WORLD DAY OF PRAYER 2019Children’s Program

Come—Everything Is ReadyPrepared by the WDP of SloveniaMarch 1, 2019

To prepare prior to the Program: The bee reader may be dressed in a bee costume, like black and yellow clothes,

antennae on the head, and wings on the back;

The bees buzzing for the Opening Prayers may be recorded, downloaded from youtube.com, or imitated by the children;

Have the Slovenian flag and map, and a blank world map to be coloured. Prepare the answers for the "Bee flying over Slovenia" section;

Prepare cards in the shape of a carnation flower or bee and on each one write a keyword from the Bidding Prayers: planet, people, plan, peace, food, wisdom, and Word of God. The cards may be given to the children at the beginning of the program. During the "Bidding Prayers" time, the reader explains the card and invites the children to bring it to the altar table as the word is read in a prayer;

Prepare the material for the creative activity, games, and cake baking, and decide the best moment to do those activities. Appreciate the creative work of the children by displaying it on a table or walls.

Sheet music with words in Slovene—and some English translations—is available for download at wicc.org.

Welcome

Bee reader: Welcome, dear children! Živijo! (Jiv-ee-o) This is how we say hello in Slovenia. Can you say it after me? Živijo!

Children: Živijo!

Bee reader: I am very happy to have you here with us so that we can explore Slovenia together. Let me introduce myself: I am a bee, an insect, well-known to all the children in Slovenia. I am a very useful creature because I gather pollen from flowers and turn it into sweet honey, which is very beneficial for our health. I can also fly and take you with me to see the beauty of our lovely country, Slovenia. What do you say, children, will you come with me? (Let the children respond.)

Opening prayerReader: The World Day of Prayer is celebrated in the name of God, the Creator, who gave us the world in which we live; in the name of Jesus Christ, who leads us on the path of peace, friendship and cooperation; and in the name of the Holy Spirit, who gives us strength and joy.

Bee reader: We will now hear the buzzing of bees (buzz sound). Bees live together in a large family in their home, which is called a beehive. They belong together and care for one another. Like bees, people also live in families and communities, so it is good that we respect, love and care for each other.

Song: Čebelica (Che-bayl-itsa) - The Bee – by Janez Bitenc

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Bees flying over SloveniaReader: This is the map of Slovenia. Let’s fly over it (Let the children mimic). What does the shape of Slovenia look like? As you can see, Slovenia is shaped like a hen with a beak, a head, and legs (show the shape on the map). What does the shape of your country remind you of? (Let the children reply)

Activity: Each child is given a blank map of the world on which to colour their own country and Slovenia, and compare their sizes.

Slovenia is a very small country where only 2 million people live. Do you know how many people live in your country? Slovenia is 493 times smaller than Canada and there are about 35 million people living in our country. (The reader can help the children).

Bee reader: Let’s continue our flying! Slovenia is rich in everything you can imagine: sea, mountains, plains, caves, lakes, rivers, forests. Children in Slovenia like to swim in the summer or to gather mushrooms in the autumn in the red-orange-brown coloured woods, while in winter they can go skiing in the mountains. Spring is the time when they like to go for walks and look for the first flowers, or for young birds or animals.

Reader: This diversity is also reflected in the Slovenian flag (Show the flag). What do you think the coat of arms represents? (Let the children guess)

Bee reader: The white mountain represents Triglav—the highest mountain in Slovenia with its three heads; the two wavy lines represent the sea and the rivers; the three stars represent the Counts of Celje, which was once the most important noble ruling family.

Song: Mi smo mladi, veseli kristjani (We are young happy Christians). Words and music by Franc Juvan. Used by permission.

Reading the Gospel passage: Luke 14: 15-24

Reader: Jesus likes to tell stories to talk about God. Once at a dinner, somebody was talking about being blessed, and Jesus responded with a story about a dinner. At that dinner, things did not happen as the host had thought, but a new community was formed around the dinner table.

In the parable that Jesus told, the master had invited people to a party. The people who were invited had other things to do at just the time they should have gone to the party. They started to make excuses to the servant who was sent to invite them. One had bought a field and wanted to inspect it, another had bought oxen and wanted to try them out, one had just got married and so he could not come.

So the servant came back and told the master, who was disappointed. But he decided not to miss the opportunity and told the servant to go out into the streets and invite all to come as everything was ready. He went and invited whoever he met on the streets: the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. And when they had all come in, there was still more room for others to come and fill the house with joy, friendship, and love.

Would you like to come to this party? Who would you find on your street to bring to that table? How wonderful, the house is filled! How does this dinner look now? (Let the children offer some responses and thoughts). Remember, "Come, everything is ready." Let’s invite each other to the table and be a community that loves Jesus!

Song: Pridi, ljubi Jezus (Come Sweet Jesus). Word and music by France Ačko, ©Marjan Čuden, Used by permission.

Bidding Prayers

(Instruct the children how each one will bring the cards to the altar)

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Bee reader: Thank you, God, creator of our planet. Thank you for all the beauty of Creation that surrounds us.

Children: God Creator, please help us to live responsibly and care for nature.

Reader: Thank you, Lord, for all the people whom you have created. Thank you, because you gave us people who love us.

Children: God of Love, please help us also to love all people.

Bee reader: Loving God, we believe that you have a wonderful plan for each one of us.

Children: Dear God, please be close to all who suffer, who are sick or lonely.

Reader: Hear the children who know no peace in their childhood.

Children: God, our father and mother, please help children and their families who must flee from their homes to find hospitality and understanding.

Bee reader: Thank you, Caring God, for food, joy, and protection.

Children: Caring God, please teach us to share lovingly with those who live in poverty.

Reader: Thank you, God, for the gifts of wisdom and creativity with which you have endowed the children of the world.

Children: God of wisdom, please teach us to respect every human being.

Bee reader: Thank you Lord for Jesus, the Word of God, through whom we are praying to you.

Children: Please God help us to listen carefully to your Word so that we can make it a part of our lives.

Conclusion: Blessing of the children

(Thank the children for their joyful participation)

CREATIVE ACTIVITYTable of Slovenia symbolsPlace a cross, a children’s Bible, and a bee's wax candle, a flag, a map, pictures of bees and beehive, and other animals found in Slovenia on the table. You may check the Country Background Information material to enrich the conversation about Slovenia.

Talk with the children about the symbols and objects on the table and ask them whether they know what they are and what they mean. Together with them, think about the symbols of your country, and compare them to Slovenia’s.

Typical Slovenian cake (recipe on the last page)If you have a kitchen available, together with the children, try cooking some of the Slovenian cakes (for example Potica, Bela Krajina cake). You could also give the recipes to the children or prepare the food at home yourself and bring it to the children to taste. Talk about some traditional foods of your own country, as you learn about the typical Slovenian dishes.

Table set for a typical Slovenian meal Have a picture or set a table with cake, a jar of honey, bowl of soup, sweet dumplings, and apple juice. You may duplicate and distribute the illustrations on #1 template to colour for this activity.

Talk to the children about the things that are on the table. Let them guess what they might be, then explain:

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The cake - Potica (po-tee-tsa) cake is traditional in Slovenia. In each area of Slovenia, this cake is prepared a little differently and filled with a variety of things, such as walnuts and hazelnuts, cocoa and chocolate, or tarragon.

The jar of honey - beekeeping is a very popular activity and honey for breakfast is a "must". Honey is very sweet and can be spread on bread or be added as a sweetener, for example in tea.

The bowl of soup- —beef broth is a typical Slovenian dish. Beef soup usually also contains noodles and vegetables. This soup is eaten before the main course, usually with a piece of bread on the side, and sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.

The sweet dumplings – they are called cmoki (tsmo-kee). They are balls made of potato dough and filled with plums or apricots. We eat them coated with bread crumbs which have been fried in butter and sugar.

The apple juice - Slovenians love to drink it. Many people produce their own juice.

Give the children a paper plate or let them draw a plate. Ask the children if they have any similar dishes in their country. Then let them draw on the plate what they themselves would bring to the feast (which may be a traditional dish from their country or their favourite food).

Animals of Slovenia Have pictures of an aquatic salamander (“human fish” or Proteus), a bear, a bee, an ibex, a chicken, and their natural habitat. You may duplicate and distribute the illustration on template #2 to colour for this activity.

Talk with the children about them. Do you know the animals which are in the picture? Can any of them also be found in your country? What are the animals in your country? Which is your favourite animal?

Let the children color the animals and then connect them to their habitat: Proteus - cave; bear - forest; bee - hive; ibex - mountain; chicken - farm.

Introduce the animal and their natural habitat, for example, the animal which looks like a snake is called the “human fish” (Proteus). It is light-skin coloured and lives in the waters of deep caves where there is no light. It is one of the rarest animals in the world.

Bee HiveHave a blank beehive drawing for the children to draw their own panel. You may duplicate and distribute the illustration from #3 template to colour for this activity.

Ask the children which animal they think lives in there. Ask them if they have ever seen a beehive. Are they familiar with something like this? In Slovenia, beekeeping is a very popular activity and people who keep bees like to paint their hives in bright colours. Each door is different. Farm activities or celebrations are drawn on many of them.

Invite the children to colour the panel of the picture in bright colours, then to draw an activity or event which they enjoy or which is typical of their country.

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Template 1

Template 2

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Template 3

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GAMES TO PLAYČebelica (chay-bel-itsa) - The Bee - Counting rhymesCounting rhymes are typical Slovene play activities. For these, children usually stand in a ring and choose a leader who stands in the centre pointing to children to the rhythm of their rhyme. The counting may continue until there is only one child, who is the winner, or it may be decided that the first child to be out will try to catch the others. These games are regularly used to decide which child will start a new game, e.g. who will be first to chase the others?

Age: 4+Number of players: at least 3

Sing the rhyme in Slovene or use the translation provided:

Ena čebela, čebelica (ay-na chay-bel-a, chay-bel-itsa) - One Bee, one little bee bodi lepa rožica (bo-dee le-pa ro-ji-tsa) - be a pretty flower em tem, medek jem (em, tem, med-ek yem) - em, tem, I eat honey cookies zdaj si ti – ven! (zdy see tee - ven) - Now you are out

Mačka in miš (Match-ka in meesh) - Cat and MouseAge: 7+Number of players: at least 5

Children stand in a ring, holding hands. The children who will be the cat and the mouse are chosen. The mouse starts inside the circle, the cat outside. The cat tries to catch the mouse, who runs away. The game develops as the children try to help the mouse by raising their arms so it can get through while trying to stop the cat passing by lowering their arms. When the cat catches the mouse a new pair is chosen. The game can be complicated by having two cats or several circles.

Med dvema ognjema - In the crossfireAge: 10+Number of players: minimum of 6Requirements: ball, marked pitch

Preparation:The area is marked with two rectangles like in the picture. The lines may be permanent or can be drawn with chalk, or objects may be used to mark the corners of rectangles. Rectangles can be any size you like. The bigger they are, the more demanding the game.

Instructions:Form two teams with the same number of players on each and appoint an Outpost from each team who will stand at one end of the field (empty circle in the diagram). The other players in each team stand in the box closer to the other team's Outpost (filled circles in the diagram).

The objective of the game is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with the ball. The game begins with up to three exchanges of fire (serves) between the opening "Outpost" and his team, during which the opposing team must not intercept the ball. Then they start targeting opponents. Opponents may be "shot" by either the Outpost or any member of his team, provided it is a direct shot.

When a player is hit by a direct shot from an opponent (it must not have bounced off anything first), they are eliminated (referee blows whistle) and must go and stand behind the line with their own Outpost and help him/her to target members of the opposing team.

A player who catches or volleys a ball has not been "hit" and their pass may well eliminate a member of the opposing team. No player, whether still "in" or playing from behind the line, may pass the ball to any member of their own team. Finally, if all but one of the members of

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one team in the field has been eliminated he/she is joined by the Outpost, who has three lives (other players only have one). The victory goes to the team that manages to eliminate the opposing team's Outpost from the game. Or to the team which has most players left in the field after 15 minutes.

A hit is valid only when the ball bounces off an opponent before it touches the ground. If a player catches the ball, or if the ball first bounces off the ground or a wall and then hits a player, there is no score and any player may take and throw or volley the ball at a member of the opposing team. If a player knocks or throws the ball outside the pitch, it must be put back into play by a member of the opposing team, as in other ball games.

RECIPE WALNUT POTICA (WALNUT ROLL)Preparation time: As this is made with yeast, at least an hour should be allowed for dough to rise twice, although the second rising is shorter than the first.Baking time: 60 min

Ingredients for the dough: Ingredients for the filling:

2 teaspoons (7 g) active dry yeast1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon flour3 ½ tablespoons (0.5 dℓ)Warm milk4 cups (600 g) flour

¾-1¼ cups (2-3 dℓ) milk ¼ cup (50 g) sugar1 teaspoon salt½ cup (120 g) butter3 egg yolks1 teaspoon vanilla sugarGrated lemon zest

2 cups (500 g) ground walnuts¾ cups (2 dℓ) milk or cream½ cup (120 g) sugar3 egg whites and1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanillaSugarGrated lemon or orange zest

Prepare the dough:Mix yeast with sugar, flour and warm milk and let ferment until doubled in volume.Prepare the dough by placing the flour, zest and vanilla in a bowl, add the yeast

mixture; warm the milk and sugar, butter, salt and egg yolks, slowly pour the milk on the flour, beating it in, knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, then cover it and leave to rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.Roll out the risen dough as thinly as possible on a floured cloth. Spread the filling on it and sprinkle generously with the remaining ground walnuts; roll up the filled dough tightly and place in a greased and floured baking pan. The dough should now be left for a while in a warm place to rise again.

Just before placing it in the preheated oven, prick the dough with a fork and brush it with milk. Bake at 350 °F (180 °C) for about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in thickest part of the roll. If the toothpick comes out clean, your potica is cooked. Let potica

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cool about 10 minutes then turn out onto a board, cover and let cool completely. When the cake has cooled, it can be dusted with powdered sugar.

Prepare the filling:Prepare the filling by pouring warm milk or fresh cream over the nuts and sugar,

while saving some nuts to sprinkle over the filling at the end; beat together the egg whites and sugar until they are stiff. Mix the beaten egg whites into the nuts.

Source: http://ww w .kulinarika.net/ r ecepti/ 1 176/sladice/o r ehova-potica/? offset = 20 [3.7.2016]

Conversions from the metric measures by WICC.

This material is part of the worship service and educational resource for the 2019 WDP annual celebration.

For further information, please, contact:

WICC47 Queen’s Park Cres. East,

Toronto, ON M5S 2C3

Tel. 416-929-5184 • wicc@wicc.orgfacebook.com/WICCanada • wicc.org

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