Faith (CS p. 96)

Simple actions to teach this song:

Verse 1:
Faith is knowing the sun will rise
(Start on the ground in a ball; rise slowly with your arms rounded above your head like the sun)

Lighting each new day (on the word lighting, have your sun arms slowly open)

Faith is knowing the Lord will hear (hand to your ear)
My prayers (fold arms as if in prayer) each time I pray

Faith is like a little seed (pinch your thumb and pointer finger together as if holding a small seed)

If planted (make a pot with your other hand and pretend to plant the seed)

it will grow (from underneath the pot hand, push the other hand's fingers up and through like a bud, then open the fingers as it grows taller)

Faith is a swelling (continue the growing motion into both arms being raised and opening wide)
within my heart (cover your heart with both hands)

When I do right (thumbs up)
I know (point to your head)


Verse 2:
I have the kids imagine a line stretching from one end of the room to the other. Then I put my right hand sideways, close to my body, as if it's making a notch on the line. This is birth. Look at all the space on the imaginary line that comes before birth. Where were you before your mortal birth?  You lived with God. Then do the same thing with your left hand being death, or when your life ends on earth.  What will happen then?  You can return to God. So your whole mortal life is just the width of your body, while there's all this space on either side of you where you still existed and will exist.

Faith is knowing I lived with God (point that direction on the timeline)
before my mortal birth (place your "birth" hand back on the timeline, making an exaggerated notch on the word birth)
Faith is knowing I can return (point that direction on the timeline)
when my life ends on earth (place your "death" hand back on the timeline, making an exaggerated notch on the word earth)

Faith is trust in God above (ASL for father, then same hand goes up to heaven)
In Christ (ASL for Jesus)
who showed the way (make a straight path with your hands and push it forward)

Faith is strengthened (show arm muscle)
I feel it grow (other arm outlines a bigger muscle)
Whenever I obey (ASL for obey -- one hand on head, the other on the heart, then offering them both)