1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,960 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:03,780 Pat Kahn: OK, great. 3 00:00:03,780 --> 00:00:05,150 Thank you, Susan. 4 00:00:05,150 --> 00:00:08,300 And thank you to everyone who are still 5 00:00:08,300 --> 00:00:10,250 in the process of signing on. 6 00:00:10,250 --> 00:00:12,740 But because we have a lot of material to cover, 7 00:00:12,740 --> 00:00:14,430 we're going to go ahead and get started. 8 00:00:14,430 --> 00:00:17,070 And if you're coming into this later you 9 00:00:17,070 --> 00:00:18,800 can always listen to the beginning 10 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:20,680 part on the recording. 11 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,420 So first of all, I'm Pat Kahn. 12 00:00:23,420 --> 00:00:25,370 I'm the children and family Programs Director. 13 00:00:25,370 --> 00:00:27,680 And I'm one of your hosts for the webinar 14 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,370 today, which is Welcome! 15 00:00:30,370 --> 00:00:33,500 Easter in a Multi Congregation. 16 00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:37,560 Let me just apologize for the technical glitches 17 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:42,810 that required us to send out a new meeting link to everybody. 18 00:00:42,810 --> 00:00:45,440 But we will get started. 19 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:50,620 And I want to go ahead and introduce our presenter, Gail 20 00:00:50,620 --> 00:00:54,340 Forsythe-Vail, who is the Adult Programs Director in the Faith 21 00:00:54,340 --> 00:00:58,350 Development Office, and Susan Lawrence, who's 22 00:00:58,350 --> 00:01:01,100 the managing editor in the Faith Development Office 23 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:07,580 and our technical guru who got us up and running again. 24 00:01:07,580 --> 00:01:12,140 So just a few things. 25 00:01:12,140 --> 00:01:14,900 If you haven't already, please mute your microphone 26 00:01:14,900 --> 00:01:18,360 and turn your camera off, that gives us more bandwidth 27 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:23,150 because we are expecting-- well, we had about 56 people 28 00:01:23,150 --> 00:01:23,900 signed up. 29 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:29,370 So if you can go ahead and do that, that would help us. 30 00:01:29,370 --> 00:01:31,620 If you do have audio problems, you 31 00:01:31,620 --> 00:01:36,750 can always mute the audio on your computer 32 00:01:36,750 --> 00:01:39,400 and call in by phone. 33 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,140 A recorded webinar and the slides 34 00:01:42,140 --> 00:01:44,780 will be posted online after we're 35 00:01:44,780 --> 00:01:47,740 done, especially after we're done with tomorrow night's 36 00:01:47,740 --> 00:01:50,250 version of this. 37 00:01:50,250 --> 00:01:56,340 And you are able to mute and unmute yourself. 38 00:01:56,340 --> 00:02:00,970 So if it's kind of a question that Gail asks for responses 39 00:02:00,970 --> 00:02:04,440 during the webinar-- if it's easier to type 40 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,660 into the chat box, that's great, because we can copy and paste 41 00:02:08,660 --> 00:02:11,950 the results of the chat box later. 42 00:02:11,950 --> 00:02:17,320 Or if you need to make some kind of an explanation 43 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,000 you can raise your hand, which you do by clicking on 44 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,930 my mood up at the very top. 45 00:02:23,930 --> 00:02:27,280 Raise your hand and then one of us will call on you. 46 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,570 There is time later on for questions and answers. 47 00:02:32,570 --> 00:02:38,910 And Susan will be pasting links or any other information 48 00:02:38,910 --> 00:02:41,250 to the chat box as we go through. 49 00:02:41,250 --> 00:02:43,967 So I realize I'm talking fast but that's 50 00:02:43,967 --> 00:02:45,550 because I want to get through all this 51 00:02:45,550 --> 00:02:47,410 so that Gail can get started. 52 00:02:47,410 --> 00:02:51,660 So Gail, your on. 53 00:02:51,660 --> 00:02:54,956 Gail Forsyth-vail: OK, you can hear me all right? 54 00:02:54,956 --> 00:02:56,360 Pat Kahn: Yep. 55 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,666 Gail Forsyth-vail: OK, welcome, everybody. 56 00:02:58,666 --> 00:02:59,790 And sorry about the glitch. 57 00:02:59,790 --> 00:03:02,740 And I will admit to it being my fault. 58 00:03:02,740 --> 00:03:07,900 So Susan, thank you for rescuing me and us. 59 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:10,320 So I'd like to just tell you what 60 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,070 we're going to do with the webinar, 61 00:03:12,070 --> 00:03:15,100 and then we'll go through the webinar. 62 00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:18,400 But just so you have a sense of what direction 63 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,970 we're headed in, we're going to talk about your questions 64 00:03:21,970 --> 00:03:24,980 and hopes and experiences, not just for you 65 00:03:24,980 --> 00:03:28,470 personally, but for people in your congregation regarding 66 00:03:28,470 --> 00:03:29,940 Easter. 67 00:03:29,940 --> 00:03:32,050 We're going to look a little bit at some 68 00:03:32,050 --> 00:03:34,280 of the theological questions surrounding Easter, 69 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:39,110 because you can't really teach unless you have an idea of what 70 00:03:39,110 --> 00:03:42,280 ground you're working from. 71 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:47,090 We'll talk about weaving three traditions or sources 72 00:03:47,090 --> 00:03:51,340 in this season, Christianity and Easter, Judaism and Passover, 73 00:03:51,340 --> 00:03:56,120 and earth-based spirituality and spring equinox. 74 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:01,020 We'll talk about some activities for younger people, young ones. 75 00:04:01,020 --> 00:04:04,620 And talk about sacred story and older children, and some things 76 00:04:04,620 --> 00:04:08,110 that people might do together, all ages. 77 00:04:08,110 --> 00:04:10,952 There'll be a bit of history, because that tends 78 00:04:10,952 --> 00:04:12,160 to be something I like to do. 79 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,560 A bit of history, a bit of song, some chances 80 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,690 to share what you've done and some brainstorming 81 00:04:17,690 --> 00:04:19,130 for this and future years. 82 00:04:19,130 --> 00:04:22,460 So I don't have all the answers in the world, 83 00:04:22,460 --> 00:04:24,410 I just have a whole lot of experience. 84 00:04:24,410 --> 00:04:27,625 And hoping that you will add yours to mine 85 00:04:27,625 --> 00:04:29,250 and we'll come up with something that's 86 00:04:29,250 --> 00:04:32,240 really helpful for everyone. 87 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,430 There may be links that can be posted in the chat box. 88 00:04:35,430 --> 00:04:38,440 And if you have links you want to share as we proceed, 89 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:42,190 please also do post them in the chat box. 90 00:04:42,190 --> 00:04:47,660 So I'm going to open with a reading. 91 00:04:47,660 --> 00:04:51,030 This is from the hymnal, number 624, 92 00:04:51,030 --> 00:04:54,980 called "Hope Again" written by Clark Dewey Wells. 93 00:04:54,980 --> 00:04:57,800 And it goes like this. 94 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,470 "God of Easter and infrequent spring, 95 00:05:01,470 --> 00:05:05,430 announce the large covenant to deceitful lands. 96 00:05:05,430 --> 00:05:08,800 Drive the sweet liquor through our parched veins. 97 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,630 Lure us to fresh schemes of life. 98 00:05:12,630 --> 00:05:16,440 Rouse us from tiredness, self pity. 99 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,640 Wet us for youth. 100 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,900 Fire us with good passion. 101 00:05:20,900 --> 00:05:23,700 Restore us in the love of living. 102 00:05:23,700 --> 00:05:28,730 Bind us to fear and hope again." 103 00:05:28,730 --> 00:05:33,870 Welcome, everyone, to the webinar. 104 00:05:33,870 --> 00:05:36,420 And before we begin getting too far into it, 105 00:05:36,420 --> 00:05:39,880 I wanted to define what I mean by a multi congregation. 106 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,360 I like using that phrase, but it has to mean something. 107 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,140 But when I say multi congregation 108 00:05:45,140 --> 00:05:48,550 I mean a congregation that's multi-generational, that's 109 00:05:48,550 --> 00:05:50,640 multicultural, in which there are people 110 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,390 with multiple theologies, in this case, 111 00:05:53,390 --> 00:05:56,800 multiple experiences, Easter, Passover, 112 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,790 and the spring equinox. 113 00:05:58,790 --> 00:06:01,140 Multiple spiritual needs which center 114 00:06:01,140 --> 00:06:02,710 around the three celebrations. 115 00:06:02,710 --> 00:06:06,720 And so for many of us, we are in a congregation that 116 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,420 is multi in many, many ways. 117 00:06:09,420 --> 00:06:12,670 And Easter is one of those places where 118 00:06:12,670 --> 00:06:19,290 the multi is pretty apparent. 119 00:06:19,290 --> 00:06:24,010 I begin with what are your experiences. 120 00:06:24,010 --> 00:06:26,310 And I don't mean just you particularly, 121 00:06:26,310 --> 00:06:28,970 but the experiences you're aware of, perhaps in your family 122 00:06:28,970 --> 00:06:33,330 or in your congregation, of Passover, Easter, 123 00:06:33,330 --> 00:06:34,500 the spring equinox. 124 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:36,740 What are the sorts of-- I'd love if you just 125 00:06:36,740 --> 00:06:38,140 type things in the chat box. 126 00:06:38,140 --> 00:06:40,160 What kinds of experiences do people 127 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,520 bring, whether they're negative associations 128 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,020 or positive associations, whether it's 129 00:06:46,020 --> 00:06:51,170 Easter Bonnets or egg hunts or Passover Seders. 130 00:06:51,170 --> 00:06:54,930 What are the experiences that people in your congregation 131 00:06:54,930 --> 00:07:00,480 bring to this spring holiday season? 132 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:09,030 Easter canned good hunt, Passover Seder, [INAUDIBLE] 133 00:07:09,030 --> 00:07:10,454 may play. 134 00:07:10,454 --> 00:07:14,540 Interesting. 135 00:07:14,540 --> 00:07:23,580 Family, the Green Man, white patent leather shoes, 136 00:07:23,580 --> 00:07:27,690 new dresses, and Easter Seder, that's interesting. 137 00:07:27,690 --> 00:07:33,125 Flowers, egg dying, very festival. 138 00:07:33,125 --> 00:07:36,080 Oh, this is great. 139 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,720 Family time. 140 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,450 Ah, the Persephone story, yes. 141 00:07:45,450 --> 00:07:49,850 Well, we bring a whole bunch of different experiences to this. 142 00:07:49,850 --> 00:07:51,320 Egg fights, a family tradition. 143 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,360 I've been to Greek Easters where you tap the two eggs together. 144 00:07:55,360 --> 00:08:04,300 Sadness, multi-gen services, hope, an Easter parade, 145 00:08:04,300 --> 00:08:08,250 making bonnets. 146 00:08:08,250 --> 00:08:10,340 So this is a season which brings together 147 00:08:10,340 --> 00:08:14,210 a lot of different emotions and memories. 148 00:08:14,210 --> 00:08:17,280 And I guess Polish people as well as Greeks 149 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:18,680 bang the eggs together. 150 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:19,880 OK. 151 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:20,510 Thanks. 152 00:08:20,510 --> 00:08:20,940 Keep them coming. 153 00:08:20,940 --> 00:08:22,856 We're going to get moving on with the webinar, 154 00:08:22,856 --> 00:08:27,560 but definitely keep them coming. 155 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,220 What are your questions and challenges 156 00:08:29,220 --> 00:08:32,200 and what would be helpful to you as a religious professional? 157 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,830 And I'll actually start by sharing a short story. 158 00:08:36,830 --> 00:08:39,100 When I was a fairly new religious educator, 159 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:42,190 we did OWL-- it wasn't OWL-- it was about your sexuality. 160 00:08:42,190 --> 00:08:45,430 It was AYS on Sunday evenings. 161 00:08:45,430 --> 00:08:48,700 And I remember when Easter came up on the schedule 162 00:08:48,700 --> 00:08:51,440 and I made an assumption that we would not 163 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,430 have OWL that Sunday because it was Easter. 164 00:08:54,430 --> 00:08:57,410 And I remember getting some significant pushback 165 00:08:57,410 --> 00:09:02,160 from some of the parents and the AYS facilitator 166 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,420 saying Easter isn't really anything to us, 167 00:09:06,420 --> 00:09:09,150 and it seems important to you just go on 168 00:09:09,150 --> 00:09:10,990 as we normally would on Sunday. 169 00:09:10,990 --> 00:09:14,140 And so there we were in the middle of what was purportedly 170 00:09:14,140 --> 00:09:16,580 a scheduling issue, which turned out actually 171 00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:19,200 to be a deeper issue than that. 172 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,870 And so I'd like to know, as you come into this webinar, what 173 00:09:23,870 --> 00:09:28,960 your questions and challenges are in regard to Easter, 174 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:30,610 and what would be most helpful to you 175 00:09:30,610 --> 00:09:32,690 as a religious professional. 176 00:09:32,690 --> 00:09:35,440 So if you wanted to just type a few things in the box, 177 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:40,440 that would be help to me. 178 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:47,410 I'll just give you a minute to think about that. 179 00:09:47,410 --> 00:09:48,920 OK. 180 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,950 Integrating the Christian story in a UU way. 181 00:09:52,950 --> 00:09:56,960 Overcoming people's religious baggage. 182 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:58,830 How can we lift up a message of hope 183 00:09:58,830 --> 00:10:01,795 when we don't do sin and salvation. 184 00:10:01,795 --> 00:10:05,400 Engaging multi-generational services. 185 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,466 Low attendance of regulars and lots of visitors. 186 00:10:09,466 --> 00:10:14,320 Finding a worship to touch as many people as we can. 187 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,800 How to teach Easter in a UU way and have an egg hunt. 188 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:26,770 How to talk about crucifixion and resurrection with children. 189 00:10:26,770 --> 00:10:36,120 Thank you. 190 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,240 Well, so one of you just set me up, 191 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,610 managing theological diversity around the Jesus story. 192 00:10:41,610 --> 00:10:43,094 Thank you. 193 00:10:43,094 --> 00:10:45,010 What to teach children and youth about Easter. 194 00:10:45,010 --> 00:10:48,720 I really do believe that part of our own anxiety-- 195 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:53,750 and I mean me as one of a group of religious professionals-- 196 00:10:53,750 --> 00:10:56,260 are around working with Easter is that we're not 197 00:10:56,260 --> 00:11:01,390 really clear on our own theological questions regarding 198 00:11:01,390 --> 00:11:02,530 Easter. 199 00:11:02,530 --> 00:11:06,060 So I want to just touch on a few things 200 00:11:06,060 --> 00:11:11,680 that I think we can affirm in a theologically 201 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:13,950 multilingual congregation. 202 00:11:13,950 --> 00:11:18,206 So let's talk about those. 203 00:11:18,206 --> 00:11:19,580 Here are some things that I think 204 00:11:19,580 --> 00:11:22,940 we can affirm at this season. 205 00:11:22,940 --> 00:11:27,420 Easter is a time rejoice and be glad. 206 00:11:27,420 --> 00:11:28,930 Life is returning. 207 00:11:28,930 --> 00:11:31,400 Death does not have the last word. 208 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,670 And that touches on some of the pagan roots 209 00:11:34,670 --> 00:11:36,580 of the spring celebrations. 210 00:11:36,580 --> 00:11:39,310 But it's also part of the Christian story, the rejoice 211 00:11:39,310 --> 00:11:41,630 and be glad. 212 00:11:41,630 --> 00:11:45,100 It's also, I think, the mood of rejoicing 213 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:47,280 is also part of Passover, although we're 214 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,770 going to talk a little bit later in this webinar 215 00:11:49,770 --> 00:11:51,410 about there are particular differences. 216 00:11:51,410 --> 00:11:58,440 But rejoice and be glad is one of the messages that we affirm. 217 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,160 Love is stronger than empire and stronger than violence. 218 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:05,080 When I approach the Easter story, rather than 219 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:09,680 the story of-- the story of Jesus' dying 220 00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:11,660 in many Christian contexts is actually 221 00:12:11,660 --> 00:12:16,830 necessary for redemption of human beings. 222 00:12:16,830 --> 00:12:19,370 And that's not our theology at all. 223 00:12:19,370 --> 00:12:25,990 So therefore, I see it as Jesus was-- violence killed Jesus. 224 00:12:25,990 --> 00:12:29,290 Empire killed Jesus. 225 00:12:29,290 --> 00:12:33,430 But ultimately his message was stronger than the Empire 226 00:12:33,430 --> 00:12:34,760 and stronger than the violence. 227 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,030 That the empire and the violence did not have the last word. 228 00:12:38,030 --> 00:12:42,040 Or in a Universalist way of looking at that, love wins. 229 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,920 I think there are elements of even in the Passover 230 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:49,420 story about the empire didn't have the last word. 231 00:12:49,420 --> 00:12:53,210 Although, it's, as I said, there are differences, 232 00:12:53,210 --> 00:12:55,600 because it's not really about love in Passover. 233 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,130 It's about community and identity and things like that. 234 00:12:59,130 --> 00:13:01,610 But in both stories, empire and violence 235 00:13:01,610 --> 00:13:04,169 does not have the last word. 236 00:13:04,169 --> 00:13:05,960 And a third thing that we confirm, I think, 237 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,420 is that new life and new beginnings are always possible, 238 00:13:09,420 --> 00:13:10,930 that we hold hope. 239 00:13:10,930 --> 00:13:16,170 And that this holiday is a reminder of that. 240 00:13:16,170 --> 00:13:19,857 And I want to look and I need to look through the chat 241 00:13:19,857 --> 00:13:22,190 box a little bit because I'm interested in your thoughts 242 00:13:22,190 --> 00:13:24,640 about this. 243 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:30,980 What are the things that we can affirm? 244 00:13:30,980 --> 00:13:34,950 The history of Jesus and the Easter story in Unitarianism, 245 00:13:34,950 --> 00:13:36,500 Rohan asked about that. 246 00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:39,432 And we could talk about that a little bit. 247 00:13:39,432 --> 00:13:41,390 There's been a child blessing for Easter, which 248 00:13:41,390 --> 00:13:43,524 feels really appropriate to me. 249 00:13:43,524 --> 00:13:44,940 Actually in a Christian tradition, 250 00:13:44,940 --> 00:13:47,830 new members are taken in on the night before Easter. 251 00:13:47,830 --> 00:13:50,350 That's new Christians. 252 00:13:50,350 --> 00:13:56,220 It's a time for confirmation and a time for new members. 253 00:13:56,220 --> 00:13:58,470 If we're not talking about Jesus and the Resurrection, 254 00:13:58,470 --> 00:14:03,810 should we be calling it Easter? 255 00:14:03,810 --> 00:14:06,110 I think we, in many ways, are actually 256 00:14:06,110 --> 00:14:11,470 talking about the Jesus story if we're calling it Easter. 257 00:14:11,470 --> 00:14:13,350 I do think we should be talking about that. 258 00:14:13,350 --> 00:14:15,770 I think our kids deserve that. 259 00:14:15,770 --> 00:14:22,550 But I think we need to talk about it in our particular way. 260 00:14:22,550 --> 00:14:27,230 And Rohan says we can affirm freedom. 261 00:14:27,230 --> 00:14:29,940 New life comes after death. 262 00:14:29,940 --> 00:14:36,430 And I do think that it's not just death, 263 00:14:36,430 --> 00:14:37,820 it's a violent death. 264 00:14:37,820 --> 00:14:46,420 It's a death brought about by empire. 265 00:14:46,420 --> 00:14:48,550 More thoughts about that as we go forward. 266 00:14:48,550 --> 00:14:51,660 So just hold that, though. 267 00:14:51,660 --> 00:14:54,710 What I wanted to do, someone asked about our history, 268 00:14:54,710 --> 00:14:58,410 I wanted to take you to a particular hymn, 269 00:14:58,410 --> 00:15:01,500 because it was actually was written by a Unitarian 270 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:03,150 and give you a little bit of history. 271 00:15:03,150 --> 00:15:05,740 "Oh Day of Light and Gladness" is actually my favorite Easter 272 00:15:05,740 --> 00:15:06,470 hymn. 273 00:15:06,470 --> 00:15:08,390 But it was actually written-- it came out 274 00:15:08,390 --> 00:15:12,800 of the unity people of the Western Unitarian conference, 275 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,310 written by Frederick Lucian Hosmer, published in 1903. 276 00:15:17,310 --> 00:15:19,440 But it came out of a tradition. 277 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,960 The Western Unitarians were really 278 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,790 moving toward an understanding-- or their understanding 279 00:15:25,790 --> 00:15:28,360 was that there was very universal religion. 280 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,060 And that all of the world religions 281 00:15:31,060 --> 00:15:34,180 were particular manifestations of what were 282 00:15:34,180 --> 00:15:36,940 universal truths underneath. 283 00:15:36,940 --> 00:15:42,330 And I think there was some real wrestling with Easter. 284 00:15:42,330 --> 00:15:44,380 There were a lot of flowers in the Easter 285 00:15:44,380 --> 00:15:48,830 ceremony and the Easter services and so on. 286 00:15:48,830 --> 00:15:53,290 And dealing with the Easter themes 287 00:15:53,290 --> 00:15:57,390 and looking at it in a broader, more universal context, 288 00:15:57,390 --> 00:16:01,100 this hymn still sits in our hymnal. 289 00:16:01,100 --> 00:16:03,640 And I really wanted-- I'm going to play it for you so you 290 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:04,540 get it in your ear. 291 00:16:04,540 --> 00:16:06,420 And then I'm going to go through the lyrics 292 00:16:06,420 --> 00:16:12,260 because I think they are helpful in situating us-- 293 00:16:12,260 --> 00:16:14,050 this is a Unitarian tradition-- but I 294 00:16:14,050 --> 00:16:17,080 think in situating us as Unitarian Universalists. 295 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:23,110 So with my thanks to my pianist there, thank you Pat. 296 00:16:23,110 --> 00:16:26,310 I'm going to play "Oh Day of Light and Gladness" 297 00:16:26,310 --> 00:16:27,560 so you can remember the tune. 298 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:39,610 And then we'll go through the lyrics. 299 00:16:39,610 --> 00:17:17,319 [CHORAL MUSIC] 300 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:18,500 OK. 301 00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:21,616 Everybody got that in their ear? 302 00:17:21,616 --> 00:17:23,240 I'm just going to go through the lyrics 303 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,800 because I think it's helpful in sort of figuring out some 304 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,980 of the things that are ours. 305 00:17:29,980 --> 00:17:34,280 "Oh day of light and gladness of prophecy and song, 306 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:39,710 what thoughts within us waken what hallowed memories throng. 307 00:17:39,710 --> 00:17:45,120 The soul's horizon widens, past, present, future blend. 308 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:49,796 And rises on our vision, the life that has no end." 309 00:17:49,796 --> 00:17:51,420 And I'm just going to stop for a minute 310 00:17:51,420 --> 00:17:55,300 there and talk about the idea that-- what 311 00:17:55,300 --> 00:18:00,300 I think this is speaking to is our place in all of life, 312 00:18:00,300 --> 00:18:06,980 that we are part of this living chain of life that has no end. 313 00:18:06,980 --> 00:18:15,170 It talks about Easter as being a holiday of memory and prophecy 314 00:18:15,170 --> 00:18:17,620 and looking ahead. 315 00:18:17,620 --> 00:18:21,380 The second verse, "earth feels the seasons joyance 316 00:18:21,380 --> 00:18:24,240 from mountain range to sea. 317 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,950 The tides of life are flowing friends, manifold, and free. 318 00:18:28,950 --> 00:18:33,330 In valley and on up land, by forest pathways dim, 319 00:18:33,330 --> 00:18:37,470 all nature sings in chorus the Resurrection hymn." 320 00:18:37,470 --> 00:18:43,150 and I think we can all sort of here our Unitarian Universalist 321 00:18:43,150 --> 00:18:48,290 love of the natural world in that second verse. 322 00:18:48,290 --> 00:18:51,790 "Oh dawn of life eternal to thee our hearts 323 00:18:51,790 --> 00:18:54,500 upraise, the Easter song of gladness, 324 00:18:54,500 --> 00:18:56,930 the Passover of praise. 325 00:18:56,930 --> 00:19:00,930 Thine are the many mansions, the dead die not to thee, 326 00:19:00,930 --> 00:19:05,070 who filleth from thy fullness, time eternity." 327 00:19:05,070 --> 00:19:09,120 And you can see in the lyrics here this touching 328 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:13,200 on the actually calendar connection 329 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,180 of Passover and Easter. 330 00:19:16,180 --> 00:19:19,050 And and the idea of our Unitarian 331 00:19:19,050 --> 00:19:22,630 forebearers just over 100 years ago, 332 00:19:22,630 --> 00:19:25,320 really wrestling with what are the universal truths 333 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,800 underneath all religions. 334 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,640 And also the idea that we are part of time and eternity. 335 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,040 This is not about redemption or forgiveness from sin 336 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,450 or individuals living forever. 337 00:19:40,450 --> 00:19:45,810 It's about life going on, forever and into eternity. 338 00:19:45,810 --> 00:19:48,200 And I just-- I love this piece. 339 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,860 And I think it provides us some things to think about. 340 00:19:50,860 --> 00:19:53,470 And I also can feel in it some real wrestling 341 00:19:53,470 --> 00:19:55,990 with what is the theological meaning of Easter. 342 00:19:55,990 --> 00:20:00,130 And I think it's a wrestling that we still feel today. 343 00:20:00,130 --> 00:20:07,130 So I commend that hymn to you to just think about. 344 00:20:07,130 --> 00:20:10,250 I wanted to really talk about the three traditions 345 00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:13,800 that sometimes we're forced by the calendar 346 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:18,420 to weave together in some way. 347 00:20:18,420 --> 00:20:24,940 The Passover and spring equinox and the Christian story 348 00:20:24,940 --> 00:20:28,490 of Palm Sunday and Holy Week and Easter. 349 00:20:28,490 --> 00:20:33,080 And to just note that they are very different. 350 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,060 I had a conversation with a colleague who's Jewish, 351 00:20:36,060 --> 00:20:39,420 actually, in the hallway yesterday, 352 00:20:39,420 --> 00:20:45,650 talking about how difficult it feels to her when 353 00:20:45,650 --> 00:20:47,860 Passover Seder kind of gets incorporated 354 00:20:47,860 --> 00:20:52,230 into Christian Holy Week services, which happens 355 00:20:52,230 --> 00:20:55,240 sometimes particularly in Protestant churches 356 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:56,860 that I'm familiar with. 357 00:20:56,860 --> 00:20:59,660 And so to understand that these are distinct traditions, 358 00:20:59,660 --> 00:21:02,800 although they all overlap in terms of the calendar, 359 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,810 they overlap in certain-- Passover has spring elements 360 00:21:06,810 --> 00:21:09,070 in it on the Seder plate. 361 00:21:09,070 --> 00:21:11,940 Christianity certainly has spring things in it, 362 00:21:11,940 --> 00:21:14,200 eggs and bunnies and all of that. 363 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:18,660 But they are particular in their expression 364 00:21:18,660 --> 00:21:23,860 and they are different in their meaning. 365 00:21:23,860 --> 00:21:28,120 So I was curious about your thoughts. 366 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:31,100 What commonalities you see among the three. 367 00:21:31,100 --> 00:21:35,540 How you're managing-- or if you're 368 00:21:35,540 --> 00:21:39,160 managing to touch on the three traditions. 369 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,800 If this year, particularly, where Passover actually 370 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:46,180 falls during the same weekend as Easter and not 371 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:48,600 the weekend before as is often the case. 372 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,310 How are you doing this? 373 00:21:51,310 --> 00:21:52,700 So I'd love to know. 374 00:21:52,700 --> 00:21:56,350 And if you want to speak rather than type then just let 375 00:21:56,350 --> 00:22:01,390 us know and we can unmute you. 376 00:22:01,390 --> 00:22:02,520 What are you seeing? 377 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:30,260 What are you choosing to do on Easter this year? 378 00:22:30,260 --> 00:22:32,770 OK, so somebody's doing Seder on Easter 379 00:22:32,770 --> 00:22:36,320 and explaining Jesus through his Judaism, 380 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:39,270 but being really careful with distinguishing 381 00:22:39,270 --> 00:22:43,930 between those two traditions. 382 00:22:43,930 --> 00:22:46,700 Seder, Palm Sunday, and the Green Man 383 00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:53,130 all on the same Sunday, Leah? 384 00:22:53,130 --> 00:22:56,450 Separate days. 385 00:22:56,450 --> 00:22:59,810 OK. 386 00:22:59,810 --> 00:23:02,630 Transformation as an overall theme. 387 00:23:02,630 --> 00:23:04,640 So you need to be really particular about what 388 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,800 kind of transformation. 389 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,570 Courage. 390 00:23:09,570 --> 00:23:12,060 Courage works, too, as particularly 391 00:23:12,060 --> 00:23:25,620 for both the Christian story and the Jewish. 392 00:23:25,620 --> 00:23:28,420 Separate Sundays. 393 00:23:28,420 --> 00:23:33,310 Somebody said [INAUDIBLE] get prickly about Easter. 394 00:23:33,310 --> 00:23:35,770 This is great. 395 00:23:35,770 --> 00:23:39,730 I'm hoping that we can keep the chat box, because it's got 396 00:23:39,730 --> 00:23:42,080 some really good stuff in it. 397 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:48,235 We could keep for people afterwards. 398 00:23:48,235 --> 00:23:57,230 Just letting Seder go this year. 399 00:23:57,230 --> 00:23:59,820 Focusing on Easter. 400 00:23:59,820 --> 00:24:03,020 It's fairly easy to separate spring equinox 401 00:24:03,020 --> 00:24:06,660 from Easter this here because of the calendar. 402 00:24:06,660 --> 00:24:10,770 It's more difficult to separate the Passover because 403 00:24:10,770 --> 00:24:11,940 of the calendar this year. 404 00:24:11,940 --> 00:24:15,610 But it is very hard, I think, to do them both, both Easter 405 00:24:15,610 --> 00:24:20,760 and Passover in the same service because it can mash things 406 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:44,407 together. 407 00:24:44,407 --> 00:24:48,680 [INAUDIBLE] among the religious professionals 408 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,190 in your congregation to try to figure out 409 00:24:51,190 --> 00:24:56,520 how to do this and do justice to the traditions 410 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,190 that you're honoring, and not mash them together so that they 411 00:25:00,190 --> 00:25:25,275 lose their particularities. 412 00:25:25,275 --> 00:25:30,970 Link Christmas and Easter, interesting thoughts. 413 00:25:30,970 --> 00:25:34,280 I'm going to move on and we can climb back into this if we 414 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,190 have time at the end, I think. 415 00:25:37,190 --> 00:25:39,150 I wanted to do some practical-- talk 416 00:25:39,150 --> 00:25:42,970 about some practical things. 417 00:25:42,970 --> 00:25:45,350 Gail, you may want to read-- OK. 418 00:25:45,350 --> 00:25:47,650 Somebody has asked me to read the chat box notes aloud 419 00:25:47,650 --> 00:25:51,046 because we have people on the phone. 420 00:25:51,046 --> 00:25:52,670 Let's move on with the webinar and then 421 00:25:52,670 --> 00:26:01,500 I will circle back and do that, because I think that's good. 422 00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:05,030 So I wanted to talk about for young ones, 423 00:26:05,030 --> 00:26:07,680 some ways to express rejoice, because I really 424 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,040 do think that that's the theological message 425 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:10,770 for little ones. 426 00:26:10,770 --> 00:26:13,640 I think it's as simple as rejoice. 427 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,290 You might gather children together 428 00:26:15,290 --> 00:26:17,400 and see how many ways they can think of 429 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:22,240 to express rejoice and be glad. 430 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,660 You might actually teach them some fun, religious words 431 00:26:25,660 --> 00:26:34,360 like hosanna and alleluia and hallelujah and see 432 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:36,190 how many ways that they can think of 433 00:26:36,190 --> 00:26:39,440 to say rejoice and be glad. 434 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:43,220 I think this is a time for glitter and feathers, 435 00:26:43,220 --> 00:26:44,820 probably not paint, because they'll 436 00:26:44,820 --> 00:26:47,150 be dressed in really nice clothes, some of them. 437 00:26:47,150 --> 00:26:49,750 But it's a time to express rejoice and be 438 00:26:49,750 --> 00:26:55,580 glad to our music and dance and craft, all the different ways 439 00:26:55,580 --> 00:26:58,610 that you can make paper flowers. 440 00:26:58,610 --> 00:27:03,450 One that I remember that maybe a little unusual is we 441 00:27:03,450 --> 00:27:10,310 use to take the small cupcake tin, the paper cupcake things, 442 00:27:10,310 --> 00:27:14,450 and use a brass brad and sort of cut 443 00:27:14,450 --> 00:27:19,670 out an orange star-shaped thing and put the cupcake tin-- make 444 00:27:19,670 --> 00:27:22,890 a daffodil out of it, basically, with a little cupcake 445 00:27:22,890 --> 00:27:26,530 tin as the center. 446 00:27:26,530 --> 00:27:29,940 I'm sure there are other ideas for doing crafts, 447 00:27:29,940 --> 00:27:32,830 but I think the general tenor for small children 448 00:27:32,830 --> 00:27:34,720 should be rejoice and be glad. 449 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:44,350 And perhaps they can decorate the social hall or whatever-- 450 00:27:44,350 --> 00:27:46,470 fellowship hall-- or whatever you call it 451 00:27:46,470 --> 00:27:49,590 in your congregation. 452 00:27:49,590 --> 00:27:52,450 I wanted to talk a little bit about egg trees and egg 453 00:27:52,450 --> 00:27:54,630 decorating. 454 00:27:54,630 --> 00:27:58,280 Some of you may have a tradition of doing egg trees. 455 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:03,220 It was a pretty common thing to do for many congregations 456 00:28:03,220 --> 00:28:05,370 when I first started as a religious educator. 457 00:28:05,370 --> 00:28:11,410 I don't know if it had fallen into disuse or not. 458 00:28:11,410 --> 00:28:15,070 But we often would bring in, particularly, 459 00:28:15,070 --> 00:28:17,220 a forsythia branch, because forsythia 460 00:28:17,220 --> 00:28:21,020 has a lot of little branchlets on it. 461 00:28:21,020 --> 00:28:23,610 Bring it in about two weeks ahead of Eastern 462 00:28:23,610 --> 00:28:26,280 and force it to bloom. 463 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:28,450 If you live south of where I live in New England, 464 00:28:28,450 --> 00:28:30,850 you may not actually need to force something into bloom, 465 00:28:30,850 --> 00:28:33,380 but you do you need a branch that 466 00:28:33,380 --> 00:28:36,940 has a lot of little branchlets. 467 00:28:36,940 --> 00:28:41,330 I think it's fun to work with real eggs. 468 00:28:41,330 --> 00:28:49,780 If you've never blown out an egg before, what's best to do 469 00:28:49,780 --> 00:28:53,610 is to get the thickest-shelled eggs you can find. 470 00:28:53,610 --> 00:28:55,236 Because I think some eggs are very thin 471 00:28:55,236 --> 00:28:57,068 shelled and they're really hard for children 472 00:28:57,068 --> 00:28:58,550 to work with without breaking. 473 00:28:58,550 --> 00:29:02,160 And then use a darning needle, sharp, long 474 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,400 and fairly substantial needle. 475 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,050 And what you do is you go through both ends of the shell, 476 00:29:08,050 --> 00:29:12,730 one is to let air in and the other to blow through. 477 00:29:12,730 --> 00:29:14,620 And when you go in with a darning needle 478 00:29:14,620 --> 00:29:16,090 you really want to break the yoke, 479 00:29:16,090 --> 00:29:19,560 because otherwise it's almost impossible to blow the yoke out 480 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,880 if you haven't broken the membrane. 481 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,750 So you blow-- just put your mouth on the hole 482 00:29:26,750 --> 00:29:28,870 and just blow the contents out of the egg. 483 00:29:28,870 --> 00:29:30,800 And then you're left with an egg shell, which 484 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,890 you can rinse in cold water. 485 00:29:33,890 --> 00:29:39,590 To hang them we use to break a toothpick in half. 486 00:29:39,590 --> 00:29:42,810 Use a half a toothpick and attach a thread to it. 487 00:29:42,810 --> 00:29:45,580 And then you kind of can put the toothpick through the hole 488 00:29:45,580 --> 00:29:51,720 and then it will go sideways and hold inside the egg. 489 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,500 And then you can hang the egg on the tree. 490 00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:57,090 You can color on eggshells with magic markers. 491 00:29:57,090 --> 00:29:59,660 You don't want to give kids crayons or anything that 492 00:29:59,660 --> 00:30:04,230 can easily break the shell, but magic markers work really well. 493 00:30:04,230 --> 00:30:08,730 So that's one thing I will say that if you're 494 00:30:08,730 --> 00:30:12,270 going to blow out eggs, don't do it all yourself. 495 00:30:12,270 --> 00:30:13,700 I do remember a year when I tried 496 00:30:13,700 --> 00:30:16,970 to blow out four dozen eggs myself 497 00:30:16,970 --> 00:30:18,950 and nearly passed out just from-- it's 498 00:30:18,950 --> 00:30:21,150 like blowing up a ridiculous number of balloons. 499 00:30:21,150 --> 00:30:24,600 So get some help. 500 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,320 It's a fun thing to do and it might be something 501 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:33,090 that kids would enjoy. 502 00:30:33,090 --> 00:30:36,350 I wanted to talk about music a little bit. 503 00:30:36,350 --> 00:30:41,130 That if you have on your shelf this old gem called "We 504 00:30:41,130 --> 00:30:43,140 Sing of Life," which you very well might-- 505 00:30:43,140 --> 00:30:46,860 it was a children's hymnal published in the '50s 506 00:30:46,860 --> 00:30:51,030 by I believe the American ethical union, 507 00:30:51,030 --> 00:30:54,110 it's a humanist hymnal. 508 00:30:54,110 --> 00:30:57,890 There are many, many of them still around in congregations. 509 00:30:57,890 --> 00:31:02,070 You probably can also get one through the used book market. 510 00:31:02,070 --> 00:31:03,990 It has a couple of pieces in particular 511 00:31:03,990 --> 00:31:06,170 that I want to call your attention to that 512 00:31:06,170 --> 00:31:08,960 are good for children. 513 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,310 One is "Good Morning Daffodils" and that's a lovely, 514 00:31:12,310 --> 00:31:14,550 I would say, a children's piece that 515 00:31:14,550 --> 00:31:17,170 could be easily taught to them. 516 00:31:17,170 --> 00:31:21,150 Even on an Easter Sunday morning they can make daffodil crafts 517 00:31:21,150 --> 00:31:23,270 and learn to sing "Good Morning Daffodils" 518 00:31:23,270 --> 00:31:27,290 or on a spring equinox Sunday morning. 519 00:31:27,290 --> 00:31:29,940 And then one I particularly love is the last piece in the book, 520 00:31:29,940 --> 00:31:32,040 it's called "Lough the Winter has Passed." 521 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:35,140 and it uses the words from the Song of Solomon, 522 00:31:35,140 --> 00:31:37,980 "Lough the winter has passed, the rain is over and gone. 523 00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:40,150 The flowers appear on the earth, the time 524 00:31:40,150 --> 00:31:42,350 of the singing of birds has come." 525 00:31:42,350 --> 00:31:43,890 It's a haunting melody. 526 00:31:43,890 --> 00:31:47,530 And I can remember using it with the children singing it 527 00:31:47,530 --> 00:31:52,760 from the back of the sanctuary as the opening for the Easter 528 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:53,810 Sunday service. 529 00:31:53,810 --> 00:31:55,510 It's a really, really pretty piece. 530 00:31:55,510 --> 00:32:00,840 So I'm curious if you want to put in the chat box 531 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,270 other music pieces that you think 532 00:32:03,270 --> 00:32:16,950 are good for young children that you might use for Easter. 533 00:32:16,950 --> 00:32:20,976 Has anybody tried instruments? 534 00:32:20,976 --> 00:32:22,870 Oh, someone [INAUDIBLE] remembers 535 00:32:22,870 --> 00:32:26,630 "Lough the Winter has Passed" from childhood 60 years ago. 536 00:32:26,630 --> 00:32:27,770 It's a beautiful piece. 537 00:32:27,770 --> 00:32:36,030 I wish it had been carried forward into modern hymnals. 538 00:32:36,030 --> 00:32:41,390 Has anyone tried, say, tambourines or rhythm 539 00:32:41,390 --> 00:32:48,176 instruments or some kind of dance? 540 00:32:48,176 --> 00:32:52,940 Tried to use music with children at Easter. 541 00:32:52,940 --> 00:32:54,130 Think of things. 542 00:32:54,130 --> 00:33:03,480 Type them in the chat box. 543 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:09,280 Another way to work with some young children around this time 544 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:13,330 of year is to look at-- yes, "Enter, Rejoice 545 00:33:13,330 --> 00:33:16,600 and Come In" Sonya says. 546 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:20,520 All right, and Susan has a local indigenous musician who 547 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,040 works with children on Easter. 548 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:30,250 I think things that grow quickly are actually a good thing 549 00:33:30,250 --> 00:33:32,600 to work with at this time of year. 550 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,450 It does connect with the coming of spring 551 00:33:35,450 --> 00:33:40,680 and the idea of life continuing and going on and being 552 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:43,140 resurrected. 553 00:33:43,140 --> 00:33:45,430 Beverly, I'm sorry about your family funeral 554 00:33:45,430 --> 00:33:49,090 and we will see you later. 555 00:33:49,090 --> 00:33:51,700 Rhythmic stomping to awaken sleeping mother earth, 556 00:33:51,700 --> 00:33:52,340 Leslie says. 557 00:33:52,340 --> 00:33:54,300 I like it. 558 00:33:54,300 --> 00:33:56,080 So things that grow quickly. 559 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,600 I can remember planting grass seed with kids a couple 560 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,790 of weeks before Easter. 561 00:34:02,790 --> 00:34:05,925 It takes a couple of weeks and you 562 00:34:05,925 --> 00:34:08,889 go from the seeds, which look like they're not much. 563 00:34:08,889 --> 00:34:15,460 They look small and brown and kind of hard. 564 00:34:15,460 --> 00:34:20,250 And then two weeks later you have green, you have new life. 565 00:34:20,250 --> 00:34:22,719 Forsythia, as I said, and pussywillows 566 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:27,139 can be forced inside in northern climes. 567 00:34:27,139 --> 00:34:29,960 And I'm curious, for those of you 568 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,760 who are in southern climes, what you do. 569 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,260 What kinds of green things would you 570 00:34:36,260 --> 00:34:38,170 bring inside and work with children 571 00:34:38,170 --> 00:34:53,659 around this time of year? 572 00:34:53,659 --> 00:34:56,429 OK, somebody's talking about a pageant, the story of the root 573 00:34:56,429 --> 00:34:56,929 children. 574 00:34:56,929 --> 00:35:01,127 That's more equinox. 575 00:35:01,127 --> 00:35:02,710 What kinds of greenery do you bring in 576 00:35:02,710 --> 00:35:09,840 if you live in a place that doesn't 577 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:17,000 have such a distinct turn of the seasons in March and April? 578 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:29,930 Where the turn of seasons might come earlier. 579 00:35:29,930 --> 00:35:33,180 Leslie says preschoolers planted hyacinths in the fall 580 00:35:33,180 --> 00:35:37,080 and they'll go look for them on Easter. 581 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:40,380 Meaning they survived. 582 00:35:40,380 --> 00:35:42,290 In Southern California the fruit trees 583 00:35:42,290 --> 00:35:48,570 would be flowering at this time. 584 00:35:48,570 --> 00:35:53,630 Take the children to a garden center by the church. 585 00:35:53,630 --> 00:35:57,790 I do think that you have on the Passover Seder plate, 586 00:35:57,790 --> 00:36:01,230 there is green. 587 00:36:01,230 --> 00:36:04,700 Easter foods also have green and spring things. 588 00:36:04,700 --> 00:36:10,750 Lamb is part of Easter, part of Passover. 589 00:36:10,750 --> 00:36:16,960 Again, a connection to spring. 590 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,842 New York here, Leah says, palm fronds. 591 00:36:21,842 --> 00:36:24,550 Use palm fronds. 592 00:36:24,550 --> 00:36:31,110 Palm fronds can be purchased from a religious supply place. 593 00:36:31,110 --> 00:36:33,376 So if you use them, I think you have 594 00:36:33,376 --> 00:36:37,720 to order them a bit in advance, but you can do that. 595 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:41,700 Leah says, or else a florist. 596 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:52,940 Susan has already-- the spring blooms have already bloomed. 597 00:36:52,940 --> 00:36:57,860 I'm going to give you-- 598 00:36:57,860 --> 00:37:02,280 Fey says they planted bulbs on Samhain, the day the dead, 599 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:09,239 and then looked for flowers at the spring equinox or Easter. 600 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:11,530 I'm going to give you a little bit of a historical note 601 00:37:11,530 --> 00:37:14,520 about pussywillow Sunday. 602 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:18,040 And just say that when I began as a religious educator, which 603 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,810 was in the mid 1980s, There were still 604 00:37:21,810 --> 00:37:25,200 lots of people that talked about growing up with pussywillow 605 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:26,320 Sunday. 606 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:30,490 It was quite a common thing in Unitarian and Universalist 607 00:37:30,490 --> 00:37:32,750 congregations. 608 00:37:32,750 --> 00:37:35,890 Pussywillow Sunday instead of Palm Sunday. 609 00:37:35,890 --> 00:37:38,100 And a little research will tell you 610 00:37:38,100 --> 00:37:43,340 that it's still a common thing in Poland and Russia, 611 00:37:43,340 --> 00:37:46,130 and certain parts of Eastern Europe. 612 00:37:46,130 --> 00:37:50,190 The idea being that palms are not native to those areas, 613 00:37:50,190 --> 00:37:52,990 but the willows are the very first things in the spring. 614 00:37:52,990 --> 00:37:58,350 And they go from seemingly dead-looking branches too full 615 00:37:58,350 --> 00:37:59,480 of life. 616 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:04,590 And so in Northern and Eastern climates 617 00:38:04,590 --> 00:38:08,930 like Russia and Poland, there is a celebration 618 00:38:08,930 --> 00:38:10,720 of pussywillow Sunday. 619 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:14,740 Somehow that ended up being adopted by the Unitarians 620 00:38:14,740 --> 00:38:17,650 and the Universalists in the 20th century as something 621 00:38:17,650 --> 00:38:20,590 that the children did. 622 00:38:20,590 --> 00:38:22,670 And so there may be people in your congregation 623 00:38:22,670 --> 00:38:24,330 that remember it. 624 00:38:24,330 --> 00:38:27,260 When I did a little bit of looking around 625 00:38:27,260 --> 00:38:31,980 I came across a story and a poem in the Christian register 626 00:38:31,980 --> 00:38:35,240 which was the Unitarian predecessor of View Your 627 00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:38,990 World in March of 1916. 628 00:38:38,990 --> 00:38:42,560 And the story is called Norman's Pussywillow Adventure. 629 00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:45,080 I'm not sure that we would use it now, 630 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,510 but it's a really interesting little historical note 631 00:38:48,510 --> 00:38:52,800 to know that we did as Unitarians and Universalists 632 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:56,420 use pussywillow Sunday commonly with our children 633 00:38:56,420 --> 00:39:01,070 back 100 or 75 years ago in our congregations. 634 00:39:01,070 --> 00:39:02,830 So there's a link for you if you want 635 00:39:02,830 --> 00:39:04,920 to go read the Christian register 636 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:08,415 from that year, or other years. 637 00:39:08,415 --> 00:39:09,560 I welcome you to it. 638 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:11,637 There were always children's stories 639 00:39:11,637 --> 00:39:12,720 in the Christian register. 640 00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:15,690 Every Christian register had children's material 641 00:39:15,690 --> 00:39:19,010 and materials to be used in Sunday school, which is kind 642 00:39:19,010 --> 00:39:24,560 of interesting to look back at. 643 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,640 I want to talk a little bit about older children 644 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:30,170 and sacred stories. 645 00:39:30,170 --> 00:39:36,020 I did title this side, Sacred Stories Handle with Care, 646 00:39:36,020 --> 00:39:38,320 because I think in particular, the sacred stories 647 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,700 of this season need to be handled with care. 648 00:39:42,700 --> 00:39:46,320 It's pretty clear-- at Christmas time 649 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:52,430 there are hundreds, thousands of riffs on the Christmas 650 00:39:52,430 --> 00:39:54,530 mythology. 651 00:39:54,530 --> 00:39:57,445 Children's stories, there's [INAUDIBLE], 652 00:39:57,445 --> 00:40:00,910 there are just a whole lot of riffs on the Christmas story. 653 00:40:00,910 --> 00:40:05,790 There are few riffs on either the Easter story 654 00:40:05,790 --> 00:40:07,660 or the Passover story. 655 00:40:07,660 --> 00:40:14,470 My feeling is that both stories are-- each story is separately 656 00:40:14,470 --> 00:40:17,680 contained in itself with enough power 657 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:20,000 and strength and spiritual wisdom 658 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:25,510 that it doesn't need amplification or riffing on so 659 00:40:25,510 --> 00:40:26,790 much. 660 00:40:26,790 --> 00:40:30,340 I think that both of those stories have enormous power, 661 00:40:30,340 --> 00:40:33,540 and I think we need to be careful when we tell them. 662 00:40:33,540 --> 00:40:35,970 We need to really pay attention to what spiritual wisdom 663 00:40:35,970 --> 00:40:37,670 we're offering. 664 00:40:37,670 --> 00:40:40,210 So to be more specific, I think when 665 00:40:40,210 --> 00:40:45,280 we look at the story of Jesus, I think 666 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:47,530 we need to be clear about what we 667 00:40:47,530 --> 00:40:49,550 want to offer to our children. 668 00:40:49,550 --> 00:40:51,710 I don't think we want to shy away 669 00:40:51,710 --> 00:40:54,170 from the truth of the story or the story 670 00:40:54,170 --> 00:40:57,890 as it's told in the Christian tradition. 671 00:40:57,890 --> 00:41:03,010 But I also think we need to be true to our own theology. 672 00:41:03,010 --> 00:41:06,990 So what that means for me is that you say that Jesus came 673 00:41:06,990 --> 00:41:11,644 into Jerusalem, despite the fact that the authorities didn't 674 00:41:11,644 --> 00:41:13,560 like him, that he had large crowds around him, 675 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,351 that he had a message that was threatening, 676 00:41:15,351 --> 00:41:16,570 that sort of thing. 677 00:41:16,570 --> 00:41:19,490 And that you can say that he was put 678 00:41:19,490 --> 00:41:23,160 to death, that he was killed. 679 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:25,276 You could say that. 680 00:41:25,276 --> 00:41:29,110 It would not be my choice to linger over 681 00:41:29,110 --> 00:41:35,210 the method of execution or the passion. 682 00:41:35,210 --> 00:41:38,710 I think that that element of the story 683 00:41:38,710 --> 00:41:41,160 is really not true to our theology. 684 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,020 For us it's not necessary for Jesus 685 00:41:44,020 --> 00:41:48,220 to have suffered in order for humanity to be saved. 686 00:41:48,220 --> 00:41:50,330 That's not our theology at all. 687 00:41:50,330 --> 00:41:53,450 So for us, yes, he was killed. 688 00:41:53,450 --> 00:41:56,130 And if a child wants to know how, 689 00:41:56,130 --> 00:41:58,520 I think you tell them the truth about that, 690 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:02,910 that it was a particularly-- that it was a way 691 00:42:02,910 --> 00:42:05,210 to die that was torturous. 692 00:42:05,210 --> 00:42:07,280 But that what we want to remember 693 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:10,640 is that the message and the spirit of the man 694 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:13,420 was not killed, but they were unable to successfully kill 695 00:42:13,420 --> 00:42:17,350 that message, although they exhorted to extreme violence. 696 00:42:17,350 --> 00:42:21,260 So I really wouldn't linger over the violence piece of it. 697 00:42:21,260 --> 00:42:25,310 Neither do I, in telling the Passover story, 698 00:42:25,310 --> 00:42:27,200 linger over the plagues. 699 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,550 As interesting and dramatic as they are, 700 00:42:30,550 --> 00:42:35,340 I think I like to see this story as elsewhere. 701 00:42:35,340 --> 00:42:38,290 The story as courage and community 702 00:42:38,290 --> 00:42:43,930 and trust and willingness to move into an uncertain future. 703 00:42:43,930 --> 00:42:46,690 Those are the pieces of wisdom that I 704 00:42:46,690 --> 00:42:48,860 want to offer from that story. 705 00:42:48,860 --> 00:42:51,600 Rather than-- I think it's easy to get 706 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:53,380 wrapped up in either one of those stories 707 00:42:53,380 --> 00:42:57,360 in dramatic detail that may not be 708 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:00,600 what we want to impart for spiritual wisdom 709 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:04,180 and for theology for our children. 710 00:43:04,180 --> 00:43:08,260 So I'd be interested in your reaction to that as well. 711 00:43:08,260 --> 00:43:11,820 I'll make a couple recommendations for you. 712 00:43:11,820 --> 00:43:14,710 Sophia Fahs and Jesus The Carpenter's 713 00:43:14,710 --> 00:43:17,780 Son, which is probably somewhere on your bookshelf. 714 00:43:17,780 --> 00:43:19,610 But if not, you can get it as an ebook, 715 00:43:19,610 --> 00:43:23,470 I believe, still through the UUA bookstore. 716 00:43:23,470 --> 00:43:27,020 Offers us really a human Jesus. 717 00:43:27,020 --> 00:43:32,360 And in her last chapter it's one of the few things 718 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:36,630 that she did that I I'm not crazy about. 719 00:43:36,630 --> 00:43:40,950 Fahs' take on Jesus' resurrection 720 00:43:40,950 --> 00:43:44,800 is that his friends missed him and his message 721 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:50,310 so much that it was almost as if he were there with them, which 722 00:43:50,310 --> 00:43:57,860 I think kind of diffuses some of the power in that story. 723 00:43:57,860 --> 00:43:59,110 But you can take a look at it. 724 00:43:59,110 --> 00:44:04,400 See how she does it and see if that is helpful to you. 725 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:08,600 There is the telling in the Gospel of Mark. 726 00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,110 Of the Gospels, that's the one that I think, 727 00:44:11,110 --> 00:44:14,650 as Unitarian Universalists, we might 728 00:44:14,650 --> 00:44:16,580 want to really pay attention to, particularly 729 00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:18,600 in dealing with children. 730 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:22,440 In that story, the original ending of Mark 731 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:25,420 ends with the women going to the tomb and the tomb was empty. 732 00:44:25,420 --> 00:44:27,760 And the women don't know what to think about that. 733 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:30,510 And they go away amazed and afraid. 734 00:44:30,510 --> 00:44:35,600 There is no resurrection part in the Gospel of Mark, 735 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:38,910 which is the earliest of the four gospels, 736 00:44:38,910 --> 00:44:41,140 although there was a resurrection account added 737 00:44:41,140 --> 00:44:41,900 later. 738 00:44:41,900 --> 00:44:44,240 But if you're working with older kids or teens, 739 00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:45,820 the Gospel of Mark might be something 740 00:44:45,820 --> 00:44:48,870 to really take a look at. 741 00:44:48,870 --> 00:44:50,870 There is a telling in my own book, 742 00:44:50,870 --> 00:44:58,390 Stories in Faith which does look at Jesus as somebody 743 00:44:58,390 --> 00:45:02,020 who was a threat to the empire, and the idea 744 00:45:02,020 --> 00:45:06,210 that the message of love and acceptance 745 00:45:06,210 --> 00:45:08,530 was stronger than death and stronger than violence. 746 00:45:08,530 --> 00:45:10,370 So that's my telling. 747 00:45:10,370 --> 00:45:13,790 And Stories of Faith is available at the bookstore. 748 00:45:13,790 --> 00:45:17,550 Leslie Is Suggesting Meet Jesus: The Life and Lessons 749 00:45:17,550 --> 00:45:19,650 of a Beloved Teacher by Lynn Gunney. 750 00:45:19,650 --> 00:45:24,380 And there are others. 751 00:45:24,380 --> 00:45:26,940 And here's Lawrence saying we have 12 black leaders being 752 00:45:26,940 --> 00:45:28,940 prosecuted for bringing their message and crowds 753 00:45:28,940 --> 00:45:30,420 to the Mall of America. 754 00:45:30,420 --> 00:45:32,540 The empire didn't like that. 755 00:45:32,540 --> 00:45:34,750 So yes, there are connections you could certainly 756 00:45:34,750 --> 00:45:43,965 make to now. 757 00:45:43,965 --> 00:45:47,470 OK, another possibility for older children, I think, 758 00:45:47,470 --> 00:45:49,709 is cooking. 759 00:45:49,709 --> 00:45:51,500 And I'm going to suggest a couple of things 760 00:45:51,500 --> 00:45:52,499 that are Easter related. 761 00:45:52,499 --> 00:45:54,570 One is hot cross buns, which can be 762 00:45:54,570 --> 00:46:03,100 made pretty much from any simple slightly sweet yeast dough. 763 00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:06,150 You could put currents or chopped up raisins in it. 764 00:46:06,150 --> 00:46:13,310 And I think kids can roll those little one inch balls of dough 765 00:46:13,310 --> 00:46:15,180 and cut crisscrosses in them. 766 00:46:15,180 --> 00:46:16,930 They do not take that long to rise, 767 00:46:16,930 --> 00:46:18,990 and they don't take very long to bake. 768 00:46:18,990 --> 00:46:22,780 So if the dough is made, those could be done for coffee hour 769 00:46:22,780 --> 00:46:24,820 to share. 770 00:46:24,820 --> 00:46:28,310 Pretzels are also related to this season. 771 00:46:28,310 --> 00:46:30,540 They come from-- they're Lenten. 772 00:46:30,540 --> 00:46:33,300 They come from a time when people were not 773 00:46:33,300 --> 00:46:35,985 allowed to have bread that has flour 774 00:46:35,985 --> 00:46:39,200 or eggs in it, during Lent. 775 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:41,320 And so pretzels are made and were 776 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,890 given-- the story is they were given 777 00:46:43,890 --> 00:46:48,180 to altar servers and children who were helping out 778 00:46:48,180 --> 00:46:49,610 in the church at that time. 779 00:46:49,610 --> 00:46:52,070 And they are said to be looking like-- twisted 780 00:46:52,070 --> 00:46:54,140 like a monk in prayer. 781 00:46:54,140 --> 00:46:56,280 So I don't know if you can see my arms, 782 00:46:56,280 --> 00:47:01,240 but you can get kids to kind of make this format 783 00:47:01,240 --> 00:47:03,470 and then make the pretzels. 784 00:47:03,470 --> 00:47:09,010 So that's another possibility. 785 00:47:09,010 --> 00:47:09,680 For our-- 786 00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:10,410 Pat Kahn: Gail. 787 00:47:10,410 --> 00:47:10,720 Gail Forsyth-vail: Yes? 788 00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:12,390 Pat Kahn: Gail, I'm just going to let you 789 00:47:12,390 --> 00:47:13,640 know you have 10 minutes left. 790 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,660 That's your 10 minute warning. 791 00:47:16,660 --> 00:47:17,740 Gail Forsyth-vail: OK. 792 00:47:17,740 --> 00:47:20,410 Thank you. 793 00:47:20,410 --> 00:47:22,860 Sonya asked, did I mean no yeast rather than no flour. 794 00:47:22,860 --> 00:47:27,820 No, I meant no-- with the pretzels, they're yeast. 795 00:47:27,820 --> 00:47:31,610 But what they don't have is eggs and milk in the dough. 796 00:47:31,610 --> 00:47:33,360 Whereas the hot cross buns, which 797 00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:36,530 were originally for Good Friday and are now kind of expanded 798 00:47:36,530 --> 00:47:39,740 to the whole season, they're sweet dough 799 00:47:39,740 --> 00:47:45,530 and they have milk and egg in them. 800 00:47:45,530 --> 00:47:49,070 And again I would imagine online you 801 00:47:49,070 --> 00:47:52,990 can find some kind of gluten free version of those. 802 00:47:52,990 --> 00:47:55,410 For all ages, reflection and conversation 803 00:47:55,410 --> 00:48:00,160 I think the idea of winter where the places where we personally 804 00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:02,910 get stuck and need to be reminded 805 00:48:02,910 --> 00:48:08,450 to rejoice and be glad and be grateful and let new life in. 806 00:48:08,450 --> 00:48:10,260 So there are all kinds of questions 807 00:48:10,260 --> 00:48:14,930 you can invite families to ask one another as they celebrate 808 00:48:14,930 --> 00:48:18,010 Easter. 809 00:48:18,010 --> 00:48:21,720 And I'm going to make another suggestion. 810 00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:24,280 In a theologically multilingual congregation-- 811 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:26,570 this is something that happened at the congregation 812 00:48:26,570 --> 00:48:29,160 I served every Easter-- is that there 813 00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:32,970 are two hymns in the hymnal, "Lough the Earth Awakes Again" 814 00:48:32,970 --> 00:48:36,360 and "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" which 815 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:40,320 are in the same tune. 816 00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:42,470 If you grew up as I did, in a Protestant Church, 817 00:48:42,470 --> 00:48:48,200 and I believe Catholics also sang da-da-da-da-da-da-da. 818 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:52,120 Yes, you can use both of those at the same time. 819 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:54,180 Because what's interesting theologically 820 00:48:54,180 --> 00:48:56,640 is people can either sing "Jesus Christ Has Risen 821 00:48:56,640 --> 00:48:59,090 Today" or "Lough the Earth Awakes Again" 822 00:48:59,090 --> 00:49:01,590 or they can alternate back and forth between the two, 823 00:49:01,590 --> 00:49:04,590 but everybody joins on the alleluias. 824 00:49:04,590 --> 00:49:07,390 And I think that's a wonderful theological statement 825 00:49:07,390 --> 00:49:09,260 for Unitarian Universalists, that we 826 00:49:09,260 --> 00:49:12,740 may have different ways of understanding the season, 827 00:49:12,740 --> 00:49:15,180 but that we all join in on the alleluias. 828 00:49:15,180 --> 00:49:21,970 So I think you can play with that as well. 829 00:49:21,970 --> 00:49:23,760 We don't have a long time, but we 830 00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:28,340 have about five minutes for questions, reflections, 831 00:49:28,340 --> 00:49:30,720 ideas you'd want to share. 832 00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:33,070 I think we could probably go on and on and on with some 833 00:49:33,070 --> 00:49:34,140 of this conversation. 834 00:49:34,140 --> 00:49:41,930 But are there things you'd like to ask or share? 835 00:49:41,930 --> 00:49:45,360 Pat Kahn: If you'd like to share by speaking 836 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:49,510 you can unmute yourself by clicking if you're actually-- 837 00:49:49,510 --> 00:49:50,930 if you're not on the phone. 838 00:49:50,930 --> 00:49:56,090 If you're on the computer, by clicking over your microphone. 839 00:49:56,090 --> 00:50:00,890 If you're on the phone I believe star six will mute and unmute 840 00:50:00,890 --> 00:50:02,180 yourself. 841 00:50:02,180 --> 00:50:05,360 But you'll need to figure that out on your phone. 842 00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:08,700 So, if you'd like to share, go ahead. 843 00:50:08,700 --> 00:50:12,200 And we will also copy the chat box 844 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,910 and email it out to you so you have all the wonderful things 845 00:50:14,910 --> 00:50:27,070 are coming in via the chat box faster than I could read them. 846 00:50:27,070 --> 00:50:29,740 Kara Hagar says they've used plastic eggs filled 847 00:50:29,740 --> 00:50:32,700 with small items as prompts to tell the Easter story. 848 00:50:32,700 --> 00:50:38,180 It helps to keep the kids' attention. 849 00:50:38,180 --> 00:50:39,764 Leah: Hi, this is Leah. 850 00:50:39,764 --> 00:50:40,930 Gail Forsyth-vail: Hi, Leah. 851 00:50:40,930 --> 00:50:41,721 Pat Kahn: Hi, Leah. 852 00:50:41,721 --> 00:50:48,050 Leah: I put in a link to a Google Drive picture. 853 00:50:48,050 --> 00:50:52,780 We had people decorate pre-printed eggs 854 00:50:52,780 --> 00:50:58,930 and gave them a moment to think about the best wishes and hopes 855 00:50:58,930 --> 00:51:01,180 for the world or a loved one. 856 00:51:01,180 --> 00:51:03,430 And they wrote it on the back and then 857 00:51:03,430 --> 00:51:07,700 they came forward and put it on a bare branch. 858 00:51:07,700 --> 00:51:23,180 Gail Forsyth-vail: Oh, that's nice. 859 00:51:23,180 --> 00:51:31,654 Any more thoughts? 860 00:51:31,654 --> 00:51:33,945 Pat, should I move to the closing reading do you think? 861 00:51:33,945 --> 00:51:39,557 Pat Kahn: I think so. 862 00:51:39,557 --> 00:51:41,140 Gail Forsyth-vail: The closing reading 863 00:51:41,140 --> 00:51:46,340 is Rolling Away the Stone by Sarah Moores Campbell, 864 00:51:46,340 --> 00:51:48,800 again, from Singing the Living Tradition. 865 00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:54,220 And I will say that this picture reminds me of really what 866 00:51:54,220 --> 00:51:58,930 might be my favorite-- favorite is 867 00:51:58,930 --> 00:52:03,430 isn't the right word-- but a story that I tell often. 868 00:52:03,430 --> 00:52:06,570 Many years ago I had a Girl Scout troop of first graders, 869 00:52:06,570 --> 00:52:07,990 a brownie scout troop. 870 00:52:07,990 --> 00:52:14,300 And one of the girls had a brain tumor and was dying. 871 00:52:14,300 --> 00:52:18,890 And she came to a meeting just before Easter time, 872 00:52:18,890 --> 00:52:21,180 actually, to really tell the girls-- 873 00:52:21,180 --> 00:52:25,680 she knew it and she wanted to tell the kids herself. 874 00:52:25,680 --> 00:52:28,610 And what we ended up doing is going out in the backyard 875 00:52:28,610 --> 00:52:32,740 and we sat her in a lawn chair and the rest of the girls 876 00:52:32,740 --> 00:52:38,930 went around in the wooded areas and found signs of new life 877 00:52:38,930 --> 00:52:45,320 amidst the dead things, and brought them to her. 878 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:47,550 And it was a profound moment. 879 00:52:47,550 --> 00:52:48,950 I've never forgotten it. 880 00:52:48,950 --> 00:52:53,160 And this was theology across many faiths 881 00:52:53,160 --> 00:52:55,890 because it was a Girl Scout troop, not a religious group. 882 00:52:55,890 --> 00:53:01,860 But I never actually see a picture like this 883 00:53:01,860 --> 00:53:03,610 or think about Easter without thinking 884 00:53:03,610 --> 00:53:07,450 about Erica and that spring and those girls. 885 00:53:07,450 --> 00:53:09,990 So I'm going to read it Rolling Away the Stone 886 00:53:09,990 --> 00:53:16,800 by Sarah Moores Campbell, which is number 628 in the hymnal. 887 00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:22,160 "In the tomb of the soul we carry secret yearnings, pains, 888 00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:31,050 frustrations, loneliness, fears, regrets, worries. 889 00:53:31,050 --> 00:53:33,950 In the tomb of the soul we take refuge from the world 890 00:53:33,950 --> 00:53:36,570 and it's heaviness. 891 00:53:36,570 --> 00:53:38,970 In the tomb of the soul we wrap ourselves 892 00:53:38,970 --> 00:53:41,110 in the security of darkness. 893 00:53:41,110 --> 00:53:45,890 Sometimes this is a comfort, sometimes it is an escape. 894 00:53:45,890 --> 00:53:48,950 Sometimes it prepares us for experience, 895 00:53:48,950 --> 00:53:52,660 sometimes it insulates us from life. 896 00:53:52,660 --> 00:53:55,720 Sometimes this tomb life gives us time 897 00:53:55,720 --> 00:53:59,430 to feel the pain of the world and reach out to heal others. 898 00:53:59,430 --> 00:54:04,930 Sometimes it numbs us and locks us up with our own concerns. 899 00:54:04,930 --> 00:54:07,110 In this season where light and dark balance 900 00:54:07,110 --> 00:54:10,160 the day, we seek balance for ourselves. 901 00:54:10,160 --> 00:54:12,840 Grateful for the darkness that has nourished us, 902 00:54:12,840 --> 00:54:15,120 we push away the stone and invite the light 903 00:54:15,120 --> 00:54:17,910 to awaken us to the possibilities within us 904 00:54:17,910 --> 00:54:22,470 and among us, possibilities for new life in ourselves, 905 00:54:22,470 --> 00:54:24,930 in our world." 906 00:54:24,930 --> 00:54:27,550 Sarah Moores Campbell. 907 00:54:27,550 --> 00:54:32,760 And I am going to turn this over to Pat. 908 00:54:32,760 --> 00:54:34,530 Pat Kahn: Great, thank you, Gail. 909 00:54:34,530 --> 00:54:38,860 And thank you to all of you participants for putting up 910 00:54:38,860 --> 00:54:41,200 with the technical difficulties. 911 00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:43,820 I think we were able to get everything in. 912 00:54:43,820 --> 00:54:45,760 But if you do have questions, I'm 913 00:54:45,760 --> 00:54:47,840 sure Gail would not mind at all if you 914 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:50,070 email her or you can email me. 915 00:54:50,070 --> 00:54:53,530 And if you have resources to share, 916 00:54:53,530 --> 00:54:58,030 we can also then share those with everybody via email 917 00:54:58,030 --> 00:55:00,630 afterwards, because we have all your email addresses. 918 00:55:00,630 --> 00:55:05,680 I wanted to let you know about the upcoming webinars in April. 919 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:09,610 We will have Mark Hicks and Halcyon Westall from the Fahs 920 00:55:09,610 --> 00:55:13,610 Collaborative, talking about preparing for Sophia Fahs 921 00:55:13,610 --> 00:55:15,010 Sunday. 922 00:55:15,010 --> 00:55:16,780 And hopefully you've seen a little bit 923 00:55:16,780 --> 00:55:20,180 of information and the resources they've started to share. 924 00:55:20,180 --> 00:55:22,740 If not, go to the Fahs Collaborative. 925 00:55:22,740 --> 00:55:27,530 And then in May we will have Jennica Davis-Hockett 926 00:55:27,530 --> 00:55:33,140 talking about competencies for those who advise youth. 927 00:55:33,140 --> 00:55:37,030 I'm sure that will be of great interest to everyone. 928 00:55:37,030 --> 00:55:42,180 You might also want to include, perhaps, 929 00:55:42,180 --> 00:55:44,840 youth advisors and let them know about that 930 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:47,050 in your congregations. 931 00:55:47,050 --> 00:55:54,530 And this is the link on uua.org in the re section 932 00:55:54,530 --> 00:55:57,220 teachers/webinars. 933 00:55:57,220 --> 00:55:59,890 That's where the recording will be posted. 934 00:55:59,890 --> 00:56:03,140 We usually wait until after the Wednesday night 935 00:56:03,140 --> 00:56:04,720 version of this. 936 00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:09,470 And then we pick whichever one has worked best. 937 00:56:09,470 --> 00:56:16,090 And we will also post the PowerPoints at the same time. 938 00:56:16,090 --> 00:56:18,990 So thank you all very, very much. 939 00:56:18,990 --> 00:56:23,050 And on behalf of my colleagues, Gail and Susan, 940 00:56:23,050 --> 00:56:26,090 we hope you have a good rest of the day. 941 00:56:26,090 --> 00:56:29,530 And if you have a particular success story, 942 00:56:29,530 --> 00:56:33,200 if you will, or experience that you want to share after Easter 943 00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:36,952 is over, please do let us know if any 944 00:56:36,952 --> 00:56:38,410 of the things we talked about today 945 00:56:38,410 --> 00:56:40,450 were particularly helpful for you. 946 00:56:40,450 --> 00:56:44,260 And as always, if you have ideas of other things 947 00:56:44,260 --> 00:56:47,530 that you would like to see happen on webinars, 948 00:56:47,530 --> 00:56:50,450 you can always give us that information as well. 949 00:56:50,450 --> 00:56:51,990 So thanks very much. 950 00:56:51,990 --> 00:56:54,500 And goodbye for now. 951 00:56:54,500 --> 00:56:58,500