I think I may have asked before how a church could be used as an educational tool? Well on 22/2/10 Class 2 came to St Mellons Parish Church to find out about "senses". So of course you all know about the five senses:

Touch - Taste - Sight - Smell - Hearing (the children knew all of them)

By the time the children came in the church was reasonably well heated; music playing (Haydn's Nelson Mass); a little bit of incense burning 

and candles lit. 

Well that was a few I could tick off my list but they were really well prepared and had a list of materials like wood; stone; glass etc. to tick off and say where they were. They were allowed to wander around the church as they pleased (just be careful) and do their work. I must say their behaviour and enthusiasm was a credit to the school. We were also lucky to have Mrs Sue James (Diocesan Schools Officer) with us who said how lucky we were to have the church so class to hand and to be able to use it. So our Church became a classroom.

After they had finished working there was a short question and answer session when the children delved deeper from the five senses into spiritual feelings. Mrs Church asked them how the music made them "feel" and "calm" was a fairly general reply. 

So the Church can use senses to lead people into another realm - I wish we'd had time to think about icons.

DK - 23/2/10