Being Grateful
This year we are using Echo as our storytelling to help us relate to God’s story to discover meaning and develop fresh insights. It is our prayer that you can engage with your family using creative writing, drawing, and conversation.
Each student will need a journal to complete the weekly activities. If you need one at home, please contact Heather.
Invocation
Find a Candle that you can light, and keep it with your Club 56 gear 🙂
Invocation: the act of inviting or welcoming or acknowledging that God is present in our space.
As you light your candle, say this invocation out loud: “I light this candle in the name of God, our Creator; Jesus, our Savior; and the Holy Spirit, our Inspirer. The three in one!”
Opening Question
What is something that you are very grateful for? Who is someone that you are very grateful for? What is something that someone has done for you that has made you feel grateful?
Review
The material we are using is called Echo, so let us echo the last section 🙂 Review the previous section with your student. The full story, Jesus’ followers, is found here. Ask them to tell you about what they sketched, the questions they had, and their reflections.
New Connections
These last few weeks we have discussed stories of Jesus and different followers of his. Tax collectors, sinners, an immoral woman, the unclean, and common people. We often read these stories and think of what Jesus did and what he wanted the people in power to know. Today, in honor of Thanksgiving, let us re-read these stories from the point of view of the ones that were forgiven and made well.
Do you think the tax collectors were surprised to be invited by Jesus? Do you think they remembered the feeling of being included and tried to include others? Have you been surprised by being included in a group or party? How did that feel?
Long after the Leaper was healed, do you think he still felt gratitude? How would he have shown that to others?
Jesus said to the woman “Everything you’ve done wrong is forgiven.” and “Your faith has saved you; go in peace!” How do you think her forgiveness changed the way she felt about herself? How do you think that looked to others?
Jesus shows many times that forgiveness is for everyone and he tells us that we should also forgive. Think of the times that you messed up and were forgiven. How does that make you feel? Happy? Relived? Grateful? How do you show that to others?
What would it look like to live in gratefulness? What would make this an easy thing to do? What would make this hard?
When you pray…
Maybe you’re inspired to write or speak your own, if so, please do so! If you’d rather, you can just read together with the following:
Creator God, thank you for these stories that shows us how Jesus lived. Help us to reach out to others, forgiving others and showing graidude for everything and everyone we have. We are also asking that you be with people that are on the margins and feel like an outsider. AMEN