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Presentation Schedule for Atrium I |
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March - May 2008 Presentations for Atrium Level I
May 5, 2008
Hello all,
On Sunday, May 4th, Mr. Dan showed the presentation of "Lavabo."
This
presentation seeks to demonstrate the gesture of lavabo (La-VAH-boh), a
gesture performed by both priest and acolyte right before Holy Eucharist, in
which an acolyte pours water onto the priest's hands while the priest prays,
"Create in me a clean heart, O God." Through the physical act
of cleansing
the hands and the spiritual act of cleansing the heart, the priest, acting
on behalf of all of us, becomes a clean vessel God uses to offer us the
gifts of bread and wine during Holy Eucharist.
This is our last month in the Atrium, and we have several important events
happening to end the Atrium for the summer.
NEXT WEEK MAY 11th: Pentecost Sunday/Mother's Day
Since Pentecost falls on Mother's Day this year, we are saving our normal
Pentecost celebrations for the NEXT Sunday. But on Pentecost, children
are
invited to process into the 9 a.m. service with the clergy bearing red
banners with the gifts of the Holy Spirit of them. If you would like your
child to participate, you can email me offlist. Or if you want to just
show
up a few minutes early to the service, then the banners will be distributed
as first come, first serve.
We of course encourage everyone to wear red. We will have regular Atrium
during the 10 a.m. formation hour.
MAY 18th: Pentecost in the Atrium/Light Promotion Ceremony
We invite parents and all adults to join both Level I and Level II children
in celebrating Pentecost (a week late, but this will have to be ok) as well
as acknowledging those children in our Light Promotion who are "moving
up"
to the next Atrium. Both ceremonies are candle lighting ceremonies, and
the
children really appreciate having their parents and significant adults come
to this Sunday. This will be our closing ceremonies for the Atriums.
MAY 25th: Memorial Day Weekend
The Atriums will be open for children to work, but no presentations will be
made.
Easter Blessings,
Mr. Dan
Mr. Bill
Ms. Adele
Ms. Kimber
Date
| What Work Will Be Presented? | What is This Work? | Why Do We Show It? | March 2
| Eucharistic Presence I
| This presentation seeks to reapply this image of the Good Shepherd to the sacred meal of Holy Eucharist by moving the sheep figurines so that they follow the Good Shepherd to another "sheep fold," another green circle, complete with an altar prepared with the bread and wine, the presence of the body and blood of Christ, that the sheep can encircle and fully partake in.
| The metaphor of the Good Shepherd is expanded and reapplied to Jesus calling and leading us, his sheep, to another sheepfold, the "fold" of Holy Eucharist. In Holy Eucharist, the Good Shepherd is present in the bread and wine, offers us love and food, and most importantly, gives all of himself, holding nothing back.
| March 9
| The Cenacle
(Upper Room)
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This presentation seeks to tell the story of the Last Supper, as told in the gospel of Mark, and to make a connection between this last meal among Jesus and his disciples to the meal of Holy Eucharist that we celebrate every Sunday with Christ and fellow believers.
| Jesus' own words of love ("This is my body. This is my blood.") and his giving of bread and wine during the Last Supper are the origins of our Holy Eucharist, a sacred memorial commemorating that Jesus gave all of himself, his body and blood, in sacrificial love for us.
| | March 16 | City of Jerusalem
| This presentation seeks to retrace the footsteps of Jesus during his final hours from the Last Supper to his resurrection by identifying and placing models of the key buildings, structures, and outdoor areas of the ancient city of David onto a typographical map of Jerusalem.
| By glimpsing at the final, solemn path that Jesus chose to walk for us, we can truly celebrate Easter because we know that by walking in his footsteps we celebrate the risen Lord.
| March 23
Easter
| The Resurrection and Procession of the Alleluia Banners
at 8:30 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00 a.m.,
Atrium Closed
| Children and catechists journey to the site behind our church to unearth our Alleluia banners and our cherished word "Alleluia," both of which have been buried for the entire Lenten season and both of which are "resurrected" so that we may joyously celebrate Easter.
| Children in the Atrium celebrate Easter through the waving of banners, the ringing of bells, and through the spoken word of "Alleluia." They show their joy to all by processing into the 9:00 a.m. service with the clergy while waving their banners.
| March 30
| Easter in the Atrium,
Liturgy of the Light
| This Easter celebration is a shortened, modified version of The Great Vigil of Easter (BCP p. 285-287), where we light the Paschal Candle, process into the Atrium, listen to liturgy and a gospel reading of the resurrection, and further celebrate with song and banners.
| The Easter experience is the center of our faith, the basis of our liturgy, the heart of our gospel, and the reason why we sing and celebrate. | | April 6 | Baptism II
| This presentation seeks to demonstrate how water is poured and used during Holy Baptism, to introduce the words said during baptism ("I baptize you N. in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit"), and to invite the children to hold a Holy Bible as a symbol of this received gift.
| When we receive the gift of baptismal water, we receive a new cleansing by God and a new connection to the many children of God whose lives have been touched by God through water. These stories and words are captured in the Holy Bible, which is another gift given during Holy Baptism.
| April 13
| Parable of the Leaven
| This presentation seeks to provide a hands-on demonstration of the mixing of flour, leaven (yeast), and water to make a basic bread that rises in a warm, hidden place, a bread similar to the parable woman's bread that becomes fully leavened, fully raised.
| The Parable of the Leaven tells of a woman who mixes flour and leaven (yeast) together to make bread, and the leaven in the bread, like the kingdom of God, grows in secret and transforms all that it touches.
| April 20
| The Gesture of Peace
| This presentation seeks to demonstrate the gesture of peace, performed by all people during the service's Sharing of the Peace, in which two people at a time will gently shake hands and say "Peace be with you."
| In the gesture of peace, we offer a blessing of peace to each other as an example of how God loves us and how he wants us to love and forgive one another.
| April 27
| The Sign of the Cross
| This presentation seeks to demonstrate how to make the "sign of the cross" and to relay the words said when one crosses oneself. The sign of the cross is made when a believer takes the tips of his/her fingers of the right and touches his/her forehead, then upper abdomen, then left shoulder, and then right shoulder. The words of this gesture are, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
| Prayer is more than just words, rather prayer is an expression of our whole being, one that can be expressed when we use our bodies to make the sign of the cross.
| May 4
| The Gesture of Lavabo
| This presentation seeks to demonstrate the gesture of lavabo (La-VAH-boh), a gesture performed by both priest and acolyte right before Holy Eucharist, in which an acolyte pours water onto the priest's hands while the priest prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God."
| Through the physical act of cleansing the hands and the spiritual act of cleansing the heart, the priest, acting on behalf of all of us, becomes a clean vessel God uses to offer us the gifts of bread and wine during Holy Eucharist.
| May 11
| The Gesture of Genuflection
| This presentation seeks to demonstrate the gesture of genuflection, a gesture in which a believer bows to acknowledge the cross, and to discuss the places in the sanctuary and times during the service where genuflection would be appropriate. Genuflection is made two different ways: (1) a believer will simply face the cross and bow, bending his back and turning his head toward the ground, or (2) a believer will face the cross, step her right foot back behind her, positioning her foot so that the top of her shoe is touching the ground and her heel is in the air. She will then bow, bending her back and turning her head toward the ground.
| When we genuflect (bow), we make our bodies smaller which reminds us that although we are smaller than God, God still loves us completely.
| May 18
| Pentecost and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Our Atrium's Closing Presentation
and
Our Light Promotion Ceremony
PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.
| This presentation seeks to tell the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, as described in Acts 2, and then seeks to give an opportunity for each child of God to receive one gift of the Holy Spirit, as describe in Isaiah 11, by having each child light his/her individual candle from one of seven lit candles, each representing one gift from the Holy Spirit, gifts of piety, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, fortitude, fear of the Lord, and counsel.
Level I children who will promote to Level II next year will be honored at the end of this presentation with liturgy and song as they take their individual baptismal candles and walk with them into the Level II Atrium, symbolizing they are taking the light of Christ with them to the next level.
| From the Holy Spirit, the disciples received the spiritual gifts they needed at the moment of Pentecost, and we too can receive the gifts of the Spirit that we need right now.
We celebrate our children as they progress in their spiritual journey, for we know the light of Christ shines brightly in their lives wherever they go.
| May 25
Memorial Day Weekend
| Children's Final Work Day, Last Day of Atrium
| For the Memorial Day holiday, the Atrium will be open for a children's "Work Day," in which children and work with the Atrium's materials for the last time before the Atrium closes for the summer.
| We look forward to serving your children again in September. Be looking for announcements about upcoming Atrium events in the Piper and through emails.
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created by Kimber
Barber-Fendley
for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St.
Margaret’s Episcopal Church
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