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: Marshmallow Tower
Supplies: a bag of mini marshmallows, a box of toothpicks
Challenge each family member to build the tallest tower that they can with marshmallows and toothpicks. Don’t give any instructions the first time.
When you are done, talk about what worked and what didn’t. Make a list of things you could do differently the second time.
This time work together using all of the ideas that you came up with to build a tower. Is it higher? Why do you think that is?
Story Time: Being Prepared for Class
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you remember what the four steps were to be prepared for class?
2. Do you think they were hard?
3. I wonder what you think it means to be prepared?
4. What is something you have to be prepared to do?
5. Who helps you prepare?
Dinner Time: Preparing for God's Kingdom
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 -
Dear God, We are talking about being prepared this week. Prepared to be like Jesus. Prepared for Your kingdom. Help us to focus on the steps we need to take to be prepared. Guide us as we follow Jesus. Comfort us when we make mistakes and give us strength to try again. Amen.
Questions:
1. I wonder what you think it means to be prepared for Jesus?
2. I wonder what you think we need to do to prepare for God’s kingdom?
3. Are they the same or different? Why?
4. What is something you did today to prepare for Jesus?
5. What could we do tomorrow?
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 25:1-13 (God’s Word, My Voice)
Jesus said:
God’s kingdom is like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. There were five smart girls, and five foolish girls. The foolish ones took their lamps but no oil to put in them! The smart girls took oil so they could light their lamps. The night was long, and the bridegroom wasn’t showing up, so they all fell asleep. At midnight, he finally showed up. The girls without oil said to the smart girls, “Give us some of your oil so we can see!” But the smart girls replied, “No! There isn’t enough for all of us. Go get some for yourselves from the dealers.” While the foolish ones were buying the oil they should have brought with them, the bridegroom came and took the smart girls into the wedding, and then shut the door. Finally the foolish girls got some oil and came back to the wedding. They knocked on the door and said, “Let us in.” But they heard in reply, “Sorry. Too late.”
The point of this story is that you need to be prepared and you need to stay awake. Because you just don’t know what will happen or when it’s going to happen.
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: