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