Dear Aspen Chapel Families,
We are now in the season of Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter. Traditionally this is a period in which people are asked to abstain from luxuries, activities, substances and foods in order to replicate Jesus Christ's self discipline, sacrifice, and withdrawal into the desert in order to prepare for his ministry. The number 40 is significant in Jewish-Christian scripture. In Genesis, the flood that destroyed the world lasted 40 days and 40 nights; the Hebrews spent 40 days in the wilderness before reaching the land God promised them; and Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the 10 Commandments. The word LENT comes from the old English word meaning "lengthen", which represents the longer days in Spring.
It's now 23 days before Easter, and as a mother of elementary-aged children who are on Spring Break and as an educator who is recovering from two weeks of physically exhausting travel, I haven't abstained from anything except proper sleep! It can be difficult to adhere to these traditional religious practices in today's world. But if we look deeper into the spiritual meanings of rituals like this, we can integrate concepts that bring us closer to our divine nature not just in Spring, but year-round.
Last fall I enjoyed two months of unemployment and children in school. There was a lot of time to attend yoga classes, hike alone, and meditate both cross-legged and in cleaning my house, undisturbed. And it was in those two months that I enjoyed clarity of thought, inner peace, and deep self-reflection. It's unfortunate that Easter wasn't in October, because I was ready for the Resurrection! I haven't found ten minutes of alone time in the past three weeks to do anything but drink coffee in order to keep up with demands. And if I place too much weight on the "40 days", I'll feel guilty and ashamed and forget the whole thing.
So what does this season of Lent mean for us and our children? Is it about abstaining from alcohol, sugar, television and social media? Or is it really about becoming more conscious of the thoughts and actions that prevent us from living our best life? Jesus said, "When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face..." Metaphysically, oil stands for a consciousness of love, and washing one's face represents clarity. Maybe this is a time for us to notice what serves us and and what doesn't. For some that means abstaining from certain foods; for others perhaps it's carving out more time for nature or silence. And in order to really know HOW to live our best life, we abstain from thoughts and activities that dampen our awareness.
Tomorrow in Sunday School, we'll briefly discuss the history of Lent. Then we'll do an activity that encourages deep observation in order to increase awareness around how we feel, how we affect others, and what we need to feel good (God). We'll create a project that reflects behaviors that support us in living our highest good and listen to a story that's congruent with this season of Lent. I am so excited to be back with your children at the Aspen Chapel and to explore these ideas with them. I hope to see everyone tomorrow!
If you ever have any questions
regarding our services or your
children's needs, please email me
at michelle@aspenchapel.org
In Peace and Blessings,
Michelle Skagen
Aspen Chapel Youth Coordinator
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Saturday, March 9, 2019
March 9, 2019
"All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree"
Albert Einstein
Dear Aspen Chapel Families,
Tomorrow we spring forward! Don't forget to change your clocks! Hopefully we'll all be motivated to get an early start now that the sun is finally shining! In Sunday school we are continuing our inquiry into World Religions. Obviously as our children get older and take Social Studies classes, they'll learn the history behind so many religions, what the roots were that religions around the world were born from, the cultural and political implications of various religions, the geographic origins of religions, and all the varieties of religions that have branched off into smaller belief systems. The goal at this young age is to instill a sense of tolerance and respect for people who believe differently. When we share answers to questions or our thoughts, just in our little circle of young people at the Aspen Chapel, the diversity of thought is evident. When we create a safe place to question, wonder, share, make mistakes, speculate, and disagree, this sets children up for an open-minded approach to life as they meet new ideas, people, and experiences. The goal is not to have them memorize religions, symbols, or rituals. It's merely to open them up to the fact that we share our our planet with millions of people, and despite our different religions, we share many similarities. Tomorrow the Sunday School children will continue discussing the idea of different beliefs, then they will draw images that represent what they believe, getting them used to the idea that they may have different images/beliefs than their neighbor, friend, or sibling! We'll then have story time and conclude with a guided meditation. Speaking of World Religions, I will not be at the Aspen Chapel for the next two weeks (17th and 24th). I will be leading a student trip to Mumbai and a remote village called Chinchoti. In Mumbai we'll visit the Gandhi museum, visit a Jain temple, and work with Hindus and Muslims in a community center in the slums. My host family in Chinchoti wakes in the very early morning to honor Hindu Gods with marigolds, candles and incense. I'll be excited to share pictures and stories with the Sunday School children upon return. We are honored to have Drew Sorenson, our former Sunday School teacher, and Perrin Elisha, a parent and congregation member, teach Sunday School. Also, due to an illness, we are postponing our rehearsals with Dan Sheridan until I return. He was unable to rehearse our song with the Sunday School last Sunday, the 3rd, so they're not ready to perform tomorrow. We will set a new date and I will keep you informed about the students singing for the congregation!! Have a wonderful weekend and we hope to see you all tomorrow! If you ever have any questions regarding our services or your children's needs, please email me at michelle@aspenchapel.org In Peace and Blessings, Michelle Skagen Aspen Chapel Youth Coordinator |
Saturday, March 2, 2019
March 2, 2019
"If we take the world's enduring religions at their best, we discover the distilled wisdom of the human race" ~Huston Smith
Dear Aspen Chapel Families,
In a time when tensions around the world are mounting, nationalist movements are growing in resistance to human migration, and as our own nation becomes more polarized, we must find a way to instill tolerance and respect among our children. Identification with religion can be a root cause of conflict and misunderstanding among people, but as Huston Smith suggests, we are more similar than we are different if we examine the basic elements of each belief system.
As a person who grew up in a progressive, new age Christian church, I like to believe that I am very open-minded to all religions. But when I honestly examine my assumptions and stereotypes of different beliefs and practices, I can see I have a lot to learn in order to avoid generalizing and setting groups of people apart. This requires an effort not only to identify what the symbols and traditions are, but to understand the true wisdom behind each religion. If we are to move into a more tolerant and united civilization, I think we have an obligation to expose our children to the best aspects of all religions and cultures, helping them see how much we have in common with people all around the world.
This Sunday we will begin an inquiry into world religions. The kids will have an opportunity to share what religion means to them and their prior knowledge of different religions. We'll discuss some of the very basic beliefs and traditions of well-known religions, and do a project called "Pieces of the Pie", which shows visually how all these different religions make up a whole. The differences are seen in the outer edge of the pie, with symbols, traditions, foods, dress, etc. The similarities are found in the middle, which is where the underlying wisdom resides. If we have time, we'll read God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Sunday School students are invited to perform a song with Dan Sheridan on March 10th at the Sunday service. He will be joining us toward the end of our session tomorrow to practice the song, "To Love, Serve, and Remember" by John Astin, which can be pulled up on YouTube. It would be great if kids could practice this over the next week. I look forward to seeing you and your children tomorrow!
If you ever have any questions
regarding our services or your
children's needs, please email me
at michelle@aspenchapel.org
In Peace and Blessings,
Michelle Skagen
Aspen Chapel Youth Coordinator
In a time when tensions around the world are mounting, nationalist movements are growing in resistance to human migration, and as our own nation becomes more polarized, we must find a way to instill tolerance and respect among our children. Identification with religion can be a root cause of conflict and misunderstanding among people, but as Huston Smith suggests, we are more similar than we are different if we examine the basic elements of each belief system.
As a person who grew up in a progressive, new age Christian church, I like to believe that I am very open-minded to all religions. But when I honestly examine my assumptions and stereotypes of different beliefs and practices, I can see I have a lot to learn in order to avoid generalizing and setting groups of people apart. This requires an effort not only to identify what the symbols and traditions are, but to understand the true wisdom behind each religion. If we are to move into a more tolerant and united civilization, I think we have an obligation to expose our children to the best aspects of all religions and cultures, helping them see how much we have in common with people all around the world.
This Sunday we will begin an inquiry into world religions. The kids will have an opportunity to share what religion means to them and their prior knowledge of different religions. We'll discuss some of the very basic beliefs and traditions of well-known religions, and do a project called "Pieces of the Pie", which shows visually how all these different religions make up a whole. The differences are seen in the outer edge of the pie, with symbols, traditions, foods, dress, etc. The similarities are found in the middle, which is where the underlying wisdom resides. If we have time, we'll read God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Sunday School students are invited to perform a song with Dan Sheridan on March 10th at the Sunday service. He will be joining us toward the end of our session tomorrow to practice the song, "To Love, Serve, and Remember" by John Astin, which can be pulled up on YouTube. It would be great if kids could practice this over the next week. I look forward to seeing you and your children tomorrow!
If you ever have any questions
regarding our services or your
children's needs, please email me
at michelle@aspenchapel.org
In Peace and Blessings,
Michelle Skagen
Aspen Chapel Youth Coordinator
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