strive to provide for the comfort of all . . .”
“We ask God to endow human souls with justice so that they may be fair, and may
strive to provide for the comfort of all . . .”
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Prayer:
“O Lord God! Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of the garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love. O Lord! Dilate the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all mankind as stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect fruits growing upon Thy tree of life. “Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator.” Quote: “So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.” Quote:
“He must search after the truth to the utmost of his ability and exertion, that God may guide him in the paths of His favor and the ways of His mercy.” Prayer: "O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my drink, and Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my action, and remembrance of Thee my companion, and the power of Thy sovereignty my succorer, and Thy habitation my home, and my dwelling-place the seat Thou hast sanctified from the limitations imposed upon them who are shut out as by a veil from Thee. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.”
Quote: “Exert every effort to acquire the various branches of knowledge and true understanding. Strain every nerve to achieve both material and spiritual accomplishments.” (The full quote is: "Exert every effort to acquire the various branches of knowledge and true understanding. Strain every nerve to achieve both material and spiritual accomplishments. "Encourage the children from their earliest years to master every kind of learning, and make them eager to become skilled in every art—the aim being that through the favouring grace of God, the heart of each one may become even as a mirror disclosing the secrets of the universe, penetrating the innermost reality of all things; and that each may earn world-wide fame in all branches of knowledge, science and the arts. "Certainly, certainly, neglect not the education of the children. Rear them to be possessed of spiritual qualities, and be assured of the gifts and favours of the Lord." from HERE) Lesson from the Wairarapa Childrens Classes HERE.
Prayer:
“O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my drink, and Thy pleasure my hope, and praise of Thee my action, and remembrance of Thee my companion, and the power of Thy sovereignty my succorer, and Thy habitation my home, and my dwelling-place the seat Thou hast sanctified from the limitations imposed upon them who are shut out as by a veil from Thee. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful.” Quote: “The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence.” To begin the class, you and a few children recite some prayers. A. Memorizing prayers As a first activity, the children can spend some time learning further the prayer introduced in the preceding lesson. B. Memorizing quotations You may present today's quotation by putting the following ideas into your own words: Out of His infinite love, God has given us laws and teachings to live by. These laws and teachings are like lamps that illumine our path. Through their light, we are able to see how it is that God wants us to live. As we obey His commandments, we draw closer to Him; otherwise we would find ourselves in darkness and we lose our way. So it is that out of our love for God and our desire to attain His good pleasure, we obey the laws and teachings He has so graciously given to us. Love for God moves us to act in ways that are pleasing to Him. Activity idea (from HERE). Colourful lamps! (made of simple glass jars, with bits of tissue paper glued all around them) * PVA * creppe paper * the quote printed out * ??candles 'Abdu'l-Baha's example helps us to understand what it means to obey God's commandments out of love. His lvoe for God was so strong that it was the cause of everything He did every day. He arose each morning at dawn to pray and spent His time visiting the sick and needy, helping the friends, and uplifting through His encouraging words and loving advise the spirits of the many guests He received at His home. He would often be awake past midnight, writing responses to the stream of letters that were sent to Him by people from all over the world. 'Abdu'l-Baha used to say, "Nothing it too much trouble when one loves, and there is always time." In our efforts to remember the importance of obeying God's commandments out of our love for Him, let us memorize the following quotation: “The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven of My omnipotent glory, addressed to My creation these words: ‘Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.” Baha'u'llah (Put to music HERE.) Below are a few sentences that will help you to explain the meaning of some of the words in the above quotation which the children may find difficult. They are already familiar with the word "glory" from the quotation they memorized in Lesson 15 in the first grade. Address 1. Once a year all the students in the school gather to hear the principal speak. The principal addresses the students each year. 2. Koichi always speaks to his grandmother with love and humility. Koichi addresses his grandmother with respect. Observe 1. the traffic light turned red, Ethel brought to a stop the car she was driving. Ethel was careful to observe the traffic law. 2. Marisol was always quiet when she visited the library, where the people are asked to remain silent or to speak in whispers. She always observed the rules of the library. Commandments 1. Samuel says his prayers every day at morning and at night. Praying daily is one of the commandments of God. By praying Samuel is following God's commandment. 2. Teresa never tells lies. She obeys God's commandment to be truthful.
C. Songs Sing a few songs with the children, including at least one you have chosen to reinforce the theme of this lesson. D. Stories Today you can tell the children the following story, which will provide for them an illustration of joyful obedience: Haji Muhammad lived during the time of Baha'u'llah, Who, as you know, revealed God's teachings for today. Haji Muhammad was honest in all his dealings as a businessman and was known for his trustworthiness. For a period of time, his work brought him to 'Akka. One day, he was sitting in his office when 'Abdu'l-Baha entered, bringing an urgent message from Baha'u'llah. Haji Muhammad was to leave immediately for the city of Jeddah in Arabia. He asked 'Abdu'l-Baha whether he could have the bounty of attaining the presence of Baha'u'llah before departing. 'Abdu'l-Baha explained that there was no time as the ship was due to leave at any moment. Haji Muhammad closed the office at once and headed straight for the port to board the ship. His desire to obey was so exemplary that he had no other thought but to follow the command of Baha'u'llah. As soon as Haji Muhammad boarded, the ship set sail. Only then did he realize that, because of the great rush, he had not thought to ask 'Abdu'l-Baha the purpose of his trip to Arabia. Now it was too late! Still, he was not concerned. He was certain that, once he arrived in Jeddah, God would guide his steps. The sea that day was unusually stormy, and the journey fraught with peril. Everyone was worried that the ship was going to sink - everyone, that is, except for Haji Muhammad. He knew that he would be protected and the ship would arrive safely in Jeddah, for he had been entrusted by Baha'u'llah with a mission to carry out in that city. And the ship did indeed arrive at its destination. After leaving the ship, Haji Muhammad heard two people talking in Persian among the crowds. Being Persian himself, he appraoched them and discovered that they, too, were Baha'is and were on their way to Akka to visit Baha'u'llah. They had been unjustly imprisoned their faith for ten years and had just been released. This was their first journey to the Holy Land, and they were in need of assistance. It became clear to Haji Muhammad that the purpose of his mission in Jeddah was to help these two souls to find their way to 'Akka and attain the presence of Baha'u'llah, a responsibility which he carried out with great care and attention. **cards to reorder to tell the story. **modified from Revelation of Baha''u'llah vol.4 - Adib Taherzadeh E. Drama The activities that follow will help the children continue developing the skills and abilities of creative drama.
The above exercise will have helped your students learn to pay attention to one another and coordinate their movements. It builds on the exercise in the preceding lesson in which they were moving around together in a large space. The next exercise will further their understanding of the theme of today's lesson, that we obey God out of our love for Him. Begin by asking the children to imagine they are passengers boarding the ship that Haji Muhammad sailed on to Jeddah. Once they are all aboard, the ship sets sail under the bright son on clear and still waters. As the shore gradually fades from sight, everyone settles in for the long journey across the sea. At first the sea is calm, but after a short time waves begin to lap against the side of the boat. The ship starts to rock in the wavy sea. Ask the children to look toward the horizon; they see dark clouds fast approaching and hear the distant roll of thunder. The passengers begin to feel afraid. As the waves become bigger and the darkness approaches, they huddle closer together. have the children imagine that big drops of rain being to fall from the sky. Suddenly, thunder cracks overhead, and waves crash against the side of the ship. The rain pours down as it is tossed from side to side. Many of the passengers fear that the ship will sink into the sea. Just when they think all is lost, the storm seems to pass. the rain, the wind and the waves slowly being to die down. Off in the distance, the passengers see the shores of a distant land. The sun gradually appears from behind the clouds, and the sea turns calm once again. Now ask the children to re-enact the drama, only this time pretending to be like Haji Muhammad on his journey. How would they be different fro the other passengers on the ship? Ask them to show that Haji Muhamamd felt assured and protected by God through all the journey because he knew that he was acting in obedience to Baha'u'llah, God's Manifestation on earth. Alternative: charades, acting out the different laws/commandments God has sent us. F. Drawing You could ask the children to draw a picture of Haji Muhammad on the ship to Jeddah, along with the passengers, or you may wish to think of another idea that will reinforce in their minds the theme of today's lesson. G. Review Repeat the quotations from today's lesson and help the children to recite the following quotations that they learned in Grade 1 about contentment and trustworthiness: "The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained." (Listen HERE) "Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people." (Listen HERE) H. Closing Prayers
The class closes with a prayer or quotation recited in the usual manner. You should begin the class in the usual matter by reciting a prayer yourself and then by having some of the children say a prayer they know by heart. Remember that every child should be given an opportunity to say a prayer at least once every three or four lessons. A. Reciting and memorizing prayers Today you may review with your students the prayer they have been memorizing over the last two lessons. Since they will begin learning a new prayer in the next class, you should make sure they can say the first one well. B. Memorizing quotations The following ideas will assist you in presenting the quotation that the children are expected to memorize today. When we pray, we must always remember that we are in the presence of God, the Almighty, and show humility before Him. In prayer we express our deep love and respect for God and act with reverence. We sit quietly in a prayerful posture and take a few moments before beginning to pray, in order to cleanse our minds of the things of this world. Some people like to fold their arms or clasp their hands together. Many people close their eyes so they are not distracted by things around them. The prayers that we recite every day can be chosen from those we know by heart or from those we find in prayer books. Once we have finished reciting a prayer, we remain still and silent, reflecting on its words. When another person is praying, we feel as though we are praying ourselves. We listen closely to the words the other is saying and maintain a reverent attitude. 'Abdu'l-Baha encouraged the Baha'is to keep their thoughts centred solely on God when praying. He urged them to forget the things of the world, what is going on around them, and even their own selves. To those who saw 'Abdu'l-Baha in prayer, it seemed as if He had been carried away to another world. He was free of distractions, completely absorbed in conversation with God. As we focus our thoughts on God and pray to Him with reverence, we too, feel our hearts overflow with His love. To help us remember how we conduct ourselves during prayer, let us memorize the following words of Baha'u'llah: “O Son of Light! Forget all save Me and commune with My spirit. This is of the essence of My command, therefore turn unto it.”
In helping the children to understand the above quotation, you may need to explain to them the meaning of the words below. The following sentences will assist you in doing so: Commune
Essence
D. Story It is suggested that you tell the children the following story today: During His travels in America, 'Abdu'l-Baha once accepted to teach a very devoted Baha'i how to pray. He told him to come to His residence at daybreak the next day. The believer's heart was filled with joy. He rose at dawn and rushed to the residence of 'Abdu'l-Baha. When he entered the room of the Master, he fround Him already in prayer. Realizing that he could not ask the Master any questions, he decided to do the same. So, he kneeled on the floor and began to pray. He prayed silently for his relatives, for his friends and for himself. When he finished, he looked up and saw that 'Adbu'l-Baha was still deep in prayer. So he decided to pray some more. He repeated all the prayers he knew over and over. Still there was no movement from 'Abdu'l-Baha. Now, the believer noticed that one of his knees was beginning to ache and that his back was feeling uncomfortable. Next he heard the birds singing outside. Glancing around the room, he observed a large crack in the wall. Then he looked at the Master again, and all of a sudden, the expression on 'Abdu'l-Baha's face created in him a strong desire to pray. He forgot everything else. The only desire in his heart was to be close to God and to converse with Him. He began to pray in a way that he had never prayed before. The Master had taught him how to pray. At that very moment, 'Abdu'l-Baha arose, approached him with a smile and said: "When you pray, you must not think of your aching body, nor of the birds outside the window, nor of the cracks in the wall! When you wish to pray you must first know that you are standing in the presence of the Almighty!" C. Songs You may wish to sing with the children a few of the songs from the previous lessons, before teaching them one that you have selected for today's class. E. Drama As always, the period of the class begins with activities that are intended to help the children develop skills and abilities to participate effectively in creative drama.
FREEZE: stop all movement instantly, and stand perfectly still TURN FREEZE: Turn half way around and then freeze instantly JUMP FREEZE: Jump in the air, turning half way around, and then freeze TWIST FREEZE: Jump in the air, turning around in a full circle and then freeze. Explain to the children that, once they have frozen, they should hold their positions untilyou give them the signal to move again. It is suggested that you ask the children to practice each of the four commands while still standing in their imaginary squares. Then begin. You should feel free to call out the commands as many times as you wish, in any order. Now, move on to the activities related to the theme of the lesson, which is about ow we pray. For this part of the lesson, you will need a prayer book/ Explain to the children that they will carry out a series of exercises which will help them understand what it means to treat a special object with reverence. We can show reverence, tell them, in the way we position our bodies, in the way we position our bodies, in the way we move, and in the way we use our voices.
Following the above activities, the children can draw a picture that reminds them of this lesson, perhaps a baby bird being held or a face with eyes closed in prayer. G. Review Repeat with the children the quotation they committed to memory in today's lesson, and review those related to humility and detachment that they learned in Grade 1: "O Son of Man! Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee." (Lesson 9) "Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him, and not in the luxuries thou dost possess." (Lesson 14; the quote learnt in lesson 14 is just "Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him.") H. Closing Prayers
Choose a student to close the class by reciting a prayer or quotation he or she knows by heart. To attract the bounties of God, begin your class by reciting a prayer and by having a few of the students each say a prayer he or she knows by heart. You may wish to remind them that when we pray we are conversing with God; that is why we should show respect, turn our hearts towards Him and quietly listen to the prayers being said. A. Memorising prayers As the first activity of the class, the children can continue to memorize the prayer that they started to learn in Lesson 1. B. Memorizing quotations It is suggested that you put the explanation below in your own words in order to introduce the quotation for memorization. We know that God has created every one of us and that He is aware of what we need and what we want. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Why, then, should we pray? God does not need our prayers, but we must pray because it serves to strengthen our souls, for prayer is like food for the soul. Just as we must eat every day so that our bodies do not become weak and sick, we must give nourishment to our souls by turning our hearts and minds to God daily and conversing with the One Who has created us. 'Abdu'l-Baha tells us that prayer brings life to the soul. We are exhorted to pray every morning and every evening, at times of difficulty and at times of great gladness. Of course, we do not only pray for ourselves, but also for our family, our friends, our community, and for all of humanity. 'Abdu'l-Baha assures us that if we pray for something that is in agreement with Divine wisdom, then God will bestow it upon us. But occasionally we unknowingly ask for things that will harm us, and God, in His infinite wisdom, does not grant our wish. No matter how much we may desire something, we are confident that He will do what is best for us. To help us remember why we pray, let us memorize the following quotation: “It is the greatest longing of every soul who is attracted to the Kingdom of God to find time to turn with entire devotion to his Beloved, so as to seek His bounty and blessing and immerse himself in the ocean of communion, entreaty and supplication.” Before the children begin to memorize the quotation, you should help them understand its meaning, by explaining words and phrases that may be new to them. The sentences below will assist you in doing so. The children are, of course, already familiar with the word "attracted" from your discussion of it in the preceding lesson; however, you may wish to review it with them today. Longing
Immerse
Communion
Entreaty
C. Songs Sing a few songs with the children, including at least one to reinforce the theme of this lesson on prayer D. Story When the children have finished singing, gather them together to listen to a story that will illustrate for them the importance of praying daily. This is a story of one of the early Baha'is in the West, Lua Getsinger, and an important lesson she learned about prayer. Lua loved God very much, and she often turned to him in supplication, that she might be enabled to live a life of service. She prayer, too, that her eager and enthusiastic spirit would learn to be patient. Of course, she wanted to learn quickly, without having to wait too long! Lua knew that 'Abdu'l-Baha wanted her to learn patience. One day, when she was visiting Him in the Holy Land, He helped her to see that there are some things for which we must always make time, no matter how hurried we might feel. Rushing off to breakfast without having said her usual morning prayers, Lua met 'Abdu'l-Baha in the hallway. He looked at her, string deeply into her eyes. And what do you think he said to her? "Lua," He said, "you must never eat material food in the morning until you have had your spiritual food." So it was that Lua learned she must never fail to draw sustenance from God's heavenly bounties, the source of true strength. E. Drama This part of the class begins with activities that will help your students develop skills and abilities related to drama.
The above exercises will have helped the children develop their skills of movement and physical expression. They will also need to acquire increasingly effective skills of verbal expression. To assist them, ask them to say the sentence "Good morning"
The second set of activities has to do with the theme of today's lesson: why we pray. Tell the children that they are now going to improvise a situation to show why we need to eat everyday to maintain our physical strength. So too, you should explain, do our souls need to turn to God in prayer to grow and remain strong and healthy.
G. Review Review the quotation from today's lesson, and then remind the children of the qualities of enkindlement and joy, and the quotations they memorized in Grade 1: "Verily, I supplicate God to enkindle in thy heart the fire of His love." Listen HERE (from G1 Lesson 20) "O Son of Man! Rejoice in the gladness of thine heart, that thou mayest be worthy to meet Me and mirror forth My beauty." Listen HERE (from G1 Lesson 7). H. Closing Prayers
To close the class, invite one of the students whose behaviour has been especially praiseworthy to recite a prayer or quotation he or she learned last year. Lesson 1 Open the class by reciting a prayer and then ask two children to say a prayer each. It is important to remind the children that their class begins with prayers in order for them to make mention of God and implore His help and guidance. A. Reciting and memorizing prayers You may then help the children memorize the following prayer. As you introduce it, remember that the words and phrases should be explained to them. If any words are unfamiliar to the children, concrete examples should be given to the children to illustrate their meaning. Not all of your students will, of course, learn at the same pace. Some will advance faster than others. But it is expected that almost every child will be able to commit the prayer to memory within three class periods. “O Lord! I am a child; enable me to grow beneath the shadow of Thy loving kindness. I am a tender plant; cause me to be nurtured through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy bounty. I am a sapling of the garden of love; make me into a fruitful tree. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful, and Thou art the All-Loving, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.” From the super team over at http://www.supportingthecoreactivities.org/theme-1-lesson-1/ Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/su-ellis/o-lord-i-am-a-child B. Memorizing quotations The following explanation will assist you in introducing to the children the quotation to be memorized. You will need to express the ideas in your own words when presenting them to the students. 'Abdu'l-Baha tells us that prayer is "conversation with God". Through our prayers, we speak to God of our love for Him. When one friend loves another, his greatest wish is to be close to the one he loves and to express the love he feels. Even though God knows what is in our hearts, still we want to tell Him of our love for Him and thank Him for the bounties that He has showered upon us. 'Abdu'l-Baha lived in a state of prayer. His heart was always turned towards God. He often mentioned that there is nothing sweeter in this world than the state of prayer. When we converse with God each day, our love for Him grows stronger, and we feel closer to Him. Our hearts are open, enkindled with His love, and our souls become joyful. God loves us more than we can possibly imagine. So is it that we constantly receive His bounties as we pray to Him to guide us, to protect us, and to help us become worthy of His love. To aid us in our efforts to live our lives in a state of prayer, and with our hearts always turned towards God, let us memorize the following quotation: “Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men.” Listen HERE (MJ Cyr) As with the prayer above, the children will find the quotation easier to memorize if they understand it well. It is recommended, therefore, that you spend some time discussing the meaning of the words and phrases with them. Here are some sentences you could use to help them understand the meaning of the words that may be new to them: Intone 1. She stood before the meeting with her head bowed and her eyes closed. Silence filled the room. Then she lifted her head and began to intone the verses of God in a melodious voice. 2. Bahereh taught her children to intone beautiful prayers at the beginning of each new day and in the evening before they slept. Kindle 1. The grass in the field was very dry. In the intense heat of the summer, the dry grass kindled, and the fire spread to the edge of town. 2. After reading a few passages from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, Florence felt the love of God kindled in her heart. Attract 1. We enjoy looking at flowers because they are beautiful. We are attracted to their beauty. 2. When we feel God's love, we want to be near Him. Our hearts are attracted to God by the power of His love. C. Songs After the children have memorized the quotation, sing with them a few songs from the collection appended at the end of the book. Remember that if the songs selected are related to the theme of the lesson - in this case, prayer - they will reinforce what the children are learning.
D. Story Next, you should ask the children to sit quietly while you tell them a story that will help them understand what it means to live in a state of prayer. We have all heard of the heroes of the Baha'i Faith who, in its early days, did extraordinary things in service to God. This is a story of a young boy, Ruhu'llah Varqa, who lived during the time of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha. So great was Ruhu'llah's love for God, and so absolute his dedication to His Cause, that whenever we hear his name we think of a life of devotion and servitude. When Ruhu'llah was about seven years old, he travelled with his father to the Holy Land. There he had the great privilege of meeting Baha'u'llah, Who had brought to humanity God's message for this day. Ruhu'llah's heart became filled with love for Baha'u'llah, and he wanted nothing more than to serve Him. Upon returning home to Persia, he spent his time sharing with others news of Baha'u'llah's coming. Ruhu'llah was truthful, honest, courteous and kind, and his words had great effect on all who heard him. He rose at every dawn to pray and, with his heart turned towards God, passed each day in servitude to Him. One day, Ruhu'llah was summoned to appear before an official. At that time, many people were fearful of the new message that was being spread throughout the land. They clung to beliefs of the past, and the followers of the new Faith often became victims of harsh punishments. For this reason, Ruhu'llah's father was in great danger. As proof that he had raised his sons in this new Faith, Ruhu'llah was asked to say a prayer in the presence of the official. This, it was hoped, would be enough to cnovince the official to condemn his father. Calmly, Ruhu'llah prepared his heart to offer supplication to God. Then, in a melodious voice, he chanted a Baha'i prayer with exquisite beauty. The official was deeply moved. He dismissed the matter immediately, saying he would not condemn a man who had raised a child so wonderful. And so Ruhu'llah's father was saved. Later, when Ruhu'llah was about twelve years old, he would once again set out with his father to visit the Holy Land. This time, he would be blessed to pass his days in the presence of 'Abdu'l-Baha, who loved Ruhu'llah very much and especially enjoyed hearing him chant in his beautiful voice the many prayers he knew by heart. Ruhu'llah would leave the Holy Land ablaze with Divine love, ready to sacrifice his all for the Cause of God.
The Ruhullh story is from here: https://ruhichildrenstories.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/book-gr2-eng1.pdf E. Drama As explained in the preceding unit, there are two types of activities related to drama in these lessons. The first set of activities is concerned with the development of skills and abilities. To acquire the discipline yet freedom of movement needed to participate in creative drama, the children must learn to control their actions within a defined space. The following activities will contribute to the development of this ability.
The children also need to learn to cooperate and work together. The following activities will help them develop some of the corresponding activities.
The second type of activity is related to the theme of the lesson, the state of prayer. Tell the children that they are going to improvise a situation about the state of prayer.
F. Drawing You should ask the children to do a drawing that will in some way reinforce in their minds the theme of this lesson: It would be natural, following the above improvisation, to have them draw a picture of the plants they portrayed, first before and then after the rainfall. However, you should feel free to come up with your own ideas as well. H. Closing prayers
As a reward for praiseworthy behaviour, invite one of the children to close the class by reciting a prayer or quotation he or she memorized in the first grade. |
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