Charlotte's Web with Blue Ribbon Vegetables and Apple Pie
MPAA rating: G
By Rev. Robin Blair
Menu Plan | Discussion Questions | Scripture Resources | Crossword Puzzle
Can a young girl on a farm who finds special friends in the animals help us think more about what friendship is? We think so.
The story: Fern rescues a very small newborn pig, names him Wilbur and raises him herself . He becomes her best friend. While living in the barn, Wilbur’s loving nature invites the friendship of the creatures who also live in the barn, particularly a beautiful spider named Charlotte. Starring: Dakota Fanning, (voices of) Julia Roberts, Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey
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Menu plan
Since this film is all about saving the animals from one thing or another through friendship and respect, we thought a vegetarian (no meat) meal might be appropriate! How about Country Fair Blue Ribbon vegetables, dairy products and apple pie?
Menu Suggestions:
Fresh corn on the cob (if possible)
Fresh garden lettuce with big tomato slices (your favorite dressing)
Fresh steamed broccoli or green beans with butter
Cucumber pickles
Remember that even young children can help in food preparation when they shuck corn and scrub potatoes, shred cheese and tear lettuce for the family meal.
Try serving this meal buffet style while you sit down to the film together as a family.
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Discussion Ideas
1. Have you ever been to a farm where caring for animals are part of the everyday routine? If Fern was raised around the animals since was very young, do you think it was unusual that she wanted to have this baby pig be her special friend?
2. If you have ever had a pet (cat, dog, goldfish, hamster - or pig!) did you think of it as your special friend? How did you care for your special friend?
3. We know animals don’t talk like people, but do you think they understand us when we try to talk with them? Can we understand them even without words? Is part of friendship trying to understand each other?
4. Why did Charlotte like Wilbur so much? Do you help friends that ask for help, even if it is difficult?
5. Who is your friend? What is important to you about friendship?
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Scripture Resources
Tanakh
In this text, Jonathan, son of King Saul, pledges his friendship to David. The shepherd who fell Goliath the Philistine for King Saul, David, pledges the same. Both pledge in the name of God, for eternity.
1 Samuel 20:42
Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.' " Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
New Testament
In this text, the Apostle Paul includes in his letter this moment about two people whom he called friends, Priscilla and Aquila. Not only did they serve Christ in faith together with Paul, he says they made sacrifices for him, ‘even risked their lives’ for his sake. Do you think friendships require sacrifice of some kind?
Romans 16:3-4
3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. They have not only served Christ Jesus together with me, 4 but they have even risked their lives for me. I am grateful for them and so are all the Gentile churches.
Quran
In this text the Prophet Muhammed tells us that Allah invites friendship between people of different religions.
[29:46] Do not argue with the people of the scripture (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) except in the nicest possible manner - unless they transgress - and say, "We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you, and our god and your god is one and the same; to Him we are submitters."
[29:47] We have revealed to you this scripture, and those whom we blessed with the previous scripture will believe in it. Also, some of your people will believe in it. Indeed, those who disregard our revelations are the real disbelievers.
If one of these scriptures speaks to you, consider reading it with your children to remind them of the faith centered nature of your family, and how important family is to you.
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