Family Time – Questions – Page 2 – Family Faith Companion

How to portray grace by bending wire

Posted on January 14, 2016January 18, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

In the Art Workshop for our current Rotation, kids are creating grace poses.

What??

After hearing the Parable of the Prodigal Son, they are sculpting with wire or pipe cleaners, a picture of forgiveness and grace in action.

Because that is what the father offered his wayward son: grace.

Surprising isn’t it?

Exhibited behavior by the son has deeply wounded his father.

The father could have replied with rub-it-in-your-face contempt: I knew you’d amount to nothing. I told you so!
He could have displayed disgust: You’re back? Don’t expect a handout from me.
He could have shown a stiff shoulder: Who are you and what do you want?

But instead, he shows love and forgiveness; he grants grace.

This Art Workshop lesson gives kids a chance to visualize and express what it is that grace looks like. I saw hugging, arms out-stretched and bended knees.

What is grace?

Grace is God’s unconditional love that forgives us even when we mess up.
We deserve the worst, but we are offered an escape route. A do-over.
And it’s a free gift!

Explore this concept further in your family unit. When your child brings home their wire sculpture, ask them if you can play with it. (You may need to remove the staples holding the figures in their current pose.) Reread the story in Luke 15:11-32 with your child and pause to shape the figures…

Read Luke 15:11-13. Show the scene of the son leaving home. How do you suppose the father looks? What about the older brother?
Read Luke 15:14-19. What would the ah-ha moment look like when the son came to his senses? How do you suppose the presumably waiting and watching father is looking?
Read Luke 15:20-24. Shape a scene of grace.
Read Luke 15:25-32. How does the angry older brother look?
Jesus didn’t provide an ending to this story! Do you suppose the older brother goes to the party? Shape an ending scene to the story the way you think it happened.

Photo credits: from my archives.

Are you seeing ads? They are not from me! They are placed by WordPress, who otherwise offers a free platform from which to share lots of good-ness. If you see an inappropriate ad, please report it to support@wordpress.com. Include the URL, the date/time the ad appeared, and a screenshot of the ad.

Give your family a gift. Will you make a new habit?

Posted on November 5, 2015November 9, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

This coming Sunday, Rev. Nancy starts off a new sermon series on Stewardship. The scripture passage will be Matthew 25:14-28, which happens to be our story for our next Rotation!

Here’s a suggestion for giving your family a gift…

a couple with coffee Attend the 9:30 service and then, leave with the kids after the children’s time.

The kids head to class and you grab some coffee.

(No, that’s not the gift.)

It’s a little known factoid that coffee is ready in time for the choir members to imbibe. (You may need to look in the kitchen. Please be sure to make a donation for your coffee during Connections time.)

Find a quiet place to sit for 40 minutes. Though space on Sunday mornings is at a premium, wander about, you’ll find a spot. Catch up on your reading. (Please keep your chatting to a hush in a space like the Social Hall where a class is being held.) Then at 11:15… (here comes the gift)…

Attend worship as a family.

Use these discussion questions to debrief the service:

What was your favorite part of worship? Did you have a least favorite part?
In the Bible story, how much did the master give to each of his servants? (Answer)
What did the story mean by a “talent?” (Ans: In Bible times a talent was a measure of the weight of a precious metal.)
What did each servant do with what the master gave him?
How did the master feel about each servants choice?
Today we use the word “talent” to mean our abilities. Go around the table and identify an ability – a talent – of the person on your left.
How do you suppose God feels when we use our skills to help others?
How do you suppose God feels if we “hide” our talents?
What skill or talent would you like to develop? What do you feel you need to do to start?
God gave us our talents. God gave us everything we have! What prayer can we say to thank God for all of our wonderful gifts.

Perhaps you’ll start a new habit every Sunday during this sermon series.

Photo credits:
An edited photo of coffee for two by Nathan Walker, who has released this photo to the Public Domain. Offered at unsplash.com.

Why did Ruth make a startling (crazy?) choice?

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Have you ever admired something in someone, causing you to wonder: What makes them tick?

I’m not talking about wonderment in a swooning sort of way — more wanting to know what it is that motivates a person. What is their driving force?

The Bible doesn’t give us many clues but Naomi must have exhibited behaviors that Ruth applauded, eliciting a, “Hey, I want to be like her” response in Ruth.

This coming Sunday kids will be in worship as we celebrate All Saints Day, a time when we commemorate the lives of those who have shown us a picture of faith. Though this is a day set-aside to remember faith-warriors who have died in the last year, we can stretch our definition of a saint to someone who is living; someone who wears their faith on their sleeve.

Naomi must have worn her faith on her sleeve.

Ruth acted on her admiration for her mother-in-law Naomi. She made a startling choice:

Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Ruth 1:16b,c

Time Out. Talk about… speech bubble
Ask these questions at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.)

What could have made Ruth decide to follow Naomi’s God?
Who to you seems like they are close to God?
Have you ever thought about asking them how they got connected to God?
Identify people you know who seem to be “God followers.” Make a plan to ask them about their faith.
What is it about YOUR faith that might make other’s think: “how can I be like them?”

How are you wearing your faith on your sleeve?

a blue line

Photo credits:
A thoughtful child by Ryse Lawrence, in the Public Domain, offered at Pixabay.com.

How to read a long story – a little at a time

Posted on October 15, 2015October 16, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Pose this question at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) True or false: Dumpster-diving was practiced during Bible times.

Want to find out? Read our scripture together as a family. Since it’s a long story, use the following plan to read and talk about our story in stages, over the course of several days. Read a passage and then discuss the question(s) or do the activities. (Scroll down for suggestions on reviewing this story with preschoolers.)

Read in Ruth	Readers notes	Talk about or do…
Chp 1, verses 1-2 written as 1:1-2	Elimelek (or spelled, Elimeleck) is pronounced: ee-LIM-eh-lek. Mahlon => MAH-luhn. Ephrathite => EF-ruh-tight.	What is a famine? Where have we heard of Bethlehem before? Find Bethlehem and Moab on a map (look here). How long do you suppose it took to travel there?
1:1-5	Orpah => OR-puh. The Moabites and the Israelites were enemies! In fact the Israelites had strict laws forbidding these foreigners from participating in the Israelite community (Deuteronomy 23:3).	What is an “unusual” place you’d like to visit? Why does Moab seem like a strange choice as a place for an Israelite to go? Naomi has bad news! What do you suppose life was like for women back in Bible times?
1:6-18	In a patriarchal society, where women did not have access to jobs, widows were completely dependent upon men – either a grown son, or another husband (if they were able to remarry).	Choices, choices! Which choice would you make: Go with Naomi or go back to “safety?” What could have made Ruth decide to follow Naomi’s God? Why do you suppose Ruth was so devoted to Naomi? Where do you suppose this loyalty come from? Who is someone to whom you are loyal?
1:16-18	Verse 16b, c is our key Bible verse for this Rotation. The “b, c” means the second and third portions of verse 16.	Why does this seem like such an extreme promise for Ruth to make? What promises have you made lately? Any this radical?
1:19-21	Mara is pronounced: MAY-ruh. The meaning of names was important in Bible times. Naomi meant “pleasant;” Mara meant “bitter.”	How is Naomi feeling? She is hurting! She is moaning about her situation! She is doing what is called “lamenting!” Read together the classic Psalm of lament: Psalm 13:1-2. When have you lamented? Do you suppose that a little bit of lamenting is okay every now and then?
1:22-2:13	Elimelek => ee-LIM-eh-lek. Boaz => BO-az. For the laws which set up gleaning, read: Leviticus 19:10; 23:22	What does “gleaning” mean? (It was like welfare for the poor.) What sorts of programs do we have today to help people get food? Make a plan to attend FiSH Fri Service Night.
2:14-23	Israelite law required all farmers to leave dropped grain (or other crops) in the fields for the disadvantaged to glean, however it was the landowner who determined the generosity of the gleanings!	In verse 20, what word is used to describe Boaz’s relationship to Naomi’s family? A close relative? Nearest kin? Guardian-redeemer? Who do you have in your family who takes care of you? Is Naomi still lamenting? What has caused her attitude to change? Count all the ways Boaz showed kindness to Ruth.
3:1-18	According to Israelite laws, the nearest blood relative (a “kinsman redeemer”) was to marry a widow to continue the family line. Naomi is setting up a plan to implement this process.	Which verses tell you that Boaz is an honorable man? How are things looking for Ruth and Naomi? Why do these demonstrations of loyalty seem counter to the Israelite-Moabite prejudice?
4:1-10	Is this a coincidence that Ruth finds her way to Boaz’s fields, or is it God’s grand plan to bless the life of Ruth and Naomi through Boaz? (Methodists say that God works inside of people, to transform them, and others around them.)	What did you think of the handing over of the sandal? In what way do you seal promises? Remember Ruth’s lavish pledge to Naomi? (1:16b, c) What do you suppose Ruth thinks of her promise now that Boaz is going to take care of her? Do you suppose that Ruth gave thanks to God? From this story, what does God teach us about caring for others?
4:13-22	You may wish to take care in how you read verse 13.	What is the significance of the family tree? (King David was their descendant!) David had a great great great… (many greats)… grandson whom we talk about a lot, and who was born in Bethlehem just like Obed; who was it? (Jesus!) What would have happened with Jesus if Ruth hadn’t gone with Naomi?

a blue line

Reading and talking about the story for younger children:

Here are several versions of the story:

The Little One’s Bible

This Bible storybook has appropriate questions on each page.

The Beginner’s Bible

Show a map and point out Judah. Identify Moab as the place where Ruth and Naomi were.
At the end of this story, add in the part about Obed being the grandfather of King David and about David being the ancestor of Jesus. Draw your family tree.

A video by Jelly Telly (What’s in the Bible?): Ruth

What’s in the Bible: popsicle stick puppets – Ruth (If reading this in an email, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

a blue line

Photo credits:
Gleaning, a painting by Arthur Hughes is in the Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Revealing the hidden truth: Who is your neighbor?

Posted on September 24, 2015September 24, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Who likes to play games? How about playing a game around the family dinner table? After all, dinner table games can lead everyone into dialogue. And what could be better than a family talking!

What game shall we play? How about a storytelling game! Chose someone to start the story. They can start to tell a tale about anything! After a couple of sentences, they choose someone else, who then continues the story where it left off. Of course it’s more fun if you move along quickly!

When your story finishes up. Ask your family these pointing-to-another-story questions:

A parable is a type of story. Who is known for telling lots of parables? [Jesus!]
Can you name some of Jesus’ parables? [There are over 50! Dig through a Bible to find some.]
What is it about a parable that makes it unique? [Parables are stories with a hidden meaning that are meant to teach us something.]
What do you suppose is the hidden meaning in the Parable of the Good Samaritan? (Need to review the story?)
The hidden meaning in this story was that our “neighbor” can be the person we least-expect! What is this parable teaching us today? [It asks us to look at how we view others. Isn’t everyone our neighbor?]
Pastor Doug has been talking about “Disruptive Christianity.” What do you suppose we could do that would help out a “neighbor?” How would doing that be “disruptive?”

a blue line

Photo credits:
Child at the table by Jenna P, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

What is a Good Samaritan?

Posted on September 8, 2015September 5, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

How would you define a “Good Samaritan?” Is it someone who stops to help someone who needs roadside assistance?

Not surprisingly, that is the modern-day meaning of a Good Samaritan, but that is not what Jesus was teaching us to do!

This coming Sunday the downtown Cool Disciples will start a new Rotation on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I’m hoping that we’ll see the hidden meaning in this parable!

Here are some recommended steps you can take over the course of the next few days. Do these things at the family dinner table. Or wherever your family is gathered together.

a blue line

Your assignment: (Think of this as… Traveling down the path to deepening your family’s faith. And a way to get more out of Sunday’s Cool.)

Read our story in Luke 10:25-37.
The next time you gather, read the story in a different Bible version. (How about The Message?)
When you gather again, try telling the story from memory. Check a Bible to see how you did.
A fun thing to do after multiple tellings of the story is to tell the story incorrectly! “Once a man was traveling from Ann Arbor to Lansing.” Allow everyone to add a line to the story. See if anyone catches the purposeful mistakes.
Watch this animated video of the story.

Watch it a second time and tell the story as the video runs. (If reading this in an email, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

a blue line

Think of how much deeper the classroom discussion could be if everyone arrives with a general knowledge of the story!

See you in class! (Hope you’ve put church on your calendar.)

Photo credits:
Flat tire by OakleyOriginals, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

What do respectful actions look like? Does God care?

Posted on August 30, 2015July 26, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Another wonderful adventure in the Wonder-Blimp!

Our question for today was:

How do we show God respect through our actions?

Use the discussion questions below to encourage a dialog with the Bible! Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together. Ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

Here’s a quiz. You see the following actions. What would you say is true about the person who is doing these actions?
- Scowls at everyone.
- Greets everyone with a smile.
- Drops litter on the ground.
- Holds the door for the person behind them.
Why are our actions important to God?
In our daily life, how we can show respect to the people around us? (Hint: Read the “Golden Rule” in Matthew 7:12.)
What would that look like at the dinner table at home? At recess on the playground? In the classroom? In the car?
How can we remember to act that way? Can we come up with a family code word that will mean: “change your behavior to be more loving”? How about “Matthew 7:12” or just “7-12?”
We often mess up. (We are only human!) What can we do when we flub up? (Ask for forgiveness and for help in being more loving.)

Photo credits:
Photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.

Do helpful words, matter to God?

Posted on August 23, 2015August 29, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

You’ve heard the old rhyme about sticks and stones, and words not wounding?

So not true.

Our words do matter; to others, and to God!

God really cares about the words that we use and how we use them.

How do we know?

Join us for some discussion! Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church, or around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together. Spread the questions out over several sessions. Ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

Do you find it easy or hard, to use kind words with someone you know well? What about with someone you dislike? With someone who is giving you a hard time?
Have you ever heard the expression: “Kill them with kindness” — what do you suppose it means?
Do you feel that there is a difference between acting kindly and true kindness that comes from the heart? How would the two look different?
The Bible has lots to say about how we should use our words. Take turns looking up a verse and talking about what it means to you: Luke 6:45, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 16:24, Psalm 19:14, and Ephesians 4:29.
Several of these verses were from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book full of short instructions on living wisely. Watch this short video about Proverbs. (If reading this in an email, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

The Bible tells us that our words are important to God. Why do you suppose God cares about what we say?
Jesus taught that “A person’s mouth says everything that is in their heart” (Luke 6:45). God listens to what we say; it tells him what is in our innermost selves. God loves us. So of course God would care about us. And, since God loves everyone, he’d care about the effect our words would have on other people.

In class on Sunday we played a version of Chutes and Ladders. If your child didn’t bring home a game board, get two here. (This will download a Word doc to your downloads folder.) Use some coins as game pieces and toss a dice to play a quick round.

Bonus question: Would you attend a dance party on the Wonder-Blimp?

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
A created word cloud by moi. Shared at flickr under a Creative Commons license.