curiouswombat: (Summertime)
[personal profile] curiouswombat
Traditionally the church children have a special service in July to celebrate the end of term as we do not have children's lessons over the summer, so many of them are off-island, and it gives the teachers a chance to charge our own batteries.

This service was on Sunday - and our theme was sheep! We looked at a number of the times sheep occur in the Bible a few weeks ago - and then we made sheep! Lots of sheep. And rehearsed a story, and made more sheep...

I took some pictures -



We first made sheep from paper plates and cotton wool - this kept people busy on a week when we were short of teachers!

They were, like people, all individuals! And took their place in the Sanctuary at church...

paper plate sheep

paper plate sheep 2

We reminded everyone that sheep were a valued and well cared for commodity throughout the times written of in the Bible- to be considered His sheep is to know that you are valued. And we thought about the shepherds in the Bible - from Jacob, Joseph, David, and those in the psalms to those in the Nativity story, and Jesus request to Peter to 'feed my sheep'. Readings and prayers focussed on these - and then we told the story of Daniel, the lost sheep who was found by the Good Shepherd... For which we had made lots of masks!

flock of sheep

There were a couple more sheep - but there are always a couple who get away before the camera comes out after the service. Also - look closely to spot the two black sheep near the back! As well as the cast and the narrator (young girl at left), who was very good as she paced it properly, there are a couple of teachers too. Oh - and Daniel the lost sheep is the sheep wearing a purple eye-mask!

And the final flock of sheep produced by the children in the preceding weeks were handed out to by the smallest people to everyone to write either their own name, or that of someone else they felt needed prayers onto, then my small shepherds collected them all back in and they were stuck onto their own pasture -

prayer sheep

Where they will remain over the summer to remind the adults of the children, and for anyone and everyone to take time to sit prayerfully and consider those named.

Making all the sheep was good fun - and hopefully some of the service will remain in the memories of even the smallest people - and I know some of the adults appreciated it because they said so!





In other news - it is definitely summer today - S2C has taken his jumper off. And even his sweatshirt for an hour or two!

Actually the temperature was about 25C today - and I met one of my patients who has a small son, about 18 months old. She said he was a bit fretful in the heat - but then it occurred to us that it has never been as warm as this at any time in his life - no wonder he was making strange!

Date: 08/07/2013 08:51 pm (UTC)
shirebound: (Default)
From: [personal profile] shirebound
Awwwww, sheepses!

Date: 08/07/2013 09:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
It was good fun producing such an assorted flock!

Date: 08/07/2013 09:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zanthinegirl.livejournal.com
That's adorable! Very nice sheep.

I'm amused at 25c being hot. If I've done the math correctly that's 77f; which is what I'd call a perfect summer day! Especially as it was super hot (94f/35c) here last week, and that really was miserable in a world without air conditioner! Though I suppose if you've never felt warm before...

Date: 08/07/2013 09:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Sheep turned out to be a very good subject for a church service!

Yes - in farenheit today was mid to upper 70s. Which is a nice warm summer day for us - we rarely get anything hotter; and I don't think we got above 70F last summer!

Of course we don't have air-con, apart from in many of our cars, it would be regarded as an unnecessary affectation! So if we do get up to 28 - 30C for more than half an hour, we will really feel hot.

Date: 08/07/2013 09:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zanthinegirl.livejournal.com
Yes - in farenheit today was mid to upper 70s. Which is a nice warm summer day for us - we rarely get anything hotter; and I don't think we got above 70F last summer!

Yup; that sounds like seattle weather! The last 2-3 years have been like that but this one's shaping up to be hot. We have highs this week in the high 70s/ low 80s F (I think low to mid 20sC) which is actually a little warmer than usual but after last week's record highs no one is complaining!

We don't do heat well in the PNW! And heat usually means forrest fires in the mountains. Shudder. My good friend had a forrest fire literally in her back yard last summer. It took out the back fence. Scary stuff!

Date: 08/07/2013 09:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] estelcontar1.livejournal.com
The sheep are so cute. It must have been a lovey service.

25º Is considered quite coolish here. But then, most people who live in Rio would consider your coolish temperatures as quite cold.

Date: 08/07/2013 09:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
It really was a nice service.

Last year we didn't reach 25C at all! This week it looks as if we will see it for a few hours each day. If it is a good summer we might have more weeks like this at regular intervals until mid September.

Date: 09/07/2013 12:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] petzipellepingo.livejournal.com
Petzi Sis the sheep lover would approve.

Date: 09/07/2013 07:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
It was certainly a church service for the sheep lover!

Date: 09/07/2013 01:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] engarian.livejournal.com
I love sheep, and especially loved your two black-faced ones. My BFF Sharon and I always go through the sheep barn at the State Fair each year, petting as we go. The sheep and the goats are my favorites.

- Erulisse (one L)

Date: 09/07/2013 07:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
The sheep and the goats are my favorites.

You would be amused by the mask of the little girl front right, then - her older brother cut it down to make it smaller for her - and I think he gave it a distinctly goat-like face in the process! (She's the 3 year old who walked up the mountain with her dad the day before.)

Date: 09/07/2013 07:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] engarian.livejournal.com
Yes, that is distinctly more goat-like :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

Date: 09/07/2013 03:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pondhopper.livejournal.com
The kids with the masks are great! I often think when I see posts about what you do at church that if I were to ever be a member of any church again it would be yours.
Yay for summer!

Date: 09/07/2013 07:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
You'd be very welcome. We do have some more serious services, too - but there is always a feeling of family, I think.

Date: 09/07/2013 04:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nutmeg3.livejournal.com
Sheepses!

Also, I thought a jumper and a sweater were the same thing. But since they're not, what's a jumper?

Date: 09/07/2013 07:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
You are right about sweaters and jumpers - both are woolly garments which do not have a full length opening down the front (or they'd be a cardigan) - whereas a sweatshirt is made out of cotton - you know - like his (http://www.jdsports.co.uk/product/nike-premium-sweatshirt/079555/?cm_mmc=googleshop-_-PPC-_-Google-_-__keyword__&aid=1100&source=plusbox&keyword_id&remote_ad_id&matchtype&keyword=&gclid=CMaRjfbyobgCFfLHtAodE20AVQ).

Date: 09/07/2013 05:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lindahoyland.livejournal.com
I just love the sheep!

Date: 09/07/2013 07:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
I went in on Friday and safety-pinned all the sheep to the curtains behind the Sanctuary, then on Saturday to re-stick the pins on the backs of any that had fallen down. So they were all in place before even the first member of the congregation arrived. It would have been fun to see how long it took them to notice the sheep...

Date: 09/07/2013 05:23 am (UTC)
debris4spike: (Grin!)
From: [personal profile] debris4spike
I LOVE the smile on the sheep centre right in the 2nd picture!

Yes, must be summer, dad has removed one (only one) of the blankets from his bed!

Date: 09/07/2013 07:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
The faces on the sheep were really fun - we had a couple of rather serene looking sheep, some smiley ones, and a couple of rather evil-looking ones, too! Considering they were made from a paper plate, some cotton wool, and scraps of black and white card, they were amazingly individual. Just like people.

Ah - your dad is clearly a man after S2C's heart!

Date: 09/07/2013 07:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thismaz.livejournal.com
All the sheep are great and what a brilliant image to choose, to explore so many themes.

Date: 09/07/2013 12:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Thank you. It was just one of those 'Aha!' moments that grew into three weeks of lessons and craft and worked really well.

Date: 09/07/2013 08:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chaotic-binky.livejournal.com
What happy looking sheep :D

Date: 09/07/2013 12:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Aren't they? It was a happy morning all round, really!

Date: 09/07/2013 11:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com
25C? And she calls it "heat"? :) She should come to Mediterranean and see what real heat is. :)

But then, if someone from equatorial regions could see my post, s/he'd probably say: "35C? And you call it 'heat'? You should come to our place to see what real heat is." :)))

The point is, I'd be really happy if we here had temperatures of only 25.

Date: 09/07/2013 12:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Being where we are, and surrounded with water, our average temperatures rarely go below freezing in the winter, or above 25C in the summer - so it feel too hot if it gets to 30C. But for the baby, this was a whole new thing, as last summer was not very warm at all.

And I can imagine, when it gets so hot where you are that you just want to lie down in the shade, that you might envy us our climate!

Date: 09/07/2013 01:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com
that you might envy us our climate!

We do! :)

Date: 09/07/2013 05:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com
Awwww lovely!

It's definitely summer here too and way too hot for both me and my sheep even though they're all shorn now!

Date: 10/07/2013 12:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
It was rather poignant, in a way - discussing how valued and cared for sheep are - the children understood the point as they had all seem the pictures as our farmers, their neighbours, and a host of volunteers, spent so long at the end of March searching out and rescuing the sheep under the snow.

It is a nice 21C with a slight breeze today. once it gets over 25 it is too hot to work, I think!

Date: 10/07/2013 01:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bojojoti.livejournal.com
What an imaginative and fun teaching exercise. I love all the little sheep with names of those to pray for.

It's all what someone is accustomed to, isn't it? I think 25°C is heavenly--the perfect temperature. It was 107°F/41.7°C here today. And it's been windy. When it's that hot, a breeze isn't refreshing--it's a blast furnace. Sucks out every bit of moisture from a body including the marrow from your bones. Or so it feels! Your husband would not only discard his sweatshirt--he'd be down to his skivvies! But I'm not complaining, because I have air conditioning, don't have to work outside (although I watered the poor, parched pots), and it still beats winter.

Date: 10/07/2013 12:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
The pasture full of prayerful sheep was the last thing we thought of - and it really does work well, doesn't it?

We are happy in 25C - but anything higher does get difficult to work in for some of us. And poor wee George was probably a little surprised by it - last year was not a good summer, and we never reached 25C at all!


I can absolutely imagine the blast furnace effect. Today is still beautiful - we have had sunshine much of the time since early June - but is 21C with a slight breeze. This is lovely - but a higher wind and a higher temperature would be most uncomfortable.

Date: 12/07/2013 05:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] the-winterwitch.livejournal.com
Lovely sheep! ♥ These kind of services usually really stay in people's minds, what you describe sounds really nice.

S2C has taken his jumper off. And even his sweatshirt for an hour or two!
:o))) Yay to summer! *\O/* We're having it finally, too. About time!

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