Hosted each week by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Charlette Preslar, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
Activity Time: Prayer Cards
Supplies: 3x5 index cards (or something similarly sized), pen/pencil
At the start of the week, give each family member a flash card. Ask them to write something that they want to pray to God about on a card (or help them write it). It can be one word, a phrase, a sentence, or even a picture. The prayers can be something that we need help with, something for which we are thankful, or a moment of excitement or wonder at the world. (Help - Thanks - Wow!)
Put the cards in a stack in the middle of the table, and once a day take turns pulling a card and offering a prayer for the item on the card you pull.
Optional: place a blank set of cards next to the stack, so that people can add on other prayers throughout the week.
Story Time: Keep on Trying
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) I wonder what it feels like when something doesn’t work.
2) I wonder if the people in the video ever wanted to give up.
3) I wonder how the girl in the video felt when her plans kept not working.
4) I wonder why she kept trying.
5) I wonder where the idea came from that finally worked.
Dinner Time: Challenges and Obstacles
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 all face obstacles and challenges in our lives. Remind us that sometimes we need help to overcome them. Please be with us as we face them. Help us to be strong and to be brave. Help us remember that we can ask you for help too.
Amen.
Questions:
1) I wonder what a challenge is.
2) I wonder what an obstacle is.
3) I wonder if you have had any challenges.
4) I wonder what it was like to have a challenge or an obstacle.
5) I wonder how God helps us in our challenges.
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.
Luke 18:1-8 (God’s Word, My Voice)
Jesus told his disciples a parable about always praying and never giving up. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who didn’t care about God or anybody, just did whatever he wanted. A widow kept coming to him saying, ‘I demand justice!’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘This woman is wearing me out. I don’t give a hoot about her, but to shut her up I’m going to give her what she wants.’” Jesus said, “Won’t God grant justice to those who cry to him day and night? Won’t God be on your side right away? I wonder, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
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: