suddenly turned around and ran to home base, calling out, "We found God! We found God in us"
At this God appeared again and said, "I had so much fun! Weren’t those good hiding places? Some of you found me, others weren’t sure, and others are still looking. That’s OK because the most important thing is just to play the game. Let’s do it again because I’m sure I can think of some other good hiding places." And they all called out, "Olly, olly, oxen free, free, free," and the game started all over again.
Goal:
To learn about the origins of Hannukah.
Preparation:
Read Background
Materials:
Dreidel pattern
Poster board
Markers, crayons
Scissors
Peanuts and raisins
Activities:
1. Read “A Great Miracle”
2. Make dreidels:
Trace the dreidel pattern on poster board, color and cut out.
Glue or tape dreidels together, fitting the small rolled-up turners into the tops to enable them to spin. Make enough for everyone to have his or her own dreidel.
Pass out an equal number of raisins and peanuts to each player.
3. Play the dreidel game using the following rules:
Each player puts one peanut or raisin in the center. Then the first player spins the dreidel. If it lands on:
Nun—the player does nothing
Gimmel—the player takes everything in the center
Hey—the player takes half
Shin—the player puts one item in
Before the next player spins, everyone puts another piece in the center.
From We Believe by Ann Fields and Joan Goodwin (UUA)
Goal:
To build self-esteem and recognize their own inherent worth
Materials:
1 game board (needs assembly) – Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4
playing pieces (need to personalize)
Life cards – Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
Basic cards (more on Life card & button pages)
In-Herent worth "buttons" (can be attached to clothing with sticky tape)
1 die
Preparation:
Everyone makes a playing piece by cutting out a strip with an outlined figure and drawing or coloring in features, then rolling and taping the strip so that the figure will stand up.
Cut out cards and place on game board where indicated. "In-HEREnt Worth Buttons" should be concealed until game ends.
How To Play:
The player or team with the most Experience Points wins. Eperience Points are won by landing on a Life space, drawing an age-appropriate Life card and discussing.
Leader beings game by having players palce their playing pieces at the School space, the Movies, or the Pizza space. It’s their choice!
1) Oldest player begins by rolling the die, taking the top Basic card, reading it aloud for discussion. (Leader’s Note: discussion is the real goal of the game, so get players involved. Ask questions like, "If this were you would it mean you were worth more or less as a person? Do you know anyone described by the card? Does this affect inherent worth?" Of course, the answer in all cases is a resounding "No!" Encourage a resounding response.)
2) Player then moves the number of spaces on the die. Players may move in any one direction, forward or backword. Younger players may be helped or may move forward only. Players will want to land where they can draw the most Life cards (to win Experience Points): when they land on Park or Mall, they get to draw two Life cards; on Life, only one.
3) When a player lands on a Life, Park, or Mall space, the player immediately draws a Life card (or cards) appropriate to his/her age. Read and discuss. (A discussion of feelings is appropriate. "If this were you, how would you feel? What might others think of you? Does this affect your inherent worth?") After discussion, the player gets one Experience Point for each Life card discussed. (Leader may wish to keep track of Experience scares — or players can keep their own scores.) The turn ends. Player to his/her right takes the next turn.
4) If player lands on a Go (Back) To space, s/he proceeds immediately to the space indicated and the turn ends, unless it is to the Park or the Mall where the player then draws two Life cards.
5) The game can continue indefinately. Shuffle and reuse cards as necessary.
6) When time is up, players check their scores. The player with the most Experience Points wins an In-HEREnt Worth Button. "Does winning or losing affect your inerent worth?" A resounding "NO!" So everyone gets a button.
Goal:
Family fun with a Unitarian Universalist theme, UU principles, and some basic UU facts
Materials:
UU Game Board – Left Side (print on 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper)
UU Game Board – Right Side (print same as above, match to left side, & mount of cardboard)
Game Cards A (print and cut)
Game Cards B (same as above)
Instructions for Play are listed on the Game Board.
When I was growing up, the Bible was a big part of my religious indoctrination. I know my kids need to learn about the Bible it’s so much a part of the world. But getting back into it pushes so many of my buttons — it’s just too confusing. Sound familiar? The Bible is one of those "difficult topics" for many UU parents. We want our children to know the classic stories and famous quotes of the Bible but are unsure how to teach them and, in some cases, unsure why it is important. This hesitancy is understandable.
Many UUs who come from faith traditions in which the Bible is considered the "word of God" — the only religious authority — fear any Bible instruction as potential indoctrination. I have often found the old Universalist image of the Bible-as-a-gold-mine helpful in thinking about Bible study. As you dig for the gold, you find a lot of stuff you want to reject, some you want to save and decide about later, and some you know is the real thing.
We need to teach our children to be Bible gold-miners, for there is much in the Bible that speaks to our UU faith. After all, liberal religion evolved from traditional Christianity.
Many UU precepts and values are stated in the Bible. Knowing where and how to find these spiritual and religious gems reinforces the values and helps children converse intelligently in our Judeo/Christian-dominant culture. You can start introducing the Bible when your children are young by reading from either a children’s Bible or a collection of Bible stories.
Timeless Themes and The Life and Teachings of Jesus are two good sources to borrow from the CLF Loan Library. The UUA Bookstore carries several different illustrated children’s Bibles. But to really become "Bible literate," children need to be familiar with the real thing. Being naturally curious about where things come from, children enjoy using their reading skills to look things up in the Bible–especially if it’s made into a game. Here’s an idea from UU educator Virginia Steele called Bible Pictionary. This summer, add this game to your family’s repertoire. It’s a lively, fun way to learn famous Biblical quotations. Reading in greater depth may naturally follow. Here’s how to play.
Bible Pictionary Materials:
Bible Cards with Biblical quotes —cut from this page or make your own–placed in a basket or "grab bag"
Pencils, crayons or markers
Timer (optional)
Object: To get your teammates to guess within one minute the word you are drawing (or untimed if you prefer) and to then locate the Bible passage in which the word is found.
How to Play:
Divide your family into two teams. Taking turns, one person from each team picks a quote from the basket and tries to get his/her teammates to guess the key word (the one in capital letters) by drawing pictures.
After the keyword is identified, the drawer looks up the quote in the Bible and reads the whole passage aloud. (e.g.: BREAD "Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 5:24, is found in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 24.)
ALONE Man does not live by bread alone. Deuteronomy 8.5
ALIVE Joseph my son is still alive. Genesis 45.28
ANGEL An angel of the Eternal appeared to them, and the glory of the Eternal shone around them. Luke 2.9
ARK Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Genesis 6.14
COMMAND This I command you, to love one another. John 15.17
DAUGHTER The daughter of Pharoah came down to bathe at the river. Exodus 2.5
BEGINNING In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1.1
CROWN …and does crown him with glory and honor. Psalm 8.5
DRINK The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? Exodus 15.24
BREAD Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 5.24
DESERT He turns a desert into pools of water… Psalm 107.35
EAT You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. Genesis 3.3
CHURCH …how one ought to behave in the household of God,…the church of the living God. Timothy 3.15
DEVIL Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4.1
FEAST This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Eternal. Exodus 12.14
DOVE …he sent forth the dove out of the ark. Genesis 8.8
FISH We have only five loaves here and two fish. Matthew 14.17
FREE Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. Peter 2.16
FRIEND A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17.17
GARDEN The Eternal planted a garden in Eden. Genesis 2.8
GIFT You thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! Acts 8.20
GRAPES You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7.16
HEART He who has clean hands and a pure heart…he will receive a blessing from God. Psalmm 24.4-5
HELP For I, the Eternal your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you. Fear not, I will help you. Isaiah 41.14
HOME Even the sparrow finds a home. Psalm 84.3
HUNGRY If your enemy is hungry, feed him. Romans 12.20
JESUS She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Matthew 1.21
KING Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Exodus 1.8
LOVE You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19.18
MONEY The love of money is the root of all evils. 1 Timothy 6.10
MOUNTAIN Then Moses went up on the mountain. Exodus 24.15
NEIGHBOR But he…said to Jesus, Who is my neighbor? Luke 10.29
NOISE Make a joyful noise to the Eternal! Psalm 100
POOR Blessed is he who considers the poor! Psalm 41.1
PRAYER Hear my prayer, O God, and give ear to my cry. Psalm 39.12
PARENTS His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. Luke 2.41
PRISON I was in prison and you came to me. Matthew 25.36
SING Sing praises to God, sing praises! Psalm 47.6
SHARE Is it not to share your bread with the hungry? Isaiah 58.7
STORM And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea. Matthew 8.24
RAIN …your Father who is in heaven…sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5.45
RIVER and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Matthew 3.6
RICH Thus says the Eternal: Let not the rich man glory in his riches. Jeremiah 9.23
TENT So he (Abraham) build an alter there and called upon the name of the Eternal, and pitched his tent there. Genesis 26.25
TOOTH …it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. -Jesus Matthew 5.38
SEASON For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… Ecclesiastes 3.1
INHERIT Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5.5
SALT You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its tast, how shall its saltiness be restored? Matthew 5.13
WORSHIP God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. -Jesus John 4.24
WORLD You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works. -Jesus Mathhew 5.14
FORGIVE And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23.34
LAW On these two commandments depend all the law and prophets. Matthew 22.40
FAMINE The seven years of plenty that prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an end; and the seven years of famine began to come Genesis 41.53
QUEEN …and women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven… Jeremiah 7.18
SHEEP All we like sheep have gone astray. Isaiah 53.6
SEA Some went down to the sea in ships. Psalm 107.23
SEED The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. Matthew 13.24
Michael Servetus
Frances David & King Sigismund
UUism Comes to America
George deBenneville
John Murray
Joseph Priestley
Growth & Change
Michael Servetus (1511 – 1553)
Servetus was one of the first people to write down his ideas about Unitarianism in a book. It was called On the Errors of the Trinity. The Trinity is the Christian belief that God is made up of three parts: God the father, God the son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. In the 1500s the rulers of many countries were Christians who believed in this 3-part God and REQUIRED all people in those countries to believe the same thing. (QUESTION: Do you think a person can be required to believe something?) Michael Servetus believed that Christians should look to the Bible, not their rulers, for answers about God, and he could find no words in the Bible to support this idea of God in three parts. (Uni is a prefix meaning one, so the word Unitarian means belief in the oneness of God.) His book made many people angry and scared. Soon after it was published Servetus changed his name and went into hiding. He became a very good doctor and lived for quite awhile in peace and quiet. But he couldnt hold back his strong religious feelings. He began writing again and when his real identity was revealed, he was arrested and eventually burned at the stake. Michael Servetus was a Unitarian martyr. His death led to increased interest in the debate about the nature of God and religious freedom.
Francis David (1510 – 1579) and King John Sigismund (1540 – 1571)
In the 1500s Unitarian believers were scattered in many different countries. At one point they were a majority in Poland! In Transylvania (a country which no longer exists but included the area now known as Hungary and Romania), Francis David converted the Transylvanian King John Sigismund to Unitarianism. In 1568, King John declared total religious freedom in Transylvania. This meant that the government would not interfere with what people believed. Although this idea seems normal to us today, this was the only country at that time to allow religious freedom. Despite a lot of anger and abuse, even death threats, King John held fast to his ideas, and religious liberty remained the law of the land until his death in 1571. King Johns successors were Catholic, not Unitarian. Francis David was fired from his position as Court Preacher. This did not silence him, however, and he continued to preach around the country. Like Servetus, Francis David was eventually arrested for heresy (religious ideas that are different from those approved of by the official church or government) and died while in jail on that charge.
Unitarianism and Universalism Come to America
All three of the men most responsible for bringing Unitarianism and Universalism to America were raised in England during the time when the ideas of John Calvin were popular. Calvinism taught that God decided before you were even born whether, when you died, you would be saved and go to heaven, or go to hell to be tortured forever. According to the church, very few were chosen to go to heaven. People were told that if they go to church and if they work hard and make a good living that might be a sign that God had chosen them to go to heaven. This way of thinking made many people very nervous, especially in times of trouble. When bad things happened that might also be a signa sign that you were not chosen by God.
Calvinism was a very stern and harsh religion, and eventually people began to question it. They refused to believe that God would be so mean. They said, God is loving and wants to save everyone in heaven. They said, God does not make people do good or bad things; people choose this themselves! These people came to be called Universalists because they believed in universal (meaning everyone) salvation.
George deBenneville (1703-1793)
When George deBenneville was born, his mother died. Queen Anne of England, a good friend of his mothers, took George into her home as an infant and raised him as a prince. As a young man George enjoyed the wealthy social life of London, and worried little about his own future. In fact, he felt superior to most people. Then, on a trip to Africa, he had an experience which would change him forever. He saw native peoples not acting as savages (a common view at the time) but with such kindness and brotherly love that they seemed more true to the teachings of Jesus than many so-called Christians back in England! He saw people putting faith in a loving God who wanted to save all creatures, great and small. George returned home feeling very sad about his old life. He had a terrible dream that he was burning in hell and for many months his friends thought he would never be happy again. Then one day he decided two things which would stay with him all his life: 1. that good and evil are things that start deep inside each person, not by Gods choosing, and 2. that Gods love is for everyone, not just a chosen few.
With these new ideas George got well again, became a doctor, and began traveling; doctoring and preaching his new faith. In France he was arrested for heresy, and because of his noble upbringing, just narrowly escaped beheading! From France he traveled to Germany and Holland and then finally to America in search of a place where he could think and speak freely about his religion. In America deBenneville made friends with the Native American Indians. He made a dictionary of Indian, German and English words so the colonists and natives could talk to each other. The Native Americans taught him about healing through plants. During the Revolutionary War, deBenneville doctored both the British and American soldiers. He died at the age of 90 having truly lived his Universalist principles of the loving kindness of God and the preciousness of every human life.
John Murray (1741 -1815)
Like George deBenneville, John Murray grew up in a Calvinist family. He tried hard to please his father and mother, to study and pray and do well in everything, to prove that God had chosen him to be saved and to go to heaven. As a married man, John and his wife Eliza became interested in the Universalist ideas which a small group of people were preaching in London. Together they studied the new ideas of a loving God and soon decided to join the Universalists. Although this caused them to lose many old friends, they found hope instead of stern judgement in their new religion. It brought them new friends and great happiness. Murray even preached from time to time in their small church.
Then tragedy struck. The next year both Eliza and their one-year old son got sick and died. Devastated by this loss and hoping to leave his old life behind, Murray sailed to America in1770. The ship struck a sandbar off the coast of New Jersey and while they waited for the tide to rise, John went ashore to get supplies. Standing beside the first cabin he came to was a small church. The farmer who owned the church, Thomas Potter, invited John to stay the night. That evening Potter told him how he had built the little church and was waiting for someone to come who would preach about a loving God who saves all people, not just a chosen few. Potter told John that when he saw the ship on the sandbar a small voice inside him said, There, in that ship may be the preacher you are expecting. He was right! Though Murray had intended never to preach again, he agreed to preach the next Sunday. That was the beginning of the Universalist Church in America! Murray settled in Gloucester, Massachusetts where despite angry protests from some, he preached to a growing number of people as the good news of Universalism began to spread.
Joseph Priestley (1733 – 1804)
You are more likely to hear the name Joseph Priestley in a science class than in most Sunday Schools in America. Thats because he is best known as the scientist who discovered oxygen. But he also started the first Unitarain Church in America!
As a young man Priestley studied ministry in England. Because he did not agree with the idea of the Trinity, the only churches which would hire him were small and poor and generally not very successful. For a livelihood, he turned to teaching and developed a fascination with scientific experimentation. He continued his interest in religion too, writing books and preaching in a Unitarian church in England. Then at age 58 Priestley was accused of being a traitor to England because he supported the idea of equality of all people and thought the laws should be changed to allow religious freedom. One night an angry mob burned both the Unitarian Church where Priestley spoke and Priestleys home and beloved laboratory in Birmingham. He and his wife fled to London (about 100 miles away), traveling only at night so as not to be caught. But life in London was still very hard for the Priestleys. Many people would not associate with them. They decided to go to America. When they arrived in Philadelphia, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all sent letters of welcome, because of Priestleys fame as a scientist. Free to speak about his Unitarian beliefs, Priestley established the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia in 1776. It was the first official Unitarian church in America.
Growth and Change
Unitarian Universalists today honor the courage of these three men and their families. Many others followed in their footsteps as Unitarianism and Universalism grew, first in the New England states and then across the country with the pioneering ministry of many Unitarian and Universalist women. In 1961 the Unitarians and Universalists joined together to become one organization. More and more people join our churches every year. As we grow in numbers, so too do we grow as a religion, always responding to new ideas and changes in the world. Ours is a living tradition with a long history and a bright future!
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As a Unitarian Universalist congregation with no geographical boundary, the CLF creates global spiritual community, rooted in profound love, which cultivates wonder, imagination, and the courage to act.