I hope you find this to be a great faith activity for the whole family of all ages. This week’s theme of All Saints Day and the scripture from the service.
Scripture
Isaiah 49: 15- 16a
- (NRSV) Can a woman forget her nursing child or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands your walls are continually before me.
- (Message) Can a mother forget the infant at her breast walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I’d never forget you—never. Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands. The walls you’re rebuilding are never out of my sight.
- (Spark) Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Questions and Family Wonderings Based on Above Readings
- What kind of writing do you think this is? Is it part of a novel, or a history lesson, or maybe a poem?
- How does the writer inscribe someone on the palms of their hands, do you think?
- I wonder if there is someone in your life that you could never forget.
Thoughts from the Director of Faith Formation
This is some beautifully poetic stuff from Isaiah. What I love most about poetry is that, as the reader, I get to breath a bit of my own life into the words. How does this scripture pertain to me and my life’s walk?
This Sunday’s Time with Children is about my grandma and her parents. My great grandparents Mary Jane Smith and David Tarswell were married in November of 1917 in Michigan, after the start of World War I and just before the start of the flu pandemic of 1918. Great Grandpa was a pie baker, and he would sell his pies going from door to door.
In September of 1920, great grandma and great grandpa Tarswell gave birth to my granny, Agnes Marie Tarswell. But, no one was allowed to called her Agnes. Marie was what most called her. I called her granny. She inherited her dad’s baking skills.
So, if you do some pregnancy math, you’ll figure out that my grandma was conceived during the flu pandemic of 1918. If you are unsure what the word conceived means, you are invited to ask the adults in your life what that means.
My great grandparents are brave to me. They endured a World War and a pandemic enough to have 12 children, one of those being my sweet but feisty granny. During a time when there was a lot of death happening, kind of like right now, my grandma was born. This story about my family’s history helps me to carry a little hope. That, though things are really hard right now, and there is so much sadness and loss, there will be an end to this. Folks like my great grandparents were really brave. We can be brave too.
I guess this is how I my great grandparents and granny are “inscribed on the palm of my hand”. Their story is part of me, helping through difficult times.
All Saints Day—Remembering Someone Who Impacts Your Life
“Spending extra time talking about the person who died can make all the difference to a child, while helping them develop healthy coping skills. Encourage them to express their feelings. Listen as they try to make sense of what happened. Support them as remember what they loved most about that special person.” (moloneyfh.com, 10/31/20)
- Having some quality time as a family to remember those important to us, the Saints in our lives, can be a real growth moment. You are encouraged to think of someone who has impacted your family, prepare their favorite foods, and have a meal together. You could even play their favorite music in the background. And, I offer this meal time prayer:
- When you love somebody, their memory becomes like a treasure. God, please let our memories of ____________ make us happy. Amen. (from Prayers for Faithful Families by Traci Smith)
Additional Resource
The idea above came from a great online resource. I hope you take a moment to check it out.
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