THE TEN BEST WAYS TO LIVE (4

The Ten Best Ways to Live

Adapted from Young Children and Worship by Berryman and Stewart, and Berryman’s Children and Sacred Stories workshop notebook by Nita Penfold.

Materials:

• 
  Brown felt underlay
  
• 
  red sequined box with Ten Best Ways to Live tablets and heart (see picture at end of lesson)
  
• 
  figure of Moses
  
• 
  12 People of God figures
  
• 
  brown mountain piece (felt piece or rock or papier maché.)
  

Presentation:
Words for you to say are in italic; actions are in plain type.
Place the underlay in front of you.
This is a story from our Judeo-Christian source of Unitarian Universalism. In the Jewish tradition the story is in the Talmud, in the Christian tradition it is in the Old Testament.
This is the desert.
Trace the edge of the desert.
This is a small piece of the desert…So many important stories happen in the desert.
Slowly move your hands over the underlay.
This is the desert. It is a dangerous place. People do not go into the desert unless they have to. There is no water there, and without water we die. There is no food there. Without food we die. When the wind blows, it changes the shape of the desert. People get lost. Some never return. In the daytime the sun is so hot that people must wear lots of clothes, even if it is hot, to protect themselves from the sun and the blowing sand. Blowing sand hurts when it hits your skin, and it can also tear your skin away. At night it is cold. Travelers need many clothes to keep warm. The desert is a dangerous place. People only go there if they have to.
Pause, place your hands in your lap, and sit back a moment. Then begin putting people in the lower right corner of the underlay near the children as you say:
After the Spirit of Love and Mystery led Moses and the People of God from Egypt through the water to freedom, they were free to go any way they wanted. But what was the best way to go? Well, the Spirit of Love and Mystery loved the people so much that God said to Moses: “I will show you the way. I will lead you to the holy mountain, Mount Sinai.”
Move Moses out front. Move people across underlay behind him.
As the People traveled across the desert, they began to complain. Some even wanted to go back to Egypt. They followed fire by night and smoke by day. There was not enough food. There was not enough water. God helped Moses find food and water. Finally they came to the great mountain.
Place Mount Sinai in the center of the underlay. Move the people to the left, toward the mountain.
Now when they came close to the holy mountain they could see fire and smoke and they were afraid even to come close. But Moses went close.
Move Moses up the mountain.

Moses climbed the holy mountain and stayed there talking with God. He came so close to God and God came so close to him, that Moses knew what God wanted him to do. God wanted Moses to write the Ten Best Ways to Live on tablets so that he could bring them down the mountain to the People.
Stand Moses on the top of the mountain for a few moments in silence and then bring him down to the base of the mountain and the people.

When Moses came down from the holy mountain, he gave the Ten Best Ways to Live to the people. There were four best ways for loving the Spirit of Love and Mystery that some people call God.
Place heart box at top of underlay on left near you. Take the first tablet (Love God) from the heart box and place it near Moses. Place the first four numbered tablet cards directly below the first tablet. Read each one before laying down.

1. 
   Do not serve other gods.
   
2. 
   Make no idols to worship.
   
3. 
   Be serious when you say God’s name.
   
4. 
   Keep the Sabbath holy.
   

And there were six best ways for loving people.
Place the second tablet (Love People) in the sand and add the last six numbered tablet cards directly below it. Read each one before laying down.

5. 
   Honor your parents.
   
6. 
   Do not kill.
   
7. 
   Do not break your marriage.
   
8. 
   Do not steal.
   
9. 
   Do not lie.
   
10. 
    Do not even want what others have.
    

The Ten Best Ways to Live are so important that the people called them “the Law.” I know. It is hard. The Spirit of Love and Mystery that some people call God did not say these are the “ten easy things to do.” They are the Ten Best Ways to Live, the Ten Commandments, to show us the best way to live. They are hard, perhaps even impossible, but the people are supposed to try so that they can be the best people they can become.
Lay the red heart down above the other tablets. Then lay the first two tablets (Love God and Love People) down on top of it. Then show the third piece (God loves You) and add to bottom to form the heart as you say:
The People passed these ideas down parents to children for a long long time until they came to us as Unitarian Universalists. We add this other piece so we can remember why the Spirit of Love and Mystery that some people call God gave the people the Ten Best Way to Live. It says, “God Loves You.”
Ask some of these Wondering Questions (as time and interest allow):
I wonder if you have ever seen or heard any of this before?
I wonder which part of this story is the most important?
I wonder which part you like the best?
I wonder where you might be in this story?
I wonder which one of the best ways to live is especially hard for you?
I wonder if we can leave one out and still have all the most important things?

Choices:
Say something like:
In this classroom you are able to choose what you would like to do with your time here after the story and before class is over.
Today’s choices are:

• 
  Retelling the story to yourself
  

• 
  Act out the Story as a Group
  

• 
  What Should You Do?
  

• 
  Depictions of the Ten Commandments in Art
  

Or other activities you have chosen as the teacher. It is up to you whether to give totally free choice to each child individually (this will work best when you have enough adults to assist any child who needs help with a chosen activity without too much waiting) or whether to help the class as a whole decide on one or two activities to do together.

Whichever you decide, be sure to let the children know clearly what choices they have (and do not have).
Activity Directions
Retelling the story independently:
Coach children to take turns, and to treat the materials with respect so that they will be available for other children and teachers to use in the future. For older/reading children, provide a copy of the script (above). For younger/non-reading children, provide a photo of the finished storyboard.
Act out the Story as a Group:
Have one child take the part of Moses, one the part of God, and the rest the part of the Israelites. Explore what it would be like to be wandering in the desert. Have the Israelites wait at the foot of the ‘mountain’ while Moses and God meet. Make paper ‘tablets’ with the rules on them for God to give Moses, and use any available costumes or fabric as dress-up.
What Should You Do?
Write the Ten Rules as given in this story up on a large sheet of paper or the blackboard. Talk about what they mean. Brainstorm how to say what they mean you SHOULD do in language the kids understand, and think of examples. For example, Do Not Kill. What you SHOULD do is treat people kindly, not hurting them or doing anything that would kill or really hurt someone else – or yourself. A specific thing you could do to follow this rule is to put safety first – for now, wear your seatbelt. When you are older, learn to drive safely.
Depictions of the Ten Commandments in Art:
Show the children a variety of artistic depictions of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Ferdinand_Bol_-_Moses_descends_from_Mount_Siniai_with_the_Ten_Commandments_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
http://www.copiosa.org/images/moses_law.jpg
http://72.32.137.209/piction/ump.show_public_image?v_umo=12671877&quality=O5
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/DeMilleTenCommandmentsDVDcover.jpg
http://www.marysrosaries.com/collaboration/images/2/26/Moses_receives_the_Ten_Commandments_001.jpg
http://imageweb-cdn.magnoliasoft.net/stapleton/fullsize/1632517.jpg

This last one is a bit risqué and probably only appropriate for an older, bloodthirsty crowd, but it’s built out of Legos, making it’s appeal undeniable:

http://www.bricktestament.com/exodus/the_ten_commandments/ex19_01-02.html
Invite the children to depict the story in images or bricks themselves if you like!
Layout:

Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2013
2013 -> International post doctoral research fellowship programme final report title of the research
2013 -> Seals Family History 1565 to 2004
2013 -> Rao bulletin 15 July 2013 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles
2013 -> R institute of technology school of foreign languages
2013 -> Provisional Programme – subject to change thursday 10th april
2013 -> June, 2013 National hiv testing Day Month Men’s Health Week Hurricane Safety Month
2013 -> In memory of the residents of the Parish Chesham Bois that served their country during wwii
2013 -> Federal contract awards in georgia april 2013