Being at Peace with Oneself

A Children's Chapel for Grades 1–6

By Mary B. Collins
Director of Religious Education
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury
Danbury, CT
(formerly of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Fairfield County, West Redding, CT)

Writer's note: Material for this Children's Chapel was adapted from Adapting Small Group Ministry for Children's RE by Gail Forsyth-Vail, DRE.

What is the focus of this Children's Chapel?

• Prayer and Meditation—movement as an expression of reverence; how other religions use prayer beads (see follow-up activity)
• Reverence for the Earth or Earth Day—The story is about the water cycle; it is also a potential story for your Water Communion Service.
• A Springtime Service of Peace

Materials Needed

The chapel requires the following materials:

• Bowl with water
• Small stones or pebbles
• Joyce Poley's CD Let Your Heart Sing! and companion songbook
• CD player
• Singing the Living Tradition hymn book—“Peace Like a River,” #100

The follow-up activities require the following materials:

Activity 1

• Fabric scarves
• One long piece of blue “river” fabric
• Optional: Water-themed background music, such as “Swimming to the Other Side” by Pat Humphries or Debussy's La Mer (see list of resources at the end of this article)

Activity 2

• Origami paper
• Patterns to make the “peace” crane and an easy fish/whale for children eight years or older
• Optional: string and sticks for making mobiles

Activity 3

• Beads with large enough holes for preschool and younger children's hands
• Yarn, pipe cleaners, or elastic cord (either precut and tape one end of the yarn or bring scissors and tape)
• Optional : Printed information on prayer beads of different traditions. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads (in depth; includes link to list of 99 names of Allah) ; http://www.malaquest.com/beads/beads.html (good overview information and a picture); www.crystallife.com (has pictures of beads).

Being at Peace with Oneself
Children's Chapel
Order of Service and Activities

Prelude

“Gaia,” from Let Your Heart Sing! CD by Joyce Poley

Welcome and Announcements

“Welcome to Children's Chapel. Today we will use our bodies to light the chalice, express a prayer, and, after the chapel, to act out the story with flowing fabric. You will also have the opportunity to go to a table to make origami peace cranes and fish. Another table will have beads and yarn (or elastic) to make your version of prayer or peace beads. This tool for focusing attention is used by more than one religion.”

Drawing on information from the websites listed in the materials list, provide children with some information about prayer beads. Here are some points you might mention:

• Roman Catholics use a string of beads they call the rosary.
• Muslims use a circle of 99 beads, divided into three equal parts, for the 99 names of Allah.
• A strand of 108 mala beads is used in the Yogic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions.

Chalice Lighting Words

“We will light the flame by having everyone, as they are able, crouch down in a circle. Then one by one we throw our hands into the hair—like the ‘wave' in the sports stadiums—wave your hands and fingers like dancing flames. Keep your hands waving while I read our chalice lighting words:

“Flame that starts with one tiny spark
That can so quickly spread,
Remind us that good ideas, loving acts, and peaceful thoughts can spread quickly, too.
Chalice flame of light,
Ignite warmth, love, and peace in our hearts today.”

Joys and Sorrows

The children may share aloud briefly (in one or two sentences) a joy or sorrow that happened to them this week and mark it by dropping a small stone or pebble into a bowl of water. You might say: “This is a time for us to share our joys and sorrows. Please come up and drop a rock into the water and share your joy or sorrow, either silently or aloud.”

Song

“Let it Rain,” from Let your Heart Sing! songbook by Joyce Poley

Story

“The Little Stream Called to the Sea”—A Sufi Tale

Adapted and retold by Rev. Sydney Wilde
From Paint Creek UU Congregation: story in the September, 17, 2000 sermon of Rev. Carol Huston.

(This story is formatted to help you learn it and tell it rather than read it.)

Once there was a little stream that dreamed of flowing to the sea. The stream started in an aquifer , a huge pool of water underground, but the call of the ocean was so strong that the stream pushed its way through nooks and cracks, up through the earth until it burst forth into the air and began its journey toward the sea. As its waters bubbled to the surface they ran down the hill carving the stream bed into the earth. Sometimes the stream babbled as it traveled, sometimes it gurgled , sometimes it roared . At times the stream traveled alone . Its waters were so clear you could see the pebbles that lined its bed. At other times the stream ran through great lakes , or tumbled over a cliff , or joined other streams to form a river , and then split again to travel alone, but always, always the little stream yearned to flow into the sea.

Sometimes the stream would run fast and deep , eager to reach the sea. Fish swam in its waters as it carried them swiftly on its journey. Sometimes the stream would grow wide and slow, and it would carry boats on its back as it continued its journey. But always, always the little stream yearned to flow into the sea.

One day, just as the call of the ocean seemed to grow a bit stronger, the stream found itself growing sluggish, its waters grew thick with mud, until sadly it pooled into a brackish mud hole right on the edge of the desert. “Woe is me,” thought the little stream, “now I'll never get to the sea.” It tried going around the desert—but the desert was too wide. It tried going under the desert—but the desert was too deep. Still (even with mud in its “ears”) the little stream heard the call of the ocean and yearned to flow to the sea. After what seemed like a long time, as the stream just pooled there in the sun, it began to hear a second voice . “I can take you to the sea, little stream,” whispered the wind. “Come with me, I'll carry you to the ocean shore.”

“How could you do that?” scoffed the stream. “You are only made of air.”

“I can carry you on a breeze,” whispered the wind, “But you must be very brave, for you must let go of yourself and change.”

“I've changed many times,” said the stream.

“But this will be different,” said the wind .

The little stream paused, but deep within, the stream still yearned for the sea. The stream let go… and the wind picked it up particle by particle. At first the stream was scared , for it felt lost, it was no longer a stream but was turned sort of inside out and had become moisture swirling in the sky . The view was like nothing the little stream had ever seen before. Not only was the whole world laid out below it, but it was surrounded by sparkling jewels . Then what had been the stream realized that all those sparkling jewels were parts of itself. Molecules of water, droplets of moisture, sparkling in the light. What had been the stream realized that it was truly beautiful on the inside.

Next the stream-turned-moisture saw that it was not alone, for the wind had whispered to other streams, and ponds, and even to the morning dew upon the oasis. All had turned into moisture. And all their parts were also sparkling in the sun. Together they were even more beautiful, for the sunlight had changed them into all the colors of a rainbow.

Then the little stream-turned-rainbow felt itself falling , and falling and falling. All the other droplets were falling too, until plop, plop, plop, plop— all the droplets ran together into a mighty river which rushed down the mountainside , across a coastal plain, and into the sea, where the waves pushed it back and pulled it forward and the currents carried it far out into the pulsing depths. The little stream was content.

But I understand that every now and then, the wind would breeze by, whispering to the currents in the sea … “Come with me, come with me…” and that the moisture would rise up into the wind and be carried away to start all over again.

Story Closure

After telling the story, allow a few moments for children to reflect. If the group seems ready to talk, engage them in conversation. You might ask them: What did you like best about the story? Did it remind you of other stories we have talked about at church? Keep conversation on task, but allow children time to think and speak as needed.

Prayer

After a moment of silence following the story or the story discussion, invite children to join you in creating a closing prayer. Tell them that the prayer will be a body prayer. You might say: “Sometimes we can show with our bodies different ideas or feelings. Let's try showing with our bodies that we are:

• thankful,
• sorry,
• hopeful,
• full of love.

This is called a body prayer.”

After children seem to understand the idea of embodying prayer, you can invite them to embody a longer prayer. You might say: “Now I will share a short reading. Listen first, close your eyes.” (Read below.) “Now I will read it again, and if you so choose, try to act it out with your bodies.

“We call to the Spirit of Life, of Goodness and Wonder and Love, to be present

with us,

and in us,

as we journey on in our life.”

Allow children time to enact the body prayer. You may even repeat the prayer if the group wishes.

Song

“I've Got Peace Like a River,” from Singing the Living Tradition, Hymn #100

You might add the following phrases: Strength like a mountain; joy like a fountain; pain like an arrow; love like the sunshine.

Benediction

After the singing, invite children to engage in a moment of reflection as you say the benediction.

“We call the Spirit of Life, of Goodness and Wonder, of Justice and Love, to be present with us and in us. Let us take time to renew our spirits and to know who we are.

“That is our gift to Gaia and to the Wonder within us:
to follow our calling—that which brings us joy and contentment.
“That is our gift
to the smallest raindrop and to the wide wavy ocean,
to the smallest sea horse and to the great blue whale,
to our family at home and to all people and the Earth.”

Being at Peace with Oneself
Follow-up Activities

Starting the Session

You may use the following conversation in one or more ways:

• Have the conversation after the Benediction, with the whole group, before breaking into activities .
• Share some or all of it with children while they are working on the beads or origami.
• Copy it and send it home to the families.

Choose one of the following questions to start conversation:

• Do you set aside time for prayer or meditation? What do you do?
• If you had one wish, what would you wish for?

Conversation

In the story for today's Children's Chapel, the little stream hears and feels the call of the ocean everywhere it goes. It is happy to push its way toward the ocean no matter where it travels.

One Islamic belief is that God is everywhere and all-knowing. It is said that if they would only listen, people would hear God calling them, just as the stream heard the ocean calling. A Muslim might say that to be happy in life is to answer the call to do God's will. Muslims believe it is God's will to pray five times a day, using special words and movement that remind the person that God is everywhere and everything. Praying five times a day helps a Muslim believer remember what is most important in life and that we all depend on something bigger than human beings. Muslims believe that bigger thing is God, whom they call “Allah.”

In earth-based beliefs, that “something bigger” is the earth itself. Many people think that the wonders of the earth—like looking at sunsets, the oceans, and living creatures—are all part of the earth. These deeply felt experiences often bring peace, wonder, and perspective to a tired or worried person. Being in nature, or perhaps working to save the whales or recycling, are acts that can remind someone who practices earth-based religion what is most important in life. This can re-energize their spirit.

To us Unitarian Universalists, this story might say that we are happy and content when our lives follow the path that leads to what we know is true and right for us and for those around us. It takes time to find what we do best and to share our talents with others, but this is following a good path. Being quiet in nature, or in prayerful movement or using beads, all can be tools to help you get to know yourself, your strengths, your worries.

Taking Our Faith Home

If we act in ways that we know are not right, it can be hard to be truly at peace. Try one or more ways to take time to be peaceful: watch a sunset, sing, pray with your body or use prayer beads, protect the earth, recycle, and make things yourself.

Activities

(I recommend offering at least two activities. Activity 1 is for all ages; Activity 2 is for older elementary students; Activity 3 is for younger groups.)

• Acting Out the Story:
• Ask the children what they remember from the story of the journey of the little stream.
• Read the story aloud again, asking the children to listen for parts they can act out.
• Read the story as the participants act out the story using scarves and blue “river” fabric. Add music in the background (optional), such as “Swimming to the Other Side,” La Mer , or other water-themed music.
• Origami Paper Folding: Set up a table with peace crane and fish patterns and origami paper that is developmentally appropriate for the older children in the group. Provide instructions as necessary. Encourage older children to make origami for the younger members. Some might want to make fish mobiles if you have extra string and sticks gathered from outside.
• Bead Creations: Put out beads, yarn or elastic, and photographs of different kinds of beads used for prayer. I generally don't believe in showing kids “how-to,” but pictures and information on rosary beads or Buddhist prayer beads might be helpful. Invite children to create beaded strings or necklaces.

You might provide printed information about prayer beads of different traditions. I like the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads (has link to in-depth list of 99 names of Allah), http://www.malaquest.com/beads/beads.html (good overview information and a picture), and pictures of some of these beads at www.crystallife.com .