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: Act It Out!
Supplies: paper, pencil
Make a list of things that people are good at in your family. Write the things on slips of paper and put them in a hat or basket. Take turns pulling the slips of paper out of the hat or basket. Act out the item without using words while the rest of the family guesses what it could be. At the end of the activity, work together to say a prayer of thanks to God for all of the many talents and gifts your family has in its members.
Story Time: Humility
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) At the end of the video, they ask what is humility and how did Jesus show humility. Can you think of a character in this week’s parable that showed humility too?
2) Do you think that HOW we pray is important?
3) Which of the two people in this week’s parable do you think you are most like?
4) Why do you think Jesus tells this parable?
5) Is it important to be your real self with God? Why?
Dinner Time: A Humble Confidence
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 - Christ within me, you are my strength.
Christ in front of me, you light the way.
Christ behind me, you guide my actions.
Christ to the right of me, you are my companion.
Christ to the left of me, a companion twice.
Christ beneath me, you ground me.
Christ above me, you lift my eyes to you.
Christ all around, I go forward with confidence.
With you, I can do it. Amen.
Call On Me - A Prayer Book for Young People
Questions:
1. What do you think about our prayer tonight?
2. What do you think it means to think about Christ being next to us, behind us, above us and within us?
3. How does knowing that Jesus/Christ is with you in so many ways make you feel?
4. The last part of the prayer talks about going forward with confidence. Can you have confidence and be humble?
5. What might that look like?
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 18:9-14 (God’s Word, My Voice)
Jesus told this story to some people who thought they were better than everyone else:
There were two guys in church. One of them was somebody everybody respected. The other was one nobody really liked. The first guy was praying out loud so everyone could hear him. “Thank you God for making me so special. I really wouldn’t want to be anyone else, especially not somebody who steals, or who is dirty, or like that other guy in the corner over there. I follow all your rules, just like you want me to. That’s why I’m so special.”
Then there was the guy in the other corner. He knew people didn’t ike him and he felt bad about the poor choices he’d made that hurt other people. He was so sad he couldn’t even lift up his head. He put his hand over his heart and said, “God, you know I mess up my life and the lives of other people all the time. Help me. Please help me.”
Which one do you think God would rather hear from? I think it was the man who knew he needed God’s help and asked for it.
If you think too much of yourself, people, God won’t be that impressed with you. There’s no point in thinking you’re so special. There’s always room for improvement, so let God help you.
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: