1. Prayer of our Savior Our Eternal God, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
2. What do you stand for? A guide to building character, for teens Spring 2011
3. Our “foci” *by popular demand Positive Attitudes: optimism, acceptance, resiliency, cheerfulness, enthusiasm, alertness, humor, being a good sport, humility, gratitude, faith, hope *Endurance: patience, stamina, strength in adversity and suffering *Conservation: preservation, thriftiness, moderation *Peacefulness: conflict resolution, calmness, cooperation, compromise, patience Forgiveness: pardon, absolution, leniency, mercy, grace *Self-discipline: self-control, self-restraint, self-reliance, independence Responsibility: dependability, reliability, perseverance, being organized, being punctual, honoring commitments, planning *Wisdom: intelligence, learning, knowledge, understanding, intuition, common sense, being a lifelong learner
4. Peacefulness Is peacefulness about what’s inside one person? Or is it about what happens between two people? What about two groups of people?
5. Positive Attitudes: WHY? ThichNhatHanh "Seek peace. When you have peace within, real peace with others is possible."
6. Peacefulness When have you felt most peaceful? Is there a place in your house or outside it where you feel most peaceful? What do you do to “calm down”?
8. Peacefulness within: HOW? Breathing mindfully – quieting the mind P. 8-9, Peace is Every Step, ThichNhatHanh “Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in” “Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out” “In” “Out” “We breathe in and your Spirit fills us” “We breathe out and follow you into the world in love” (from Morning Prayer, Brookmeade 5/29/2011)
9. Peacefulness within: HOW? Meditating – part of many religions’ practices Now recognized for health benefits – Mayo clinic article Ex. guided meditation – “Meditation Oasis” podcast (not connected with a specific religion)
10. Peacefulness within: HOW? Praying - Is it actually a kind of meditation? The Lord’s Prayer Arrow Prayers (esp. emphasized in the Orthodox traditions): “The phrase ‘arrow prayer’ was coined by St Augustine of Hippo (Letter 130) to describe a manner of prayer which originated in the Coptic monastic tradition of the early fourth century. Very briefly, arrow prayers are terse, one-sentence prayers that lend themselves to a rhythmic repetition which facilitates meditation and inner stillness.” (source, an Oriental Orthodox website) Ex. “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:38) The “Jesus Prayer”: “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me” (for more info)
11. Peacefulness within: HOW? Colors, music, art, etc. Do colors affect how we feel?
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13. Peacefulness within: HOW? Colors, music, art, etc. Ex. Mandala – from Sanskrit for “circle”; geometric repeated designs, creation of these may be part of a meditative practice Exist in some form in many cultures (doesn’t mean all from the same origin or used for the same purpose) Guess which culture each is from on the next page!
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15. Hildegard von Bingen A prioress in Germany during the High Middle Ages 1098 –1179 Music, books, art; “mandalas”
16. Peacefulness within: HOW? Colors, music, art, etc. Ex. Mandala – let’s make one! Music Practice calm breathing while you color Repetitive
17. Peacefulness in the Wisdom Literature Psalm 23 – one of the most well-known psalms Psalm 34:14 Some other key verses, other parts of Bible: John 14:27 Numbers 6:25-26 (sound familiar? When do we hear this in church?)
18. Peacefulness Is peacefulness about what’s inside one person? Or is it about what happens between two people? What about two groups of people?
19. Positive Attitudes: WHY? ThichNhatHanh "When you say something really unkind, when you do something in retaliation your anger increases. You make the other person suffer, and he will try hard to say or to do something back to get relief from his suffering. That is how conflict escalates."
