For Children- Mennonite Church Canada

By Eleanor Snyder

For children's time or Sunday school class

Materials: quilt or blanket, shawl or lace tablecloth (option) Spread a quilt or blanket on the floor, inviting the children to sit there with you. Use more blankets and additional adults if you have a large group.

"This week there has been a big tragedy in the United States. Many people died or were hurt badly on Tuesday when some buildings collapsed. It makes us sad when so many people are hurt. When someone tries to hurt people and destroy buildings on purpose or deliberately we become angry and afraid. We worry about being hurt. We may be afraid to go anywhere and want to stay in safe places.

Some children take blankets with them to help them feel safe. We have a blanket here today to remind us that we are safe and we are with God. Jesus wants children and adults to feel safe. One time told the people of Jerusalem that he wishes he could gather all the people together just like a mother hen that keeps her chicks safe under her wings (Matthew: 23:37).

Let's imagine that we are little chicks and that Jesus/God is protecting us like a mother hen. Close your eyes and sit very still. We will do a breath prayer very quietly as we rest under God's wings. When you breathe in, think "BE" and when you breathe out, think "STILL".

(You may wish to cover the children with a shawl or tablecloth for this time of silence. Also, during this brief time of silence, have someone sing/play the song, "Be still and know that I am God.")

Caring God, we bring our feelings of sadness and fear to you because we know you love us and want us to be safe with you. We pray for the people who were hurt in the tragedy this week, we pray for the families of people who died. We pray that there will be no more violence, that the leaders will find better ways to respond to their anger and fear and sadness. We thank you, God of love, that you care for us like a mother hen cares for her baby chicks. Help us to remember that you are always with us, as close as our breath, and that you will keep us safe with you."

Amen.

From Mennonite Central Committee:

Conversation with Children

Children will have heard much about the attacks this past week, perhaps a good deal of it untrue. They may be upset and afraid. The following suggestions may help you to shape a conversation with children of your church.

This past week, some very sad events happened in the United States. (Children may wish to say what they know. Allow for some comments, but continue quite soon.) Some airplanes were used to destroy some important buildings in New York and Washington. Many people in the airplanes and the buildings were hurt or killed. Many people in the United States and around the world are very concerned about family and friends that live in those cities. We don't know who did these terrible things or why they did them.

What do you think of all of this? Allow the children to say whatever they want. Don't judge their comments. Acknowledge the feelings that are expressed: worry, fear, sadness, confusion. Acknowledge that many adults are feeling al of these feelings too.

What do you think we could do? If some children express a desire to catch the "bad guys," explore what our hopes might be for them. Some people are saying that the United States should attack those people who planned these attacks. They are saying, the U.S. needs to retaliate. But doing that would probably just be hurting and killing more people, and it might not even be the guilty ones. Jesus taught us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us – we should not retaliate because that just makes for more violence.

We can't undo what happened, but we can show love. Love helps when people are sad or hurt or angry or scared. Love can help.

We can show love by praying. Who should we pray for? For people in the United States, for people whose family members died or were hurt, for government leaders, for airplane pilots and flight attendants, for people who travel on airplanes or who work in tall buildings.

We can show love by writing a letter to a child or a family in Washington or New York, letting them know we are thinking of them. In many place, people can show love by giving blood to help those who are hurt.

We can also show love by remembering that enemies are people too, people that God loves. We can remember to pray for people who hurt others. We can pray that they stop their hurtful ways.

Above all, we can remember that God loves each of us and is with us at all times.