Young Children and Worship

I recently shared with you our new 'Quiet place'.

Today I would like to share with you how I plan to use it more fully.
I have been reading an inspiring book: Young Children and Worship
A key point of my family's journey into Waldorf home education has been the idea that children are very much children & not 'miniature adults' - This book, for me, resonates with that thought & develops the idea that children are very spiritual beings. The stories are not presented in a fashion of the parent (or teacher) teaching the key points of the Bible stories - "how many loaves & fish did the little boy give to Jesus?" etc etc but in a way that develops wonder & reflection & encourages a true relationship with our heavenly Father.
The first three 'lessons' are showing the children how to enter the 'worship place' in a respectful, calm & appropriate way, how to listen & talk with God. Then the lessons present different Bible stories & encourage reflection & worship.
The book has pages to photocopy in the back, to make figures & scenes for the storytelling. I am going to keep it much simpler than that & use odd Ostheimer animals that we already have (sheep & a wolf) & very simple, faceless wood conical figures for the people. This will keep preparation to a minimum & encourage the girls imaginations to really connect with each story.
We will begin this week with the first lesson - & our quiet place will be our place of worship. I hope that, by the time we have finished working through this book together, our quiet place will be a place were my girls feel drawn to - when they need to pull away from busyness, when they need to go & be peaceful. God is inside us - He is with us always. But often we need to follow the example of Jesus, get alone with God to hear that Still Small Voice.