|
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep." Luke 15: 4-7 Last week, our students celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. We focused on the Parable of the Found Sheep and reflected on these key points:
0 Comments
 Last week, students in Miss Elsa’s class discussed the Mystery of Life and Death. Direct Aim: To listen to the words in John 12:24 and explore the mystery of life and death. Indirect Aims: Educating the child to hope; to delve deeper into the Paschal mystery of death; to come to the realization that in Jesus, death is followed by renewed and eternal life; to participate more fully in the celebration of Easter. Key points of our lesson: New life comes from death. In Christ, life is stronger than death. This new life is greater, fuller, more complete, life giving, and eternal. The mystery of death is the transformation to the fullness of life. We took a close-up look at wheat seeds and also observed live caterpillars in the very first stage of becoming a butterfly. We can’t wait to watch as the complete metamorphosis occurs in a few weeks!  Level II/III students talked about the Sacraments as spiritual markers in our journey of faith. In the Episcopal Church, we take part in certain regular acts of prayer and worship. These are called Sacraments and are a participation in Christ’s ministries on earth. God's activity and presence are not limited to these rites, but the church recognizes them as ways in which God uses material things to reach out to us. The Sacraments are intended to sustain our present hope and anticipate its future fulfillment. The Book of Common Prayer understands the sacraments as "outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace". The Episcopal Church recognizes seven sacraments. The two "great sacraments of the Gospel" are Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. The other sacraments are Confirmation, Reconciliation, Holy Matrimony, Ordination and the Sacrament of Healing. After briefly reviewing all seven, we took a close look at Holy Baptism and the Eucharist. We paid special attention to the Pascal Candle and learned about the special meaning of this beautiful symbol of the Risen Christ. We look forward to learning more about the Eucharist in the coming week.  Students in Level II/III met outside and reflected on the Parable of the Sower. After pondering what Jesus meant about soil, seeds, and spiritual growth, we began preparing our raised bed vegetable garden for spring planting. While cleaning up and turning over the soil, we were delighted to find many healthy earthworms already hard at work. We also took samples of the soil and tested them for nutrients. Without a doubt, our garden is ready for planting! Last week, students in Miss Elsa’s class discussed the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Our Anglican tradition recognizes sacraments as “outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace.” (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 857). We learned that through the signs of water, the Word, and the oils, we receive the light and life of the risen Christ. Students enjoyed touching and smelling the oils and then had a chance to practice pouring water using a seashell.* Doctrinal Points:
Direct Aims:
Word – God’s pledge and promise that we are called by name Oil of Catechumens – Strength, royalty Sacred Chrism – Sweet fragrance of Christ. We are anointed into his likeness After the lesson, the class headed to the playground to embrace one of the most beautiful days of spring yet! *A shell is traditionally used in Christian baptisms as a symbol of purity, new life, and rebirth. The practice of using a shell in baptisms has its roots in early Christianity when water was seen as a symbol of cleansing and baptism was seen as a ritual of initiation into the Christian faith. The shell itself is often seen as a symbol of baptism because it is reminiscent of the shape of a boat, which is a symbol of the church as a safe haven for believers. In addition, the shell is associated with the sea and with water, which is significant because the water used in baptisms represents the washing away of sins and the beginning of a new life in Christ. Furthermore, the use of a shell in baptisms is also thought to have practical reasons. Shells were often used in ancient times to scoop water from rivers or pools for use in baptisms, making them a useful tool for performing the ritual. It was great to see so many families enjoying the beautiful weather in the Swan Garden--a truly joyous day to celebrate!
Calvary youth gathered on Holy Saturday to help prepare a meal for residents of the East End Cooperative Ministry Shelter. We cooked up a meal of baked ziti, garlic bread and tossed salad along with Easter-themed cookies for dessert. It was great to see everyone working together for a good cause and honing some cooking skills along the way. Learn more about the EECM and how you can help here. We also spent some time stuffing plastic eggs with candy in preparation for the annual Calvary Easter Egg Hunt. It was a fun and meaningful way to prepare for the celebration of Christ's resurrection. Thank you to everyone who participated and to those who donated food and candy! Last week, students in Miss Elsa’s class talked about the Last Supper. What did Jesus do at this particular moment in his life, just before he died and rose again? We learned that it was the Jewish feast of Passover. Jesus wanted to celebrate that feast with those closest to him: his disciples, and so he chose a special place and sent two of his disciples there to get things ready for the Passover meal. Students discussed how Jesus gave his whole self, his body, and blood for all people of all times. The Eucharist we celebrate today is a memorial of Christ's death and resurrection. The class enjoyed a snack of unleavened bread and grape juice and then created palm paintings to take home. More about this lesson here. The older students spent time discussing the most important three days in the Christian faith, the Triduum. We took a close look at a model of the City of Jerusalem which helped us understand the particular historical events of these last days of Jesus. We reviewed the significance of Holy Thursday, the day Jesus instituted the Eucharist and washed the apostles' feet, with the command, “Love one another as I have loved you.”(John 13:34). Thinking about Good Friday and the brutality of the crucifixion is never easy. We focused on the joy and wonder of the empty tomb and Resurrection. Life is stronger than death and light overcomes darkness. We affirmed that indeed, the love evidenced in Christ’s passion and death is the love that brought about the resurrection—the love that continues to cover the whole world. As a special treat, students baked delicious “Resurrection rolls” as a reminder of the empty tomb and the true joy of Easter. (click here for recipe).  “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”-Matthew 28:5-6
|
RSS Feed