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About Me
- The Teacher
- I teach Sunday School in my LDS Ward. I am an active, faithful and believing member of the Church, but many of my ward members would be surprised to know what I really think. (OK, the picture is not really me. It is Richard Ballantyne, father of the LDS Sunday School). Having problems with site? E-mail me at beehivecollections AT gmail DOT com.
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What do you think of the ol' "To Do" or "Not To Do" lists in discussions of Sabbath Day observance?
ReplyDeleteI sometimes find it helpful to provide historical background for the current lesson. I used some of Teacher’s detail for Section 59. I used additional details from Steven Harper’s book: “Making Sense of the Doctrine & Covenants” which is useful for providing context for the various revelations. One note of caution however, spending too much time on history can detract from the spirit and divert from lesson objectives.
ReplyDeleteWhutzNekst’s idea about using the portion of Fiddler on the Roof that shows preparation for the Sabbath was great. I wanted to use the video, but decided that just discussing the scene would work. My purpose was to set the stage for how we approach the Sabbath. The lesson manual asks how we feel when we enter the temple. This led into a discussion about how the Sabbath day differs from other days of the week. All of this provided a wonderful atmosphere in the class and I strongly felt the spirit.
I avoided the usual recitation of Sabbath day do’s and don’ts. I focused on defining and understanding what ‘offering up’ our sacraments meant as opposed to ‘partaking of’ the sacrament. Another interesting discussion focused on defining and understanding what devotions and oblations are.
Incidentally, because I teach in the ward chapel it is sometimes difficult to get everyone together and settled down for class. This year I was inspired to buy a small, cheap, portable, stereo cd player. I downloaded and burned on cd a variety of hymns of the restoration. I play 1 or 2 as prelude to introductions and prayer. It is pretty easy to find hymn topics that are associated with each lesson. I particularly try to use hymns that were sung in the early days of the church. By playing these hymns I find that class members are quicker to gather and more prepared to receive the promptings of the spirit as we begin each lesson. They often provide a great introduction to the lesson topic. I have had many positive comments from the class.