in the chapel

This past Sunday our usual Junior Church space was in use as a polling station for Finland's presidential election. So we met in a chapel instead, within the same building as our adult congregation was meeting (in another chapel).

Thank you, children, for making no complaints at all about the lack of story materials or the reduced choice of art materials (a small amount of plasticine - without tools or trays so it could only be manipulated within one's hands; colored pencils, crayons, and two sizes of paper).

It was not a great surprise, since Junior Church had met there two weeks earlier (during the first stage of the presidential election). On that Sunday two mothers had led the children in a tour of the chapels. They and the children had together pondered the artwork hung over this altar. My understanding is that this chapel is, at least partly, designated as a Children's Chapel, which makes me disappointed that this piece of art is hung far too high for children to see properly.

apologies for the reflections!

detail

The children were able to make out the heads of several animals peering out of the door, and concluded that it was a depiction of Noah's ark. One mother asked, "Well then what is that small white thing at the bottom?"

"A candle," was the verdict.

The mother later reported this to me, adding proudly, "I didn't tell them ..."

"... what you had assumed the picture was about," I finished for her, grinning. "Good for you!"

Candlemas - links

(Apologies if you just got an unfinished post about Anna & Simeon. I'll be finishing that up soon and posting it properly, I hope. Boy do I wish Blogger would ask, "Are you really ready to publish?" before going ahead.)

Sheila and Browniesmoke have asked about my Candlemas lesson and materials. This is perhaps the impetus I need to start a small series of posts about "making do".

But there's so much I'd like to say about Candlemas, too, that I'm going to try to split it up into two or more posts. I'll edit the links here as I publish the relevant posts.

• Candlemas 
• last year's post, including much of the (very short) "script" I wrote for the lesson itself
• the One who was, and is, the Light
• first Candlemas post for 2012 (very short)
• Anna & Simeon ("making do", part 1)
• more info about the Anna & Simeon figures, specifically

the conclusion of our congregation's Candlemas procession

the one who was, and is, the light

In the story we remember on Candlemas, 

it says that many, many years before Jesus himself told people, "I am the light," 

a man named Simeon said that Jesus would be a light to the People of God 

and to everyone else, too. 

And so even though this is a green week in the church calendar,

today the color is white.

different understanding

Do not think that because the child cannot understand in the same way that we adults understand that it is useless to allow him to participate in our religious practices.
(Maria Montessori)

Remarks about scribbles

Sheila has just posted links to two very interesting guides to children's art development. While I see my own role exclusively as a Godly Play storyteller and facilitator (NOT as an art teacher), I nonetheless found several points of interest there.

Here's great advice along the lines of the kind of feedback we try to give in Godly Play anyway:

As the [under-3-year-old] child starts naming his or her scribbles, listen to the child’s comments and use the meanings offered by the child as a source for dialogue. ...If the child says, “I’m running,” ask questions like “Do you like to run on the playground?” or “Where are you running?” Encouraging the child to verbalize his or her thoughts, feelings and experiences independently shows the child that you value what he or she has done. This sort of thoughtful praise will help children to be enthusiastic and imaginative in their future art encounters. (Craig Roland)

And this is a reassurance for those who might be disappointed not to be giving pre-set crafts to our preschoolers:

At four or five, the child begins to tell stories or work out problems with her drawings, changing basic forms as needed to express meaning. Often once the problem is expressed, the child feels better able to cope with it. (Susan K. Donley, citing Betty Edwards)

For these quotes in context, and much more, click through to Explore and Express: Art & Child Development: Two Great Resources.

very much the 'present'

From ASBO Jesus by Jon Birch, used by permission