Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
Activity Time: Mother May I
Supplies: yourselves
One person (it could be Mom) stands facing away from a line of kids. She then chooses a child (at random, or in order), and announces a direction. These follow a pattern, such as, "Brian, you may take' x' giant/regular/baby steps forward/backward." The child responds with "Mother may I?" Mom then states "Yes" or "No", depending on her whim, and the child complies. If the child forgets to ask "Mother may I?" he/she goes back to the starting line. First one to touch Mother wins.
Children can create their own variations of steps, for example: Scissors step- jump while crossing your feet, then jump while uncrossing them was one step, Banana step-laying down with feet at current spot, marking where the top of your head was, and getting up there for new spot, Bunny step - a hop.
Story Time: Small Talk
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family. (Please watch this video from 0:00 to 2:10. That is the substance for the conversation.)
Discussion Questions:
1. What are some rules in our house?
2. Why do we have rules?
3. What is a rule that is hard to follow?
4. If you could make a rule for our family, what would it be?
Dinner Time: Our Promises
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 -
Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all your mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Questions:
1. What does it mean to make a promise?
2. What kinds of promises do you make?
3. Can you think of a promise that was hard to keep?
4. What do you do when you break a promise?
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.
John 1:1-18 (God’s Word, My Voice)
Before there was anything, there was the Word, with God and in God. The Word was God! Everything there ever was in the whole universe came to life through the Word. In fact, there’s nothing that the Word didn’t make.
Life came into being through him. That life lights up for all people to see. It shines in the darkness, and as you know, darkness cannot put out light.
John the Baptist was a man of God. He understood that Jesus was light, and that Jesus was coming to be our savior. Some people didn’t recognize that, but those who did, who let him shine his light into their hearts, had the power to become God’s children.
And the Word actually became one of us, and lived here on earth with us. You and I have seen his glory, and he is filled with grace and truth.
John cried out in the desert, pointing to Jesus and saying, “He’s the One. He’s the One I’ve been talking about!”
Because Jesus is filled with grace, all of us have more than our share of grace. In fact, we have been given grace upon grace upon grace. And even more grace than that.
The law given to Moses served its purpose; now grace and truth is serving its purpose through Jesus Christ. No one knows what God the Father looks like. Jesus, God’s only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, is the one who makes God the Father known to us.
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: