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Changing Our Ways – A Message for Children & Parents
Changing Our Ways – A Message for Children & Parents
Have you ever made a mistake and been given a second chance? I am sure that has happened to all of us! On Sunday, Jim O’Neill will be reading the story of Jonah. God asked Jonah to travel to Ninevah and deliver a message – but Jonah didn’t like the people in Ninevah, so he ignored God and tried to hide from him. Have you ever been upset with your parents and tried to hide from them? That probably didn’t work well for you … and it didn’t work for Jonah. Jonah finally decided to do what God asked him to: he travelled to Ninevah. It was a huge city and people there were behaving badly! Jonah told the people that God had given them only 40 days to change, or their city would be destroyed. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites would change, and was VERY surprised; the Ninevites worked together, changed their ways and their city was saved.
It can be very hard to admit you’re wrong and it is really hard to change your habits. This Sunday will be “Creation Care Sunday.” For over 100 years many people have treated our earth as if it was indestructible. Now we see that we need to change our ways, and work together to take better care of the earth.
One of my favorite stories about caring for the earth is Old Turtle by Douglas Woods. You might want to listen to Old Turtle in the evening and then join in singing this wonderful song about our earth; This Pretty Planet is sung here by Tom Chapin and children from the American School in London:
“This pretty planet, spinning through space,You’re a garden, you’re a harbor, you’re a holy place. Golden sun going down, gentle blue giant, turn us around. All through the night, safe til the morning light. “
It’s a lullaby! Our music director Kathleen Adams suggests:
“Parents!… Sing with your children at bedtime .. . they’ll have it memorized before you do! Sing it again in the morning, and this time, your child can make up some actions. Arms can make a big global circle; hands can spin around each other, the golden sun can be reached up high and then sink down. Praying hands show “a holy place”; digging action for the garden, waves for the harbor, head rests on hands for sleepy time….etc. Children often have inventive ways of ‘signing.”
Kathleen & I hope you enjoy and sing along with This Pretty Planet – and that you sing along again on Sunday morning! We wish you all a blessed week ahead.
~Peg Koller
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Enjoy Peg Koller’s reading of it here.
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