Scripture: Isaiah 9:6,7
Memory
Verse:
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be
called children of God.” (NRSV)
Concepts:
· Jesus is the Prince of Peace
· Jesus came to earth to teach us about peace.
· God wants us to work for peace and justice.
Objectives:
· The children will watch the video “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” and discuss how the children of Hiroshima, even though they were very young, were able to work for peace.
· The children will learn sign language for “Lord hear our prayer” and participate in prayer asking for peace and justice.
· The children will practice call and response traditions.
Procedure:
Welcome
and Introductions:
1. Greet the children and introduce yourself.
2. Remind the children that every Sunday in worship, we “pass the peace”.
Workshop Leader: Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another.
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Children: And also with you.
Repeat your prompt so the children have another chance to practice their response. Then everyone should be encouraged to turn and shake a neighbor’s hand. This is called “the passing of the peace” and we do this every Sunday in worship. It is a way to welcome each other in offer friendship and peace. We are suppose to forgive one another if we have been upset or fighting.
3. Tell the children that this lesson is about peace. We will be watching a movie about a young girl who had a vision for a peaceful world.
Scripture/Bible
Story:
1. Prepare to read the scripture passage in Isaiah. Set the story up by telling the children that Isaiah was a prophet in Judah, a man who told the people of Judah what God wanted them to do and how God wanted them to live. Ask the children to follow along silently with you as you read.
2. Read Isaiah 9:6-7. CEV
Workshop Leader: Listen now for the Word of God:
“A child has been born for us. We have been given a son who will
be our ruler. His names will be Wonderful Advisor and Mighty
God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace. His power will never end;
peace will last forever.”
Workshop Leader: The Word of the Lord.
Children: Thanks be to God.
This passage from Isaiah was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Isaiah was writing at that time about a new baby king. But years later the followers of Jesus realized the passage also describes Jesus. What was written so many years ago came true with the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born to be the Prince of Peace; to teach us how to live peacefully with each other.
Application:
1. Show the movie “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.” Set up the movie by telling the children that in 1945 there was a war among many nations of the world. It was called World War II. Because of the type of weapons that were used in Japan during this war, many people in Japan became very sick. One person who became sick after the war was an 11-year-old girl named Sadako. This is the story of Sadako’s vision for peace in the world.
2. Use the following questions for discussion after the movie:
·
Why did Sadako first begin folding paper cranes? (she heard a legend that folding a thousand
paper cranes would make her well and she wanted to be well.)
·
How did her reason for folding paper cranes change
after a while? (she began to think about
other children who were sick because of the war and she wanted not just to be
well, but also for there to be no more wars)
·
What happened to make her wishes change? (she met another child who was sick and
realized that many children, even those who were not born when the war was
being fought, were made sick by the war)
· Why do you think her classmates finished Sadako’s thousand paper cranes?
· What does this movie teach you about how children can work for peace?
3. Show the children a paper crane. Tell the children that they are going to learn to fold paper cranes when they go to Creation Station next week. Since the monument to Sadako was built in Hiroshima, the crane has become a symbol of healing and peace all over the world. Many people send garlands of a thousand paper cranes to the Peace Park in Hiroshima every year. Faith Quest children together with the whole Kirk will be making a thousand paper cranes to send to Japan.
Recite the memory verse: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
This Bible verse says we are to work for peace and justice (fairness) in the world. One thing that we can do is to pray for peace. We are going to recite a prayer for peace.
Reflection:
Ask the shepherds to pass out the journal sheets and pencils/markers. Give the children a copy of the closing prayer to paste on their journal sheet.
Tell the children that the prayer is about replacing something that is bad, with something that is good. Listen for what is bad and what we are asking God to help us to do that is good. (Look for the opposites). This prayer is by Saint Francis of Assisi. We are going to pray it as a call and response type of prayer.
Ask the students to close their journal folders and sit quietly for prayer.
Closing:
Prayer: Show the children the sign language motions for the words: Lord, hear our prayer. Practice several times. You will be signing this part in the closing prayer.
Ask for 6 volunteers to come forward to help say the prayer. Give one part of the prayer to each child volunteer. Line the children up in order. Everyone else will sign the responses.
Tidy and Dismissal:
Dismiss the class with the words: “Go in Peace”.
Teacher preparation in
advance:
1. Read the scripture passages.
2. On the white board, write your key scripture verse. Display also, on the whiteboard or poster: Workshop Leader: Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another.
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Children: And also with you.
Workshop Leader: The word of the Lord.
Children: Thanks be to God.
3. Cut the closing prayer into the six parts.
4. Preview the video and have it cued to the correct starting place.
Supplies
Video
Paper crane sample
Copies of the prayer enough for each child
Glue sticks
Journal Sheets
The closing prayer cut into 6 sections
References
Sign Language: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm. This is an excellent web site to see video clips of the motions.
Video: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Video http://www.Sadako.com/
If someone asks a question about the “gods” in this video,
simply say that Sadako and her family practiced a different religion than we
do. They were "Shintoists." They practiced a religion called
"Shinto" in which they worshipped many gods, called "kami."
These gods are found in rocks, mountains, rivers, trees, and other natural
artifacts. Their religion also involves ancestor worship, which is the part of
the religion that shows up in Sadako's story when they offer food at a family
shrine and float candles at the peace park. Christians make up about 1 percent
of the population of Japan.
Don’t sidestep these questions about different faiths. They are important
lessons, especially in these days when we need to stress the importance of
getting along with people of many different faiths. And the children will have
heard a lot about this. The difference here is that in the news we are hearing
mostly about Muslims, Christians, and Jews--all monotheistic religions that
trace their tradition to the same sources. Shinto is a polytheistic religion.
Lord: move the right hand (in an L shape) from left shoulder to right hip
Hear: This is a natural gesture to indicate the concept of hearing something. Right hand points to right ear.
Our: open palm of right hand moves from right shoulder to left shoulder
Prayer: The hands are held as if in prayer. Clasp both hands together and bring toward chest.
Use this copy of the prayer to make strips to give to the children:
Closing Prayer for Peace:
1. Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace.
Lord, hear our prayer.
2.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Lord, hear our prayer.
3.
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Lord, hear our prayer.
4. Where
there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
Lord, hear our prayer.
5.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek so much to be
consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
Lord, hear our prayer.
6.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Amen.