As usual, we started our class with the Lord’s prayer. But it sounded like this: “Pater Noster, иже еси на небесех! Hallowed be Thy name. Adveniat regnum Tuum.” etc. Kids were very quiet and had surprised looks on their faces. I asked them whether they liked me to pray this way, whether it was easy to follow and understand the familiar prayer. They honestly told me that they didn’t like it at all and, although they knew the prayer in Church Slavonic and in English, it was difficult to follow. They also had no idea what the third language was and it made the prayer even more confusing.
So we began the lesson on the Tower of Babel. I introduced the story, using the Orthodox Bible Reader for children and we began our discussion of the event. To demonstrate what was happening in the story more vividly I began to tell the kids what a good cook I am and how well I can bake cookies, so that people ask for more, and ask to share a recipe, and give me tons of complements on my great baking skills. Immediately kids realized that I was boasting. It was neither beautiful, nor pleasant for the listeners. I pointed out that when we talk loudly about our good deeds or good grades at school, we are being prideful and show off. God does not want us to be this way. He wants us to be humble and glorify Him with everything we say or do.
At the end of the lesson the kids built their own towers of Babel out of fruit, using the plates with greetings in different languages written on them. Other supplies were baking sticks and toothpicks to hold the fruits together. After finishing the individual fruit towers, the kids had a team project and built a tower for our priest, Fr. Aidan. They were a great team! They built the tallest and most stable tower, working together.
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