Abundant trust and good humor are signs of spiritual wisdom - Thomas Moore
This Sunday we will begin this year's new Religious Education Program, Workshop Rotation with an orientation for all children in grades K-6th. Next week, Our Whole Lives begins meeting and the week after that, Coming of Age is launched. After we leave the service, we reassemble in Parish Hall. Carol Kusinitz and I will be leading the orientation but any and all of you who will be teaching or who are just curious - come on along.
An interesting role in this new (to UUCGL) model is that of the Guides. A number of you have signed up to 'guide' and I thought I'd write a bit about the 'philosophy' of guiding. You may have heard at volunteer sign up that you won't need to do much. That is both true and not true. You will have no lessons to prepare, no supplies to purchase, no curriculum you MUST read. You will however, be taking on a ministry that asks you to be profoundly present to the children you 'guide'.
Guiding has a physical template. As a guide you will joining a group of children 'sorted' into age cohorts and assigned an element - Air for Kindergartners, Fire for first and second graders, Water for third and fourth graders and Fire for fifth and sixth graders. Each Sunday that you guide, the children will meet you by their elemental - earth, air, fire or water - banner in the Parish Hall. And you will greet them and escort them to their workshop of the day. (This information will be sent to you several weeks before your stint and will posted in the foyer that morning.) Once in the workshop, you may lead them in a chalice lighting or a gathering ritual and then hand over the leading role to the workshop leader. You are still guiding, however, by example or in some cases by gentle direction and redirection.
The religious template of guiding is equally significant. We are creating and holding space for children to encounter the existential questions of life - who am I?, why am I here? what am I meant to do?
Along with that inner work, there is the work of belonging. We should never underestimate the pull of community. Think of all the adults you know who come for the fellowship and the opportunity to be with others. That is also true for children. This is a community wholly like any other they will encounter. It is a place where adults and kids have permission and encouragement to interact in ways that are both casual and profound. It is a place where the example of adults who care for others is one of the first lessons learned. It is a place where the adults teach by example the ways to be with each other. As guides, you are encouraged to teach by example. Encourage the children to treat each other with respect, to treat the space we inhabit with respect and to ask for what they need. If we can anchor those three concepts in each child's mind and practice, we've done a fabulous job.
So let's go to work. There's a big old world that needs these children to grow into thoughtful caring adults! I'll see you in church.
An interesting role in this new (to UUCGL) model is that of the Guides. A number of you have signed up to 'guide' and I thought I'd write a bit about the 'philosophy' of guiding. You may have heard at volunteer sign up that you won't need to do much. That is both true and not true. You will have no lessons to prepare, no supplies to purchase, no curriculum you MUST read. You will however, be taking on a ministry that asks you to be profoundly present to the children you 'guide'.
Guiding has a physical template. As a guide you will joining a group of children 'sorted' into age cohorts and assigned an element - Air for Kindergartners, Fire for first and second graders, Water for third and fourth graders and Fire for fifth and sixth graders. Each Sunday that you guide, the children will meet you by their elemental - earth, air, fire or water - banner in the Parish Hall. And you will greet them and escort them to their workshop of the day. (This information will be sent to you several weeks before your stint and will posted in the foyer that morning.) Once in the workshop, you may lead them in a chalice lighting or a gathering ritual and then hand over the leading role to the workshop leader. You are still guiding, however, by example or in some cases by gentle direction and redirection.
The religious template of guiding is equally significant. We are creating and holding space for children to encounter the existential questions of life - who am I?, why am I here? what am I meant to do?
Along with that inner work, there is the work of belonging. We should never underestimate the pull of community. Think of all the adults you know who come for the fellowship and the opportunity to be with others. That is also true for children. This is a community wholly like any other they will encounter. It is a place where adults and kids have permission and encouragement to interact in ways that are both casual and profound. It is a place where the example of adults who care for others is one of the first lessons learned. It is a place where the adults teach by example the ways to be with each other. As guides, you are encouraged to teach by example. Encourage the children to treat each other with respect, to treat the space we inhabit with respect and to ask for what they need. If we can anchor those three concepts in each child's mind and practice, we've done a fabulous job.
So let's go to work. There's a big old world that needs these children to grow into thoughtful caring adults! I'll see you in church.
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