Helping Hands

"Do you guys need me to cut out more of these hands, or do you have enough?"  The young boy asking the question was a visitor to our congregation; he was standing next to the table in the elementary Religious Education class, scissors in hand.  Construction paper hand cut-outs littered the table in a rainbow of colors.  The students were in the middle of their lesson for the day: "The Gift of Helping" from the Wonderful Welcome curriculum (see the Tapestry of Faith section at http://www.uua.org/).  This lesson talks about how helping one another is an intangible gift we can share with others in our lives--both people we know and people we don't.  The students were using the brightly colored hands to make wreaths to bring home, to use as visual reminders of the many different ways they can put their helping hands to work. 

I happened to drop in to visit that morning, to sit and listen to the kids' conversation and the lesson's story.  The students were obviously enjoying themselves, interacting in an animated fashion with the class teacher and each other.  The easy camaraderie and feeling of goodwill in the room was contagious; it stayed with me long after the day's service and into the following week.

That same sense of community and caring was present at the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society this past Sunday, as Rev. Lloyd led the congregation in celebrating our annual Thanksgiving Service.  This was the third year in a row that we've shared our families' special breads--and the stories that go with them--and listened to the lively music of the bluegrass band, Lost Dog.  The stories of gratitude shared toward the end of the service got me thinking of all I've been grateful for as the Director of Religious Education here at MUUS:

• a dedicated Religious Education committee, willing to work hard and try new ideas
• a number of inspiring volunteers who lead the many activities and classes our children participate in
• additional volunteers who keep the kids comfortable with generous donations of food, money, and furniture for use in our RE program
• a supportive faith community and minister
• and all the parents who bring their children through our doors, giving them the chance to learn more about Unitarian Universalism.  It's a delight to serve such a lively bunch of children and youth.

This coming Sunday, November 28, is a Children's Chapel day, where the students from all of the grades in RE classes here at MUUS gather together to learn about and discuss a certain topic together.  This week's class will be led by Connie Cole Ingber; she'll be explaining the Heifer Project to the kids present that morning.

Here's wishing you many helping hands at your Thanksgiving dinner!

Denise Pedane, DRE
Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society

Been Bad, or Good?

The middle school/high school class at the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society has been exploring the notions of virtue and sin, good and evil, while working through the curriculum posted by the Unitarian Universalist Association on their website (see "Amazing Grace" under Tapestry of Faith at http://www.uua.org/).  After listening to the stories of "Adam and Eve" and "Pandora's Box," one of our female sixth-graders wryly remarked, "It's always the woman's fault."

This past Sunday we discussed the notions of heaven and hell from various viewpoints.  Students were in agreement that one quality--such as greed, competition, curiosity--might place one at different points on a continuum of behaviors, depending on its quantity: for example, a small amount of anger could be the necessary impetus to make changes in one's life, but boiling over into an all-out fit of rage would most often be detrimental in almost any situation.  The class spent time as a group painting their own interpretations of sin and virtue.

Our youth will have an additional opportunity to explore this topic with the viewing of "Saved!" at Sunday night's session of Popcorn Theology.  Watch your email for the details, but have your teen mark the date.  These evening gatherings are full of fun and provoking conversation, looking at contemporary films with a Unitarian Universalist lens.

Denise Pedane, DRE
Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society

Halloween Sunday

It was technically my Sunday off.  As the Director of Religious Education at the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society, I am allowed one Sunday off each month to free up some additional time to be used toward various trainings and workshops as they occur throughout the year.  But I am also a mom and a member of this congregation and I realized the previous Sunday that I would be here on Halloween: my six-year old son came home that day telling me about the chalice he was working on in his religious education class, and he couldn't wait to go back and finish it the following week.

Halloween morning found us baking chocolate cupcakes at home to bring along for the coffee hour.  I had signed up the "MUUS RE kids" to do coffee back in September, thinking this would be an easy and fun day to participate in that all-important ritual of preparing coffee for after the service.  We loaded up the car with the warm cupcakes, a pot of chili, some cheese, hummos and veggies and were off.

So what treats did Halloween bring us at the meetinghouse on Sunday?  My son joined his classmate in completing their chalices and proudly sharing them with other members of the congregation.  One of the congregation's teenagers, along with the parent volunteer for his class, learned how to work the coffee machine in the kitchen.  In the process of preparing the food together, we heard from this young man about teenage life in Woodbury and what struggles he faces on a daily basis.  As mothers of teens ourselves, we shared with him our families' experiences and gained further insights into the reality of today's young people.  Religious educators come in all shapes and sizes . . .

My hope, with this link to our webpage, is to update parents and others as to the goings-on within the realm of Religious Education at MUUS.  I would like this to be a spot where newcomers can learn more about our program for children and youth, parents (and students) can find out what's been happening in the RE classes on Sunday--and other days of the week--and I can give our community a heads-up regarding upcoming events and activities.  Our Unitarian Universalist faith has much to offer both young and old alike; I look forward to sharing it with you.

Denise Pedane, DRE
Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society