Celebrate the Feast of St. Martin of Tours (11/11)

Posted on November 11, 2011 by browniesmoke

Have you ever wondered about the root of the word “chapel”? St. Martin of Tours is that valiant soldier (of “and one was a soldier” fame) who slashed his cloak in two with his sword to give half to a beggar. The  relic, the remaining half of his cloak (“cappa”), was housed in small buildings that became known as “capella,” the root of our words for chapel and chaplain. Martin later became a “soldier for Christ.”

Learn more about St. Martin of Tours by clicking here, or here for a YouTube video. To celebrate his feast at home, first clean out your closets and take all those extra “cloaks” to the Shop of St. Philip’s so they may help the beggar, too. (Those of you outside of “dropping off distance” can write a check to this fine ministry – but take your extra cloaks to a similar ministry in your own hometown.) Then bake some horseshoe shaped cookies or make St. Martin’s croissants (using packaged dough if you’re not a baker) and washing them down with wine (as St. Martin is the patron saint of vintners), if you are not up to cooking the traditional goose!

The official “What Can We Leave Out…” Food Editor Cindy is on vacation this weekend visiting much beloved family. If you take pictures of your St. Martin’s Feast preparations, I’d love to see them!

Posted in Feasts, Finding Stories Outside the Classroom, Food | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New Godly Play Catalogue!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by browniesmoke

If you’ve been hiding under a Godly Play log, you might not have heard that Godly Play Resources has a new catalogue! It’s always so much nicer when you can actually see what you’re buying – or dreaming about buying. Here’s the text and link from their e-mail:

Godly Play Resources, Mike Teresa and Connie, are very pleased to send you, the Godly Play Community, their new catalogue.  We heard your requests.  This catalogue represents our first independent version in a few years and includes a new introduction from Jerome, new products and returning favorites.

This electronic download version allows you the flexibility to print as you need or distribute electronically as appropriate.  It also allows us, GPR, the flexibility to add new products as they come available.

This document is a result of much collaboration, but a very special “thank you” needs to go out to Jenn Sanborn, Godly Play Northeast Trainer, for the many hours she dedicated to making this the high quality product that it is.  When the Foundation and Godly Play Resources reached out to her for assistance, we were not anticipating such an investment of time and talent.  Thank you Jenn!

Blessings
Mike, Teresa, Connie

Link to catalogue

Enjoy!

 

Posted in Godly Play, Godly Play Story Materials | Tagged , | 1 Comment

I Wonder: How Do We Pick What Story to Tell?

Posted on November 2, 2011 by browniesmoke

We have an generous parish and an amazing library of Godly Play stories at our disposal – we even have storage for the stories we’re not using immediately. This is a GOOD problem to have!

It wasn’t always like that. In the very beginning, in a class we started with older elementary children, the story we told on any given Sunday was the one we finished making about 10 hours prior to Sunday School. (The first classes were all the parables, because they were easy to make.)

For several years, the four teachers who tell stories to the the class of 3rd-5th graders have met in August and January to pick the stories for the “semester.” As a rule, we follow the progression suggested in “The Complete Guide to Godly Play” (volumes 1-7).

This fall, we tried something different. We have many children who only attend Sunday School and do not regularly attend worship services. So this time, we tried to pick every story we could that touched on corporate worship in some way. We had hoped to end the semester (on November 20) by attending church together as a class, but we’ve had to table that idea until January due to various conflicts (good conflicts!) in our parish life.

Here’s the schedule we came up with for Fall 2011:

9/11: How the Church Tells Time (The Complete Guide, Vol. 2)
9/18: The Ark and the Tent for God (The Complete Guide, Vol. 2)
9/25: The Ark and the Temple for God (The Complete Guide, Vol. 2)
10/2: The Boy Jesus in the Temple (Young Children and Worship)
10/9: Jesus’ Last Passover (Young Children and Worship)
10/16: Good Shepherd and World Communion (The Complete Guide, Vol. 4)
10/23: The Synagogue and the Upper Room (The Complete Guide, Vol. 4)
10/30: The Road to Emmaus (Young Children and Worship)
11/6: The Circle of the Holy Eucharist (The Complete Guide, Vol. 4)
11/13: The Lord’s Prayer (from our collection of stories in the style of Godly Play)
11/20: What Does It Mean to Be an Episcopalian?

This series of stories has been a particularly rich period for us as a class. Some of them gravitate to the “setting the table” materials during their work time. After hearing the story “Jesus’ Last Passover,” One fifth grader immediately said she would draw the story and went straight for the markers and paper. I was snapping photos (but being blind as a bat, I never truly see what I’ve accidentally captured until I get home to the computer). Her response is more profound than words I could write:

Amen.

Posted in Godly Play, Materials for Work Time | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

St. Crispin’s Day Apple Crisp (10/25)

Posted on October 26, 2011 by browniesmoke

The “What Can We Leave Out…” Food Editor Cindy was hard at work on Tuesday on St. Crispin’s Day. (Note: I am PRETTY sure the “What Can We Leave Out…” question is NOT applicable to the food/cooking entries!) (On second thought, unless we’re leaving out cheese. I don’t like cheese. Then we can leave it out….)

October 25 is St. Crispin’s Feastday. On my usual Friday church e-newsletter, I cobbled together (haha) some various tidbits I had in my evernote.com file, and wrote this:

Celebrate St. Crispin’s Day Oct. 25

Remember “The Charge of the Light Brigade”? St. Crispin’s Day is better known for the famous battles fought on his feastday [(The Battle of Agincourt (1814), the Battle of Balaclava (1854), and the Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944)].

However, the twins St. Crispin and St. Crispinian were shoemakers by night and evangelized France by day, eventually being martyred for preaching the Gospel ca. 286.

Catholic Cuisine suggests celebrating these cobblers with an apple crisp (and they totally intend that pun!), using Crispin apples (also known as mutsu apples). I have no idea if they are available in our area, but the feastday of St. Crispin and St. Crispinian on October 25 is the perfect time to enjoy an apple crisp (recipe provided in the Catholic Cuisine link)!

Although we live in an apple growing area, I wasn’t sure if they were available here in Western North Carolina. My friend Mary reported that indeed they are, but I could not find any in the local grocery store. I suppose the orchards and farmers’ markets might have them.

In my usual e-mail chatter with Cindy (of Pentecost Flame Food Fame), she e-mailed me the pictures, following the recipe above. She reported: “It was yummy! E, who just does NOT eat baked fruit, ate 2 helpings. Hope you don’t need any more pictures, because it is ALL GONE!!”

There you have it. Add this to your tickler files for next October 25!

Posted in Feasts, Food | Tagged | 2 Comments

Advent Workshop 2011 – The Advent Wreath (Part 1)

Posted on October 25, 2011 by browniesmoke

On November 30, 2011, we’ll have a simple meal in our parish hall for anyone who signs up (usually about 45-60 people). As the adults clear the family-style meal, the children will gather at prepared tables for the Advent Workshop crafts. (Last year, we had 33 children participate.)

Our Advent Workshop is a longstanding tradition in our parish on the first Wednesday in Advent. We have had many different crafts over the years, ranging from Chrismon ornaments to simple creches, Jesse Tree ornaments, and Advent paper chains. The general expectation for an appropriate craft is that it be spiritually uplifting, liturgically correct, developmentally appropriate for ages 3-18, be of keepsake quality, allow for individual expression, be a child-driven activity, and (most important) be completed in one hour.

Sigh.

This year (this week) my always very helpful and more-than-patient husband, the one who decorates our parish hall every year for the season, had rotator cuff surgery. My easy access to getting things done just got undone – he isn’t moving anywhere fast. However, he came up with this craft prior to the surgery, and we’re working on the details now: the battery operated Advent Wreath for children.

One of our particular goals for this year in Christian Nurture is to bring the many families who only attend Sunday School into corporate worship and help them enjoy the liturgical traditions of our church. These families may not already have Advent wreaths. Our hope is that the children will have their own to “work” with, and the adults will be encouraged to have a traditional wreath for the family in their homes.

Our prototype consists of a 6 inch wooden “Floral & Craft Ring” from Michaels. We added four  1 1/4″ dowels cut to varying heights (ours are 2″, 2 1/2″, 3″, and 3 1/2″) and topped them with battery operated tea lights (also from Michaels, sold in packs of 24). The dowels will be glued to the wreath and the tea lights will be attached to the top of the candles with velcro buttons (to enable turning on the lights and changing the battery, if necessary.)

We’re planning on several many ways to decorate the wreaths, so expect more details as we brainstorm. (Feel free to chime in!)

Posted in Crafts, Parish Traditions, Seasons of the Church Year | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Pentecost – it’s all about the FOOD!

Posted on October 14, 2011 by browniesmoke

One of my volunteer duties is to send out a weekly e-newsletter to all parishioners. It usually has the general sorts of announcements that all newsletters have, in reasonably short blurbs. I also like to put in one blurb of something I found interesting – maybe something about a saint who has a feastday that week, or some link of  “religious digital interest.” (I’ll let you just wonder what on earth that category might include…)

So, the week before Pentecost 2011, I innocently posted the following blurb in our E-pistle to the Philippians:

Celebrate Pentecost with a Treat!

Celebrate Pentecost, one of the great feasts of the liturgical year, with a special treat! Click here to see these Holy Spirit cupcakes and other “ideas for bringing the spirit of Pentecost alive in our meal and dessert preparations.”

I never really know if anyone is paying attention. But on Pentecost, my friend mentioned that she had read somewhere (!) about food for Pentecost, and she was planning to prepare some of those foods for a Sunday supper with friends. (Hey, Cindy, it was ME! You read that from ME!)

With their permission, here are their photographs of all the great Pentecost foods they prepared.

Flames of cheese and peppers on crackers.

Dorito flames – can it get any easier than that?

More flames – watermelon and cantaloupe.

Salami and cantaloupe flames.

The whole spread – yum!

Great feast, Cindy! Thanks for keeping the spirit of Pentecost alive. Come, Holy Spirit!

Posted in Feasts, Finding Stories Outside the Classroom | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Response Time – Setting up the Altar

Posted on October 8, 2011 by browniesmoke

While reading a Catholic homeschooler’s blog, I was fascinated by her miniature mass kit. I saved up my pennies to buy it, wrote a script to introduce it, and I was met with complete indifference on Sunday morning in our Godly Play class. In retrospect, I suspect I was a bit too excited about it.

I did photograph the kit at every stage of setting up a miniature altar. I had great plans to have a parishioner make a small wooden credence table, but in my excitement I first used a brown piece of construction paper cut to the right size.  The children have never noticed its lack of oomph and treat that little paper oh-so-carefully. I created control cards to show the children step by step how to set up the altar (and how it all fits back in the box!).

The next year, when one child had no plans or goals for our response time, I carelessly mentioned that the box over there might be worth looking into. I just said, “The photograph cards will show you what to do.”

The kit has become very popular with both boys and girls. There is a lavabo bowl and towel, and occasionally someone will carefully help all of us wash our hands just like our acolytes do. Some enterprising child filled the water cruet and wine cruets with tiny shreds of blue paper and purple paper.

I found the brass and glass materials here (originally I was able to buy pieces separately, omitting the incense pieces, etc.). I can no longer find the wooden box/altar and the frontal pieces in liturgical colors. If you find a better set online, or access to the unavailable pieces, please let me know! (Pinterest and Evernote may help me keep a better web trail in the future…)

Posted in control cards, Godly Play Classroom, Godly Play Scripts, Materials for Work Time, Montessori | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Back to School Prayer Vigil

Posted on October 6, 2011 by browniesmoke

We have tried many things as a way of honoring Back to School. We don’t do a “Blessing of the Backpacks” as many Episcopal churches do (a former assistant rector was adamant that we bless people, not things).

I had read of Back to School Prayer Vigils and suggested it several years ago to our chapter of the Daughters of the King. They indeed planned a vigil, with the chapel open the evening before from 5-9 p.m. and all day on the first day of school from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or some such. We made great plans for families to come and for the whole parish to pray…and maybe two devoted members of the DOK prayed the entire time. I’m sure there were a few people in and out, but all in all it just didn’t work as we had imagined it.

In 2011, our third year, I think we’ve found a formula that works for our parish. This year we concluded that the first day of school is full of enough pressures without adding in a trip to church. So, we began our vigil on Sunday.

A Daughter of the King was present between the first two morning services and after the third in our chapel (which opens into the main church). The DOK provided beautiful flowers on the chapel altar (not usual for a regular Sunday) with pencils artfully placed in the arrangement. We had votive candles available, as well as paper and pencil and a backpack. We also prepared a list of all the children in our parish from preschoolers through graduate students by grade.

Parishioners were invited to come light a candle for their families going back to school, and grandparents came to light candles for their far off grandchildren (and would also add their names to the prayer list). Special prayer concerns (“Please pray for X who is very worried about her first day of high school,” for example) could be written on the slips of paper and put into the backpack.

By the end of Sunday services, our chapel altar was glowing! It was such a nice way to honor and pray for our families beginning a new season.

On the first day of school, we hold a “Back to School Breakfast” from 7-8 a.m., and all families and school children are invited to come for a (free!) hot breakfast. This has become very popular! Our faithful Daughters of the King were also on hand from 7-9 a.m. in the chapel to pray over the backpack prayers as well as the extended Back to School list from the day before. Families could light a candle or write prayers again, if they wished.

(One enterprising mom/Daughter made a sign at the top of the stairs with the message “Eat” (pointing in the direction of the breakfast) “Pray” (pointing in the opposite direction to the chapel) and the general command, “LOVE!”)

Posted in Parish Traditions, Prayers | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Seven Faces of Easter (Part 1)

Posted on September 25, 2011 by browniesmoke

We’ve been doing Godly Play for about 16 years at St. Philip’s, and in the beginning we tried every which way of acquiring materials. We made many – copying, coloring, and laminating parable items is fairly easy. Cutting felt is also reasonably economical.

Some of the favorite stories are expensive. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but I believe someone asked an artist in our congregation if she would create watercolor cards for the story “The Faces of Easter.” so that we could save the money.

She did not give us cards. She gave us eight framed original watercolors for one of our classrooms (the story script calls for 8 pictures on 7 cards). As we have no windows in our basement classroom, the paintings are a lovely way to see out through Christ.

(I apologize for any seasickness or blindness from flashes that my photography causes. I am simply a terrible photographer. I apparently can’t even hold the camera straight!)

Posted in Godly Play Classroom | Tagged , | 2 Comments

What It Means to Be an Episcopalian

Posted on September 19, 2011 by browniesmoke

When the good people at our church decided to begin a group they call “Soul-Journers,” they asked me if I would be first of the “wide variety of speakers [who] talk with us about various aspects of what it means to be an Episcopalian.” I immediately said no.

I suffer from debilitating stage fright. My hands shake. My face and chest turn bright red and spotted. I am terribly unattractive in front of a group of people.

But Will was persistent, and he badgered me into agreeing to a date several months off. I realized I would NOT make it through a speech without falling apart, so I, with much help, created a story in the style of Godly Play. I told it as I would to children, on the floor with manipulatives. The group was made up entirely of adults, so the story had the added benefit of introducing Godly Play to members of our congregation who don’t often make it downstairs to the basement.

The story can be found here (part 1) and here (part 2). (Crafted by Jill Stewart at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Brevard, NC. Please credit this source when using.)

 

Posted in Godly Play, Godly Play Scripts, Godly Play Story Materials | Tagged , , | 1 Comment