Be Light

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the service module is to teach the children what service looks like in their lives. For fifth graders it's important to develop their relationship with God and to make the Lord very real to them. Every week of this module will focus on relating their action to the words of the Lord: week 1 -- Be Salt, week 2 - Be Light, week 3 - Be Leaven, week 4 - Be Ambassadors and Apostles. Help them realize how their actions are a service to those around them.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

Review the previous lesson on 'Being Salt'

  1. Ask students: "What happens during a Solar Eclipse?"
  2. Show a short video or pictures of a total solar eclipse to give students a visual in introducing this lesson on being 'Light.'

  • Their answers should state: A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves in front of the Sun as seen from a location on Earth. During a solar eclipse, it gets dimmer and dimmer outside as more and more of the Sun is covered by the Moon. During a total eclipse, the entire Sun is covered for a few minutes and it becomes very dark outside.
  1. Ask: Who is the Light in our life? Answer: Christ
  2. State/Discuss the following points
    • God created a world that is perfect in every way BUT there is darkness.
    • Sometimes people cause a shadow just as there is a shadow during an eclipse, as the sun/light is covered by the moon.
    • People around us can sadly take away the light.
    • Many things around us can take away the light.
    • There are many reasons why there is darkness but there is hope and that hope is in each one of us in that we are called to be the light of the world.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

Read the first Bible passage below together with open Bibles. More Biblical passages pertinent to this theme are included below as well, if possible, read and address them.

  • Matthew 5:14-19 - "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one ajot or one btittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
  • 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
  • Isaiah 49:6 - "Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
  • Acts 13:47 - "For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' "
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:5 - "You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness."

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 15 Minutes

Use attached lesson notes (see Appendix below) to discuss the following points in depth (this is only a brief list of important points; more details and explanations are found in the attached lesson notes)

  1. Christ is the light; God created a world that is perfect in every way but there is darkness.
  2. Sometimes people create a shadow just as there would be during an eclipse, where a shadow is created by the moon, thus covering the light of the sun.
  3. People around us can take away the light. For example, in school you might have people who curse, cheat, lie, wear inappropriate clothing, etc. Even adults can be part of the darkness in that they may say inappropriate words, wear inappropriate clothing, smoke, or use alcohol.
  4. Satan attacks through addiction to video games/phone and corrupts your mind by making you want to have friends for the sake of having friends and makes you feel lonely so that you will do anything to fit in.
  5. You come to church but what does it mean to you? Unfortunately, sometimes we just come to see our friends.
  6. You cannot be the LIGHT, if your source is the world; You must be grounded with God.
  7. To shine your light does not mean to show off, but let your works speak for themselves.
  8. To be the light of the world first starts with me and my relationship with God, so I must be shining, I must be real; I cannot pretend it.
  9. All of this is certainly possible because there are many people that have accomplished this, such as the Saints.
  10. The Church has existed for 2000 years unchanged as it is the LIGHT of the world.
  11. Always stand up for what is right like the Saints did. NEVER comprise this and you will be the LIGHT of the world.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

Respond to the following questions through group discussion

What does it mean to be a "light"? How do we get this light? How can we strengthen it? How can we make it burn brighter? How can we let our light shine in our families, at school, with friends, with neighbors, at church, etc.? Are you discovering your special talents and gifts and letting them shine, reflecting the light of Christ? If so, how?

LIFE APPLICATION (Action) - 5 Minutes

See attached handout. Children are given examples of feelings/ideas that lead to darkness and they are to find the Biblical reference demonstrating which actions will allow them to be the "Light of the World."

Explain to the children that our actions everyday matter. From the smallest things to the biggest things. Everything we do is an opportunity to be a light in the world.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

  • Pass out two Cluster Diagrams titled, Actions that Lead to Darkness and Actions that Lead to Light to each student or in partners. (Completed samples are provided in Appendix below)
  • Have students write examples/actions of how to be the "Light of the World" and behaviors that lead to "darkness," then share and tie their answers to points made in the lesson.

Optional: Service Assignment (optional - requires research and preparation by servants)

  • Locate safe, potential places where students can volunteer and/or donate food and clothing to have an opportunity to serve others. Teachers would find places such as a soup kitchen or a nursing home to give students an opportunity to serve as a group during a designated date. This can become a continuous activity where students serve once a month.
  • Find attached document with detailed ideas on where and how to serve in your communities

PARENTS' CORNER/HOMEWORK

Discuss the following questions with your children regarding Matthew 5:14-19.

  1. How can they get this light? How can they strengthen it to burn brighter?
  2. How can your children let their light shine with the family, at school, with friends, at church?
  3. Are they discovering their special talents and gifts and letting them shine, reflecting the light of Christ? How are they doing so?
  4. Do they know how to pray? Do they like to pray?
  5. What is the meaning of Church to them? How do they respect/honor the Church?
  6. Do they come just to see their friends or because their parents told them to come?
  7. Do they only attend once a week or are they involved in the services?

There is darkness in the world, but through Christ, there is hope and that hope is in each one of us that we are called to be the light of the world.

APPENDIX

Additional Lesson Notes (see Content section)

  1. Christ is the light; God created a world that is perfect in every way but there is darkness
  2. Sometimes people create a shadow just as there would be during an eclipse, where a shadow is created by the moon, thus covering the light of the sun.
    • People around us can take away the light
    • For example, in school you might have people who curse, cheat, lie, dance, wear inappropriate clothing, etc.
    • Even adults can be part of the darkness in that they may say inappropriate words, wear inappropriate clothing, smoke, or use alcohol.
  3. Since people around us tend to do these things, what are the results?
    • It is like something becoming rotten; it gets bigger and bigger and spreads, causing contamination. If we eat the rotten food, we become sick which is why we don't eat rotten food
    • As a result, we have a culture/society that is evil. God did not make it evil, but people did as sin entered the world.
  4. Satan is the mastermind behind this evil, approaching from us from all angles
    • Satan attacks through addiction to video games/phone
    • Satan corrupts your mind by making you want to have friends for the sake of having friends and makes you feel lonely so that you will do anything to fit in.
      • For example, saying bad words, cheating, listening to secular music, being encouraged by 'friends' to act in this manner or you will be made fun of if you do not.
      • Being encouraged to be violent.
      • Being encouraged to be lazy; doing your bare minimum and NOT using your talents. Satan has you preoccupied with the pleasures of the world, yet God has given EACH one of you many GIFTS but it takes effort to find your gifts and talents. You must discover them, but you will never discover them by being lazy.
      • Satan's plan is to corrupt you from every angle.
  5. What is the meaning of Church to you?
    • You come to church but what does it mean to you? Unfortunately, sometimes we just come to see our friends
    • We need to ask ourselves:
      • Do you respect/honor the church
      • Do you know how to pray? Do you like to pray?
      • Do you come to church only because your parents told you to come?
      • What time do you come?
      • Do you only attend once a week? Are you involved in the services?
      • Sometimes parents are too tired to come to church; you should be the one to tell your parents to come to church.
      • For all these reasons is why there is darkness, but there is hope and that hope is in each one of us that we are called to be the light of the world.
  6. Light must have a source; there is no light without an energy source
    • You cannot be the LIGHT, if your source is the world.
    • You must be grounded with God through
      • Reading the Bible
      • Attending the Divine Liturgy
      • Taking Communion
      • Repenting and Confessing
    • If you do not have any of those qualities, your light is fake; it is not a real light and that is why you will never shine, it is as if you are saying, "look at me, I am light" but in reality it is like looking at a lamp that has no oil.
    • The sad thing is that you are in denial; Satan has you to believe that just because you are called Christian you can produce light.
    • Just like anyone can say "I am a doctor" regardless of whether they have a degree or not. Even having a degree, one needs to be practicing because imagine going to a doctor that hasn't practiced for 20 years. The same goes for being a true Christian: Are you practicing?
  7. Sometimes we know about God, but we don't really know Him.
    • For example, you may have heard of the sport called 'basketball', but do you really know it; do you know how to perform it?
    • This is the same concept with Christianity; we know about God, yet: Do we LIVE Him? Do we EXPERIENCE it?
    • It is also like the fact that we know there is a fruit called an orange, but when you taste and it becomes part of your diet it will become part of you and if you taste it you will get the nutrients. When we taste God/living a true Christian life, we get all of His sweetness. Satan does not want you to have this sweetness; he will make you complain about how much work and effort it takes.
    • Denial; any person can say they are Christian but where is the proof?
    • To shine your light does not mean to show off, but let your works speak for themselves.
  8. To be the light of the world first starts with me and my relationship with God, so I must be shining, I must be real; I cannot pretend it
    • This goes back to my spiritual life does not happen by itself; one has to work on it
    • Being the light of the world means to surround myself with the right source of energy; God.
    • God did not leave me alone
      • He gave me many examples starting with the Bible
      • I must surround myself with the right type of friends that can keep my light shining and people to support me such as priests.
      • To shine in the world is to NOT care about the world; not care about what people are telling me I should be doing in terms of bad things.
    • Having the character traits of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit is an indicator of the strength of the light that we have from Christ
      • Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control (Galatians 5:22-23).
  9. All of this is certainly possible because there are many people that have accomplished this
    • The Saints
    • When you examine the saints, you will find that they are humans just like us.
      • Saints Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fishermen. Saint Paul was a tentmaker. Saint Matthew was a tax collector. We hear about St. Mina and St. George, who were soldiers. St. Marina was taught Christianity by her nanny.
      • This is a small sample, but all the saints were ordinary people as Pope Shenouda said the only difference between the saints and us is how committed they were.
    • St. Paul also called us saints as we are committed to God.
      • Colossians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father
      • Colossians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father
  10. In the Liturgy we see the deacons during the Gospel holding candles as a symbol that the word of God is the light of the world and we learn from hearing the words of the Gospel so that we can preach the Gospel, not by words, but by action
  11. Throughout history the church has existed for 2000 years unchanged as it is the LIGHT of the world
    • Christ established, the Disciples preached, the Church fathers kept
    • The reason for this is that the Orthodox church has never cared to change its ways just to adhere to the world, just like many other non-orthodox churches that changed their ways.
    • In the same way, your life should be grounded as to NOT compromise what you stand for.
    • The church itself has been persecuted and people died for the sake of Christ.
    • The Orthodox church is under severe persecution; until now they are persecuted.
    • You too will be persecuted, even though it is not in the same way as in Egypt. You will suffer from the temptations that are around you every day. That, in itself, is persecution, so you have to not be afraid. Always stand up for what is right like all the saints did. NEVER comprise, in this manner you will be the LIGHT of the world.

Service Assignment Ideas

Before deciding on a service organization, research your choice to make sure the group is right for your students. Look over the group's website, attend a meeting, ask questions and search the Internet for media attention about events or accomplishments

  1. Donate clothing
    • Keep an eye out for those clothes that you no longer wear. If these items are in good shape, gather them together and donate them to organizations that provide housing for the homeless.
  2. Donate a bag of groceries
    • Load up a bag full of nonperishable groceries and donate it to a food drive in your area. If your community doesn't have a food drive, organize one. Contact your local soup kitchens, shelters, and homeless societies and ask what kind of food donations they would like.
  3. Volunteer at a shelter
    • Shelters thrive on the work of volunteers, from those who sign people in, to those who serve meals, to others who counsel the homeless on where to get social services. For the homeless, a shelter can be as little as a place to sleep out of the rain or as much as a step forward to self-sufficiency.
  4. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
    • Soup kitchens provide one of the basics of life, nourishing meals for the homeless and other disadvantaged members of the community. Volunteers generally do much of the work, including picking up donations of food, preparing meals, serving it, and cleaning up afterward. To volunteer your services, contact your local soup kitchen, mobile food program, shelter, or religious center.
  5. Find Youth-Serving Organizations
    • Organizations that provide services for vulnerable children include those that focus solely on children and those that work with families. Contact your local public school system or Communities in Schools and visit the websites of public libraries and local literacy councils to learn about programs that help children.
  6. Volunteer with Seniors
    • While there are a variety of groups and places you can choose to share your time, many people turn to volunteering with seniors because of how much seniors appreciate it. Whether it's at a community center where adult day care is held, a nursing home or assisted living facility, there are many opportunities to spend time with seniors. If you want to volunteer with seniors, you can contact any local nursing home, assisted living facility, or retirement community in your area and see if there is a need.

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 5 Week 2 Activity.pdf