session essentials...gifts of the spirit: multiple intelligences in religious education, by ronald...

© 2014 Published by Morehouse Education Resources, http://www.MorehouseEducation.org. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

session essentialsP r eschoo l /K i nde r ga r t en

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Question of the WeekWhat does Jesus’ invitation “come and see” mean to me?

Helps for Catechists ◆ More about Today’s Scriptures◆ Reflection◆ The Scriptures and the Catechism◆ Our Catholic Heritage: What Is a

Covenant?◆ The World of the Bible: Nazareth

Enrichment ◆ Discover the Good News◆ Singing Together◆ Story-Review Craft: Name Cookies

(cookie dough, cookie sheet, oven or toaster oven)

◆ Story-Review Craft: Name T-Shirts (inexpensive white undershirts, fabric markers)

◆ Story-Review Game: I’m Calling◆ Info: Multiple Intelligences◆ Info: Young Children and the

Scripture◆ Info: Where You’ll Find Everything

Else

Core Session ◆ Getting Started (assorted

noisemakers, towel or cloth)◆ Scripture Story: God Calls

Samuel◆ Story-Review Game: Wake

Up Samuel!◆ Praying Together

In wonder we follow the first disciples in following Jesus.◆ In today’s gospel, Jesus’ first disciples respond to his call. ◆ For young children we focus on the Old Testament lectionary reading. This is another

story of calling: the call of Samuel, when he was still a child.◆ In today’s session we help children explore this story of a child, just like them, who

answered the call of God.

Chosen by GodScripture1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19

2nd Sunday i n O r d i n a r y T ime – B

Living the Good News | Preschool/Kindergarten | 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – B

http://www.MorehouseEducation.org

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Getting Started (5-10 minutes)Before the session gather together a selection of noisemakers, such as whistles, bells, party blowers and rhythm band instruments. You’ll also need a towel or cloth big enough to cover the noisemakers.

In the session, gather children on the floor or around a small table. Show them each of the noisemakers. Invite volunteers to demonstrate the sound each noisemaker produces.

When children are familiar with the look and sound of each noisemaker, hide them all under the towel. Explain:◆ I will sneak my hand under the towel and use one

of these noisemakers.◆ Can you guess which one?

Use the towel to shield your hand as you make the sound. After children have guessed two sounds, invite volunteers to take turns making the sounds. After 5 minutes, explain:◆ How did we listen for the sounds?◆ One night a boy named Samuel was listening—and

I will tell you what he heard.

Scripture Story (5-10 minutes)God Calls Samuel

Samuel is in bed. It is the middle of the night and everything is dark and quiet. Suddenly Samuel hears a sound.

“Samuel! Samuel!”

Someone is calling his name! Samuel gets out of bed. He runs to the next room where his teacher Eli sleeps. Samuel wakes Eli.

“Here I am,” says Samuel. “You called me.”

Eli shakes his head. “No, Samuel,” says Eli. “I did not call you. You must have been dreaming.”

Samuel goes back to bed. But again he hears a sound.


Someone is calling his name! Samuel gets out of bed. He runs to Eli again.



Samuel goes back to bed. But again he hears: “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel runs to Eli. Eli says, “Maybe God is calling you. This time, when you hear the voice, answer. Say, ‘Talk to me, God. I am listening.’”

So Samuel goes back to bed again. Again he hears the voice: “Samuel! Samuel!”

This time, Samuel says, “Talk to me, God. I am listening.”

And the voice says, “Yes, Samuel, I am God. I love you, Samuel, and you will be my helper. You will talk to all of God’s people for me. I am God!”

Story-Review Game (5-15 minutes)Wake Up Samuel!Call children by name in this story-review game.

Explain:◆ Pretend to sleep, just as Samuel was sleeping.◆ When you hear your name called, wake up, just as

Samuel did.

Give the children time to settle down and pretend to sleep. Then call one child by name, for example, “Judy! Judy!”

When this child stands up, give the child a hug. Then invite the child to be the next caller. Continue until all the children are “awake” and have had a chance to call another child. Repeat with new volunteers.

Praying Together (5 minutes)Gather children in a circle. Move from child to child. Touch each child in turn on the head or shoulder as you say:◆ God calls (child’s name).

Encourage the children to respond to each “naming” by praying:◆ Thank you, God, for (child’s name).

Close by praying:◆ Thank you, God, for knowing all our names. Amen.

Note: Distribute this week’s At Home with the Good News to children before they leave, or e-mail it to their parents after the session.



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Discover the Good News (5-10 minutes)In today’s Discover the Good News you’ll find an illustrated rhyme affirming God’s call to each child. You’ll also find an easy way to make old-fashioned paper-cup telephones. Children can make these and practice “calling” one another. A toy telephone or discarded real telephone makes a useful toy for young children. They can use it to practice phone skills as well as holding imaginary conversations with anyone from a pet to a ferocious lion!

Singing Together (10-15 minutes)From Singing the Good News, sing together:◆ “Listen for the Voice of the Lord” (songbook p. 24,

also available as an MP3)

Note: To access both the songbook and its attached MP3 files, open your Winter-B Seasonal Resources folder, then click on Singing the Good News.

You may also sing:◆ “Water, Cool and Clear” (p. 26 of the songbook)

The rhythm of “Water, Cool and Clear” makes it a good choice for children’s movement activities. Give each child a colored cloth or scarf—shades of blue would be especially appropriate.

Children wave the scarves as they dance and sway in rhythm with these words of the song “Water, Cool and Clear”:

Water, cool and clear,Water, flowing free.Water, cool and clear,Bring new life to me.

Story-Review Craft (15-30 minutes)Name CookiesExplain:◆ God called Samuel by name.◆ God knows our names, too. Each of us has a very

special name.◆ Let’s make cookies (or T-shirts) to celebrate our

special names.

Help children make cookies that spell out names or initials. Demonstrate each step of these directions to the children:◆ Take a lump of premade cookie dough.◆ Roll it between your hands to form a rope.◆ Shape the rope into a letter.

Many preschoolers and kindergartners will not know how to spell their own names yet. Help these children form the first initial of their first names, for example, Z for Zach.

Children place the cookie-dough letters directly onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350°. Let cool slightly before serving to the children.

Story-Review Craft (15-30 minutes)Name T-shirtsBefore the session write each child’s name on one T-shirt.

In the session, invite each child to use fabric markers to decorate his or her name with colors and drawings.



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Story-Review Game (10-20 minutes)I’m CallingActivity Soundtrack: play music evocative of Jesus’ call to us, such as O’Reilly’s “Lay Them Down” or Blue Feather’s “Heal the Earth.” (Open your Winter-B Seasonal Resources folder, then click on Companion Music for options on obtaining this music.)

Seat the children in a circle. Ask one volunteer to be It. This child walks around outside the circle patting each child on the head lightly and saying, “I’m calling...I’m calling...I’m calling you.”

When It says “you,” that child jumps up and runs around the circle with It following. It tries to get around the circle to sit in the other child’s place without being caught.

If It gets caught, It takes another turn. If It reaches the spot safely, the other child becomes It and the game is repeated.

Multiple IntelligencesOne of the best ways to create and present

engaging and meaningful sessions—for children of all ages—is to pay attention to what Howard Gardner calls the “multiple intelligences” each child and each group brings with them into your session room. We suggest the following books as references to Gardner’s ideas and how they apply specifically to religious education.◆ Gifts of the Spirit: Multiple Intelligences in Religious

Education, by Ronald Nuzzi. (Washington: National Catholic Education Association, 1999)

◆ How Each Child Learns: Using Multiple Intelligence in Faith Formation, by Bernadette T. Stankard. (Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2003)

◆ Prayer and Multiple Intelligences: Who I Am Is How I Pray, by Bernadette T. Stankard. (Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2005)

Young Children and the Scripture

In today’s reading from the Old Testament, we hear the story of young Samuel, the boy who lived in the temple with his teacher Eli. One night, Samuel hears a mysterious call. Eventually he recognizes the voice of God, who calls and chooses Samuel as prophet and priest. The story affirms God as a loving God, who calls us by name and chooses us as God’s own.

In today’s session, Samuel is chosen by God. The experience of being specially loved and chosen is an essential experience for young Christians. As catechists, we have the privilege and opportunity of offering to children this experience.

As you choose volunteers to lead games or take the first turn in a special project, keep in mind the need for every child to feel chosen. If necessary, write down your choices each week to ensure that all the children are receiving “fair play.”

Where You’ll Find Everything Else

◆ Attached to this Session Plan you will find:— Backgrounds and reflections for today’s

readings, titled More about Today’s Scriptures.— A copy of today’s Scripture Story: God Calls

Samuel, which can be distributed or e-mailed to children and their families.

— Instructions for one of this season’s Baptism Exploration activities.

— Instructions for a Story-Review Game: A Name Game.

— An article on Engaging Children with Autism excerpted from our special-needs resource Rhythms of Grace.

— A Special Needs Bibliography excerpted from our special-needs resource Rhythms of Grace.

◆ Open your Winter-B Seasonal Resources folder, then click on Seasonal Articles to find:— Information on Winter-B’s Models of the Faith.— An article for catechists and/or families offering

an Epiphany Overview.— An article for catechists and/or families

exploring Prophets and Prophecy.


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More about Today’s ScripturesToday’s readings extend the call to discipleship. In 1 Samuel, the Lord’s voice awakens a sleeping boy, Samuel, who responds with attentive obedience. Paul describes how those called by God are to honor their physical bodies. Jesus calls his first disciples with the simple invitation, “Come and see” (v. 39).

1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19First Samuel focuses on the man who ushered Israel through the political transition from judges to kings. Samuel united in himself many of the roles of the tribal confederacy period of Israel’s history. He was a

Nazirite dedicated to the Lord, a judge, a prophet, a priest and the reluctant leader of the movement to place a king over Israel.

Today’s reading tells of the call of Samuel

in the temple at Shiloh. Shiloh was at that time the resting place for the ark, the throne for the divine presence on earth. The setting in the temple and the time, probably just before dawn since the lamp was to burn all night, are traditional for divine revelation.

Luke draws parallels between the story of Samuel and the birth and childhood of Jesus. According to tradition, Samuel was 12 years old at the time of his call, the age of Jesus at his visit to the temple, and they are described similarly. Both were to be prophet, priest and ruler for the people. Thus Samuel serves as a type or prefigurement of Jesus’ later, greater role.

1 Corinthian 6:13c-15a, 17-20 Paul calls on the Corinthians to remember their spiritual status effected through baptism. They have been freed from guilt, united with the people of God and placed into right relationship with God. Now their lives are to exemplify the moral effects of conversion.

Some members of the community presumed a sharp division between the life of the spirit and the life of the body, to which religious or moral criteria did not apply. Paul points out that Christian freedom is not only deliverance from the law, it is freedom for the service of God. Christian freedom is qualified by communal and personal duty, by consideration of the nearness of the end, and by relationship to Jesus and to the Spirit.

Paul knows that salvation embraces the whole person. Physically, the body incorporates the human personality and so is the instrument of relationship with God and with one another. Spiritually, the body is a temple that contains the Holy Spirit and so is sacred and must not be profaned by sinful behavior.

John 1:35-42Today’s account of the calling of the first disciples emphasizes the theological meaning of the events. The calling of the first disciples is the first part of a section (1:35–2:11) that sums up the gradual deepening of theological awareness among Jesus’ followers.

As so often in this gospel, the story may be read on two levels at once, an interplay of the “ordinary” and the “extraordinary,” the human and the divine. Through John the Baptist’s witness, two followers are intrigued enough to follow after Jesus. But Jesus takes the initiative by turning and asking the two disciples what they are searching for.

They reply by identifying him as a teacher and asking for his dwelling place, signifying their desire to follow him as disciples. He responds “Come and see” (v. 39), an invitation to a relationship. They stay with him and then begin to act as apostles, bringing their family and friends to discover Jesus too.

ReflectionThe trouble with some Bible passages is their over-familiarity. We’ve heard them so often, they sound worn. We tune out, think about what’s for dinner, or yawn: “heard this before!” So let’s re-imagine Jesus’ words to the disciples today. Instead of “come and see,” he says, “Come fill out an application form with 734 questions in triplicate. Then sign the contracts. Ask your attorney to look over the paperwork. And get it all notarized.”

That whoosh you would’ve heard was the disciples running in the other direction. Bear in mind, these were uneducated fisherfolk. They wouldn’t have been impressed by military power or university degrees. They’d reject compulsion but respond to invitation. They were deeply compelled by the person of Jesus.

Try to remember the last time you were so excited about someone you ran to tell your friends, then praised this person so extravagantly, your friends couldn’t resist. They dropped what they were doing,

“Lord, you are calling me to come to you and I am coming to you—not with any merits of my own but only with your mercy.”

—St. Catherine of Siena


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abandoned their busy schedules, and checked out the reality. Did that happen to the disciples?

Next time we attend a committee meeting brainstorm-ing ways to increase church membership, remember how Jesus attracted people. The draw of the person was enough; the name spread like wildfire.

The Scriptures and the CatechismOur discipleship always begins with an experience of being called or invited to follow Jesus (CCC, #50–53, 203–04, 1954–60). Calls come in a variety of ways—sometimes like Samuel in the deep recesses of our heart, sometimes like Peter through the invitation of others who have found the Lord. God’s self-revelation always happens in the midst of our “ordinary” times. Like Samuel, we are not very “familiar with the Lord” and must learn how to identify God’s presence in our lives (CCC, #208, 300, 1146–52, 2565).

Our Catholic HeritageWhat Is a Covenant?When we are baptized, we enter into a baptismal covenant, a pledge to live in faith and obedience. We say we believe, and we promise to continue and persevere, to proclaim and seek and serve and strive. We undertake such vows with God’s help. Thus we become people of the New Covenant.

A covenant is a formal agreement between two persons or parties that spells out the mutual obligations of their relationship. In the biblical world, the general expectations were modeled on the customs that guided relationships between persons of unequal honor, status and wealth. These relationships were voluntary and freely entered into and were not required by law.

The covenant bound the parties in mutual and reciprocal obligations. The “patron” or more powerful person (like God) promised to provide for and protect the less powerful “clients” (from the Latin word for dependents). In return, to enhance the honor and reputation of the patron, the clients offered respect, praise and gratitude and other favors when requested.

The dynamics of patron-client relations govern our ongoing faith relationship with God. God takes the initiative to come down from heaven to be present for a relationship with us. This relationship entails a mutual commitment, a covenant, in which God

as patron commits himself to us as our benefactor, provider and protector.

We, in turn, commit our exclusive loyalty, obedience and submission to God. But a covenant not only entails commitment to the other person but also to the covenant relationship itself that establishes a community. Thus the covenant partners commit themselves to building and enriching the community created by their mutual commitment.

The World of the BibleNazarethIn John’s gospel, Nathanael, who was from the town of Cana in Galilee (John 21:2), about nine miles northwest of Nazareth, did not seem all that impressed with Philip’s extravagant suggestion that Jesus might be the Messiah. Nathanael seemed even more unimpressed when he heard that this stranger was from Nazareth.

Despite having never met Jesus, Nathanael applied his stereotype of Nazarenes to Jesus. Nazareth’s reputation as a no-good village meant Jesus would also be no-good. So Nathanael voiced what must have been the general put-down common to the Galilee region, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46)?

Judging from Nathanael’s reaction, Nazareth must have been a village with an attitude! In the first century, Nazareth was tiny––probably no more than about 250 people, many of whom lived in cave-houses partially hewn out of the limestone rocks. It is not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament, in the New Testament outside the gospels, or in any other first century writings.

But Jesus was always connected with this village of Nazareth. Mark, who narrates nothing about Jesus’ early life, implied that Nazareth was Jesus’ birthplace by calling it his “ancestral city,” (Mark 6:1)––obviously giving it a grandeur far beyond its humble village status. Luke, however, described it as the place where Jesus “had been brought up” (4:16) rather than as his birthplace, which Luke identified as Bethlehem near Jerusalem (Luke 2:4).


Winter • Year B

©2014 by Morehouse education resources • all rights reserved • www.livingthegoodnews.coM • 1-800-242-1918Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

Scripture Story:God Calls Samuel

Samuel is in bed. It is the middle of the night and everything is dark and quiet. Suddenly Samuel hears a sound.


Someone is calling his name! Samuel gets out of bed. He runs to the next room where his teacher Eli sleeps. Samuel wakes Eli.



Samuel goes back to bed. But again he hears a sound.


Someone is calling his name! Samuel gets out of bed. He runs to Eli again.



Samuel goes back to bed. But again he hears: “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel runs to Eli. Eli says, “Maybe God is calling you. This time, when you hear the voice, answer. Say, ‘Talk to me, God. I am listening.’”

So Samuel goes back to bed again. Again he hears the voice: “Samuel! Samuel!”

This time, Samuel says, “Talk to me, God. I am listening.”

And the voice says, “Yes, Samuel, I am God. I love you, Samuel, and you will be my helper. You will talk to all of God’s people for me. I am God!”

PK-WB-OT02-DL-C-Scripture Story_God Calls Samuel

Winter • Year B


More about Today’s Scriptures2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

00-WB-OT02-SB-C-More about Today_s Scriptures

Today’s readings extend the call to discipleship. In 1 Samuel, the Lord’s voice awakens a sleeping boy, Samuel, who responds with attentive obedience. Paul describes how those called by God are to honor their physical bodies. Jesus calls his first disciples with the simple invitation, “Come and see” (v. 39).

1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19

First Samuel focuses on the man who ushered Israel through the political transition from judges to kings. Samuel united in himself many of the roles of the tribal confederacy period of Israel’s history. He was a Nazirite dedicated to the Lord, a judge, a prophet, a priest and the reluctant leader of the movement to place a king over Israel.

Today’s reading tells of the call of Samuel in the temple at Shiloh. Shiloh was at that time the resting place for the ark, the throne for the divine presence on earth. The setting in the temple and the time, probably just before dawn since the lamp was to burn all night, are traditional for divine revelation.

Luke draws parallels between the story of Samuel and the birth and childhood of Jesus. According to tradition, Samuel was 12 years old at the time of his call, the age of Jesus at his visit

to the temple, and they are described similarly. Both were to be prophet, priest and ruler for the people. Thus Samuel serves as a type or prefig-urement of Jesus’ later, greater role.

1 Corinthian 6:13c-15a, 17-20

Paul calls on the Corinthians to remember their spiritual status effected through baptism. They have been freed from guilt, united with the people of God and placed into right relationship with God. Now their lives are to exemplify the moral effects of conversion.

Some members of the community presumed a sharp division between the life of the spirit and the life of the body, to which religious or moral criteria did not apply. Paul points out that Christian freedom is not only deliverance from the law, it is freedom for the service of God. Christian freedom is qualified by communal and personal duty, by consideration of the nearness of the end, and by relationship to Jesus and to the Spirit.

Paul knows that salvation embraces the whole person. Physically, the body incorporates the human personality and so is the instrument of relationship with God and with one another. Spiritually, the body is a temple that contains the Holy Spirit and so is sacred and must not be profaned by sinful behavior.

John 1:35-42

Today’s account of the calling of the first disciples emphasizes the theological meaning of the events. The calling of the first disciples is the first part of a section (1:35–2:11) that sums up the gradual deepening of theological awareness among Jesus’ followers.

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. I know that you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing aboutit. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

—Thomas Merton

Winter • Year B


More about Today’s Scriptures2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

00-WB-EPIP-SB-C-More about Today_s Scriptures

As so often in this gospel, the story may be read on two levels at once, an interplay of the “ordinary” and the “extraordinary,” the human and the divine. Through John the Baptist’s witness, two followers are intrigued enough to follow after Jesus. But Jesus takes the initiative by turning and asking the two disciples what they are searching for.

They reply by identifying him as a teacher and asking for his dwelling place, signifying their desire to follow him as disciples. He responds “Come and see” (v. 39), an invitation to a rela-tionship. They stay with him and then begin to act as apostles, bringing their family and friends to discover Jesus too.

ReflectionThe trouble with some Bible passages is their over-familiarity. We’ve heard them so often, they sound worn. We tune out, think about what’s for dinner, or yawn: “heard this before!” So let’s re-imagine Jesus’ words to the disciples today. Instead of “come and see,” he says, “Come fill out an application form with 734 questions in triplicate. Then sign the contracts. Ask your attorney to look over the paperwork. And get it all notarized.”

That whoosh you would’ve heard was the disciples running in the other direction. Bear in mind, these were uneducated fisherfolk. They wouldn’t have been impressed by military power or university degrees. They’d reject compulsion but respond to invitation. They were deeply compelled by the person of Jesus.

Try to remember the last time you were so excited about someone you ran to tell your friends, then praised this person so extrava-gantly, your friends couldn’t resist. They dropped what they were doing, abandoned their busy schedules, and checked out the reality. Did that happen to the disciples?

Next time we attend a committee meeting brainstorm- ing ways to increase church membership, remember how Jesus attracted people. The draw of the person was enough; the name spread like wildfire.

Winter • Year B


Children continue the exploration of Baptism. This week, we emphasize the importance of names in Baptism. Gather children in front of the Water Poster, also attached to the Session Plan.

Explain:•When we are baptized, we are named as God’s own.

Use the words and motions used in your church.

For example, you could use the shell to dip imaginary water over a child’s head as you say:• (Child’s name), I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

If your church uses the anointing rite, you might finish by making the sign of the cross on a child’s forehead and saying:• (Child’s name), you are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Encourage children to take turns naming and “baptizing” one another.

PK-WB-EP02-DL-A-Baptism Exploration

Baptism Exploration

Winter • Year B


Communication•Simple directions.Useasfewwordsaspossible,speakslowlyandgive3stepsorlessinasequence.

•Enough response time.Whenaskingquestionsorgivingdirectionsgivechildampletimetorespond.

•Eye contact.Donotforceeyecontactforachildwithautism.

•Repetition.Askchildtorepeatkeywordsindirectionstoverifyunderstanding.

•Pictures.Usevisualcueswheneverpossibletoaccompanyverbaldirections.

•Listening.Neverassumethatachildwithautismisnotlistening,eveniftheyappeartobe“intheirownworld.”

Schedules•Transitions.Givewarnings,usevisualcues(iconsorsigns),useauditorycues

•Routine.Keeptosameroutinewhenpossible.Ifavariationisexpected,giveamplewarning.Reviewroutineatthebeginningoftheday,breakingitdownintosmallchunks.Givevisualguidestoremindchildoftheschedule.

•Advance notice.Givea‘countdown’(“5minutes,”“3minutes,”“1minute”)whenitistimetochangeactivities.

•Auditory cues.Usemusictoaidintransitions.Singasongasactivitieschange,oruseabellorrecordedmusicasacue.

Engaging Children with AutismExCErpt from Rhythms of GRace

PK-WB-EP02-DL-A-Engaging Children with Autism

RhythmsofGracebyAudreyScanlan&LindaSnyderPublishedbyMorehouseEducationResourcesaDivisionofChurchPublishingInc.Formoreinformationgotowww.MorehouseEducation.org

Winter • Year B


physical•Firm touch.Firm,consistentpressureisbest.Soft,soothing‘backrubs’or‘reassuring’armbrushingortappingcanbeunsettling.

•Firm brushing.Useafirmstrokingmotioninonedirectiononarmsorlegsforsoothing.

•Gross-motor precedes fine-motor. Jumping,runningorswingingarmsvigorouslycanhelptosettleachildforfine-motoractivities.

•Avoid loud noises.Preparechildwhenpossibleforloudnoises.Allowchildrentocoverearsorleavearea.

•Limit self-stimulating.Setlimitson‘stimming’(lights,wavingfingers,patterns)time.

• Sensorydefensiveness.Noticeandplanforparticularlikes/dislikes.Notewhichtexturesareunsettlingforsomeandsoothingforothers.

Social•Safe place retreat.Providesafespacefromwhichtoobserve—allowchildtoretreattosafespacewithcomfortobjectsifactivitybecomesoverwhelming.

•Buddy pairs.Support,encourageandfacilitatefriendshipandpairing.

•Use a timer.Setlimitsforconversationaboutonetopic.

•Words and deeds.Useaverbaldescriptiontomatchaphysical/socialcue.Forexample,say,“Iamhappytoseeyou”withasmilingface.

Engaging Children with AutismExCErpt from Rhythms of GRace

PK-WB-EP02-DL-A-Engaging Children with Autism

RhythmsofGracebyAudreyScanlan&LindaSnyderPublishedbyMorehouseEducationResourcesaDivisionofChurchPublishingInc.Formoreinformationgotowww.MorehouseEducation.org

Winter • Year B


This game emphasizes that each child’s name is special.

Gather the children in a circle. Explain:•God knew Samuel’s own name.•God knows your names, too.•Your name is a special name, and God knows each one of you by name.

Ask a volunteer to stand in the center of the circle. Show the children how to hold their hands in praying position and to bow to each other from the waist. Explain that some people in our world greet each other this way, just as other people in our world shake hands or wave.

Help children recite this game rhyme together with you, using the name of the child in the center:

(Child’s name) is the special name,We say and chant today.God uses it to call you,And answers when you pray.

As children say the rhyme, the child in the center of the circle slowly turns inside the circle, greeting others with a bow and receiving greetings in return.

Play until every child has had a turn in the center of the circle.

PK-WB-EP02-DL-A-Story-Review Game

Story-Review Game: A Name Game

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, it serves as an

introdu

ction th

at will

increase th

eir familiarity.

•P

rayerStarter

Th

ese can be u

sed at hom

e, after a meal,

at bedtime or w

hen

ever a family gath

ers to pray togeth

er. On

e person can

serve as th

e leader, reading alou

d the w

ords of the

prayer or the prom

pt that in

vites others to

participate.

•Parentin

gTip

Health

y parentin

g is a skill learned over

time. T

hese su

ggestions give paren

ts con

crete ideas for cherish

ing th

eir children

an

d makin

g the C

hristian

message th

eir w

ay of life at hom

e.

How

to U

se This R

esource

Brin

gin

g th

e Sunday R

eadin

gs to

Your Fa

mily

•FamilyD

iscussionQ

uestion

In th

is section appears a qu

estion based on

th

e gospel. Since m

ost families don’t h

ave lon

g, un

interru

pted time for discu

ssion,

this qu

estion can

come u

p in th

e car after ch

urch

, durin

g the w

ait at the drive-in

ban

k or fast food restauran

t, or at bedtime.

Paren

ts can adapt it to th

e ages and

interests of th

eir children

.

•GospelR

eflection

T

his m

editation on

the gospel lin

ks Jesus’

story and ou

r daily lives. People w

ho pray

over the gospels regu

larly can begin

to m

ake them

the tem

plate for the w

ay they

live. Th

us, th

ey can tran

sform th

e message

from w

ords proclaimed in

chu

rch to valu

es en

shrin

ed in th

e heart.

Wh

ile some fam

ilies may h

ave time for

extended refl

ection on

the readin

gs and

utilize all th

e sections of th

e page, others m

ay h

ave time for on

ly a quick Fam

ily Discu

ssion

Qu

estion or P

arentin

g Tip. A

ll parents w

ill wan

t to see w

hat th

eir children

did in th

eir session so

they can

discuss it w

ith th

em afterw

ards.

Reprodu

ce the pages an

d arrange a system

of distribu

tion so th

at they can

be sent h

ome w

ith

the oldest or you

ngest ch

ild in a fam

ily, the

chu

rch n

ewsletter or an

y regular bu

lletin.

WheretoU

seThisR

esourceT

his resou

rce may be h

elpful in

a variety of settin

gs, and especially for:

• C

hristian

Edu

cation settin

gs wh

ere parent

involvem

ent is cru

cial•

Intergen

erational edu

cational settin

gs•

Schools w

ith den

omin

ational spon

sorship

wh

o wan

t to involve fam

ilies more

Brin

gin

g th

e Sunday R

eadin

gs to

Your Fa

mily

Today’s readings extend the call to discipleship. In I Samuel 3:3b-10, 19, the voice of the Lord awakens a sleeping boy, Samuel, who responds with attentive obedience. In I Corinthian 6:13c-15a,

17-20, Paul outlines how those chosen by God are to honor their physical bodies. In John 1:35-42, Jesus calls his first disciples with the simple invitation, “Come and see” (v. 39).

Preschool/Kindergarten children heard the story of

Samuel, affirming God as a loving God who chooses

us and calls each one by name. The session included

a listening game, a calling game and a chanting game

celebrating the names of the children. They also made

cookies or T-shirts and learned the use of names in

the sacrament of baptism.

Primary (Grades 1-3) children heard the story of

Samuel and thought about God’s choosing them.

Other activities included identifying other group

members by their voices, playing a guessing game and

making puppets to tell the story to each other.

Intermediate (Grades 4-6) participants were encour-

aged to listen for God’s call in their lives. Group

members first roleplayed different kinds of phone

calls, then studied the Old Testament story of God’s

call to Samuel. They created a poster showing ways

in which God might call us today, and added to their

Baptism Booklets, celebrating the moment of naming

in baptism.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time • Year B

Discuss the ways we hear today

the call of God which came to

Samuel and the first disciples.

Does Jesus speak through a

friend, a parent or grandparent,

a teacher?

Nathanael must be the patron saint of those who make off-handed, skeptical comments, then regret them. His narrow provincialism leads to a sarcastic comment about Nazareth, like we might make about Podunk. Philip’s reply is an invitation to trust direct experience over rumors or popular biases: “Come and see.”

These were also Jesus’ words to John’s disciples (see John 1:39). The calls represent different patterns in discipleship: Jesus directly asks some to follow him; others seek him; still others are brought by relatives or friends.

Philip probably never guessed what genius lay in his words. The most effective forms of evangelization have always been invitational. Simply getting to know Christ personally is more intriguing and fulfilling than any bombast. For many people, the first acquaintance leads to a lifetime of study and friendship.

But first must come the transparency of Nathanael, who is quick to admit his mistake, and must glow with delight in discovering Jesus’ identity. We can only wonder about the mystery that awaits the faithful follower, seeing even greater things than these.

Offer spontaneous prayers that honor either Martin Luther King Jr. or the Week of Christian Unity, both celebrated this week.

When we hear the calls in the night, do we groan and cover our heads? Next

time, we can respond to the frightened child, elderly parent or hungry baby with Samuel’s

words to God, “here I am.”

What does Jesus’ invitation “come and see” mean to me?

© 2014 Morehouse Education Resources. All rights reserved. www.livingthegoodnews.com • 1-800-242-1918 • Permission is hereby granted to reproduce these pages for use in the purchasing congregation only.

Winter • Year B


Books about Children and AutismCohen, Shirley. Targeting Autism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1998.

Notbohm, Ellen. Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew. Arlington, TX: New Horizons, Inc., 2005.

Powers, Michael D., Psy.D. Children with Autism: A Parent’s Guide. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine Houe, 2000.

Simmons, Karen L., ed. Official Autism 101 Manual. Alberta, Canada: Autism Today, 2006.

Ellen Notbahm and Veronica Zysk. 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching & Raising Children with Autisms of Asperger’s. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc. 2004, 2010.

Lears, Laura. Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman and Co., 1998.

Experience with the Disabled/MemoirGrandin, Temple. The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, 2008.

Grandin, Temple. Thinking in Pictures. My Life with Autism. New York: Vintage Books, a division of Random House, 1995, 2006.

Grandin, Dr. Temple and Sean Barron. Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social mysteries through the Unique Perspectives of Autism. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc., 2005.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. New York: Vintage Books, a division of Random House Inc., 2004.

Nouwen, Henri J.M. Adam: God’s Beloved. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1997.

Stacey, Patricia. The Boy Who Loved Windows Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003.

Church and Christian Formation Breeding, MaLea, Dana Hood, Jerry Whitworth. Let All the Children Come to Me. Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2006.

Kutz-Mellem, Sharon. Different Members, One Body. Louisville, KY: Witherspoon Press, 1998.

Newman, Barbara. Autism and Your Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2006.

Special Needs BibliographyExCErpt FroM Rhythms of GRace

PK-WA-EP02-DL-A-Special Needs Bibliography

Winter • Year B


Newman, Gene and Tada, Joni Eareckson. All God’s Children: Ministry with Disabled Persons. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993.

Rapada, Amy. The Special Needs Ministry Handbook: A Church’s Guide to Reaching Children with Dis-abilities and their Families. Amazon/BookSurge Publishing, 2007.

Webb-Mitchell, Brett. Unexpected Guests at God’s Banquet: Welcoming People with Disabilities into the Church. New York: Crossroad, 1994.

theologyBishop, Marilyn E., ed. Religion and Disability: Essays in Scripture, Theology and Ethics. Kansas City, MO: Sheed & Ward, 1995.

Block, Jennie Weiss. Copious Hosting: A Theology of Access for People with Disabilities. New York: Continuum, 2002.

Eiesland, Nancy L. and Don E. Saliers, eds. Human Disability and the Service of God: Reassessing Religious Practice. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998.

Foley, Edward, ed. Developmental Disabilities and Sacramental Access. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1994.

Reynolds, Thomas E. Vulnerable Communion: A Theology of Disability and Hospitality. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2008.

Vanier, Jean. Encountering the Other. New York: Paulist Press, 2005.

Children’s Bibles Henley, Karyn, compiler. The Beginner’s Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Gold’n’Honey Books, Questar publishers, Inc., 1989.

Hastings, Selina, retold. The Children’s Illustrated Bible. New York: Dorling Kindersley Book, 2000.

Lloyd-Jones, Sally. The Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007.

Rhythms of Graceby Audrey Scanlan & Linda SnyderPublished by Morehouse Education Resourcesa Division of Church Publishing Inc.For more information go to www.MorehouseEducation.org

Special Needs BibliographyExCErpt FroM Rhythms of GRace

PK-WA-EP02-DL-A-Special Needs Bibliography

session essentials...gifts of the spirit: multiple intelligences in religious education, by ronald...

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