Faith To Go Podcast: Fear and Peace
Hosted each week by the Faith Formation team at St. Paul's Cathedral in San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Jackie Pippin, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your conversations throughout the week.
Activity Time: Clouds
Supplies: Grey or white cardstock, markers, scissors
Help children cut out storm clouds on a piece of construction paper. Give children markers to write attributes of a storm. Glue these to a piece of paper where you draw a boat in water. Ask the children where they see God during storms.
Sometimes it can be hard to see God when we feel that life is so busy or crazy, like a storm. It’s important to be always looking for God in those moments because he is with us.
-Adapted from Sermons4Kids
Story Time: Gospel Reading and Reflection
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) I wonder where the disciples and Jesus were going.
2) I wonder what Jesus did on the boat.
3) I wonder why the disciples were frustrated with Jesus.
4) I wonder how Jesus was able to stop the storm.
5) I wonder why the disciples didn’t trust Jesus.
Dinner Time: Storms
Below is a prayer with which to start your meal and then discussion questions to explore this week’s topic with your family while you eat.
Prayer- The days are getting longer.
Keep your Spirit in my heart and mind
during this growing season.
Be with me as I finish the school year,
participate in summer activities,
enjoy the gift of summer turning into fall.
Help me recognize your works in all that I do
at work,
at rest,
and at play,
So that I can give thanks for all you provide,
even without my even asking.
Amen.
Questions:
I wonder if you’ve ever seen a big thunderstorm.
I wonder how that storm made you feel.
I wonder what helped you feel safe during the storm.
I wonder if life ever feels like a storm.
I wonder where we can find God during those times in our life.
Bedtime: Reflections for Children at the End of the Day
During your bedtime routine, invite your children into a time of reflection about their day, maybe by saying, "Did you know that God really wants to know what happened in your day today, and that God is always listening whenever you need to tell God something?" Then continue with these questions:
1) What are some things that happened today that you want to tell God about?
2) What is one happy thing that happened today? What is one sad thing that happened today?
3) Did you see God or feel God with you when those things were happening? Where did you see or feel God when those things happened today?
4) Read to your children this week’s scripture selection, then ask the questions that follows.
Mark 4:35-41
When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s take this boat to the other side of the lake.” And leaving the crowd behind, they all got in the boat. Suddenly the weather got bad and the wind howled and the waves tossed the boat in the air, and it was swamped with water. Jesus was sleeping on a pillow in the back through all this commotion! They screamed at him and woke him up, “We’re all going to die. Don’t you care?”
He woke up and scolded the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Stop Already! Calm Down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was as calm as it could be. He said to the disciples, “Why are you scared? Do you still not have faith?” And they were overflowing with amazement, and said to each other, “Did you see the wind arid the sea obey him? Who is he, that he can control God’s creation like that?”
Did the story remind you of anything that happened in your day today?
5) What are some things that you want to tell God that you are grateful for today?
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: