Spirit Play message for March 17

On Sunday, the Spirit Play children will hear the story of The Man in the Moon, from the Hindu tradition.

Here’s the story:

There was a blacksmith who once complained that he was not well because his work was too warm.  He decided he wanted to be a stone on the mountain where the trees would shade him and the wind blows to keep him cool.

A wise man who had power over all things replied, “Go you, be a stone.”  And he was magically changed into a stone.

It happened that a stone-cutter came that way for a stone.

The stone-cutter found the stone that had been the blacksmith, he knew it was what he sought and he began to cut it.

The stone cried out, “this hurts!  I no longer want to be a stone, I want to be a stone-cutter, that would be pleasant.  So the wise man said, “then you shall be a stone-cutter.”

So he became a stone-cutter and went seeking suitable stones.  He grew tired and his feet were sore.  He whimpered, “I no longer want to cut stone.  I would be the sun, that would be pleasant.

The wise man commanded, “be the sun”.  And he was the sun.

But the sun was warmer than the blacksmith, than a stone, than a stone-cutter, and he complained, “I do not like this, I would be the moon, it looks cool.”

The wise man spoke yet again, “be the moon.”  And he was the moon.  “This is warmer than the sun,” he complained, “for the light from the sun shines on me all the time.  I do not wish to be the moon.  I would be a blacksmith again.  That is definitely the best life.”  But the wise man replied, “I am tired of your changing.  You wanted to be the moon; the moon you are, and you will remain forever.”

And he lives high in the heaven to this day.

Ask your children some Wondering Questions after Sunday RE:

• 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 if there is a part of the story that we could leave out and still have a story?
• I wonder why the blacksmith changed his mind so much?
• I wonder if you have ever wanted to be something different than what you are?
• I wonder if you could change what would you be?
• I wonder if you are happy being you?
• I wonder who the wise man with so much power is?
• I wonder where the Spirit of Love and Mystery is in this story?

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER . . . Read some of the books suggested for this session:

• Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle, 1991. Monica’s father fulfills her request for the moon by taking it down when it is small enough to carry, but it continues to change in size.
• Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, 2004. In this award-winning picture book, a kitten pursues a big bowl of milk, not realizing it is the moon.
• Moon Plane by Peter McCarty, 2006. A young boy sees a plane overhead and imagines himself in it, traveling all the way to the moon. What does he see on his way?
• Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer, 2009. The man in the moon looks down on the happy, dancing people on Earth every night, wishing he could join them.