WHAT IS A CHURCH?

There are several ways to define a church.  A church is a place where we worship the Lord.  It can also mean a group of people with similar beliefs.  In the Heavenly Doctrines, we are told about spiritual churches.  One of these is a universal church made up of all people who acknowledge the Lord and live in good according to their religious beliefs.  Another is a more specific church with those who have the Word, learn about the Lord from reading and hearing this Word, and live according to its truths.  As the Rev. Philip Schnarr notes in Becoming a Church, the Heavenly Doctrines often talk about a “church” as a spiritual state with a person or group of people.  Young children can learn that people become part of the Lord’s church when they obey and live what they learn from the Word (see Spiritual Concepts about the Church).  Teenagers and adults can begin to understand the deeper concept of the church as a spiritual state within us.

 

ACTIVITY:  What Is a Church? (for preschool and primary children)

Ask children to tell you what a church is and write down their ideas.  Talk about what things are typically in a church building, the ways that a church is used, etc.  What are the most important things about a church?  Make a book following the format of The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, in which you tell many things about a church but end with a sentence beginning: “But the important thing about a church is….”   For example:  “Our church has a big window with lots of colors.  There are lots of chairs for people to sit on.  But the most important thing in our church is the Word on the altar.”

(See the Spiritual Concepts about the Church chart for ideas appropriate for various ages.)

FAMILY DISCUSSION:  The Church Is Where the Word Is

 

The church exists specifically where the Word is,
and where the Lord is thereby known…

 

New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrines 246

 

  How should we understand this teaching?  Is the church wherever we find the Word?  What if the Word is left on a shelf and no one ever reads it?  Where we find the Word, there is the potential to for people to learn about the Lord.  But we have to do our part, reading the Word in an effort to learn about our Father in heaven. 

PROJECT:  Make a Picture of Your Church
  Draw a picture of the place where you worship the Lord.  Is it a church building?  If you live far away from church, you may have family worship or “church” in your home.   Either way, draw a picture of your church showing where the Word is.  If there is a special stained glass window or some other feature that you like, you may want to put that in your picture as well.

ACTIVITY:  Look at a Variety of New Church Buildings
  Look at buildings dedicated to the worship of the Lord God Jesus Christ.  Do they all look the same?  In what ways are they similar?  In what ways are they different? 

FINGER PLAY: Here Is the Church…

 

FAMILY DISCUSSION:  Visiting Other Churches (for teens and up)
You may have the opportunity to visit other church buildings from time to time.  Friends may

invite you to a church service or perhaps you will be sightseeing somewhere and want to look inside an interesting church.  Look for similarities and differences between your place of worship and the others.  Where do they keep the Word?  Do they light candles around the Word or shine a special light on it?  If you attend a service, do they read from the Word and talk about its meaning?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUILD THE TABERNACLE

 

 

 

Exodus 25:8

The Lord let Moses see a vision of a Tabernacle in heaven so that he would know just how to make it. The Lord also gave Moses specific instructions to pass along to the children of Israel.  And the Lord called Bezaleel, filling him with the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge necessary for building the Tabernacle.  He also appointed Aholiab to help him, and put wisdom in the hearts of all who were gifted artisans (see Exodus 31:1-6).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROJECT:  Clothespin Figure of Moses (for preschool and primary children)

 

 

Make a clothespin figure of Moses showing his face gleaming with light.  Use a marker to make dots for his eyes and to color his beard.  Use glitter or yellow marker (or watercolor) to make his face shine.  This shining pictures the way the Word and our worship of the Lord have beautiful meanings that we can learn as we become wiser.  The angels thought about these things when the children of Israel worshiped the Lord. 

 

 

PROJECT:  The Shining Face of Moses (for preschool and primary children)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a picture of his face on tracing paper, then display it in a sunny window or shine a flashlight behind it.  Talk to the children about Moses spending 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai listening to the Lord.  Moses learned many things to tell the Israelites!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACTIVITY: Exploring the Tabernacle

 

1) Print (or mount) the Tabernacle Picture Cards onto cover stock and cut them apart. Practice matching each picture card with the name that correctly identifies it.

2) Print the Tabernacle Diagram showing the different parts of the Tabernacle: Holy of Holies, Holy Place, and the outer court. Then sort the picture cards, putting items that belong in the Holy Place on that part of the diagram, and those that were in the courtyard there, etc.

3) Sort the Tabernacle furnishings to show which ones were made of gold (or covered with gold), silver, bronze, plant materials (such as linen from flax), and animals (coverings for the tabernacle). You may want to use the Materials of the Tabernacle chart to help you sort them.

4) Use the Artisans of the Tabernacle chart to help you think about how the Tabernacle was made.

ACTIVITY:  Visit the Tabernacle Model at Glencairn Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Tabernacle model was built by children in the Bryn Athyn Church Elementary School under the supervision of the Right Reverend George de Charms during the 1920s.  Today, the model can be seen in the Ancient Near East Gallery of Glencairn Museum. (For information about Glencairn Museum see www.glencairnmuseum.org .) 

 

ACTIVITY: See Pictures of the Tabernacle Model

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those who cannot easily visit the museum, you may want to look at these pictures of the model. 

 

(Please note that these pictures were made as a joint project of the Office of Education with Glencairn Museum, and Glencairn holds the copyright.  These images may not be used without permission.) 

 

ACTIVITY: See a QuickTime Slide show of the Tabernacle Model

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tabernacle Slide Show for High Speed Connection (14 MB)
Tabernacle Slide Show for Dial Up Connection (7 MB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Please note that the free QuickTime Player is needed. Click here for more instructions).

 

PROJECT:  Make Your Own Model of the Tabernacle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tabernacle was like a tent except that it had wooden sides, and it had a courtyard all around it.

 

 

 

See the Sunday School Projects and Activities for ways that a group of people can work together to make a model of the Tabernacle using a variety of materials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offerings to the Lord

 

 

Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring…an offering to the Lord….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 35:21

FAMILY DISCUSSION: An Offering to the Lord

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord told Moses to ask the children of Israel to donate materials for building the Tabernacle.  They brought gold, silver, and bronze; fine linen threads of blue, purple, and scarlet; skins of rams and badgers as well as goats’ hair; shittim wood (called acacia wood in NKJV), precious stones, spices, and oil.  How did the children of Israel get all of these materials?  See Exodus 11 and 12 to find out how Lord provided that they would have the natural resources for building the Tabernacle.  The Lord also made sure they had people with the skills needed to fashion these materials into the walls, the coverings, and the beautiful furnishings, didn’t He?

 

When you put money in the offertory basket, think about this offering helping to build or maintain your church as sanctuary for the Lord.  Do you also have talents that you could share to help take care of your church or help your church community?  Talk about ways that your family can help the church (building and community).  These may include singing in a choir, making flower arrangements, serving as a chancel girl or usher, etc.

Journal:  Offering the Lord Our Best (teens and up)
Write about something that you would like to offer the Lord—something that reflects the very best of what you have to give Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ark in the Holy of Holies

 

 

 

 

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

he very holiness of the whole tabernacle was from the testimony, that is, the two tables of stone on which the law was inscribed, because the law signified the Lord as to Divine Truth, and thus as to the Word….

 

Apocalypse Explained 700:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROJECT:  Make a Model of the Ark (for preschool and up)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an easy way to make a model of the Ark using a small box. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROJECT:  Use a Modeling Compound to Make a Model of the Ark (elementary and up)
Read the Lord’s instructions to Moses for making the Ark and look at the photograph above, showing one way to picture it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROJECT:  A Model of the Ark to Cut and Fold (elementary and up)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACTIVITY:  Make a “Sanctuary for the Lord” in Your Home (teenagers and adults)
Physically, a sanctuary is a building.  Emotionally, it is a place that protects us. Spiritually, it is a state of mind (and spiritual development through regeneration) in which we can communicate with the Lord.  Set up a place in your home, where you can communicate with the Lord, reading His Word, reflecting on His teachings, and praying to Him.  This may be a worship center with a repository or special stand for the Word.  Then set aside a time where you go to the Word, seek to hear what the Lord has to say, and be willing to be led by Him.  This is like the Lord speaking to Moses above the mercy seat over the ark, between the cherubim.

 

 

You may find that this place becomes a sanctuary for you, where you can center your life on the Lord and gain a new perspective on whatever challenges may come your way.

 

READ:  “Homes of Our Own” by the Rev. Robert S. Junge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REFLECTION:  Dedicating Our Homes to the Lord

When we move into a new home, we may want to dedicate the home or our worship center.  The Liturgy: for the Use of the General Church of the New Jerusalem (1995 edition) includes a rite of home dedication which uses these words: “You have come before the Lord in order that this house may be dedicated to the spiritual and natural uses of a home.  Dedication of a place of worship in a home serves as a powerful ultimate of the family’s trust in the Lord…. The home in which conjugial love and the spiritual love of children dwell is like a refuge in which a family recuperates and gathers strength to go forth and perform uses of spiritual charity….”

 

THE CHERUBIM

ACTIVITY:  Protect What Is Good (for teenagers and up)

ACTIVITY: The Function of Wings (older children and up)

1)      Go for a walk and pick up feathers. See how many kinds of feathers you can find and compare them to see the similarities and differences.

2)      Think of each feather as a truth, ready to lift you to a higher place.

3)      Examine one of the feathers with a magnifying lens, noting the little “hooks” that hold the strands of the feather together. 

PROJECT:  Make Two Wings (for preschool and primary children)

“I will abide in Your tabernacle forever.  I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.”

Talk about this recitation with your child.  While embracing your child, you can talk about the Lord holding us and protecting us.  Or wrap a blanket around the entire family to help picture the way the Lord keeps us safe from evil and falsity by giving us the truths of His Word.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lampstand in the Holy Place

 

 

A lamp means faith and an intelligent understanding of truth and a wise discernment of good, which come from the Lord alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

see Arcana Coelestia 9548:2

 

 

 

 

The lampstand gave light in the holy place all day and all night, just as the Lord gives us the light of truth whenever we are able be in a “holy place” or right state of mind and heart to receive it.  Olive oil symbolizes love, and when a good love motivates us to read the Lord’s Word (such as when we turn to the Word to find out how to better serve our neighbor), then the Lord can give us the light of truth in our understanding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAMILY WORSHIP:  Light the Lampstand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set out 7 oil lamps, tea lights, or candles in candlesticks.  Let each member of the family choose a quote from the Word to read aloud.  These quotes should be something that help us see how the Lord wants us to love Him and help our neighbors. After someone reads the quote from the Word, let him or her light one of the lamps or candles.  Then take a minute to talk about the meaning of this quote from the Lord’s Word.  Repeat until all of the candles are lit (even if someone has to take more than one turn).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VARIATION:  Coloring the Lampstand
Draw a picture of the lampstand with its seven branches.  Then share a loving message that the Lord tells us in His Word and color an orange flame above one lamp and a yellow glow around it, when.  (You may want to write this message or the reference below the drawing of the lampstand.) Repeat until you have “lit” all of the lamps. 

 

 

PROJECT:  Make a Candle Holder that Looks Like an Oil Lamp
Make a clay lamp that can have a tea light nestled inside.  (Note: Without the use of a kiln and special materials, we do not recommend making a clay oil lamp, as it can be challenging to make one that doesn’t leak.)

PROJECT:  Make an Oil Lamp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use a small glass or metal bowl, olive oil, and a piece of cotton string to make your own oil lamp.  Be sure not to leave it unattended! 

 

 

PROJECT: A Book of Numbers in the Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we read about the lampstand, we find a number that is found many times in the Word—the number 7!  Make a list of numbers that are given (or that you notice) in the description of the Tabernacle.  (One ark, two cherubim, two tablets of stone, etc.)  Then make a book showing an illustration for some of the numbers between one and twelve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Laver in the Outer Court

 

 

 

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean,
put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil, learn to do good….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 1:16

 

 

Washing hands and feet represented purification of the heart and regeneration
or the conjunction of truth and good.
see Arcana Coelestia 10237a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the outer court of our life, we are dealing with the challenges of bringing the Lord’s teachings into our daily lives.  We want to obey the commandments, but it is so easy to slip into bad habits.  The water in the laver symbolizes truths that can help us wash away these habits from our lives. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACTIVITY:  Wash Yourselves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put a bowl of fresh water near your worship center.  Think about (or write down) something that you are trying to cleanse from your life.  Put your fingers in the water and ask the Lord to help you.  Read His Word to see how His truths can help you.

 

VARIATION:  Put a bowl of water near the door leading out of your house.  Use it as a way to remind you of your “resolutions” for spiritual development as you go in and out of your home.  This is similar to the laver where the priests washed their hands and feet before offering sacrifices to the Lord and before entering the Tabernacle.

FAMILY DISCUSSION:  Baptism
What does baptism have in common with the priests washing in the laver?  In doing a baptism, the minister dips his fingers in water and puts the water on the person’s forehead, making the sign of the cross.  During baptism, the parents promise to help their children learn what is good so that they can prepare for a life in heaven.  Adults who are baptized take on learning the truths of the Word and applying these to their own lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becoming a Church, a Dwelling Place for the Lord

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness,
and speaks the truth in his heart….

                                                                                                Psalm 15:1-2

 

 

 

 

Everyone who leads a good life is said to have the church within.When a person becomes a church, he or she has made a dwelling place in his heart and mind where the Lord can dwell.  How do we become a church?  By knowing what is evil and not doing it, for the reason that it is against the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECITATION: Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? (Psalm 15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use simple hand motions to help your children learn this beautiful recitation.  Show a “tabernacle” with your hands, gesture upward to a hill, walk in place with upright posture, make your hands busy at “work,” then touch your right hand to your mouth, and finally cover your heart with your hand.

 

 

PROJECT:  Commandments in Our Hearts (for primary and up)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a heart with a door that opens to see the Ten Commandments in a person’s heart.

 

 

PROJECT:  Angels with You (for preschool children)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make 2 golden angels out of clothespins and slip them over the neck of your shirt or dress so that you remember that the Lord keeps angels near you at all times, protecting you and helping you do what is good.  Think about these angels being like the cherubim above the Ark.

 

 

REFLECTION:  Looking Within (for teens and adults)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking the truth in one’s heart describes regeneration (see below), but perhaps this passage could be applied on an emotional level as well.  We may find that we need to explore the feelings in our hearts before we can ask the Lord to help us deal with them.  These may be negative feelings that we don’t recognize as a stumbling block in our path.  Or we may have experienced difficult things that haven’t been processed in a way that lets us move forward.  As we “speak the truth” about these things to the Lord, we open the door so that He can help us move onward.

 

 

FURTHER REFLECTION:  Speaking the Truth in Our Hearts (for teens and adults)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is meant by speaking the truth in our hearts?  We might take this to prescribe being open with others, sharing whatever is in our minds and hearts.  But it seems to be suggesting something much deeper.  Our goal is to have the Lord’s truths written on our hearts at all times.  This means they have been received in our will.  Those who know truths, comprehend them, and then will and do them, acquire a conscience.  With a well developed conscience, whatever we speak and do comes from a good heart (see AC 131).   

 

 

JOURNAL:  Speaking the Truth (for teens and adults)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Write in your journal (or write a story) about willing and doing truths or speaking from conscience.