Class objectives: lead the children to understand that God made man live in a society because we haven’t yet developed all virtues; we need everyone’s collaboration. Hence, we should value our friendships; our life as part of a society. To be sociable is essential for our spiritual improvement. These are also opportunities for us to lead by example through Christian attitudes; through the teachings we learned from the Spiritist Doctrine. FRANCO, Divaldo P. Leis Morais da Vida; by the spirit Joanna de Ângelis. 10.ed. Salvador, BA: LEAL, 2000.
Ninth: please distribute the
Friend's Prayer and ask one of them to read it.
Opening Prayer
First: use the group dynamics called Mutual Help.
Second: analyse the dynamics together with the group. Please start a dialogue with the objective of reflecting that each of us needs one another to reach a goal. It is by helping others we will get help.
Third:
exposed dialogue.
Obs.: as the dialogue happens, you could step-by-step draw a tree so the children can visualise what is being felt.
Fourth: please ask the children to analyse the phrases, correlating them to our friendships and affections.
* The plant that is not watered perishes under the heat.
* The grain that hasn’t been buried dies.
* The fire without fuel extinguishes.
* A machine without grease stops working.
* Consequently, a friendship without courtesy and kindness gets weaker.
Obs.: the spiritist teacher could bring a dictionary to this class so the children can search for the meaning of the words they are unaware off.
Fifth - please ask the following questions to the children:
What attitudes should be avoided so we can keep our friendships and affections? (Complement with the arguments below described, if necessary).
Please ask the student who is helping on this day to rewrite the following phrases below described in a positive manner. You can ask him/her to get help from his/her other colleagues:
Aggressive look;
Harsh word;
Hostile or negligent attendance;
Constant complaining;
Irreverence followed by frivolity;
Continuous irritation;
Constant complaint;
Pessimism.
Sixth: please tell them the story called Two horses.
Seventh: analyse the story with the children. There is always going to be someone who appreciates us for what we are, who accepts us and loves unconditionally. "A true friend is the one who appears when the rest of the world disappears". A friend does not have imperfections!
Eighth: conclude the study.
"Affection is not the only ingredient needed to gain friendships. It’s easy to earn as well as to lose friends. The most difficult task is maintaining friendships, rather then only acquiring them.
Personal magnetism is an important factor to promote the acquisition of affection. However, if personal behaviour is not standardized and supported on the lines of direction and loyalty, friendships and affections not rarely become heavy; an unpleasant partnership that culminates in a climate of animosity, generating future adversaries.
In this particular there are small factors that cannot nor must not be relegated to the secondary plan, so that the affections are kept.
Friends are companions who also have problems. That’s the reason they come close to you. Treat them, as much as possible, with goodness and attention, as Jesus enunciated: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you”. Become everyone’s legitimate friend; you will consequently enjoy the blessings of pure friendship and affection."
Closing Prayer
Class Suggested being suitable for: 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old).
Suggested class being sent to us by spiritist teacher Sandra Ramos Medeiros, Spiritist Centre Fé, Amor e Caridade - Campo Grande/MS.
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, Sir William Crookes Spiritist Society linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
