NOBODY'S perfect.  EVERYBODY makes mistakes. 

Whatever our age, a deep assurance of unconditional love ​gives us the courage required to admit our mistakes, and the strength required to try again. 

In many branches of the Christian tradition, Lent is a season of repentance, that is, of recognizing our mistakes and asking God's help in making things right.  Lent begins with the observance of Ash Wednesday and leads us to Easter, the ultimate celebration of new life and new beginnings.  

On Ash Wednesday, many people go to church for the Imposition of Ashes.  A priest uses ashes (made from burning palm branches) to mark a cross on each person's forehead with these words, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."  In other words, "Remember you are human.  No human is perfect.  No human is immortal."  (If you're interested in knowing why Ash Wednesday is one of my favorite days of the year, you can read my recent blogpost, "Ash Wednesday is coming!" here.)

On Ash Wednesday (February 26) we will have ashes available during Children's Chapel for any children who may wish to receive them.  (This is, of course, entirely optional. In Chapel we always emphasize that each child gets to choose how they participate in any activity.  Whether we participate by singing or by listening, by trying or by observing, by touching or by watching--the "right" choices are whichever choices best enable children to show respect for themselves and respect for others. Honoring different ways of participating in chapel is an opportunity for us to practice honoring difference and diversity in a variety of contexts.)

Because we are convinced that a deep assurance of unconditional love is the foundation that makes repentance, forgiveness, and all spiritual and moral growth possible, our stories this month share a strong focus on unconditional love.  

On Ash Wednesday we'll share a biblical story, known by many as the story of "The Prodigal Son." The original biblical story can be found in Luke 15:11-22

Throughout March we'll share a wide variety of stories from other sources, each of which reinforces the message that, even when we make mistakes, even if we make bad choices, we are ALWAYS loved.  The strong, unconditional love--of our families, our communities, and God-- makes us strong so that whenever we make a mistake, we can try to make it right; and whenever we make a bad choice, we can try again!

Actions help the children pick up the words of this beautiful song (with music by Marty Haugen and words from the bible, Romans 8:38-39).

During the season of Lent, many people take up special spiritual practices or make a point to set aside extra time for activities like prayer, worship, or community service.  

​If you are looking for a special Lenten practice for your family, please feel free to join St. Mark's Church for Wednesday nights during Lent.  You are welcome to participate in any portion of the evening that feels right for your family and feeds your soul! 

This month our theme in Chapel is friendship. 

How can we be good friends to ourselves?
How can we be good friends to other people?  Family? Friends? Neighbors? Strangers? Enemies? 
How can we be good friends to animals, plants, and Mother Earth?  
​How can we be good friends to God? 

The basis of all friendship is love.  Below is a recording of a song we'll be singing in chapel this month. (Note: This recording was made when we taught the song to campers at Harry Potter Camp at Camp Stoney last summer....which is why instead of singing "people" we're singing "wizards.") 

​You can replace "people" with any other appropriate words or names of your choice.  For example:

This month we'll share a variety of stories to help us explore the theme of friendship.

We'll share the Godly Play Parable of the Good Samaritan.  (Click here for Parent Page for the Godly Play Parable of the Good Samaritan.) Together we'll wonder, "Who was a neighbor (or a friend) to the one who was hurt?"

​We'll also share "Be Kind" by Pat Zietlow Miller,  "Listening with my heart" by Gabi Garcia, and "Can I play too?" with Elephant and PIggie, by Mo Willems.  

As always, you can find these stories on the shelf across from Ms. Denise's desk!  Take a look! Enjoy!

Our theme this month in Chapel is STILLNESS.  

After all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's tempting to just RUSH right into the new year.  We (and our children) can allow ourselves get caught up in the continuous noise and chaos and rushing all around us, and find ourselves exhausted and grouchy.  Or we can choose to slow down, to quiet down, to allow our bodies, our voices, our minds to experience stillness.  Whatever our age, the more we practice, the easier it becomes to choose stillness.  From a place of stillness we discover that we can see, and hear, and understand, and feel, and choose, and act more clearly.  

This month we'll continue singing a song we introduced in Chapel earlier this school year.  ​​The melody is by John Bell.  The words come from the Bible (Psalm 46:10): Be still and know that I am God.

In chapel this month we'll focus on four stories.  

The Godly Play Parable of the Leaven. 
Download the Godly Play Parent Page for the Parable of the Leaven here. ​

Finding stillness takes practice...for all of us. Below are a series of videos I created a few years ago with my own children that offer a variety of very short meditative exercises to help you and your children practice finding stillness together.  Try them out!  And let me know which practice(s) you and your child find most helpful, too. 

Waiting is one of the biggest spiritual challenges in human life, and it's a challenge that most young children feel especially acutely. 

Waiting for parents, and siblings, and teachers, and friends...waiting for snack time, and recess, and stories, and art...waiting for school and trips, and birthdays, and holidays and fun...waiting for your turn...waiting to grow up...

This month in Chapel--as many teachers, children and families at our school are eagerly awaiting holiday celebrations--we will focus on the theme of waiting.  Because we only have two chapel sessions this month, we'll focus on just two life experiences, among many, that require us to practice waiting!  

We have to wait, with patience and hope, for PLANTS TO GROW!

On 12/4 we'll share the Godly Play Parable of the Sower and wonder about the patience and persistence of a (frustrated?) farmer planting seeds.  You can read the Godly Play Parent Page for the Parable of the Sower here. 

There have been lots of new babies born to our SMMS families this fall, so many of our children know this firsthand!  On 12/11 we'll share two stories:  "On the Day You Were Born" by Debra Frasier imagines the eagerness and care with which the whole creation awaits the birth of each child.  "A Child is Born" by Margaret Wise Brown depicts the story of the birth of Jesus with beautiful illustrations and simple poetic language.  While Christians remember and celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus each December, every family can take this opportunity to remember and celebrate the births of the children in their family and the hope, joy, love and new possibilities that each new baby brings! 

There are two other books that we love about waiting: "Waiting" by Kevin Henkes and "Waiting is not easy!" by Mo Willems.  We won't have time to read them in chapel, but we hope you'll take a moment to read them with your child before or after school one day--they'll be on the shelf near Ms. Denise's desk! 

While we are waiting, come.
While we are waiting, come.
Spirit of Life: come wait with us.
While we are waiting, com.  ​

During the season of Advent (the season of waiting and getting ready to come close to the mystery of Christmas), many people enjoy lighting the candles of an Advent Wreath each night to mark these days of patient hope and anticipation.  

Our theme in Chapel this month is Gratitude.  

A recent article on Harvard Medical School "Healthbeat" site suggests that "gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships."

​This month we'll share several stories to help us explore the theme of Gratitude.

The first story we'll share is   "Grateful: A Song of Giving and Thanks" by John Buccino. 

The world is FULL of SO MANY GREAT THINGS, and so we are grateful (and "GREAT-FULL"!)  It helps our hearts grow happy and grateful (great-full) when we take time to NOTICE, NAME, and GIVE THANKS for all the great things in the world!

Next, we'll share the Parable of the Great Pearl, in the traditional Montessori style of Godly Play.  This parable invites us ponder the mystery, "What is a treasure?"  You can read this Godly Play parable for yourself, and find suggestions for follow-up conversation with your child on this Godly Play Parent Page.  

We'll conclude the month with "The Thankful Book" by Todd Parr.

You might like to know that we've started to leave the stories we share each week in Chapel (on the weeks in which our story comes from a book) on a shelf near Ms. Denise's desk in the hallway at SMMS, just in case parents would like to look more closely at these books and discuss them with their children.

This month we're using a fun, lilting song with clapping movements to anchor our practice of NOTICING, NAMING, and GIVING THANKS for the great things in life!  We use the basic tune of the song (which you can hear, below) but we change the words to fit the situation as we go along.   

For example, we invite each child to name something that they've noticed is great, and we incorporate their suggestions into our song. For example:

We also take time to affirm that we are grateful for each child, and their unique contributions to our community.  For example: 

Feel free to sing this song with your child at home, and  adapt the words of the song in a way that makes sense for your family.  For example, if "Thanks be to God" doesn't make sense within the spiritual framework or vocabulary of your family, you might replace "Thanks be to God" with "Our hearts are glad!"  or some other phrase that expresses gratitude in language that is meaningful and appropriate for your family.   

In October, our themes in SMMS Chapel are fear and courage.  Sometimes we make the mistake of imagining fear and courage to be separate, when in fact fear and courage go together.  In fact, we often discover our courage hidden within our fear. 

How do YOU and YOUR CHILD experience the relationship between fear and courage?

This month in Chapel, we are learning a soothing song that we can sing to help us find peace and courage in moments of fear, worry, or anxiety.  ​The words come from the Bible (Psalm 46:10).  The melody is by John Bell. 

In October Chapel we are also exploring a wide variety of stories in which characters experience both fear and courage.  

(October 2) In "The Dark" by Lemony Snicket, the main character discovers a lightbulb hiding in the depths of a dark bottom drawer.  Sometimes the darkness holds the light, just like fear holds courage.   

(October 9) In the Godly Play story of the Great Family we explore the fear and courage that accompany ancestors Abraham and Sarah --and every family--when they have to move into the unknown and make their home in a new place...again and again and again.   

(October 16) In a story about Daniel found in the Hebrew Scriptures, we meet a character who has the courage to stick with what he believes is right even in the midst of fear and a den of lions!

(October 23 Chapel & October 26 Evensong) In "God Bless the Gargoyles" by dav pilkey, rich illustrations and lyrical poetry invite us to join the author in imagining that the strange and scary-looking gargoyles who guard the old churches also guard and protect all the lonely, lost, and forgotten people of the earth.  

(October 30) At last, with various illustrative and poetic interpretations of Psalm 23, we are invited to remember that "even when I walk through the dark, scary, lonely places...I won't be afraid.  Because my Shepherd knows where I am, and is here with me...and makes me strong and brave."  

One final note for the month of October...

I hope that you, your child, and your whole family will plan to join us on Saturday, October 26th, beginning at 5PM for our annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration....a chance to celebrate the many beautiful and surprising ways that  light and darkness, fear and courage, the living and the dead, and St. Mark's School and Church communities fit together!   

There will be opportunities for children who wish to do so to actively participate in our 5:00 "Evensong" (a traditional sung evening prayer service in the Anglican tradition).  Children can help lead the procession into church,  light candles, listen to a story ("God bless the Gargoyles"), and enjoy peaceful,  beautiful music from our church choir.  Throughout the service, children are welcome to sit on cushions at the front of the church (like they do in Wednesday chapel), sit with their families in the pews, or do quiet activities at the tables at the back of the church.   

In preparation for Evensong, children can learn the simple song "Come Light of Lights", below, and be ready to join in singing for the opening procession and candle lighting!  You and your child might also enjoy listening to the recording below of the "23rd Psalm" by Bobby McFerrin--one of several beautiful pieces of music the choir will be singing for Evensong. 

​Following Evensong, our Dia celebration continues with feasting, games, dancing, and a silent auction to support SMMS!   Hope to see you there!

The concept and experience of "Peace" is central to our weekly Chapel program at Saint Mark’s Montessori School. 
 
We come to Chapel to create peace by singing and praying and listening together; to receive and experience peace in our minds, our hearts, and our bodies; and then to go out and share peace wherever we go--with our friends, our teachers, our family, and our world!  
 
We usually open Chapel Time by greeting one another by name and singing "Shalom my friends". 

Shalom my friends, Shalom my friends, Shalom Shalom (2x)
Shalom to Ms. Laura, Shalom to Ms. Cleo, Shalom, Shalom
Shalom to Asha, Shalom to Nate, Shalom, Shalom (etc.)

We usually close Chapel Time by singing "Go now in Peace" as we bid farewell to one another and return to our classrooms.  

As we begin a new school year, we are focused on developing our spiritual capacity for Getting Ready and Beginnings.  What are the things—what are the objects and practices-- that can help us prepare for new experiences, and get ready to create, receive, experience, and share peace more fully?  
 
In our first Chapel Session of the school year, we took time to explore several of the special items we keep at the back of the church to help us “get ready” and open ourselves to peace when we come into the church for Chapel Time: an icon, candles, water, fragrant oils, and colored glass “gems”.  
 
What are those special things—in your home, in your family, and in your spiritual tradition--that might help you and your child prepare for new experiences and get ready to create, receive, experience, and share peace more fully each day?  ​​