Are You There God? Believe to Be True Is of Very It’S Me Marcus Little Comfort To

Looking for signals of good RE

Somerset SACRE Development Day Summer 2012

Good practice in RE: how to spot it and how to encourage it

Lat Blaylock Editor, RE Today

1 Looking for signals of good RE Are You There God? believe to be true is of very It’s me Marcus little comfort to

Marcus Brigstocke, comedian, theological me. I want God enquirer, regrets his irreligiosity. Kind of. to make me Share his wistful take on spiritual believe that the development with your pupils for some feelings I have, good RE lessons. This article is made up of and struggle several quotations edited from the book with, will not last for ever. ‘The God Collar’.

I find myself, a 38 year old married man with I want a God. two children, loving my job, reasonably Just not the God content most of the time, with periods of who makes his home in the church, mosque ecstasy and spells of gloom, and yet for or synagogue. I’d settle for that God perhaps reasons both explicable and inexplicable I if he could sweeten the believing and wish I could find a God to believe in. It ought worshipping contract with a long and to be simple – decide to believe, stop being a thorough letter of apology to mankind, a smart-arse, find a church, temple, mosque, clear redraft and consolidation of all the woodland ritual, statue of a thing, special major Abrahamic religious texts and the offer book or ritualistic dance, and get stuck in. I of a single public smiting of Dick Cheney – know a great number of people far cleverer just by way of a send-off in honour of the than me who believe in God without any violent Old Testament God and as a welcome trouble at all. So why can’t I? to His new form as a freshly rehabilitated God of the People who not only likes gays Vulnerable, weak and needy? Same as and women but loves show-tunes and listens everyone. without trying to fix. I am given to I wish there was a God. I’m sincere when I understand that the inability to listen without say that. I am not happy with atheism in and trying to solve is the single biggest ‘problem’ of itself. It doesn’t provide any answers for that many women have with men. My wife me. It makes no claim to, it’s not comparable told me this and I read it in a book. Luckily, with religion in that way, but all the same I me and some guy mates of mine have come wish it did. When you get past the early flush up with a five-part solution to the girls’ of excitement about rejecting something as ‘problem’ which we think will fix it once and important as God, and then move through for all and cheer the ladies up no end. Bosh! the defiance and righteous indignation of Job done. Can we fix it? Yes, we can. living as a non-believer… what then? Well, in my case you start to see the value of faith This isn’t sarcastic! and the comfort of communal worship. You One of the pitfalls of being a comedian is that start to envy the bonds provided by a shared when I say something sincere it is often belief in something positive. I wish there was misunderstood as sarcasm. However, I do a God and that He knew my address. I’d like genuinely wish there was a God I could to talk to him. When I feel sad or alone, believe in. I’ve tried to tell people this. when I’m afraid or anxious for someone I ‘I wish there was a God.’ love, I’d like to feel there was some magic, ‘Oh yeah, sure you do, Mr Funny Man.’ positive force watching over me. Caring for I’ve found that the more sincerely I wish for a all of us and seeing that it’s all going to be thing to be understood and the more OK. I’m embarrassed by this vulnerability, seriously I say something, the more people but not ashamed of it. I am no weaker or assume I’m taking the piss. When I needier than most people, it’s just that the occasionally give my mouth a rest and stop intellectual rigour of what I’ve come to talking, I often notice an expectant look on 2 Looking for signals of good RE the faces of people around me as a silence For the classroom: opens up between us. They are waiting for  5 sentence summary. Read Atheist Marcus me to undermine what I’ve said with some Brigstocke’s article, highlighting the five snide quip or sardonic aside. I don’t know sentences that sum up his point of view. what they are waiting for, the bloody idiots,  Reasons for atheism. Why does Marcus not that’s sooo not what I do! believe in God? Are there three reasons? Sometimes it is assumed that I will only  Wishing to believe. Why would he like to mention a thing so that I can hold forth on believe in God? the topic and bang on about it in a  Other atheists you know. Marcus is a kind humorously overstated and wilfully pompous of ‘wistful atheist’. He doesn’t believe, but rant. OK, there is evidence for this. I do love would love it if he could. What do you think to get my teeth into a subject I care about. of this attitude? Do the atheists you know From the safety of BBC Radio 4 I’ve sparred (and perhaps you are one yourself) ever with a great number of adversaries on many wish they could believe in God in some topics, ducking and weaving with acerbic way? jabs, occasionally landing a knock-out punch.  Letter to Marcus. Imagine (!) there is a Though I seek to express myself through God. Write God’s letter to Marcus in reply comedy a lot of the time, there are some to this article. things I’m deadly serious about, and the  Arguments against: How might a Christian, desire for a workable and available Deity in Muslim or Jewish person react to what Marcus says about the God they believe in? my life is one of them...

Wishing for divinity Teachers: if your students write some I wish there was a God. I wish for that God to interesting replies, then send them to the exist now and for all time. I wish to be fully editor – we will pass them on to Marcus! conscious of God and more importantly for Him to be fully conscious of me. I wish for God to be powerful, infinitely wise, kind, loving, fair and when necessary, willing to carry out humiliating and painful corrections on my fellow human beings.

‘My God’: A magic idea (if a bit unfair)

I have occasionally let my mind wander on to the possibility of having a God who was so firmly in my corner that he wasn’t fair, kind or gentle at all but vicious, vengeful and entirely in agreement with me on everything. I think a lot of people secretly wish for God to be like that. A God devoted totally to them, unabashed in expressing how much he favours them over all others.

Buy Marcus Brigstocke’s book ‘The God Collar’, Bantam Press, 2011.

3 Looking for signals of good RE Believing in equality: A Sikh story way, making difficult ideas and concepts easier to understand. for everybody We told the children they were going to read a Sallie Boyd leads RE at Sutton Veny Primary story from the Sikh faith. We used the story of School in Warminster, Wiltshire. Here’s how 8 the Milk and the Jasmine Flower (in the box to year olds there explored a Sikh belief and some the right). Children had not done much study of of their own ideas during a whole school RE week about wise words. The milk and the jasmine flower Sallie says: “a lot of our work about spirituality in school is implicit rather than explicit. Visitors Guru Nanak believed that everyone is equal. Rich or often comment about the 'feeling' in school; calm poor, sad or happy, brainy or practical: God sees but busy, fun but respectful. All staff role model everyone equally. care and consideration for each other. We know all the children and each other really well, Nanak and Mardana were travelling to a new city in creating strong bonds and a fantastic place to India 500 years ago. He was such a famous holy man work in. I’d say we are quite a spiritual staff!” that the news about his arrival spread, and before he Thinking through a Sikh story even got to the city gates, the holy men in the city Year 4 teacher Charlotte White planned the were talking about him. They were worried. They learning we feature here as part of one of the RE knew Nanak was a truly good and holy person, and weeks the school runs each term to get deeper they had promised to try to be good like him but thinking going in every class. they had been greedy and unkind. They were scared “We wanted our pupils to understand more of Guru Nanak’s arrival. They decided to send a about spiritual beliefs. We began with these messenger with a bowl full of milk to say that there objectives.” was no room for anyone else in the city: as the bowl To enable children to: was full, so was the city, and they were sorry that  understand that spiritual words can be found they could not receive Nanak and Mardana. Would in all different faiths and in different holy the Guru and his companion please go somewhere books, including the books of Muslims, Sikhs else? and Christians;  think about the idea that word can become As Guru Nanak walked up the road to the city gates, spiritual because of its beauty or impact; the messengers met him, carrying the gift of a large  explore images and symbols that makes the bowl, full to the brim with fresh milk. ‘Our holy men words powerful and spiritual; send you this milk, and apologise that they cannot  enquire why some words have the power to receive you’ said the messengers. ‘Our city is already change people’s thoughts and actions; too full of holy men. You could go somewhere else.”  consider how a story can influence the way Nanak sat down with the messengers and the bowl. Sikhs live and behave. Before he drank any, he picked a jasmine flower Lessons over the week included these: Children from a wayside bush and floated it on the top of the used a Wise Word sheet of examples with milk. Not a drop spilled out. He looked around the partners to discuss what wise words are. What is group before he spoke, with a smile: “I think the city their purpose? Where do we find them? The is not quite full” he said. “As the flower finds space in Qur’an, Bible and Guru Granth Sahib provided the full bowl of milk, so there is always room for lots of examples. more holiness in the world.” The flower floated on We wanted children to ask: Are they always top of the milk and not a drop was spilt: there was wise? What words are the most spiritual to you? room for it! Peace? Promise? Truth? Love? Holiness? Prayer? Trust? Humanity? Unity? The messengers went back into the city and told the What is the impact of these words? We gave holy men what had happened. They suddenly saw children time and space to explore their own the stupidity of what they had tried to do, and felt ideas. sorry that they had tried to send Nanak and Mardana We taught the children that in each of the world’s away. They threw open the city gates and asked religions, stories play an essential part. For Nanak and Mardana to stay with them, and teach centuries, they have been used to teach people them how to fill their city with good things. about the beliefs of their religion in an accessible the Sikhs before, so we introduced the religion

4 Looking for signals of good RE using basic information through a PowerPoint members website, accessed with the password at slide show. I asked children to think about how the back of the magazine the story can influence the way Sikhs live and behave. After hearing the story, we talked about The right environment for spiritual development these questions: Was the bowl full of milk a Our school setting itself is in beautiful symbol of something else? Why did Guru add a countryside, with views of fields, woods and hills. Jasmine flower? What was his purpose in doing There is an awareness in all the school of this this? What effect did it have on the other people beauty and an appreciation of the creation of in the story? beauty. We are also situated right next door to our Victorian church, with which we have very I introduced the craft activity we had planned to strong links, visit frequently and are especially the children: each one had to make their own involved with the laying of posies on the ANZAC bowl out of mod roc, and an origami flower. I war graves there every year. The children are asked them to think about something that the thus able to participate in quiet reflection, world can always use more. Just as Guru Nanak respectful behaviour, and are aware of the world taught there is always more room for holiness, beyond their day to day school life. Our vicar goodness, generosity or kindness, so I wanted John is in school at least twice a week, leading them to think of the wise word they felt there should be more of in the world – and the classroom!

The children had to think of their own single spiritual word which they believed would have a positive impact on others. We spent some time talking about other symbols in story (there’s a literacy link to metaphor and symbolic language) before moving on to making origami jasmine flowers. This gives the children a practical time when they may also think more about the story. Then we matched up some ‘wise words’ with some common symbols: peace / dove; caring / holding hands; love / heart; I’d made a PowerPoint of internet images and asked children which wise word went with each symbol or image. Children discussed what they thought each image or symbol represented.

When they had made the mod roc bowl, children decorated and painted these with paint and oil pastels, applying their own symbols and design ideas. They put their jasmine flowers into the bowl, and we encouraged them to share the reasons they had for choosing their spiritual word. We set up a writing activity for children to reflect on the reasons why they felt sure there is always room for more love, care or kindness in collective worship, being a warm friendly face, the world.” and helping children to pray and reflect, both collectively, and on a one to one basis through Editor’s note: Charlotte’s class sent in about 30 our prayer tree. All collective worship has a lovely pieces of work, including examples about candle of reflection, which children can look at love, patience, hope, care, friendship, when we pray, and is also used when we sing our forgiveness, consideration, respect, quiet, reflective song during worship. encouragement and kindness. The results are so impressive we have made a PowerPoint for you Awe and wonder is inspired, and spiritual to use with your children from them – on the contemplation is also encouraged by cathedral

5 Looking for signals of good RE visits (our policy is for all our children to visit the cathedral at least once during their schooling Guidebook for the journey of life: Notice the man here), whole school summer walks, welly walks, selling guidebooks. These might be guidebooks for the creation walks in year 1 etc. These all help to give journey of life. If you were asked to write the first page pupils the chance to wonder at and appreciate of the guidebook for the journey – what would you say? What advice would you give? the world around us. Circle times, RE and PSHE Pick a route: Notice the starting point – the baby in the are highly valued in the school-we have a focus pram leaving the hospital. The baby is setting out on week for RE each term; to 'dig deep' rather than her life journey. If you could choose the route for her – skip over lightly. Staff use 'write light, think deep' where would she go? What would you include and questions-graded for ALL ages across the school, what would you avoid? Why have you picked this to encourage deep thought and reflection. route? Does a good life mean no suffering or do we Guided imagery is also used in year 3 and 'thunks' need the stormy times too? in year 6.The children are very used to talking Buildings: Notice the buildings on the journey. 8 about 'big' questions - they are confident, shops, 2 sheds, religious buildings, a wedding chapel, a reflective and inquisitive; they want to know hospital – if you could take one thing from each building to help you on your journey of life, what would more! We encourage visitors from different it be and why? faiths, including a special day this year where a Shopping: If you could choose something from only Muslim leader and our vicar were in school four of the shops to help you on your journey of life together to discuss wise words important to which would you choose and why? Put these four in them. order. Which matters most of all to you? Can you say why? Now think about someone who is a Christian, A useful version of the Sikh story: Muslim, Jew or another religion: what would they Stories From Faiths: The Milk and the Jasmine choose and why? Flower and other stories by Anita Ganeri and Before and after: This map shows the journey of life – but what about what happens before we are born and Hannah Rey, QED Publishing 2007 after we die? Show your ideas using pictures / symbols / colours and words. Fold a sheet of paper diagonally. Bottom left: what you think came before this life? Top right: show what you think / believe happens after this life. Do the same for a Hindu or Christian.

6 Looking for signals of good RE

Friendliness, peace, thoughtfulness: Purposes of sacred space? • Before the visit, ask pupils to think about the school building and grounds. Where in school is the friendliest place, the most thoughtful place, the most peaceful place? • When the class rare agreed about this, take them to these three places, and do something friendly at the friendly place (Affirmation exercise? Group hug?), something thoughtful at the thoughtful place (Read out some poems? Ask big questions?) and something peaceful at the peaceful place (listen to music? Gaze into the clouds?). • Record this activity in 3 photos with a digital camera – get the children to do this.

A peaceful place in the church: set up by pupils in year 5. They were asked: what seven words sum up what the church is trying to do for its community? They arranged harvest festival tins to show their idea. They said: This church makes Peace by: Sharing Action Responsibility Generosity Caring Giving The tins of food and the circle of chairs represent how people in the community share with people in need. This makes peace.” Copyright RE Today 2012

7 Looking for signals of good RE Spotting and encouraging good RE – in 2012, it might mean... • High quality real life stimulus

• Driven by a big question

• Open to pupils’ individual responses

• Demanding and challenging of their

intellectual skills

• Fun

• Uses authentic simple material

• Sets simple and accessible activity

• Builds spiritual development into learning

• Opens minds

• Relates to the child’s own life clearly

• Provokes deepening reflection on life and

belief • Creates time and space in which deeper

thought can develop • Connects religions with children in

dynamic ways

• Links AT1 and AT2 clearly

• Enables many teachers to ‘get it’

• Requires pupils to be researchers or

enquirers themselves • Has spiritual depth • Enables better knowledge of religions.