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: Lemonade from Lemons
Supplies: lemons, ¾ cup sugar, water, pitcher, glasses, ice, juicer or fork
As a family work to juice the lemons into a pitcher. It takes 4-6 lemons for one pitcher of lemonade. Add sugar and stir lemon juice and sugar together. Add water until the pitcher is ⅔ full and stir again. Taste the lemonade and add more sugar or water as needed.
While you work, have a conversation with these questions, “What is something we do to make people welcome in our home? What about at school? Have you ever heard the expression making Lemonade out of Lemons? What do you think it means? (take a minute to explain) How do you make lemonade out of lemons? (the kids will probably say add sugar and water) It takes more than sugar and water.... what did we do to make it? (juiced the lemons, added ingredients, adjusted the taste to make sure it was good for everyone, worked together, shared it)
If lemons are supposed to be problems or challenges, can you think of some ‘lemons’ in the world? What are some ways that we could work together to help change them?
Story Time: Water Walk
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. How much water do you think you drink in a day?
2. How much do you think you use to brush your teeth? Flush the toilet? Take a shower?
3. How much water do you think we use to water the plants? Cook dinner?
4. How much water do you think the boy in the video could carry in his container?
5. If that is all the water you had for one day, how would you use it?
6. Do you think it is hard to walk a long way to get water?
Dinner Time: Ways To Be With God
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 -
Lord give us eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to understand, hearts to believe, hands to serve, and mouths to tell others of Your love. Amen
Questions:
1. The prayer this week talks about a lot of ways to be with God. Why do you think it is phrased that way?
2. Can you think of examples for some of the ways named in the prayer?
3. What is one of the areas that feels really natural to you to connect with God?
4. What is one of the areas that feels more challenging?
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.
Matthew 10:40-42 (God’s Word, My Voice)
Whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. (He meant God the Father.) And whoever offers a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty, as my follower, he or she will be rewarded.
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: