Sight & Touch: Our Colorful Church & Icons

OBJECTIVE

In this module, we will explore how we experience the Church with all of our senses. We hope to teach children that the Church is heaven on earth. Focus on (1) gaining familiarity with the church (2) spiritual foundation to find Christ in everything within the church, (3) developing dialogue so if any doubt or questions arise they have a platform to engage (4) overcome/eliminate boredom during the liturgy. Each week will focus on a different sense and how we use it to experience church and the liturgy. This week will focus on how we use sight and touch to experience our colorful church and icons.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

Think about your house and what you have in it. What kind of rooms does it have? Does each area have a function (ex kitchen is where you cook, bedroom is where you sleep). Is it messy or clean?

Create a sensory box filled with different items we use in the church (a leather book, piece of wood, a handkerchief, orbana, etc).

The church is a special building and everything in the church has a special purpose. The Church is the House of God and, when we are in church, we are in heaven with God. The church has many things for us to see to help us feel the presence of God. What are some things you see that make you feel God's presence inside the Church?

Give children a chance to put their hands in the box and feel around, or have them guess what is in it.

When we are in Church, we feel the church building open up to a time without end. We are surrounded by the images of Christ, the angels, and the saints, and are reminded of the invisible presence of the whole community of heaven at the Liturgy. Each local congregation, in their church building, can see that their Liturgy on earth is one and the same with the great Liturgy of heaven.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Memory Verse

"One thing I have desired of the LORD, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to gaze upon His temple."

Psalm 27:4

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

Our beautiful Church is not a building like all others, but its structure has both a meaning and a purpose. Everything in it is built in a way to teach us more about God.

The Church building can be in three different shapes or forms

  • The form of a boat - The boat reminds us of Noah's ark when Noah and his family entered at the time of the flood and were saved from drowning. This symbolizes that the Church protects us from the danger and evil of this world and it is in the Church where we can find salvation.
  • The form of the Cross - It was on the cross where our Lord redeemed us and the door of heaven was opened for us. The Church teaches Her children the way to heaven, as the Cross is the door through which our Lord opened Paradise for us.
  • The form of a Circle - The circle has no beginning and no end just like our God has no beginning and no end.

The Iconostasis

This is what separates the sanctuary and the church nave. It is made of wood, marble or stone. It has three doors. Each door has a curtain decorated with crosses on it (or sometimes the saint after which the altar is named). The iconostasis holds the icons of saints who lived on earth and are now in heaven.

The Church puts the iconostasis in front of us when we enter the Church so we can feel as if we are in heaven. When we see it, we are reminded of all the saints who are in heaven but also are close to us at all times. We learn from their lives and we ask for their prayers and intercessions.

The Bosom of the Father

In the sanctuary inside the Church, there is a curved wall towards the East which we call the "Bosom of the Father". In the Bosom of the Father, we find the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ sitting on His throne. This icon is consecrated with the Holy Myron oil. In front of it, there is a lamp always lit with oil which represents God's eyes always watching over us. It also reminds us of the star that led the Magi to the manger where our Lord Jesus Christ was born. In His right hand, He holds a sceptre because He is the just judge. In some variations, this icon shows our Lord Jesus Christ carrying a globe in His left hand to represent that He is the Pantocrator---the creator, Who is in control of everything.

What does it mean that God is the Pantocrator? Nothing can happen, big or small, except with God's permission. There is no such thing as coincidence or luck. God controls everything in the universe with His wisdom, with an amazing order and accuracy.

The parts of the Church

  • The Narthex - This is the hall between the main door of the church and the entrance to the church. Here, you will usually see icons with candles, and the boxes for the offerings. In the olden days, those who wished to be Christian, but were not yet baptized (Catechumens), would stay in this part of the church. The narthex symbolizes this world.
  • The Nave -- This is the area inside the church where we usually find pews and it is surrounded by icons on all the walls. The Nave is the place of the assembled faithful who have been baptized pray. The baptized Christians on earth enter into the eternal worship of God's Kingdom in the Church.
  • The iconostasis separates the nave from the sanctuary. As we said earlier, the Iconostasis is decorated with holy icons. Facing the sanctuary, we see to the right of the Central (Royal) Door, the Icon of our Lord Jesus Christ; beside our Lord is St. John the Baptist and to the right of St. John is the Archangel Gabriel. To the left of the central Door we see the Icon of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child; next, on the left, is the Icon of the Patron Saint of the particular Church; (by recognizing the Saint or Saints in this position we establish the name of the Church, without having to be told.)
  • The Sanctuary - The Sanctuary area stands for the kingdom of God. The altar table is where Christ is enthroned, both as the Word of God in the Gospels and as the Lamb of God in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Around the altar are the angels and saints in the perpetual adoration inspired by the Holy Spirit.

LIFE APPLICATION- 5 Minutes

Understanding why the church is built like this separates it from other buildings, and shows its value. All the icons are there to remind us of the lives of the saints and to help us imagine ourselves in heaven with them. You can think of icons as "windows" into heaven.

Even though some Coptic churches look different, you can see the same structures (the iconostasis, sanctuary, etc.). What things can look different from church to church? Why do you think the church has these different sections?

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

So let's review:

  • What are the shapes in which a church can be built?
  • What is the iconostasis? Where is the iconostasis? How many doors are in the iconostasis? What icons do we find in the iconostasis?
  • What is the Bosom of the Father? Where is it? What icon do we find in it? What is in front of the icon? What is in Christ's right hand? What does that mean? What is in Christ's left hand? What does that mean?
  • What does it mean that God is the Pantocrator?
  • What are the three parts of the church called?

CONCLUSION - 2 Minutes

Our Church is filled with beautiful things for us to see to make us feel that we are in heaven with God.

ACTIVITY - 5-10 Minutes

Build a Church

  • Bring a box of classic legos to class and have the children use them to create a church building in one of the shapes described
  • You can bring toothpicks and small marshmallows and have the kids use the materials to try to design a church building
  • Create a church envelope craft:

COPTUNES+ VIDEO

RESOURCES

  • See PowerPoint Slides for Bosom of the Father in attached activities below.

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • Encourage the children to walk around the church with their parents and look at all the beautiful icons they see. Tell them to find one saint whose story they do not know and tell them to spend time with their parents, learning the story of that saint. This can turn into a weekly activity until the child learns the stories of all the saints in the icons of the church.
  • If parents do not already have a prayer corner at home, they can work with their children to create a prayer corner, trying to make it remind us of God's presence by adding icons and candles
  • Parents can have the children watch this cartoon, explaining the liturgy:

APPENDIX

Picture of Bosom of the Father and Iconostasis:

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 3 Week 1 Slides (Liturgy).pdf