Over the next couple of weeks we will be exploring different types of spiritual practices. This Sunday we are making prayer beads.
Consider using the prayer beads as part of your child's bedtime ritual. As energy winds down, bedtime can be an ideal time to think about one's day, as well as one's hopes. The prayer beads can become a tool for naming the important things in one's heart. Encourage your child to take a moment to name the things that he/she has done during the day to make things he/she wishes for really happen and what he/she could do in the future.

Unitarian Universalist Prayer Beads

Hold the entering bead. This is a Breath Bead
Breath in love

Hold the second entering Breath Bead
Breath out peace.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “T”
Think about something for which you are thankful.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “H”
Think about something for which you are hopeful.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “I”
Think about something which you would like to improve or do better.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “S”
Think about something for which you are sorry.

Hold the exiting bead. This is a Breath Bead
Breath in love

Hold the second exiting Breath Bead
Breath out peace.

The beads in-between the letters represent the Unitarian Universalist Principles.
If you would like, you may say each principle as you touch each bead. Or you may think about a way you are living out or would like to live out each principle.

Here are the Principles in children's language:
Red: Respect People.
Orange: Offer Fair and Kind Treatment to All People.
Yellow: Yearn to Accept and Learn About Ourselves, Others, and the Mystery.
Green: Grow by Exploring What is True and Right in Life.
Blue: Believe in our ideas and Act on them.
Indigo: Insist on a Peaceful, Fair, and Free World.
Violet: Value the Earth, that we share with all living beings.

If you want to use it all together:

2 Entering Breath Beads
Breath in love
Breath out Peace

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “T”
Think about something for which you are thankful.

Red: Respect People.

Orange: Offer Fair and Kind Treatment to All People.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “H”
Think about something for which you are hopeful.

Yellow: Yearn to Accept and Learn About Ourselves, Others, and the Mystery.

Green: Grow by Exploring What is True and Right in Life.

Blue: Believe in our ideas and Act on them.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “I”
Think about something which you would like to improve or do better.

Indigo: Insist on a Peaceful, Fair, and Free World.

Violet: Value the Earth, that we share with all living beings.

Hold the prayer bead with the letter “S”
Think about something for which you are sorry.

2 Exiting Breath Beads
Breath in love
Breath out peace

Prayers:

Use the prayers below at home. You may use them when lighting a chalice, before bedtime, or when sitting to eat a meal together.

May there be peace in the sky;
May there be peace in the plant world and in the forests;
May the waters flow peacefully;
May the herbs and plants grow peacefully;
May all the divine powers bring unto us peace.
May we all be in peace, peace, and only peace;
and may that peace come unto each of us.
-Shanti – Shanti (Hindu)

May I be safe
May I be happy
May I be well
May I live in peace
May you be safe
May you be happy
May you be well
May you live in peace

(you may continue this prayer by adding in others you are thinking of, such as Grandmother, animals, the earth, etc.)
-Buddhist prayer, adapted by Susan Freudenthal

Grandmother Earth, Hear me.
The two-leggeds, the four -leggeds, the wingeds,
All that move upon you are Your children.
With all things and all beings
We shall be as relatives,
just as we are related to You, O Mother Earth.
-Native American Prayer attributed to Black Elk

In beauty may I walk.
With beauty before me, may I walk.
With beauty behind me, may I walk.
With beauty above me, may I walk.
With beauty all around me and within me, may I walk.
-Navajo Prayer

Rejoice in love we know and share.
Rejoice in beauty everywhere;
Rejoice in truth that makes us free,
and in the good that yet shall be.
-Unknown

May we have eyes that see,
hearts that love,
and hands that are ready to serve.
-Jackie Creuser, adapted

Be ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere;
its temple, all space;
its shrine, the good heart;
its creed, all truth;
its ritual, works of love;
its profession of faith, divine living.
– Theodore Parker

Earth who gives us all this food,
Sun who makes it ripe and good,
Dearest Earth and dearest Sun,
We’ll not forget what you have done.
-from A Discovery Year

Let the chalice that we light
Shine for us both warm and bright
And let us sit in quiet hush
Hearing songs inside of us.

Unitarian Universalists do not believe that everyone has the same answers to life’s Big Questions. We do believe that asking questions is an important step in finding what we think is true. Today we will explore our fourth principle which says that everyone is free to search for what is true and right. We will hear the story The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth and practice asking small questions when we play a game similar to 20 Questions.

The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. — Marianne Williamson

IN TODAY'S SESSION…
We affirmed the value of forgiving people who break the rules of a community. We explored the idea of expressing righteous anger when we have been hurt by someone, seeking that person's sincere apology, and then letting go of the anger by offering sincere forgiveness. The practices we used in this session can be used in daily life.

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about…
Ask your child what they found most meaningful about their religious education session today—having this conversation directly afterward tends to yield the most information. You might ask, “What do you think about forgiveness?” Ask them whether and how they have been hurt by someone whose apology they seek. Ask them what it would take for them to forgive that person. Ask them what practices they learned today that might help them. Share about a time you have sought forgiveness when you knew you had hurt or wronged someone. Share about at time you forgave someone else. Be honest about how forgiving and seeking forgiveness have been challenging or rewarding for you.

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try…
Have each member of the family write a forgiveness letter to someone else. Invite everyone to prepare by writing their feelings of hurt or betrayal first, then writing an imaginary apology from the person who hurt them. These writings should stay private; it may be a good idea to rip them up.
Then, each person writes a sincere letter of forgiveness, or a letter that says they want to forgive the person (but are not yet ready). If there are young members of the family who haven't learned to write yet, ask them to talk about forgiving someone who hurt their feelings. Share the forgiveness letters with each other. Affirm that forgiveness is important for a healthy family.

FAMILY DISCOVERY
Find out online what a group called the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance does to promote forgiveness, including a day in August for local celebrations of forgiveness and a web page of “ forgiveness heroes.”

Explorers are talking about current events and Unitarian Universalist principles and values. How do our Principles help guide us when making decisions about politics, energy use, water rights, social issues, and so many other issues? Do we need new Principles? Do we need to change any of our current Principles? How can we use our UU values and principles to make informed decisions?

There is probably no question more central to the creation of a faith statement than, “What do you believe about God?” This is a tricky question for Unitarian Universalists because as a group, we have such diverse beliefs about God. For instance, big G or little g? God as a conscious personality or god as a general life force? Or no God (big or little) at all? We are going to spend some time examining this question.
The Coming of Agers will have the opportunity to paint their religious beliefs, especially their beliefs about God or the purpose of life in general. We’ll use oil paint, watercolors, and charcoal to express what we think and feel — to tap into their emotions and spirits in addition to their intellects. They can look inward to search for and express what they really believe without worrying about how to articulate it in words.
What are your thoughts about God?