Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God with the Saints

By Sharon Ely Pearson

• Experiential activities for celebrating the saints
• For use in churches, schools, camps, and home settings

Many of our experiences in life happen when several generations are together – at church, at home, in our communities. Often we only celebrate the saints on All Saints Sunday or when a particular saint is commemorated in a secular way. This volume in the Faithful Celebration series focuses on some well-known and some not-so-well-known saints, many who are not all officially "sainted" but certainly having lived a life of faith under difficult circumstances. Each event recalling a particular saint includes key ideas, a cluster of activities to experience the key ideas, materials needed, full instructions for implementation, background history and information, music, art, recipes, and prayer resources to use in a small, intimate or large multi-generational group. For children, youth, adults, or any combination of ages, any of these activities can take place in any setting. Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God with the Saints includes activities to celebrate Patrick of Ireland, Nicholas of Myra, Joan of Arc, Sebastian of Gaul, Absalom Jones of Philadelphia, Julian of Norwich, and Emmegahbowh of White Earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Church Publishing
• Release date: Jul 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781640651838

Book preview

Introduction

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

—Ephesians 4:15–16

In a small way, this book’s intention is to help the Body of Christ grow in understanding and build itself up through love at church or home. Celebrations, gatherings, and rituals help members of every generation find both individual meaning and common ground, all through the medium of direct experience, no matter the age of the participant. Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God with the Saints offers a multitude of ideas for planning an event focused on one or more of several saints that will bring families together and build strong communities of faith, whether it is in the home or a congregational setting. If you choose, you can focus on each saint close to the day of their feast day on the Christian calendar.

Through such occasions we can become better acquainted with our extended family—young and old together—in any setting. We can take steps toward making our congregation (or neighborhood) the warm, nurturing community we long for in our fragmented world. Older adults sometimes feel a sense of displacement in congregational life today, and younger people are increasingly looking to a variety of sources for spiritual nurture and faith practice. Singing, praying, eating, and creating memories together enhances our well-being and makes our connections to one another stronger. Undergirding our experiences is the presence of God among us, nurturing us and working through us to help us grow in the knowledge and love of Christ Jesus.

Through community celebrations, we can experience scripture and traditions in a fresh way that can give beauty and meaning to our daily lives. Within these pages you will find ideas to hold a theme-based event, or simply ideas to supplement other activities you have planned. This abundance allows you to choose only those activities that meet your congregation or family’s particular needs—and fit your timeframe. Faithful Celebrations will help you and your family, whether it be at home or at church, learn more and experience these particular saints; some are well known, others may be new to you:

Absalom Jones of Philadelphia—February 23

Patrick of Ireland—March 17

Julian of Norwich—May 8

Joan of Arc—May 30

Enmegahbowh of White Earth—June 12

Nicholas of Myra—December 6

You will find many more ideas for celebrating the saints in Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God in Autumn (Church Publishing, 2018) including Francis of Assisi (October 6) and All Saints Day (November 1). St. Mary the Virgin (March 25—the Annunciation) is featured in Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God from Advent through Epiphany (Church Publishing, 2018), and Martin Luther King Jr. (April 4) activities along with other African American saints can be found in Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God in Winter (Church Publishing, 2018). There are plenty of saints from across the ages to present day who are worth learning about and celebrating, as each gives us an example of how to live following the teachings of Christ.

ALL AGES GROWING TOGETHER

Many of the formative experiences in life happen when several generations are together. In our society we tend to separate people by ages mainly for education and employment. In recent years, Christian formation programs have made this same separation of generations, but more and more religious educators are recommending programs in which adults and children learn together. It is a way to pass on faith—generation to generation. Old learn from young, and young learn from old.

Faithful Celebrations is designed to meet the need for generations to learn together. This approach requires that we venture beyond traditional learning methods into the world of experiential learning. Just as old and young alike can participate in vacations, trips, holidays, and family events together, learning more about our relationship with God can take place with all generations growing together. This may mean that adults work alongside children, helping them as well as listening to them as full partners in an activity or discussion. It means allowing children to experience things for themselves, not doing things for them but with them.

WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW

Finding time and resources to add another component to already full schedules, both in families and in congregations, can be a challenge. Within your community of faith, look to different groups that could successfully host an intergenerational gathering. One promising lead might be to invite your youth organization to be in charge of leading one or more sessions. Consider also the possibility of asking different congregational organizations to host a given session. In a typical community of faith, consider using these ideas as:

intergenerational and multi-age programming

seasonal church gatherings for families

primary Christian education material for a small church

supplementary material for large Christian education programs

supplementary material for classes in church-based schools

home-study Christian education programs

small-community or base-community Christian education

supplementary to family sacramental programs

In a home setting, families can use these activities for:

family vacations and holidays

neighborhood or community events

home schooling and education

gatherings of friends and families

Each chapter in Faithful Celebrations begins with an Introduction that includes background material and key ideas for each celebration. Use this content to inspire your vision of what the event needs to be, for you, your planning committee, and your congregation or family. The pages that follow are organized by type of activity, such as opening prayer, story, craft, food, drama, music, game, or more. It will always conclude with a closing activity of prayer.

Each activity or experience will include a very brief explanation for the leader, followed by a list of materials needed and step-bystep directions. The materials called for in this book are simple and inexpensive. Those common to most activities are:

Bibles

whiteboard, poster board, or flip chart with markers

felt-tip pens

crayons (regular and oversized for young children)

drawing paper

glue

scissors

From time to time links will be offered to supplemental online materials; there are also downloadable resources of craft patterns and templates available for free at www.churchpublishing.org/faithfulcelebrations6.

O God, the King of saints, we praise and glorify your holy Name for all your servants who have finished their course in your faith and fear: for the blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; and for all your other righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we pray that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.¹

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1. Book of Common Prayer, 504.

Chapter 1

ABSALOM JONES

OF PHILADELPHIA

INTRODUCTION

Set us free, heavenly Father, from every bond of prejudice and fear; that, honoring the steadfast courage of your servant Absalom Jones, we may show forth in our lives the reconciling love and true freedom of the children of God, which you have given us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.¹

The life and legacy of Absalom Jones is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, his faith, and his commitment to the causes of freedom, justice, and self-determination. Born a slave, he became one of the founders of the black Episcopal church in America, becoming the first African American Episcopal priest. He was a leading figure among Philadelphia’s African American community. He is honored on the Episcopal calendar on February 13.

His Early Years

Absalom Jones was born into slavery on November 6, 1746, in Sussex County, Delaware. Owned along with his siblings and mother by merchant and planter Benjamin Wynkoop, Jones was a slight and sickly child. While his family worked in the fields, he was given jobs within his master’s house. In this coveted position for a slave, he was able to earn small tips; with the pennies he saved he purchased a primer, a book that taught children the basics of reading and writing. Reportedly, he asked anyone who crossed his path, including visitors to the Wynkoop home, to help him learn to read. Other prized possessions he managed to acquire through saving included a spelling book and a New Testament Bible.

In 1752, Wynkoop sold off Jones’ mother, sister, and five brothers and moved to Philadelphia where he had a retail store, taking Jones with him. Serving as a handyman and packer, and carrying of goods at the store during the day, Absalom kept up his education by secretly reading and writing letters to his family whenever he could. At age 20, Jones was allowed to attend a night school of African Americans run by abolitionist Quakers where he learned mathematics and handwriting.

In 1770 he married a woman named Mary,