The Empty Pot

January 25, 2021 | Children's Religious Education, Discernment, Faith at Home, Home and Family

The Empty Pot feature

The Empty Pot Cover

Click to purchase book

Honesty and integrity can often require real courage of us! In this classic Chinese children’s story, we learn once again that “Honesty is the best policy.” Ping was a young schoolboy who loved to grow flowers. He embraced the Emperor’s challenge to grow the best flower. The Emperor was old and devised this competition as the best way to choose his successor. He passed out seeds and told the children to return in one year with their flowers. Ping had always had success growing beautiful flowers but this time, no plant grew at all! He began to panic but his parents assured him that his best would be good enough and to take his best effort to the Emperor. Other children produced colorful, dramatic flowers and Ping had only an empty pot to show for his efforts! But, all is well in the end! The Emperor had boiled all of the seeds, so no flower or plant should have grown at all. The best candidate for the next emperor would be the one with the courage to withstand the truth!

Author: Demi

Illustrator:

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Age Group: 4 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years

Preparation Time: 

Related File:  Click to view/download file

Related Link (or File):  Click to go to link

Topics: Home, Home Religious Education, Integrity, Quaker Faith & Practice, Testimonies

Return to General Search

An Introduction

The Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC) is an international, cross-branch, grassroots network of Friends sharing a stewardship for lifelong Quaker faith formation through religious education. We formed in April 2014 and now serve more than 300 Friends in our network. We actively engage and support each other across languages and continents. We gather for regional and annual conferences and offer monthly Conversation Circles via an online conferencing platform.

Find Out More about QREC

Steering Circle

We share leadership as part of our collaborative mission, making decisions using the Quaker ‘sense of the meeting’ process, sitting in expectant, worshipful waiting for the emergence of shared truth. Read more…

Working Circles

Hand Icon

Our work  takes place in ‘circles’ or small groups of Friends who labor on a common task, usually meeting by video conference due to the geographic diversity of the membership. Read more…

The Resource Library

Finders Guide, a sampling of the collection

The QREC Resource Library is a place to share lessons and other educational information in support of our work as Quaker religious educators. This library is a forum for curricula, articles, videos and other educational materials on Quaker themes. You will also find principles, policies and procedures to strengthen operation of your child, youth and adult religious education programs.

Resource Library General Search

Children's Education

Adult Education

Family

African Quaker Library

Youth Education

Small Meetings

Young Adult Friends

Biblioteca QREC

Events

Find renewal, companionship, and help for nitty gritty issues in Quaker religious education, all the while opening spaces for Spirit to work and listening together for God’s way forward.

QREC holds an annual conference and retreat. In addition we hold online Conversation Circles and post other religious education events as we learn about them.

Attend QREC Conferences and Retreats

Conversation Circles

Online conferences for Quaker religious educators to share about their work. Conversations are scheduled for two sessions per topic to encourage international participation.  Join the conversation…

Other Events

Hand Icon

Religious education events of interest to Quakers from all parts of the world. Please let us know about upcoming online or in-person events happening in your area. See the list of upcoming events…

Love at the Heart

Spiritual Practices

Discernment

Active Caring

Quaker Family Culture

Finding the Light

Faith at Home

Home is the heart of faith formation for all families. This is especially true for Friends. As an experiential religion, Quakerism is best learned through living in loving community. Indeed, the vast majority of faith formation for our young Friends happens at home in the busy swirl of daily life.

Learn More about Faith at Home

Become a Member

Submit Resources

Get Announcements

Donate

Attend an Event

Contact Us

Get Involved

QREC depends on all of us sharing our gifts and skills as religious educators. Here are some of the ways you can get involved…

Get involved with QREC