Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
1 CORINTHIANS 12: 12-14, 27
And that there was the focus of this children's liturgy. [Gillian] chose to base the activity off of the second reading (as opposed to the Gospel) because it was... more relatable for the kids. In other words, I thought they were understand it better than that Sunday's gospel, which was about Jesus in the temple, fulfilling the Scriptures.
The Activity
When I was looking online for craft and activity ideas for this week, there were a lot of great projects that I could have undertaken. The only problem was that almost all of them would have taken too long for the kids to complete. This idea ended up being only a couple of minutes too short, but that was mostly due to the a special renewal of vows occurring that day. As such, I think this would be a great activity to do again!
The main message I wanted to get across to the kids was that we are one in Christ, and that unity can be found in the Christian community. I had originally thought to have the kids colour and write on lots of different cut-outs of a body, and then they would all be pasted together to make one big picture, but the problem with activities like that is that all the kids want to take their projects home. As well, I didn't know how many children would be present, so it would have been difficult to discern how many indivudual body pieces to make.
Here are some examples of that theme/idea:
Here are some examples of that theme/idea:
Images courtesy of: http://flamecreativekids.blogspot.ca/2013/01/body-of-christ-fun.html, http://meaningfulmama.com/2012/06/day-179-humility-taught-by-one-body.html, and
http://indulgy.com/post/FyIOXCOEZ1/everyone-gets-a-square-with-a-quarter-circle-thi
http://indulgy.com/post/FyIOXCOEZ1/everyone-gets-a-square-with-a-quarter-circle-thi
However, for the sake of ease, I chose to teach the kids about the unity of the trinity; how they are connected, and how we are connected to them.
I started with a pyramid template that I found on Google images, and from there did some editing and manipulating to put the other pictures onto the pyramid. Here is a picture of the template, in case anyone would like to use it again.
I started with a pyramid template that I found on Google images, and from there did some editing and manipulating to put the other pictures onto the pyramid. Here is a picture of the template, in case anyone would like to use it again.
Supplies
- pyramid template
- scissors
- markers/crayons/pencil crayons
- glue sticks
- clear tape (optional)
- yarn (optional)
- hole punch (optional)
Clear tape is listed as optional in case you find using the glue stick too finicky, or the glue doesn't work too well. Note that, if using glue, when closing the third and final side of the pyramid you will need to bend the paper a bit and squish the edge. The paper should mostly return to its original shape, though I not sure how a thicker paper would respond.
The other optional supplies, yarn and a hole punch, are if you want to turn the pyramid into an ornament. Simply use a single hole-punch to make holes in the template where the black dots are (near the vertex of the pyramid), and when the pyramid is assembled, thread the yarn through all three holes and into a loop.
The other optional supplies, yarn and a hole punch, are if you want to turn the pyramid into an ornament. Simply use a single hole-punch to make holes in the template where the black dots are (near the vertex of the pyramid), and when the pyramid is assembled, thread the yarn through all three holes and into a loop.
Any comments on the activity are appreciated, and we are always open to suggestions for other activities!
- Gillian
- Gillian