“The child does not yet know what belongs and what does not: therefore for her all things belong. The ear of the child is open to all music. Her eyes are open to all arts. Her mind is open to all tongues. Her being is open to all manners. In the child’s country, there are no foreigners.”
Kenneth L. Patton, This World, my Home
The above quote speaks of very young children who is wide awake to all possibilities. But how quickly them may learn that there are circles of belonging to which they belong that exclude others.
Children need to experience a feeling of belonging beyond their families and schools and sports. A sense of belonging to a community in which we share common values and an understanding of our spirituality is very different from other groups to which they may belong.
Children also need to know that it is important to reach beyond the circles to which they belong in order to understand and include other people and other ways of being in their evergrowing circles of life.
We, of course, invite all to join us and feel a sense of belonging here at FCU and in a wider, richer world which we explore together.
Vicki Merriam, Director of Religious Education
Religious Education Calendar – October
6 – Animal Blessing worship for all ages. Join us in the Sanctuary and bring photos, mementos, stuffed animals to represent animals in your lives. Following coffee hour we will perform a blessing ceremony on the lawn. Live pets can be brought at 11:30 – leashes/cages/etc. suggested.
13 – KidSpace: The Interdependent Web. We’ll make webs of various sorts to remind us we are all connected.
20 – KidSpace: Our circle of belonging changes and is flexible. We’ll play games of belonging and begin a mural.
27 – KidSpace: All belong in our circle. We’ll make food to share at the Sunday Social following worship when we will “Trick or Treat” for UNICEF. Wear costumes!
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