by Sheila Callaghan, Sunday school director
God loved the People so much that He showed them the Ten Best Ways to Live, the Ten Commandments. When we add up all the Ten Best Ways we get two: Love God. Love People.
During the month of November we continued to witness God’s presence to the People. As they traveled across the desert, the People began to complain to Moses because they were hungry and thirsty. In our first story, we learned that God helped Moses find food and water for the People. God loved the People so much that He asked Moses to write the Ten Best Ways to Live – the Ten Commandments – on stones, and give them to the People. They loved the Ten Commandments so much that they built a beautiful ark of gold to put them in and carry them with them wherever they went.
In the story of the Ark and the Tent the People realized that they could not walk up to something as precious as the Ten Commandments without being ready, so they built a special Tent with a special room called the “Holy of Holies” to hold the ark. The following week, in the story of the Ark and the Temple, the People of God built a house for God – a Temple – replacing the Tent. The Temple had the same things that helped the People get ready to meet God as in the Tent. The People thought that God was only in the Temple but realized in the story of the Exile and Return that God is EVERYWHERE, even in the strange and foreign land of Babylon.
December Godly Play story schedule:
12/1 The Holy Family
12/8 Advent I & II
12/15 Advent I – IV
12/22 Pageant Rehearsal
12/29 No Sunday school
Sunday school starts at 10 a.m. with the Godly Play storyteller inviting the children to “the circle.” The children listen to a 5-10 minute story that includes visuals, either manipulatives or cards, to help engage the children. After hearing the story, we enter a time of “wonder.” This is a time for the children to reflect: How would you feel? Where might you be in this story? Wondering is such an important part of the Godly Play method and all of the children’s responses help everyone to better understand what the storyteller has shared.
One Sunday a month we will begin downstairs and come up at the Peace to join the congregation for Eucharist. Childcare is offered for younger children not quite ready to join the Godly Play circle.