The Flaming Chalice and Covenants

Classes at 11:00 have been learning about the Flaming Chalice, our primary religious symbol of Unitarian Universalism. The older children heard the story of Jon Hus, an early Christian reformer who taught equality and religious freedom.

Our flaming chalice is like a big cup. It represents our community. We put a candle in our chalice because the flame is mysterious and beautiful. It can remind us of the spirit of love and mystery that some people call God. It can remind us of the importance of knowledge and of learning about our world. It can remind us of the power we have to change ourselves and the world for the better.

One of the things we do together as Unitarian Universalists is to create covenants. Covenants are agreements about how we will be with one another and in the world. With our children, we explain that a covenant is a promise. We make promises with one another about how we will treat each other and the world. Here is the covenant that our preschool and kindergarten class wrote together this past week.

World Religions--First Stop: Judiasm

Classes at 9:30 this year are learning about World Religions. This week our elementary age classes studied about Judaism.










On Wednesday, one of the most important Jewish Holidays, the Jewish new year Rosh Hashanah, is celebrated.











Rosh Hashanah is a time of introspection and prayer, as well as celebration. It is a time to ask forgiveness of others who we have wronged during the year and to do good deeds.

Today in the Explorer's Class (grades 4-5 at 9:30) children talked about the religions they will be learning about this year and some of the holidays we will be celebrating together. We shared jokes from around the world and went outside to play a tag game played in another part of the world (Blind Man's Bluff). We learned that the over-arching theme will be "Under the Sky All People Are One Family." We talked about things we'd like to do in class.

Big Questions and Tough Stuff

These are books and resources related to the topic of our final two sessions of our parenting group. Most of these titles are available in the Lighthouse to view or borrow.

Big Questions and Tough Stuff: Religion
Hide and Seek With God
”Where one might find God differs from religion to religion; in fact, answers to this question may well be a part of what differentiates one religion from another. Jews might say they find God in historical actions of freedom and justice; Christians might say God is revealed in the love found in the life and person of Jesus; and Muslims might say they find the one God in the words of the Quran. God is found in everything that is: earth and sky; light and dark; people's caring actions; within ourselves; and even in the not knowing. For if God is a symbol for ultimate reality, values, and mystery,one's unknowing can be considered one's ultimate reality. This metaphor in which God hides and humans search is supported by the UU Principle which urges us to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We search in all of our Sources: our own experience, the `words and deeds of prophetic women and men,wisdom from the world religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, and humanist teachings.” This storybook contains 29 enchanting tales that portray God in many different forms--as transcendent mystery, the mother and father of life, peace and silence, light and darkness, and more. These delightful stories offer children the beginnings of a religious language for talking about God.

Let’s Talk About Interfaith Families: This booklet is designed to help us explore how we live our lives as UU people who embrace a pluralistic and inclusive faith. It will help us to think about and to discuss the concept and the reality of interfaith families. The booklet begins with a discussion of faith structures and practices and how we integrate different faith stances into family life. It then suggests ways to build bridges of understanding and create interfaith ceremonies and celebrations for UU families.


Parents as Resident Theologians includes 6 sessions and 12 readings to help parents and kids explore together their beliefs about God, prayer and other religious issues.

Bridge Magazine: Online magazine dedicated to a coexistence in a world made up of billions of unique individuals who all deserve the right to live as they choose. Includes resources for interfaith families.

Unitarian Universalism is a Really Long Name by Jennifer Dant
This one-of-a-kind picture book is a colorful introduction to Unitarian Universalism for children ages five to nine. Simple language and appealing illustrations offer children accessible answers to commonly asked questions such as: Who are we? What do we believe? How do we worship? Who leads us? Do we read the Bible? What is our religious symbol? Do we pray? What is Sunday school? How do we celebrate? "This appealing book answers children’s basic questions about Unitarian Universalism with friendly words and charming pictures—an excellent resource

Meet Jesus: The Life and Lessons of a Beloved Teacher by Lynn Tuttle Gunney
Meet Jesus is a picture book that introduces young children (ages 4-8) to Jesus and his lessons of love, kindness, forgiveness and peace. Meet Jesus emphasizes the humanity rather than the divinity of Jesus, giving the story broad appeal for liberal or progressive Christians and non-Christians alike. The text includes Bible references with corresponding Bible passages in the back of the book.

Big Questions and Tough Stuff: Life Issues
OWL parent guides A session-by-session guide to what children will learn through the OWL curriculum. Helps parents answer children's tough questions about sexuality issues.

Badger’s Parting Gifts by Susan Varley. A gentle book about death and the gifts our loved ones leave behind.

The Tenth Good Thing about Barney by Judith Viorst When a young boy’s cat dies, his parents help him to deal with his grief by holding a funeral for the cat. They ask him to think of ten good things about his cat, and after talking about death with his father, the boy is finally able to think of the tenth good thing: his cat is in the ground helping to grow flowers.

What Every 21st Century Parent Needs to Know by Debra Haffner
Addresses the big questions, including drinking, drugs and teen sex. Utilizing what she calls the Affirming Parent style, Haffner offers a number of viable solutions to common problems, ranging from Internet use to over-scheduling. An ordained Unitarian minister, Haffner’s tendency is to interpret the stats about children and youth from the bright side. readers will appreciate her just-the-facts-please approach.

The Shelter of Each Other by Mary Pipher An honest appraisal of the pressures on families. Phipher doesn't blame parents for everything. She gives many examples of the way in which outside pressures and the lack of a supporting culture can tear families apart. She offers principles and practical guidelines to help families bond and shelter each other while still giving each other room to grow.

Taking it Home: Families and Faith These booklets were written for congregations and families to use at home and in community to support them through life transitions and spiritual/ethical challenges. Topics include marriage and committed relationships, divorce and broken relationships, families and loss, and the time/money balance. http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/families/20092.shtml

Resources Relating to Our Principles

Our most recent parent group meeting focused on sharing our seven Unitarian Universalist principles with our children. Here are some resources you might find helpful related to this topic:

UU & Me "Like Unitarian Universalism itself, these stories are diverse in content and style but share a common grounding in the search for truth, beauty and love. Read them aloud and discover what thoughts and feelings they uncover for your family. Use them as a tool for learning more about our faith heritage. Or simply leave them on the bedside table of a young reader in your life. The child you give this collection to is sure to discover what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist kid.” (from the introduction). This book is a collection of stories that were originally published in the World magazine. More of these can also be found as archives here

Welcome: A Unitarian Universalist Primer (also available as an e-book)is a basic introduction to what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist for adults and teens, including the principles, sources, music, readings, and reflections on our basic practices.

Sunday and Every Day: My Little Book of Unitarian Universalism is a basic introduction to what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist for children, including the principles, sources, music, readings, and history of Unitarian Universalism.

Everybody is Important: A Kids’ Guide to our Seven Principles (new!)features two stories for each Principle, inviting children to think about how the characters in the stories can use the Principles to help them decide how to treat each other, what to love, and what to hope for ourselves and all living things.

UU Theme Book Lists Organized by Roberta Altamari (disc)contains lists of children's books related to the 7 Principles and other themes. A great resource for tracking down a book related to opening conversation on a particular topic.

Families: Weave a Tapestry of Faith is the four-page, full-color insert in every issue of UU World magazine. Each themed insert brings home stories, activities, and reflections adapted from Tapestry of Faith lifespan faith development resources.

More Parent Group Resources

These are resources that tie in with the topics discussed at our most recent parent group: Family Rituals, Traditions, and Spiritual Practices


The Book of New Family Traditions Full of meaningful, creative ideas for family life, this book guides you through simple steps that help families fully cherish special moments and milestones, help heal wounds of trauma and loss, and strengthen the indomitable spirit of identity within a family.
How to Bury a Goldfish offers more than 100 new traditions and rituals to commemorate and honor special moments and milestones.
A Cup of Light is written for young children and explains the symbolism of the flaming chalice.
A Child’s Book of Blessings and Prayers a treasury of graces, poems, and prayers from around the world.
Circle Round: Raising Children In Goddess Traditions is a terrific resource for pagan families
Full Circle: Fifteen Ways to Grow Lifelong UUs is drawn from interviews with people who were raised Unitarian, Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist and who have remained active in our faith as adults

The following are some music resources we have available in the Lighthouse:
May This Light Shine: A Songbook for Children and Youth
Let Your Heart Sing: 24 Joyous Songs for Intergenerational Singing (and CD)
Now Let Us Sing: Songs for Children of All Ages
Family ValUUes: Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church
Wake, Now, My Senses: The Musicians of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland (CD)
The Fire of Commitment: Music of Jason Shelton (CD)

Parent Group

Our monthly parent group is up and running! Each month, on the second Sunday, a group of Saltwater parents meets to discuss parenting from a Unitarian Universalist perspective.
Today's session focused on determining what we ourselves believe as the first step in teaching our children about religion, and finding and using "teachable moments" to help enrich our children's spirituality.
I will be posting here a list of resources that I find and others in the group suggest that relate to each session's topic. For today's session:
Tending the Flame: The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting includes information about developmental stages, suggestions for incorporating spiritual practices into family life, teaching the Principles in age-appropriate ways, answering difficult questions on religious matters and dealing with religious disagreements. We will be reading and discussing chapters from this book each month within our parent group.
Phil's Little Blog on the Prairie A blog written by the Lifespan Program Director of the Prairie Star District. Phil's post on "The Complete Family Ministry Toolbox" contains many useful links, including to some resources for having "Caring Conversations" with our children.
Is Your Bed Still There When You Close the Door? provides suggestions for opening the door to deeper, more meaningful and thought provoking conversations with children. Although written from a secular perspective, it has great tips on getting meaningful conversations started and asking thought-provoking questions.
Nurturing Children and Youth provides information about children's stages of development, including moral and faith development, and ways for parents and other adults to offer children support at each stage.
The Gift of Faith illustrates how religious community plays an integral role in deepening the faith of parents and offers ways to foster spiritual awareness in the home and includes practices for marking the many events in children's lives as religious occasions.
Parents as Spiritual Guides offers six sessions which aim to bring spiritual growth into the home, where the communion and rituals of family life can support the "dynamic process of faith development."
Religious Education at Home includes information on Unitarian Universalism, communicating about spirituality, worship and meditation, and doing religious education.
(All print resources are available to view or check out from our Family Ministry library in the Lighthouse building at Saltwater Church.)