Our Good, Beautiful, Amazing, Holy World : a Gift from our God of Love
- Suggested supplies: journal, art materials, pen, pencil, creation pictures (photos or pictures, words from magazines)
- Material for craft activity: “Terrific Trees” : one piece of brown and one light-colored piece per child, 1 sheet of copy paper on which to draw, color, and cut out leaves.
Welcome Earthkeepers!
Today we’ll focus on how God made creation and how God wants us to help. Our special word for understanding this story is WOW! That’s a word we use when something is amazing or cool or really special.
Scriptural Focus, Genesis 1:31
ALL: God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. WOW!
The Story of Creation
(Try to picture each created gift as it is named.)
READER/ADULT: In the beginning, there was God. There was only darkness and water and wind. There was no sun, no trees, no flowers, no animals, and no people. And then God began to create!
God created the light and the sky. God put the brilliant sun, the pearly moon, and the sparkly stars into the sky. God divided the waters so now there was land.
God covered the land by creating tiny plants. Sweet purple violets grew close to the ground. The gigantic baobab tree grew tall and wide. And the sunflowers grew up and turned their faces to the sun.
Then God created animals, some for the water, some for the air and some for the land. Off streaked the sleek cheetah to the desert land. Lipperty, slipperty, the rabbit hopped to peek out from a bus. “Caw, caw!” shouted the crow from the tree tops. Splash! went the dolphin in the sea. And slowly and quietly, the earthworm tunneled down into the soil.
Then God created people. Tall and short, women and men, black and brown and yellow and sandy and peach colored skin. God made them all in God’s image. They spread out to the north, the south, east, and west.
God looked at everything he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
ALL: WOW!
Journal Activity
Talk about some of the other things God has made….what are some of your favorite things?
CHILDREN: Open your journal to the first page Write down some of the things in creation you especially enjoy. Draw pictures of them. At the bottom of the page print: WOW!
…OR… Cut pictures and words out of a magazine and make a collage with what you find. At the bottom of the page print: “God saw that it was good! WOW!”
ADULTS: Read the story of creation in Genesis 1-2, then journal on the topic, “For what part of creation do you especially thank God today.”
Song: (Children and adults)
Listen to the song, Can You See?
Reflection on Pope Francis’ Encyclical: Laudato Si
CHILDREN: This encyclical is called “Care for our Common Home”. Pope Francis wrote this letter to all people on earth. An encyclical (letter) is one way a pope teaches people about Jesus and the Church. In this letter Pope Francis asks us to take care of creation and share with others who do not have enough. He reminds us that our home is in trouble. Some things are hurting nature and people. He mentions: pollution, waste, endangered species,decreasing natural resources, climate change. Each of us can make a difference by the way we live our lives. We will be planning ways we can make good choices for ourselves and all people in the weeks ahead.
ADULTS: Read or reread Chapters 1 and 2 of Laudato Si. You can obtain a free copy by typing in “Laudato Si” on your browser.
Craft & Activity: Terrific Trees
Trees benefit us in many ways: paper products, oxygen, shelter, food, topsoil retention, habitat (tropical rain forests), shade, beauty, pleasure, recreation. We need to plant and take care of them.
CHILDREN: Draw and color a tree trunk out of brown construction paper. Draw and cut out leaves on a separate piece of copy paper. Make leaves large enough to print names of trees you discover on a nature walk. Glue tree trunk to light colored construction paper. Glue leaves to the tree.
CHILDREN & ADULTS: I am planning on doing this activity when I go for my Portland walks. Go on a walk and take pictures of trees. Write the names of trees you have discovered on the leaves of the tree you created in the step above. You could download an app called “Picture This” to identify the names of the trees. The app is free for a week…after a week you get billed for a year subscription, so be sure to cancel ahead of time.
If you do the tree Art activity, take a picture of it and send it to me at tfenzl@themadeleine.edu. I will include the picture in my next session. Be sure to include your name.
Book Suggestions
CHILDREN: Not for me, please! I choose to act green, by Maria Godsey
ADULTS: Writings on Nature: Thomas Merton When the Trees Say Nothing, Edited by Kathleen Deignan
Closing Prayer
From Let’s Say a Psalm: The Psalms in a Fresh Voice for Children, Families, and Worship
Psalm 108
Get up, wake up, come on everyone!
Today has begun, don’t miss a thing!
The music rises in our hearts
feel the beat, join the rhythm.
Sing! Dance the wonder, sing the rhyme
We’ll call the sun into the sky
We’ll raise the roof with our praise
We’ll shout our thanks for all to hear!
Up, up, up, we lift you high, O God
Up through the stars and out the other side!
All of space and time sings your love
Through clouds and cities your glory rings.
Up, up, you life, up,
out of our troubles, out of our pain.
We call for help and you answer, again and again:
“I love you, I will never leave you.
Wherever you go, I will lead you.
All the earth is mine,
everywhere you go, I’m there already.
Everything you go through, I’m there at work.
Nothing stands against me.”
Go God, you are our help and our hope,
our power and our victory!
Thank you for being with us today. Next week our session will focus on God’s invitation to each of us to be a caretaker of our earth. In doing that we become a blessing to our earth and earth becomes a blessing to us. Peace to you!