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Godly Play schedule

2017-2018

Table of Contents

Page #

Table of Contents / Schedule of Classes 1

Class Order 3

Managing the Circle 10

Lessons:

Date Liturgical Day Lesson Teachers Page #

9/3/17 13th Pentecost Labor Day Weekend – No Class

9/10/17 14th Pentecost The Light Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 12

9/17/17 15th Pentecost The Circle of the Church Year Julia Self, Ann Torres 18

9/24/17 16th Pentecost Second Creation Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 26

10/1/17 17th Pentecost Breakfast

10/8/17 18th Pentecost Abraham Hope Greene, Marty Marett 31

10/15/17 19th Pentecost Sarah Hope Greene, Julia Self 35

10/22/17 20th Pentecost Jacob Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 39

10/29/17 21st Pentecost Joseph Hope Greene, Marty Marett 44

11/5/17 All Saints Sunday Breakfast

11/12/17 23rd Pentecost Moses Hope Greene, Marty Marett 48

11/19/17 24th Pentecost The Promised Land Julia Self, Ann Torres 54

11/26/17 Last Pentecost The Holy Family Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 58

12/3/17 1st Advent Breakfast

12/10/17 2nd Advent Intergenerational Event: Chrismon Making

12/17/17 3rd Advent Intergenerational Event: Chrismon Making

12/24/17 4th Advent / Christmas Eve

No Class

12/31/17 1st Christmas No Class

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1/7/18 1st Epiphany No Class

1/14/18 2nd Epiphany Epiphany Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 62

1/21/18 3rd Epiphany Jesus is Baptized Julia Self, Ann Torres 66

1/28/18 4th Epiphany Parable of the Good Shepherd Hope Greene, Marty Marett 69

2/4/18 5th Epiphany Breakfast

2/11/18 Last Epiphany Parable of the Good Samaritan Hope Greene, Marty Marett 76

2/18/18 1st Lent Jesus in the Wilderness Julia Self, Ann Torres 83

2/25/18 2nd Lent Jesus and the Children Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 87

3/4/18 3rd Lent Breakfast

3/11/18 4th Lent Jesus the King Hope Greene, Marty Marett 90

3/18/18 5th Lent Jesus’ Last Passover Julia Self, Ann Torres 93

3/25/18 Palm Sunday Fellowship Time

4/1/18 Easter Day Easter Brunch

4/8/18 2nd Easter Jesus is Risen: Appearance to Mary Magdelene

Hope Greene, Marty Marett 97

4/15/18 3rd Easter Jesus is Risen: the Road to Emmaus

Julia Self, Ann Torres 101

4/22/18 4th Easter The Good Shepherd and the Wolf Cynthia Glidden, Carol Pirkey 105

4/29/18 5th Easter The Good Shepherd and World Communion

Julia Self, Ann Torres 113

5/6/18 6th Easter Breakfast

5/13/18 7th Easter Ascension Hope Greene, Marty Marett 118

5/20/18 Pentecost Covered Dish Lunch

If you need to swap days with someone, you can reach the others at:

Cynthia Glidden Txt/C 704-734-7226

Hope Greene C 864-490-7924

Marty Marett C 864-839-7123

Carol Pirkey H 864-487-9930 or C 864-490-0489

Julia Self Txt 863-259-0473

Angharad Torres Txt 704-419-3991

And we have our sub available as well:

Jennie Hamrick H 864-649-5002 C 864-219-0703

And please, call the church office (864-489-6183) to let us know you’ve swapped so we can correct it in the bulletin!

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Class Order

~ Get Ready and Enter

· Take a moment at the door to settle down · Remove your shoes · Leave any toys or food in the hallway

~ The Greeting · “The Lord be with you” / “And also with you” · During the Easter season: “Christ is risen” / “The Lord is risen indeed”

~ Songs of Praise · Sing one or more songs to settle and focus the group

~ Update Calendar Clock · Check your Godly Play schedule or the bulletin for the day

~ Tell the Story · Remain focused on the story at all times · Doorkeeper responds to children who are distracted

~ Respond to the Story:

~ Wonder Together · Allow plenty of silence so all can process

~ Retell Story, Do Artwork, or Do Research · Select one item from the lower cabinet to add to the week’s options · Dismiss children from circle on at a time to get their supplies · Play music during relection time if it helps the children focus

~ Clean Up and Return to the Circle · Make sure each child completely cleans up their supplies

~ Light the Candle · Lay out the proper color underlay · Say “We light the Christ candle to remind us that Christ is with us”

~ Share Insights · Allow children to describe their artwork or insights · Pin artwork on bulletin board or let them take it home

~ Read from the Bible ~ Pray

· Encourage prayers of thanksgiving · Encourage prayers about something from the day’s story

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~ Change the Light

· Say, “Look the Light is all in one place now. I’m going to change the Light so it is not just in one place any more. It can be in many places at once. Watch.”

· Snuff the candle, watching the smoke rise · Say, “Now the Light of Christ that was just in one place at one time is in all

places at all times. So the Light can be everywhere in this room and even in other places.”

· Return the basket of candle supplies to the shelf

~ Share the Feast · Pass the napkins, food, and drinks · Wait until everyone is served to eat · When all are finished, everyone cleans their place

~ Sing the Benediction

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Jesus Loves Me

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God is so Good

Father, I Adore You

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Be Glorified

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Benediction

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Love Round

Love, love, love, love. Christians, this is your call

To love your neighbor as yourself

For God loves us all.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

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Managing the Circle

Getting Ready Learn the story by heart. If your attention strays from the lesson materials to a

“cheat sheet,” the childrens’ attention will stray, too. Read the story several times each day for a week before you present it. And trust God to bring to mind the parts the children need to hear.

Arrive by 9:15. Ready yourself on the inside: be calm, confident, and patient. Prepare the room. Straighten the artwork supplies. Check the story basket.

Making the Circle The doorkeeper helps the children get ready before they enter the room. Help them

slow down and leave distractions in the hallway. The storyteller greets each child and welcomes them into the circle.

Setting the Tone with Ritual Each little piece of the routine is important: the greeting, setting the date on the

calendar clock, etc.

Keeping Control During the Lesson Remain calm and confident. Make sure each child and the doorkeeper are ready before beginning the story. Model how to focus on the story. Model how to learn through thoughtful wondering.

Model respect and tolerance.

Handling Disruptions Consider the individual. Look for their motives and consider the circumstances. Provide clear boundaries and expectations. When there is a disruption, follow these steps:

Check your own involvement. Ignore the small stuff.

Look up briefly. Pause and break from the story briefly. Address the whole group, “We need to get ready again.” Emphasize expected behavior. Hope that the disruptive child is able to enter into the community by getting ready again.

Specifically direct comments to the disruptive child: “No, that’s not fair. Look at all the other children. You need to be ready, too.” Use a neutral tone of voice.

Ask the disruptive child to get up and go sit by the doorkeeper. “(Child’s name), please get up now and go find a place near the doorkeeper where you can still hear the story.”

Tell the child, “It is time to go now. May I help you or can you go by yourself?” Although it is preferred that the child choose to go to the doorkeeper, if necessary, gently but firmly carry the child to the doorkeper.

Remember that you’re in control of this time. Boundaries apply to the work time as

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well as to during the lesson. Make this time as orderly as possible, creating a routine and organized environment.

Inviting Children into Response Time Before the children arrive, select one special craft item from the bottom shelf. Add it

to the top shelf of available materials. Dismiss the children one at a time to do their work. Children may re-tell any stories they’ve already heard. They may also use the books

on the shelf to read more about something. The doorkeeper is available to help children gather and use supplies appropriately. Indicate that work time is nearing an end by blinking the lights. Take the time to make sure each child puts all their supplies back in their proper

places, “We need to make the materials ready for the next person to use.”

Sharing a Feast Time Say the blessing before anyone eats. Help each child completely clean his or her area.

Managing Closure Sing the Benediction together, then dismiss the children to go find their parents.

Finishing the Day Make sure all the pieces of any stories used that day are back where they belong. Make sure all the craft supplies are back where they belong. Return the day’s

special supply to its place on the bottom shelf. If you notice anything that needs attention, leave Jenny+ a note so she can take care

of it.

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The Light

Background Focus: the rhythm of the Godly Play classroom This lesson sets the tone for the whole year. It describes the flow of a typical Godly Play session and lays out the groundrules.

Material There are two baskets for The Light on the top shelf of the center bookcase. The first contains:

a white felt underlay the Christ candle on a glass base metal box of matches candle snuffer

The other contains:

several white tealight candles

Movements Sit in your place at the table and address the group.

Words The Godly Play room is a very special place. It’s holy ground. When Moses saw God in the burning bush, God told him to take off his shoes because the place where he was standing was holy ground. We take off our shoes to come into the Godly Play room because it’s holy ground. If you still have your shoes on, please go back into the hallway now and take them off. Then come back into our room, holy ground. When we’re on holy ground, we have all the time we need. So we don’t need to hurry. We can walk more slowly. And we talk more softly, because someone might be talking with God, and we don’t want to disturb them. This is a special place to be with God, to talk with God, to listen to God, and to hear the stories of God. So we need a way to get ready to be in such a special place with God. I’ll show you how to get ready to be with God.

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Try this several times until all the children respond. Showing the children where to find the words, lead them in singing one of the songs. Select a returning child to move the hand on the liturgical clock. Help him or her find the correct block for the arrow to demark while explaining. Get the two baskets of materials for The Light. Spread out the white felt underlay. Place the Christ candle in the center of it. Place the matches in your hand, ready to use.

Once we’ve taken off our shoes and walked slowly to take our seats, we greet one another. I’ll say, “The Lord be with you,” and you will say, “and also with you.” Let’s practice.

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

We’ll use this greeting to begin each Godly Play session. The next thing we do on holy ground is we talk to God. There are lots of different ways to talk to God. One way is to sing. We can sing our thanks to God. Here on our Godly Play room walls we have the words to lots of songs we can sing. Let’s sing one now. Next we mark God’s time. We select someone to move the hands forward on our wall clock that marks God’s time. Today is the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. So our clock will point to the sixteenth green block after this burning hot red block for Pentecost. The next thing we do on the holy ground of our Godly Play room is we listen to God. We can make our bodies very quiet. This is how. Close your eyes and listen to the quietness. Now see if you can make your feet get very still. See if you can make your legs get very still. Feel your body getting very still. Now your arms are getting very still. Now your head is very still. Now your breathing is very still. You can’t hear it at all. Breathe in… and out… in… and out. Now we are ready to listen to God, to hear one of God’s stories. This is a story about the light. Watch. Watch where I go to get this story. Once there was someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people began to follow him. But they didn’t know who he was. So one day they simply had to ask him.

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Strike the match on the word “Light” and light the Christ candle. Sit peacefully and enjoy the light. Hold up one of the tealight candles and look at it. Then look at the child opposite you and say: Light the child’s candle from the Christ candle and place it on the white underlay in front of the child Continue lighting tealights for each child. Hold each unlit candle and, looking at a child, say: Then light the tealight and place it on the white underlay in front of that child. When several candles are lit, say: Point to the tealights. After lighting more candles, say: When all the children have a candle lighted for them, light one for yourself and say: Sit silently and enjoy the light.

And he said, “I am the Light.” Let’s enjoy the Light. People who love the Light can become one with the Light. This is how your light became one with the Light. Watch. [Name], this is your light. [Name], this is your light. Look how the light is growing. It all came from the Light here. Look, the light is in so many places at once. Many have come to the Light to receive their light. But the Light is not smaller. It is still the same. I wonder how so much light could be given away and the Light still be the same? There was even a day when I received my light and became one with the Light. Let’s enjoy the Light.

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Point to the flame in your candle. Slowly lower the candle snuffer over your candle then raise it. Watch the smoke curl up into the air and fade into the whole room. Go around the circle and change the light of each child. When all the tealights are changed, change the Christ candle as you say: Sit silently for a moment and then slowly put all the materials back on the shelf. One at a time, ask each child if he or she knows what supplies she’d like to use. Dismiss each child one at a time to begin work. While the first child gets her materials, ask the next child what he’d like to do. Continue one at a time around the circle. Don’t worry if this takes a long time. If they don’t learn to do this now, you’ll have confusion the rest of the year. When artwork time is over, blink the lights to signal time to put away supplies. Make sure each child puts away everything he

There comes a time when the Light is changed so it’s not just in one place any more. It can be in many places at once. Watch. You see the light is just in one place now. I’m going to change the light so it is not just in one place any more. It can be in many places all at once. Watch. Now I will change each of your lights so they can be in more than one place. Even the Light was changed. The Light that was just in one place at one time is in all places at all times. So the Light can be everywhere in this room and even in other places. Now it’s time to talk to God about the story you just heard. You can talk to God by making something that shows how this story feels to you. You may use any of the supplies on this shelf here. Only take what you’ll use, though, and remember that you’ll be responsible for putting away whatever you take out. Right now I’ll dismiss you one at a time to get your supplies. While you’re working, remember to keep that deep quiet in you so everyone can have the quiet they need to talk to God. Now it’s time to put your work away. You don’t need to hurry. Be sure to put all your supplies back where you found them so they’ll be here for next week.

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or she got out. When all the children have put away their supplies and returned to the circle, get the basket containing the Christ candle. Spread the appropriate seasonal underlay on the table. Place the Christ candle on it. As you light the Christ candle, say: Give each child a chance to share. Help them keep their answers focused on the story they heard. As each one finishes, they may either put their work on the bulletin board or keep it to take it home. Get a Bible from the center bookshelf. Read John 8:12 to the children, showing them how to find it again in the Bible. Give sufficient time for praying. Be at home in the silence, giving children time to pray. Snuff the candle, taking time to watch the smoke dissipate. Return the snuffer, candle, and underlay to their basket. Place the basket and the Bible back on the center bookshelf. Pass out the napkins and demonstrate unfolding it onto the table in front of you.

We light the candle to remind us that Christ is with us. The next thing we do on holy ground is we share what God said to us during the story. You may want to show us your artwork and tell us about it. Or you may want to share something you thought when you heard the story of The Light. On holy ground we also listen to God by reading the Bible. The story we heard today is in the Bible. Now it’s time to give thanks to God. You can say something you are thankful for or something about the story or your work today. I am going to change the Light now. Look, the light is all in one place. I’m going to change the Light so it is not just in one place any more. It can be in many places at once. Watch. It is time to get ready for our feast. Here is your napkin. Unfold it in front of you like this.

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Pass the food around the table. Pass the drinks as well. When everyone is served, say: Eat the feast. When all are finished, demonstrate how to clean up by folding together the corners of your napkin and placing it in your empty cup. Place both in the trash can which the doorkeeper passes around. Sing the Benediction.

Today our feast is [describe]. We’ll pass the basket around, and you may take one of each. But wait to eat until everyone is served. Watch. You may have one drink. But wait for everyone to be served. Thank you, God, for this joyful feast. Let us enjoy the feast together. Now let’s put away our napkins. We’ll put everything into the trash can as it comes around the circle. The last thing we do on holy ground is sing the benediction. The benediction asks God to bless us as we leave this place. Let’s sing it together. When the song is over, I’ll say “Thanks be to God” and you say, “Alleluia, alleluia.” Let’s try it.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 71-76.

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The Circle of the Church Year

Background

Focus: how the church tells time This lesson sets the context for the whole year. Each year, the Christian people move through a circle of memory and expectation to open themselves to the illusive presence of God. In the Godly Play classroom, we pay attention to this circle of movement each week.

Material

The Circle of the Church Year wallhanging hangs above the center shelf. The foam pieces can be removed. There is also a Circle of the Church Year story basket. It contains an underlay, wooden blocks in all the liturgical colors, and a long piece of multi-colored yarn.

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Movements Move with deliberation to the shelf where the material waits. Pick up the basket containing the material and return to the circle. You may need to say: Sit down in the circle. Unfold the underlay and place it in front of you. Place the story basket to your side. As you do so, pick up the piece of yarn and enclose it in your hand so that you can pull it out through a space between two fingers. Keep eye contact with the children as you hide the yarn in your hand and begin the story. Show a small end of the yarn extending between your fingers and suddenly notice it. Pull out the yarn slowly as you speak. Pull it all the way out from your fist slowly as you talk until it drops to the underlay. The end of the yarn drops. Pick up the yarn and look at it.

Words Watch where I go now to get the lesson. Everyone needs to be ready. Time, time, time. There are all kinds of time. There is a time to get up in the morning. There is a time to go to bed. There is a time to go to school and a time to come home. There is a time to work, and there is a time to play. But what is time? Some people say that time is a line, but I wonder what that would look like? Ah, wait a minute. What is this? Time. Time in a line. This is time in a line. Look at this. Here is the beginning. It is the newest part. It is just being born. It is brand new. Now look. Look. It is getting older. The part that was new is now getting old. I wonder how long time goes? Does it go forever? Could there ever be an ending? It ended. Look at the ending.

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Hold the two ends and look at them. Tie the two ends (beginnings) together. Then put the circle of wooden blocks or the wallhanging on the underlay and place the yarn circle of time around the circle of the material. Leave the piece of yarn on the material and begin to move the blocks. Begin with the “three great times”: a white Christmas block with a star, a white Easter block with a cross, and a red Pentecost block. When you pick up the red Pentecost block, drop it briefly because it’s so “hot.” Remember to speak of the three great “times” since Christmas isn’t always on a Sunday. Sit back for a moment and look at the blocks for the three great times.

The beginning that was so new at the beginning now is old. The ending is the new part now. We have a beginning that is like an ending and an ending that is like a beginning. Do you know what the Church did? They tied the ending that was like a beginning and the beginning that was like an ending together, so we would always remember that for every ending there is a beginning and for every beginning there is an ending. Here are the three great times. This is Christmas. This is Easter. This is – ouch! That’s hot! This is Pentecost. People can walk right through these mysteries each year and not even know what’s there. We need to get ready to come close to these mysteries.

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Place the four blue blocks of Advent in a line to your right of the white block for Christmas. Place the six purple blocks for Lent in a line to your right of the white block for Easter. Touch first the four blocks of Advent, then the six blocks of Lent. Count out six more white Sunday blocks for the season of Easter and place them to your right of the red block for Pentecost. Touch Pentecost again, but snatch your hand away because it’s still hot. Now only green blocks are left in the circle. Begin to remove them in groups of three, placing them on the underlay in groups of three.

Here are the times for getting ready. The time for getting ready to come close to the mystery of Christmas is called “Advent.” The time for getting ready to come close to the mystery of Easter is called “Lent.” Look. The time for getting ready to come close to the mystery of Easter is longer than the time for getting ready to come close to the mystery of Christmas. This is because Easter is an even greater mystery than Christmas. It is so great that it keeps on going. You can’t keep it in one Sunday. It overflows and goes on for six more Sundays. It makes a while season! The season of Easter is also a time for getting ready to come close to the mystery of Pentecost. Ouch! It’s still hot! Here are all of the great, green Sundays of the year.

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Place the white block for Christmas in the empty circle, then the white Easter block, and finally the red Pentecost block. Put the block in their approximate places but remember that those places are not set yet. Place the four blue blocks for Advent in front of the white Christmas block. Touch each block in turn as you count “one, two, three, four.” Place the six purple blocks for Lent in front of the white Easter blocks.

Now let’s see if we can build the circle of the church year again. Watch carefully, because the Church tells time by colors as well as by clocks. Here are the three great times. Ouch, it’s still hot! The time for getting ready for the mystery of Christmas is called Advent. It is one, two, three, four weeks long. The Church year begins with the beginning of Advent. Sometimes the color for getting ready for Christmas is purple. That’s a serious color, the color of kings. Sometimes the color is blue. Do you know why? Because it’s one of the colors for the Mother Mary. Without the Mother Mary, there would be no baby Jesus. The time for getting ready for Easter is usually purple. Purple is the color of kings, and something is going to happen to Jesus, the King. But he was not the kind of king that people thought was coming. He was a different kind of king.

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Touch each of the purple Lent blocks as you count them. Place the six white blocks for the season of Easter after the block for Easter itself. Touch each block as you count them. Put your hands over the circle like a blessing. Raise them together about 12 inches. Move one hand back down and touch the Pentecost block. Begin to put the green blocks into the circle, three at a time. First place nine green blocks between the white Christmas block and the first purple block of Lent. Next place the remaining green blocks, three at a time, between the red Pentecost block and the first blue block of Advent. Take your time and let the children’s year unfold in their imaginations as you replace these great, green, Sundays.

Look, there are one, two, three, four, five, six weeks for getting ready for Easter. It is an even greater mystery than Christmas, so it takes longer to enter it. Easter is so great a mystery that you can’t keep it in only one Sunday. It keeps going for one, two, three, four, five, six weeks. During that time people met Jesus in a new way. He had died on the cross, and that was very sad. But they kept meeting him. Somehow Jesus was still with them, as he is still with us. Then something wonderful happened. The Apostles went outside of Jerusalem with Jesus in this new way. There they saw him go up. And a few days later the Holy Spirit came down. The Church was born. The Apostles glowed with the power of the Holy Spirit. Their tongues were like fire when they spoke. They were more alive than they had ever been before. That’s why the color of Pentecost is red like fire. First we will put the great, green, growing Sundays between Christmas and the beginning of Lent. The most you can ever have here are nine, so we will put in nine growing weeks here. Here are the rest of the great, green, growing Sundays. Do you know what the Sundays after Pentecost are called? They are called “the Sundays after Pentecost.” Here is the time when school is out. The summer comes and the days get longer and longer. You can play outside later. People go swimming. Some go to camp. Many go on vacation. Then summer comes to an end. Now you begin to get ready for school. You need new clothes and books. School begins and you often have a new teacher. The days get shorter. School goes on and you get used to all the new things.

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These can be shown by the “clock hands” that extend from the middle of the circle to the Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost blocks. Touch each block as you name it. Move your hand around the completed circle. Sit back and enjoy the whole circle of beautiful colors. Now it’s time to begin the wondering.

Now the days are really short. It gets dark very early. It looks as if the light is just about to go out. Right at that time, when the light seems to be coming to an end, we reach Advent. The year ends, and it begins again. It is time to get ready to enter the mystery of Christmas. Here are the three great times: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Here are the times for getting ready. Advent. That’s four weeks. Lent. That’s six weeks. You can’t keep Easter to just one Sunday, so it keeps on for six more weeks. Those weeks are called the season of Easter, too. Here are the great, green, growing Sundays of the year. It is all here. Everything we need. For every beginning there is an ending, and for every ending there is a beginning. It goes on and on, forever and ever.

I wonder which one of these colors you like best? I wonder how the colors make you feel? I wonder which color is most important? I wonder if you have ever seen these colors in the

church?

Some of the colors in the church change and some do not. I wonder where the ones are that change?

I wonder if you have ever come close to these colors in the church?

I wonder what happens in the church when you see these colors?

I wonder who changes the colors there?

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Model how you want the children to put the materials away by carefully returning everything to the basket or the wallhanging. Then carry them with both hands to their places. When you return to the circle, dismiss the children one at a time to their work.

I wonder where the colors go when you do not see

them?

I wonder why the Church tells time with colors?

Now watch carefully where I go to put this lesson away, so you will always know where to find it.

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 2: 14 Presentations for Fall (2002), pp. 23-33.

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Second Creation: The Falling Apart

Background

Focus: the “falling apart” and coming back together in a new way (Genesis 2:4-3:24) Here we begin at the beginning with Adam-Eve and how they “fell apart” from God, from each other, from God’s creation, and from the image of God in their deep selves. We learn how these relationships were restored.

Material

The basket for Second Creation is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:

a green felt underlay

2 wooden fruit trees

figures for Adam and Eve

a plastic serpent

a hollow apple containing 10 differences

Movements Move with deliberation to the shelf where the material waits. Pick up the basket containing the material and return to the circle. You may need to say: Spread out the underlay in front of you. Lower your hand onto the underlay as you say, “it is good,” like a blessing.

Words Watch. Watch where I go. Everyone needs to be ready. When God created everything, God said, “It is good.” And God put God’s own image in the creatures that walk the earth. In the midst of the creation, there was a wonderful garden. It was God’s garden. Everything was there, but everything was so close it was all together. God was with the rocks and plants and animals, and they were with God and each other. All the people were also together in one person who was

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called “Everyone” or, in their language, “Adam.”

Place the figures for Adam and Eve on the underlay so that they are physically touching, as if they are one person. Place the two trees behind Adam-Eve. Put the serpent beside Adam-Eve. Separate Adam-Eve so they are now Adam and Eve. Cover Adam and Eve with your hand when you say that they hid. Uncover them when you say that God found them. Pick up the apple and open the lid. Pull out the “differences” and place them on the underlay beside the figures.

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Eve was there too. She was always there, for she came from Adam. She and Adam were a kind of Adam-Eve. In the middle of the garden grew two trees. God told Adam-Eve that they should not eat the fruit from these trees. One tree was about differences and one tree was about forever. If you ate the fruit of the tree of differences, you would know about differences, and if you ate from the forever tree, you would live forever. Now, the serpent was more clever than any other creature that the Lord God made. And he suggested that Adam-Eve taste the fruit from the tree of differences. And they did. Adam-Eve ate from the tree of differences and things fell apart. They became Adam and Eve. The difference between them and God also came apart. And the difference between good and evil did, too.

God called for them and they hid, but God found them. They did not know how to be with God anymore, because of all the differences. There were: good and evil, close and far, high and low, God and people, Adam and Eve… and many more.

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Push Adam and Eve to the edge of the garden and place your hand at their backs when you speak of the sword and the angel. Sit for a moment and look at the story to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering.

The differences also did something wonderful. Now Adam and Eve could take things apart and put them back together again. They could be creators, almost like God. They couldn’t make something out of nothing, but they could make something out of differences. After the differences, Adam and Eve could not go back to when everything was all together in the Garden. They could only go forward, and they did. God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden. An angel and a sword were put at the edge of the Garden so they could not go back, but only go forward. God went with them on their journey to help them be the best creators they could be, and to be with God in this new way, and to stay one with God.

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After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Name each item, saying, for example, “Here is the tree of differences. And here is the tree of forever.” After all of the story is back in the basket, carefully model how to fold the underlay and place it in the basket as well. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

I wonder what part of the story you liked best?

I wonder what part was the most important?

I wonder what part of the story was about you, or what part you were in?

I wonder if we can leave out any of the story and still have all that we need?

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 6: 15 Enrichment Presentations for Fall (2006), pp. 25-31.

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The Story of Abraham

Background

Focus: the Father of the Great Family (Genesis 12:24-25:11) “The Great Family” has become as many as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand in the desert. But there is still an original mother and father to remember, honor, and learn from.

Material

The basket for The Story of Abraham is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:

a tan felt strip underlay

3 rocks in a small box

clear boxes of sand, dust, and stars

statue of three strangers

bunch of twigs wrapped in twine

bowl of fire

knife and long piece of twine in a small box

ram

cave

Movements Move with deliberation to the shelf where the material waits. Pick up the basket containing the material and return to the circle. You may need to say: Take the underlay from the basket and begin to unroll it – just enough to place the first object – right to left (storyteller’s perspective).

Words Watch. Watch where I go. Everyone needs to be ready. This is the story of Abraham, the father of the Great Family. He and Sarah went from Ur to Haran and then on into a new land.

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Place the three rocks representing the altars at Shechem, Bethel, and Hebron on the underlay as you say “God was there” at each place Place the three clear boxes containing sand, stars, and dust on the underlay as you say what each box represents. Place the statue of the three strangers on the underlay. Place the bundle of twigs wrapped in twine on the underlay. Place the bowl of fire and the small knife on the underlay. Wrap the long piece of twine around your finger as you talk about tying up Isaac, holding the knife in your other hand. Place the twine and the knife on the underlay.

And when they came into the new land, Abraham went up on a hill at Shechem to pray and God was there. He prayed to God at Bethel, and God was there. Then they pitched their tents in Hebron, and God was there, too. God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would be the mother and father of a great family. The family would be as many as there are grains of sand in the desert, stars in the sky, and dust in the land. But Abraham and Sarah had no children. Then three strangers came out of the desert and told them that they would have a child. They laughed. The child was born. And they named him “laughter.” Isaac grew. And when he was a boy, God appeared to Abraham and said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him as a burnt offering upon the mountain.” The next day he cut the wood and took a donkey, two helpers, and his son and began to walk towards the mountain. On the third day, they could see it. Abraham told his helpers to stay there with the donkey, and he and Isaac went on alone. Isaac carried the wood for the offering. And Abraham carried a bowl of fire and the knife. Isaac said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide.” When they came to the place for the sacrifice, Abraham tied up Isaac. He picked up a knife and was about to kill him for the sacrifice when an Angel came and said, “No. You do not need to do this.”

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Place the ram on the underlay when you speak of the ram appearing. Place the cave on the underlay. Sit for a moment and look at the story from beginning to end to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Pick up each object in reverse order and remind children what the

Then Abraham looked, and there was a ram caught in the bushes. God provided the ram for the sacrifice. Abraham untied Isaac and they went down the mountain. The angel called to him again and said, “God says, ‘I will make you the father of a great family… as many as the grains of sand in the desert and the stars in the sky. And I will make of you a great blessing, because you obeyed me.’” Then Sarah, Abraham’s beloved wife, died, and he buried her in a cave at the end of the field near the Oaks of Mamre. After Abraham helped find a wife for Isaac, he died and was buried in the cave beside Sarah. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twins, Esau and Jacob, so the Great Family grew.


I wonder what part of the story was the most important?

I wonder what part was about you or what part you were in?

I wonder if we could leave any of the story out and still have all that we need?

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object is, saying, for example, “Here is the cave where Abraham and Sarah were buried,” After all of the story is back in the basket, carefully model how to roll the underlay back up and place it in the basket as well. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work

.


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The Story of Sarah

Background

Focus: the mother of the Great Family (Genesis 12-23) “The Great Family” has become as many as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand in the desert. But there is still an original mother and father to remember, honor, and learn from.

Material

The basket for The Story of Sarah is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:


Sarah figure

Abraham figure

Hagar figure

Ishmael figure

Isaac figure

tent

2 baby blankets

spring of water

sack of grain

cave

Movements Move with deliberation to the shelf where the material waits. Pick up the basket containing the material and return to the circle. You may need to say:

Words Watch. Watch where I go. Everyone needs to be ready.

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Take the underlay from the basket and unroll it just enough so that the first object will fit, right to left (storyteller’s perspective). Place the figures of Abraham and Sarah on the underlay a little apart. When you say that they “fell in love,” push them together. Place the tent on the underlay. Place the baby blanket – but no baby - on the underlay. Place the figure for Hagar on the underlay.

Once in the great city of Ur there was a girl named Sarai, which means “Princess.” In the same city there was a man named Abram. They met and fell in love. They traveled to many new places. God showed them the way. All their lives they lived in tents. Sarai was beautiful, even when she was very old. Once they went to Egypt and the King of Egypt, called the Pharaoh, wanted her for himself. When he discovered that she was Abram’s wife, he made them both leave. They went back to the land of Canaan, to Hebron, where they pitched their tent for the last time. Abram and Sarai had been married for a long time, but they had no children. God had promised them that they would be the mother and father of a great family, but how could that be with no children? This made Sarai worry. Finally, she told Abram to take a second wife, which was the custom in those days. Abram took Hagar, Sarai’s helper, for a second wife. When Hagar was about to have a baby, Sarai became angry because she wanted to be the mother. Hagar was afraid, so she ran away into the wilderness.

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Place the spring of water on the underlay. Place the figure of Ishmael wrapped in a baby blanket on the underlay. Pick up the baby blanket on the underlay and wrap the Isaac figure in it when you speak of his birth. Place him on the underlay next to Ishmael. Place the sack of grain on the underlay as you mention the bread and water. Take Sarah and Abraham from their positions at the beginning of the lesson and Isaac out of the baby blanket and place them on the underlay beside the sack of grain. Take Abraham and Sarah away when you speak of them going away and

The angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert and told her to go back. The angel told Hagar that she would have a son and should name him Ishmael. She went back and Ishmael was born. Many years went by and God appeared to Abram. God said to him, “We will be together forever.” God also blessed Sarai and promised to give her a son of her own. So Abram became Abraham and Sarai became Sarah. Three strangers came out of the desert. The strangers said, “In the spring of the year God will bless Sarah and she will have a son.” Abraham laughed. Sarah, who was standing by the door, laughed too, because she was too old. The strangers heard and said, “Sarah, did you laugh?” She said, “No.” She was afraid for some reason. Sarah did have a son. She named him Isaac, which means laughter. Sometime later Sarah saw Ishmael, Hagar’s son, playing with Isaac. She grew angry all over again, and told Abraham to send them away. The next morning, Abraham gave Hagar and Ishmael some bread and water and sent them into the desert. When they had nothing left to eat or drink, Hagar put Ishmael under a bush and walked far away so she wouldn’t have to watch him die. The baby began to cry, and God heard him. An angel came to Hagar and told her to open her eyes. When she did, she saw a well of water. Hagar and Ishmael drank the water and lived. Their family is still alive today. One day Sarah watched Abraham and Isaac go away. They were going to Mount Moriah. She watched them from inside the tent as they left. The next day she watched for them again… and the next. A week passed. She wondered if she would ever see Isaac again. Finally she saw them coming back and went out to greet them. It was good to have them home again.

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then bring them back when you speak of them coming back. Place the cave on the underlay. Sit for a moment and look at the story from beginning to end to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Pick up each object in reverse order and remind children what the object is, saying, for example, “Here is the cave where Sarah was buried,” After all of the story is back in the basket, carefully model how to roll the underlay back up and place it in the basket as well. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

Then Sarah, full of many years, died. And Abraham buried her in a cave at the end of his new field by the trees. Isaac married Rebecca, and they had twins. The Great Family began to grow.






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The Story of Jacob

Background

Focus: the person who became Israel (Genesis 25:19-33:20, 35:16-29) The story of Jacob adds to the core narrative of the journey of the people of God from the beginning of “The Great Family” to the Exodus. Isaac and Rebecca had twins, Esau and Jacob. Much of Jacob’s story is in his two names. “Jacob” refers to how he was born second and grabbed his brother’s heal, but it also means he took his brother’s place by trickery (Genesis 25:26). He also wrestled all night with an angel by the Jabok River. The angel named him “Israel” (Genesis 32:28), saying, “for you have striven with God and with man and have prevailed.” “Israel” means “one who struggles with God.” This is the story about the origin of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Material

The basket for The Story of Jacob is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:


Jacob figure

Esau figure

12 son figures in box

soup bowl

fake animal skin

ladder

rock with the name “Bethel” on one side

2 wedding veils

sign saying “Peniel”



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Take the underlay from the basket and unroll it just enough so that the first object will fit, right to left (storyteller’s perspective). Place the figures of Esau and Jacob on the underlay as you mention the twins. Place the soup bowl on the underlay as you mention the soup. Place the piece of fake fur on the underlay as you mention the animal skin.

God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great family. But Abraham and Sarah had only one son, Isaac. Isaac married Rebekah. For a long time, they had no children, until with God’s help they had two boys, Esau and Jacob. Esau and Jacob were twins, but they were not like each other. Esau was big and Jacob was small. Esau had red hair and Jacob had dark hair. Esau was hairy and Jacob had smooth skin. Esau liked to hunt and Jacob stayed by the tent to watch the sheep. Esau was born first, so he was the one who was supposed to have his father’s things when he died. Isaac loved Esau best, but Rebekah loved Jacob best. Jacob thought it was not fair that Esau was treated special because he was the oldest. They had been born on the same day! Once Esau came home from hunting and he was very hungry. Jacob had made some soup. Esau asked his brother for some. “I will give it to you,” said Jacob, “if you will agree that I can have father’s things when he dies.” Esau did not even think about it. “What use are father’s things when I am so hungry?” He took the soup. Now there was an agreement between the brothers that Jacob would be like the oldest son. Isaac was old. He could not see. He asked Esau to go hunting and make the stew he liked best. Then Isaac would bless him. Rebekah overheard this. She thought Jacob should get the blessing. So she and Jacob made Isaac’s special stew from a lamb instead of a wild animal. They put animal skins on Jacob’s arms so he would seem hairy and dressed him up like Esau. Jacob went to his father with the stew. Isaac believed that Jacob was Esau and he laid his hands on him and blessed him. When Esau returned with the stew for his father, he discovered that Isaac had been tricked into giving away the blessing that should have been his. He was angry and threatened to kill Jacob. Rebekah asked Isaac to send Jacob away to her family to find a wife. Isaac agreed.

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Place the rock and ladder on the underlay as you mention them. Put the rock down with the blank side up; you will turn it over when you speak of naming this place. Make a pouring motion with your hand to show the pouring of oil. Turn the rock over to reveal the word “Bethel.” Place the two wedding veils on the underlay as you mention each wedding.

Jacob set off quickly through the desert toward Haran, where his mother’s family lived. One night, he found a rock and made it his pillow. While he slept, he dreamed of a great ladder stretching all the way into heaven. There were angels climbing up and down the ladder, and God seemed to be above and around and beside the place. A voice said: “I am the God of Abraham and Isaac. I will give this land on which you lie to you and to your descendants. Through them all the world will be blessed. I am with you, and I will bring you back to this land.” When Jacob awoke, he knew that he had heard God in his dream! He poured oil on the stone so that he would always remember what God had said, and he named the place “Bethel” - the house of God. Jacob traveled on and came to a well where the shepherds watered their flocks. There was a beautiful young woman there with her father’s sheep. She was Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother. Jacob wanted to make her his wife, so he offered to work for her father Laban for seven years in exchange for his permission to marry Rachel. After seven years, the wedding took place. When Jacob saw his wife’s face, he discovered that he had been tricked, and that he was married to Leah, Rachel’s sister. Laban told Jacob that he could marry Rachel too if he worked another seven years. Finally Jacob and Rachel were married. Then Jacob worked seven more years for his uncle Laban. All this time, God blessed Jacob and his work, and Laban’s flocks grew. Jacob worked for his uncle for twenty-one years. Then God came close to him and told him it was time to return home. Jacob packed up all that he had and began the journey home with his family. Jacob was afraid to meet his brother again. Esau had threatened to kill him and was coming to meet him with 400 men! Jacob prayed to God and sent presents to Esau.

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Place the wooden sign reading “Peniel” on the underlay. Take Jacob from the beginning of the story and place him on the sign. Cover him with your hand when you speak of the man wrestling with him all through the night. After you say, “and he blessed him,” remove your hand. Open the box and place the twelve figures for Jacob’s sons on the underlay as you mention each son.

That night he went apart from his family to pray. A strange thing happened. Someone struggled with him all night. The stranger touched Jacob’s thigh and his hip came out of joint. But Jacob held on until morning. The stranger said, “Let me go.” But Jacob knew this was no ordinary person. He refused to let go until the stranger had given him a blessing. The stranger said: “Your name will no longer be Jacob. You will be called Israel - for you have struggled with God and with people and have prevailed.” And he blessed him. So Jacob called the place “Peniel,” which means “the face of God,” because he knew he had been struggling with God. Jacob caught up with his family, limping because of his injury. Then he went in front of them to meet Esau. He bowed down to the ground as Esau came near. Then his brother ran to him and put his arms around him. Finally old Isaac died, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Jacob, or Israel as he was now called, had twelve sons. Each of these sons became the head of a tribe. Now there were twelve tribes in the Great Family, and it was called Israel.

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Sit for a moment and look at the story from beginning to end to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Pick up each object in reverse order and remind children what the object is, saying, for example, “Here are the twelve sons of Jacob.” After all of the story is back in the basket, carefully model how to roll the underlay back up and place it in the basket as well. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.






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The Story of Joseph

Background

Focus: Joseph, a leader, dreamer, and interpreter of dreams (Genesis 37:1-31, 49:1-6) The story of Joseph adds to the core narrative of the journey of the people of God from the beginning of the “Great Family” to the Exodus. Why did the People of God move to Egypt and become slaves? It was because of a famine in their land. There was also a famine in the land of Egypt, but they had stored up grain during the good years, so there was food there. Why did they store the grain? Because of Joseph’s leadership. Here is his story.

Material

The basket for The Story of Joseph is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:


12 son figures in box

coat of many colors

12 heads of grain

image of sun, moon, and stars

box of 20 silver coins

pyramid

cow

ear of corn

sack of grain



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Take the underlay from the basket and unroll it just enough so that the first object will fit, right to left (storyteller’s perspective). Open the small box and place the twelve People of God figures on the underlay. Place the coat of many colors on the underlay. Place the twelve heads of grain on the underlay. Place the image of the sun, moon, and stars on the underlay. Place the box of silver coins on the underlay.

The Great Family grew. Jacob had twelve sons. Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph. To show his love, Jacob gave Joseph a long-sleeved coat with many colors. This made Joseph’s brothers hate him. One night, Joseph had a dream. He and his brothers were working in a field gathering wheat. Suddenly, Joseph’s bundle rose up and all of his brothers’ bowed down before his. Joseph told his brothers this dream and they hated him even more. They wondered if Joseph would rule over them. Joseph had another dream. In this dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him. Joseph told his father and brothers about this dream, and they all became angry. It sounded like not only the brothers but also Jacob and his wife would bow down before Joseph. One day, when the brothers were far away in the fields with the flocks, Jacob sent Joseph to see how they were doing. Joseph went to them, and when his brothers saw him coming, they decided to kill him, but the oldest brother, Reuben, convinced them not to. Instead, they took away his coat and put him into a pit. Soon, a caravan of traders came past. The brothers sold Joseph to the traders for twenty pieces of silver. They took Joseph’s coat and dipped it in the blood of a goat and brought the coat to their father. They told Jacob that a wild beast had killed Joseph, and Jacob wept.

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Place the pyramid on the underlay. Place the cow and the ear of corn on the underlay when you mention them. Place the sack of grain on the underlay.

Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave. A captain of Pharaoh’s army named Potiphar purchased him. Potiphar’s wife had Joseph sent to jail, but Joseph remained close to God and God to him. Some of the Pharaoh’s servants were in jail with Joseph. They had dreams and Joseph told them what they meant. When the Pharaoh’s servants were released, they found that the Pharaoh had dreamed many dreams that no one understood. One of them told Pharaoh about Joseph, and Pharaoh called for him. The Pharaoh’s dream had two parts. First there were seven fat cows and seven skinny cows. The thin cows ate the fat ones. Then he dreamed there were seven fat and good ears of corn and seven sick and thin ones. The thin ones swallowed up the good ones. Joseph told the Pharaoh that his dreams meant that there would be seven good years followed by seven bad years. He told Pharaoh that this was a warning to save up grain during the good years so that there would be food for the people of Egypt in the bad years. Pharaoh agreed and put Joseph in charge of gathering and saving the grain. Joseph was now thirty years old. The lands near Egypt also had bad years. The people from the lands near Egypt came to Joseph to beg for food. Jacob sent ten of his sons into Egypt to get food to eat. When the brothers came to Egypt, they bowed down before Joseph. They did not recognize him, but Joseph knew who they were. He kept one of the brothers with him and gave the others grain and told them to go home. Then all of them came back. This time Joseph told them who he was. He said, “God sent me before you to preserve life.” Joseph and his family spent the rest of their days in Egypt. When Jacob died, Joseph took him home to be buried in the land of their fathers. Then Joseph and his brothers returned to Egypt where, years later, their children would become slaves because the new Pharaoh forgot all that Joseph did.

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Sit for a moment and look at the story from beginning to end to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Pick up each object in reverse order and remind children what the object is, saying, for example, “Here is Joseph’s coat of many colors.” After all of the story is back in the basket, carefully model how to roll the underlay back up and place it in the basket as well. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.






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The Story of Moses

Background

Focus: the one who was drawn out of the reeds by an Egyptian princess to draw the people of God out of Egypt (Exodus 1:8-17:7, 19:1-40:38, Deuteronomy 34:8) The princess who rescued Moses from the river Nile gave him an Egyptian name that is translated by the Hebrew verb “to draw out.” He was drawn out from the reeds of the Nile by the daughter of the Pharaoh to draw the people of God out of bondage in Egypt. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, his face was shining after his being so close to God and God being so close to him. The same thing happened when he went into the Tabernacle to pray (Exodus 35:29-25). He was in the wilderness for forty years as a shepherd working for his wife’s father, Jethro, a priest of Midian. Then he was in the wilderness another forty years before his death on Mt. Nebo where he looked over the river Jordan to see the Promised Land, but he could not cross over.

Material

The basket for The Story of Joseph is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:


baby Moses with blanket in basket

green felt reeds

burning bush

2 blue felt “water” pieces

2 quail in box

clear box of “manna”

staff

rock

Mount Sinai

golden calf

broken commandments tablet

Ark of the Covenant

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Movements Move with deliberation to the shelf where the material waits. Pick up the basket containing the material and return to the circle. Then say: Go and get the mountain from the shelf. You may need to say: Take the underlay from the basket and unroll it just enough so that the first object will fit, right to left (storyteller’s perspective). Place the baby Moses in the basket on the underlay. Slowly cover it with the green felt reeds. Place the burning bush on the underlay as you speak of it.

Words Watch. Watch where I go. We need something else. Everyone needs to be ready. After many years a new Pharaoh ruled. He did not remember what Joseph had done for Egypt. The People of God became slaves. They were trapped and could not go home. There were so many of the People of God in Egypt that the Pharaoh was afraid they would take his kingdom away from him, so he said that all the baby boys had to be killed. One of the mothers made a basket of bulrushes woven together and hid the baby in the basket. She put the basket in the reeds by the Nile. The daughter of Pharaoh found the basket. She named the baby “Moses” and raised him in the palace. When Moses was a young man, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the People of God. Moses grew angry and killed him. Then he ran away into the desert. Moses stayed with the family of Jethro. He married Zepporah, one of Jethro’s daughters, and became a shepherd. He lived there for forty years. One day while Moses was taking care of Jethro’s sheep, he took them to the mountain of God, Mt. Horeb, which is also called Sinai. Suddenly he saw a bush that was burning but did not burn up.

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Place the two pieces of felt water on the underlay and unroll them to show the parting of the waters. Move one of your fingers through the opening to show how the people went through.

God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. God told Moses that the cries of the People of God in Egypt had been heard. Moses was to go and set the people free. Moses said, “But who am I to do such a thing?” God said, “I will be with you.” “What is your name?” “My name is Yahweh. I am who I am.” “Can’t you send someone else?” “Aaron, your brother, will go with you. He will speak for you.” So Moses went back to Egypt to tell the Pharaoh to let his people go. Moses went many times to the Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go, and many times the Pharaoh said, “No!” Terrible things happened in the land of Egypt. Finally the Pharaoh said, “Yes.” God helped Moses lead the people through the water into freedom.

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Place the quail and manna on the underlay as you speak of them. Place the rock on the underlay and hold the staff over it as you tell this part of the story. Then place the staff on the underlay next to the rock. Place Mount Sinai on the underlay. Place the golden calf on the underlay. Place the broken tablets on the underlay.

Moses led the people through the desert for forty years. The People of God grew tired and hungry and discouraged – and they grumbled to Moses. But God showed the people that God was with them by giving them quail and manna to eat in the desert. When the people were thirsty from traveling in the desert, they complained to Moses, and Moses talked with God. God told Moses to strike a rock with his staff. Water came out of the rock so the people could drink. Something happened that made God angry. Moses did not keep faith with God in the midst of the people, so God told Moses that he would see but never enter the Promised Land. The people were free. But they didn’t know the best way to go. With God’s help, Moses led the people to God’s mountain, Mt. Sinai, where God had spoken to him from the burning bush. And Moses went up on the mountain to talk with God. The people waited… and waited… and waited. Moses was gone a long time. The people began to think Moses was never coming back, so they asked Aaron to make them a new god to lead them. Aaron took all the gold the women were wearing and melted it. Then he shaped the melted gold into a calf. He gave the calf to the people saying, “Here is your god.” And the people built an altar and worshiped the golden calf. Moses came down from the mountain; his face was shining. He carried the Ten Best Ways, but found the people worshiping the golden calf. He grew angry and broke the stone tablets on which the Ten Best Ways were written. He took the golden calf and threw it into the fire. The people were sorry, so God gave Moses the Ten Best Ways again, and Moses gave them to the people.

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Place the Ark of the Covenant on the underlay. Cover the Ark with your hand when you speak of the tent. Touch the underlay with respect when you speak of Moses’ being buried. Sit for a moment and look at the story from beginning to end to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering.

God told Moses to have the people make a box called an ark to hold the Ten Best Ways. The box was covered with gold, and it had poles on the sides so the people could always carry it with them wherever they went. God told Moses how to make a tent called a tabernacle for the ark. When the people stopped to rest in the wilderness, God’s glory filled the tent, and Moses came close to God there. When he came out his face was shining. After forty years, they came to another mountain, Mt. Nebo. Moses looked over into the Promised Land from the mountaintop and God said, “I will give this land to the People of God, but you will not cross over.” Moses died there and no one knows to this day where he was buried.





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After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Pick up each object in reverse order and remind children what the object is, saying, for example, “Here is the burning bush.” After all of the story is back in the basket, carefully model how to roll the underlay back up and place it in the basket as well. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.


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The Promised Land

Background

Focus: the entry of the People of God into the Promised Land (Joshua 1-4)

Material

The basket for The Promised Land is on one of the Old Testament shelves. It contains:

2 pieces of dark blue felt 24X6

15 people of God figures

4 priest figures

Joshua figure

small box containing 12 black oval stones

the ark You’ll also need:

the model of Jericho

the desert box

Movements Move with deliberation to the shelf where the material waits. Pick up the basket containing the material and return to the circle. Then say: Go and get the model of Jericho from the top of the Old Testament Shelves. Say: Get the desert box. You may need to say:

Words Watch. Watch where I go. We need something else. We need one more thing. Everyone needs to be ready.

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Open the desert box. Trace the edge of it with your finger. Slowly move your hands over the sand, smoothing and molding it as the sand is transformed into the desert. Mold the area where the Jordan will be and form some mounds in the bottom left of the box. Pause. Then begin placing the people of God, including Joshua, in the desert box near the left-hand corner away from you. Smooth your hand over the Promised Land, the triangle of land to your right. Move the people slowly toward the middle of the desert box. Press the twelve black stones in the middle of the desert box and then place the dark blue felt for the Jordan River over them, running diagonally from the top at your left to the bottom right. Move some of the people up a mound to look over. Trace Gilgal with your fingers. Then place the model of Jericho in the Promised Land.

This is the desert box. Inside it is a small piece of the desert. So many important things happen in the desert that we have to have a small piece of it in our room. The desert is a strange and wild place. At night it is very cold, but in the day it is burning hot. There is almost no water at all. The desert is always changing. The wind comes, and as it blows it shapes and molds the sand so the desert is never the same. The People of God were still in the desert. They could have been living in the beautiful Promised Land with lots of food and water. But they were afraid. “We cannot go into the Promised Land,” they said. “The people are like giants. We are like grasshoppers. They will kill us.” So they had to wander in the desert. After many years they came to the Jordan River. From there they could see the Promised Land. They could see Gilgal and the huge city of Jericho.

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Move Joshua down toward the Jordan and let him stand looking across. Touch Joshua. Silently move Joshua along the Jordan, as though he’s thinking. Then move him back to the people. Place the four priests with the Ark at the edge of the dark blue felt Jordan River. Move Joshua near them. As the Ark touches the Jordan, roll both pieces of felt back from the center to reveal dry land. Move the priests and Ark into the middle of the Jordan, then move Joshua through the river. Move one or two of the People of God through. Name the children one at a time to take a person of God through. When all the children have taken turns, move the remaining People of God through. Take the twelve stones out of the Jordan and place them in a circle in the middle of the People of God. Move your hand around the circle, touching each stone lightly.

One day God said to Joshua, “Joshua, don’t be afraid. Lead the People of God into the Promised Land. Be strong. Have courage. I will be with you wherever you go.” So Joshua said to the people, “Get ready. God will show us the way through the Jordan into the Promised Land. Don’t be afraid.” The Ark of God led the way. God rolled back the Jordan… and they passed through on dry land. Would you like to go through? When it is your turn you may come and choose one of the People of God to take through. When all were through, God said, “Take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan.” Then Joshua said, “When your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ you will say, ‘The People of God passed through the Jordan on dry land into the Promised Land. For God dried up the Jordan just as God did the Red Sea so that everyone may know God’s power.’”

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Move the priests and Ark through the Jordan and roll the felt back, closing the river. Sit for a moment and look at the story from beginning to end to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

When the kings of the land heard what God had done, they were afraid. And the People of God began to live in the Promised Land.





Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminister John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 117-119.

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The Holy Family

Background

Focus: the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ The Holy Family holds deep significance for our work throughout the year. That is why it sits right in the center of the focus shelf in the room, right behind the storyteller every week of the year. The Holy Family is the matrix - the Latin word for womb - out of which new life comes. This story is the story of the re-creation of the universe. Christ’s incarnation changes everything. Most especially, it changes the way we understand ourselves, each other, the Creator, and the created world around us.

Material

The tray containing the Holy Family is on top of the center shelves. It contains:

underlays in all the liturgical colors (white, red, blue, purple, green)

baby Jesus in the manger

Mary figure

Joseph figure

donkey figure

shepherd figure

sheep figure

wise men figure

risen Christ figure

Movements The storyteller sits in front of the center shelves, the focus shelves. In the center of the top shelf is the Holy Family. Bring the tray containing the Holy Family to the table. Place the figures to the side of the tray.

Words Watch. Watch where I go.

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Pull out the blue underlay and place it on the top of the stack of underlays on the tray. Pick up the Christ child in the manger and hold it in the palm of your hand for all the children to see. Place the Christ child in the center of the tray. Hold Mary in the palm of your hand, showing her to the chidren. Place her behind the manger, looking across it to the children. Hold Joseph in the palm of your hand, showing him to the children. Place him beside Mary.

Blue is the color of Advent. It’s the color of the sky just as the light is dawning, the color of hope and promise. It’s the color of waiting for something wonderful to happen. It’s the color of waiting for the Christ child to be born. This is the Christ child in the manger. He is holding out his arms to give you a hug. Here is the mother, Mary. Here is the father, Joseph.

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Hold out the donkey, showing it to the children. Place the donkey beside Mary. Hold out the shepherd, showing it to the children. Place it facing the Christ child, to the storyteller’s left of the manger. Pick up the sheep and do the same with it. Hold out the figure of the three Magi, showing it to the children. Place the wise men facing the manger to the storyteller’s right of the manger. Pick up the Christ child in the manger. Hold him out to the children and continue holding him as you speak.

Here is the donkey that Mary rode when she and Joseph went to Bethlehem to be counted by the Roman soldiers. Mary was about to have a baby, so it was hard for her to walk. Sometimes she rode on the donkey. It is also hard to ride on a donkey when you are about to have a baby. Sometimes she got down and walked. The donkey was in the stable when the baby was born. He was surprised to find a baby in the feed box, the manger, where he expected to find his breakfast. Here is the shepherd who saw the great light in the sky at night. There were more shepherds than this, but we will put down one to remind us. Here is one of the sheep. There were many more, but this will do to remind us. When they saw the great light in the darkness, they were afraid. I would be, too. Then they heard singing. That scared them, until they heard the words. The angels sang that they came to bring peace on earth and good will to all people. The shepherds were to go to Bethlehem, and they did. Here are the three kings, the wise men. They were so wise that people thought they were magic. In their langugae, they were called Magi, and that word is the word from which we get our word magic. They knew so much that people thought they were magic. Of all the things they knew, they knew the most about the stars. One day they saw the wild star. The Magi knew where all the stars were supposed to be in the sky, but this star was new, and it moved. This star was not on their maps of the sky. So when it moved, they were curious, and followed it. It led them to the stable where the Christ Child was. The wise men brought with them gifts for the Christ Child: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Here is the little baby reaching out to give you a hug. He grew up to be a man and died on the cross. That is very sad, but it is also wonderful, in an Easter kind of way.

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Pick up the risen Christ and slowly and with dignity move the two figures together, superimposing the baby in the manger on the risen Christ with outstretched hands. Place the Christ Child in the manger back in the center of the scene. Place the risen Christ behind Mary and Joseph, between the storyteller and the figures. Sit for a moment and look at the story to let the story rest. Pause and then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

Now he can reach out and give the whole world a hug. He is not just back then, in this place or that place. He is everywhere, and in every time. This is the Holy Family, and you can work with these figures any time you wish. In our classroom, they are for you.





Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 2: 14 Presentations for Fall (2002), pp. 34-40.

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Epiphany

Background Focus: the wise men’s gifts Epiphany is a word that means “showing forth.” The date of its celebration is January 6th. It was originally concerned with commemoration of the Baptism of Christ and later became associated with the Magi, an emphasis of the Latin Church of the West. Today it is often thought of as the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. You begin this week’s lesson by presenting the four Advent cards and the Christmas card and telling the stories found in the Advent story.

Material The basket for Epiphany is on one of the center shelves. It contains:

tweezers frankincense myrrh bag of gold coins

You’ll also need the Advent basket. It contains: a blue felt underlay 4 blue votive candles 5 advent cards

You’ll also need the model of Bethlehem. You’ll also need the Holy Family on their tray. And you’ll need the snuffer, matches, and Christ candle from the Christ candle basket.

Movements When the children are ready, go to the shelves and bring the Epiphany basket to the circle. In separate trips, get the Advent basket, Bethlehem, the Holy Family, and the snuffer and matches. Take your time. Be seated and wait until everyone is ready, then begin.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. .

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Place Bethlehem in the center of the table. Unroll the underlay just enough for the first Advent card. Place it and tell about the prophets. Do not minimize or rush that first story. End with the following words: Place the second Advent card and tell about the Holy Family. Do not minimize or rush this second story. End with the words: Place the third Advent card and tell about the shepherds. Do not minimize or rush the story. End with the words: Place the fourth Advent card and tell about the wise men. Do not minimize or rush this story. End with the words: Place the Christmas card and tell about the birth of Jesus. Do not minimize or rush this story. End with the words: Place the four blue candles and the Christ candle, one by one, between you and the underlay with the five cards on it. Light all five candles in order.

Something incredible is going to happen in Bethlehem They must have been the last people coming up the road to Bethlehem that night. Run to Bethlehem to see the Child who will change everything. … because, like us, they too are on the way to Bethlehem. All the old cow could do was look and look at the baby with its big brown eyes. Here is the candle of the prophets. This is the candle of the Holy Family. Here is the candle of the shepherds. Here is the candle of the wise men. Here is the Christ candle.

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Return again to the fourth card and candle. Show the gold coins. Take out the container of frankincense and open it. Using tweezers, pick up one of the pieces of frankincense. Place it in the flame of the light of the Magi. When this is completed, get out the myrrh and hold it in the flame of the kings’ candle. Take out the candle snuffer. Snuff out all the candles slowly, starting with the candles of Advent.

This is the light of the Magi, the kings, the wise men. They brought gifts: frankincense, myrrh, and gold. The gold was for a king, but for a different kind of king, so they also brought frankincense. This is something that was used for worship, then, and it is still used to pray today. Here is frankincense. Watch. First there is the black smoke, and then when it turns white, the fragrance, the scent, is released. Do you see? Can you begin to smell it? This is myrrh. This was not a gift for an ordinary king. This is what is burned at funerals. It is also placed with the dead for their burial. This is for someone whose death is important. Watch. Do you see the smoke? Can you begin to smell the scent? It is very different from frankincense. Some people like one, and others like the other. They are both important as gifts to show that this king was not to be like other kings. Now let me change the light as we did before. Now watch. I am going to change the light.

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Slowly snuff out the Christ candle. Enjoy the moment and then begin to put the lesson back. There is no wondering at the end of the lesson. Replace everything without hurrying. Return to the circle and ask the children what work they would like to get out that day.

Now I am going to change the light of the Christ candle. Look. It, too, is spreading out to fill up the room. As it spreads out, it gets thinner and thinner until you can’t see it at all. That doesn’t mean that it’s gone. It only means that you can’t see it. You can still feel Christmas. It is filling up the room with the prophets, the Holy Family, the shepherds, and the three kings. Anywhere you go, you can come close to them. Now watch carefully where I go with this material, so you will always know where to get it when you want to work with it.

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 3: 20 Presentations for Winter (2002), pp. 64-69.

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Jesus is Baptized

Scripture

Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3:1-22

Material

The basket for Jesus is Baptized is on one of the New Testament shelves. It contains:

wooden figure of John the Baptist

wooden figures of 3 people

wooden figure of Jesus

dark blue felt 6” X 44” for the river Jordan

dark blue felt 6” X 22” to cover half of the river Jordan You’ll also need the desert box.

Movements Walk slowly to the desert box and move it to the circle. Get the basket of materials for Jesus is Baptized and carry it carefully to the circle. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you. Trace the edge of the desert box. Slowly move your hands over the sand, smoothing and molding it as the sand is transformed into the desert.

Words This is the desert box. Inside is a small piece of the desert…. So many important things happen in the desert that we just have to have a small piece of it in our room. The desert is a strange and wild place. At night it is very cold, but in the day it is burning hot. There is almost no water at all…. The desert is always changing. The wind comes. And as it blows it shapes and molds. So the desert is never the same.

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Pause, place your hands in your lap, and sit back a moment. Then present John and place him in the desert box in front of you. Pick up the blue felt river and unroll it diagonally across the desert box, starting at the left-hand corner near you. Smooth it out. Present and move the people through the desert to John. Have John take each person one at a time through the water and place them under the water in the pocket in the felt. Cup your hand over their heads.

John the Baptist lived in the desert… … near the Jordan River…. The people of God came out to the desert to listen to John. John said, “Get ready! God is sending someone special. The special Son of God is coming!” But they did not know how to get ready. So John said, “Change the way you live. Do the Ten Best Ways to Live. And I will baptize you with water. You will be clean and new again.” And John took the people through the water… … and baptized them.

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Present Jesus and move him across the desert toward John. Move them through the water and place Jesus under the water. Cup your hand over the head of Jesus. Move them out of the water. Sit for a moment and look at the story to let the story rest. Then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

Then one day Jesus… … came to John and said, “Baptize me, too.” So they went through the water… … and John baptized Jesus. Then the heavens opened and the Spirit of God came to Jesus… and the voice of God said, “This is my Son.”

I wonder how the people felt when John told them to change the way they live and get ready for the special Son of God?

I wonder if it was hard for them to change the way they lived?

I wonder how they felt when they went through the waters and went under the water to be baptized?

I wonder how they felt when they came out of the water?

I wonder if it was hard to wait for the special Son of God?

I wonder if they felt ready to be close to the special Son of God?

I wonder how you get ready to be close to the special Son of God?

Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminister John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 150-152.

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The Parable of the Good Shepherd

Background Focus: the shepherd and his sheep (Matthew 18:12-14, Luke 15:1-7) The primary sheep and shepherd parable of Jesus, recognized as authentic by many scholars, is the shepherd who searches for the one sheep that is lost and leaves the ninety-nine to do so. In this presentation, the gate is left open as the shepherd searches for the sheep, but you will also find that many of life’s conflicts find meaning and resolution in the themes from Psalm 23 and John 10, also present in the lesson.

Material The gold box for The Parable of the Good Shepherd is on the New Testament shelves. It contains:

green felt underlay 12 brown felt strips 3 dark blue felt shapes 1 light blue felt shape 5 paper sheep 1 paper Good Shepherd (1 paper ordinary shepherd – not used in this story) (1 paper wolf – not used in this story)

Movements Go to the New Testament shelves and bring the gold box containing The Good Shepherd to the circle. Place the box in the middle of the table.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. Look! It is the color gold. Something inside must be precious like gold. Perhaps there is a parable inside. Parables are even more valuable than gold, so maybe there is one inside.

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When you mention the box being closed, knock on the top of the box like a door. When you are talking about the parable being a present, hold the box out toward the children as if you are giving it to them. Sit back. Reflect on the need to be ready to open a parable and to keep from breaking it. When you and the children are ready, begin. Carefully move the box to your side. Remove the lid and leave it tipped up against the box to keep the children from being distracted by what’s inside. Take out the green underlay. First leave it crumpled. Then smooth it out in the middle of the table. The idea is to invite many serious and sometimes funny responses. This supports ownership in the parable, but it also frustrates the idea that children already know what it is. Look up at the imaginary tree. Turn it over. Smooth it out again. You might do this more than once.

The box is also closed. There is a lid. Maybe there is a parable inside. Sometimes, even if we are ready, we can’t enter a parable. Parables are like that. Sometimes they stay closed. The box looks like a present. Parables were given to you long ago as presents. Even if you don’t know what a parable is, the parable is yours already. You don’t have to take them, or buy them, or get them in any way. They already belong to you. You need to be ready to find out if there is a parable inside. It is easy to break parables. What is hard to do is to go inside. I have an idea. Let’s look inside and see what’s there! I wonder what this could be? It certainly is green. Green. There is nothing here but green. I wonder if this could be one of those things that frogs sit on in a pond? (Children will fill in the name if they know it.) I wonder if this could be the top of a tree? I wonder if this could be a leaf from a giant tree? It would have to be really tall. Yes, it is a piece of cloth, but I wonder what is on the other side? See, there is always the other side.

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Take from the box the piece of light blue felt and place it to your far left on the green underlay. Smooth it out. Bend over and look into the “window” or “mirror.” Next, take from the box the three pieces of dark blue felt. Hold each piece in the palm of your hand and show it to the children before placing it on your far right on the part of the underlay nearest the children. Take out a single brown strip and lay it close to you along your bottom right of the underlay. You can walk your fingers along it to suggest a path. Try to stretch it like a rubber band. Place the second strip parallel to the first one, but farther from you on the overlay. Place the third piece to the left to connect the first two pieces. It should suggest goal posts for football. Place the fourth piece to close the square. At an angle, it will look like a baseball diamond. Move one of the four strips to suggest the movement of a gate, then lay it flat again to make the square. Lay the remaining strips on top of the strips already laid down so that you build up the square to a depth of three strips each.

I wonder what this could be? I wonder if this could be a place to look through to the other side? I wonder if it is one of those things you look into and see your own face? Look, there is no light in there at all. I wonder what they could be? I wonder if they are so deep that the light cannot get there? It’s like holding a shadow in your hand. Sometimes people who sit over there think they see a face. Oh, there is no light in the eyes. There is no light in the smile. I wonder what this could be? A path? A flat log? A stick? No, it is not a rubber band. Here’s another one. Maybe the path is in between. Here’s another one. Look. Football? The goal posts? I wonder if it is a bridge between two paths? Here’s another one. Baseball? Now there is an inside and an outside. Let’s make a gate so if there is someone inside he or she can go outside. Or someone outside can go inside. There are more. It is getting stronger. I wonder what this could be? Yes, it could be a house, a kind of flat house, but everything’s flat in the parable. It could be a place for animals or people. I wonder who lives there?

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Take a single sheep out of the box and place it in the sheepfold. Take out the remaining four sheep, one by one. As you wonder how many there might be, take one away, then another, until there is only one. As you begin to wonder if there are more, place the sheep back in the sheepfold until all five are back. Sit back and reflect for a moment, then begin the parable with added focus. When you say, “I am the Good Shepherd,” take the Good Shepherd out of the box and hold it in your palm, showing it to the children. Place the Good Shepherd to your right of the sheepfold, between the sheepfold and the edge of the green underlay.

Oh, it’s a place for sheep. I wonder how many sheep there really are? This many? This many? This many? This many? Maybe only this many? Or maybe there are this many and more. There was once someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people followed him. They couldn’t help it. They wanted to know who he was, so they just had to ask him. Once when they asked him who he was, he said, “I am the Good Shepherd.”

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Touch each sheep gently, one by one. Lay back part of the sheepfold to open the gate. Move the Good Shepherd to your left on the underlay. Move the sheep, one by one, slowly out of the sheepfold into the grass. They move in single file. Move the first one then the others so they can catch up one by one. Move your hand over the green underlay to the left of the sheepfold. First move the Good Shepherd and then move the sheep slowly, one by one, to the light blue felt water. Move the Good Shepherd through the middle of the dark blue pieces of felt. Slowly begin to move the sheep through. Move the sheep through one at a time. Move them slowly. They do not want to go; they turn this way and that. Finally, each one is through but one. Place the last and lost sheep under one of the pieces of dark blue felt with only his head showing. There will be silence as the sheep go through. Bring the four sheep just to the gate into the sheepfold. The Good Shepherd is back in his starting position.

“I know each one of the sheep by name.” “And they know the sound of my voice. So when I call my sheep from the sheepfold, they follow me. I walk in front of the sheep to show them the way.” “I show them the way to the good grass…” “… and I show them the way to the cool, still, fresh water.” “When there are places of danger,…” “… I show them the way to go through.”

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Move each sheep into the sheepfold. Move your hand as if the lost sheep were going in. Clearly that sheep is not there. Look under and above your hand for it. Move the Good Shepherd in front of the sheepfold and then slowly to the grass, to the water, and into the middle of the dangerous place. The gate to the sheepfold is still open. Take the lost sheep from behind the dark blue felt piece and tuck it behind the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. If your Good Shepherd already has a sheep on his back, don’t worry. That seldom bothers the children. If it does, they will speak up and you can say, “There’s really only one.” Move the Good Shepherd and the lost sheep through the dangerous place and to the gate of the sheepfold. Take the sheep off the shepherd’s shoulders and leave it at the gate. Place the Good Shepherd back in his starting position. Move the lost sheep into the sheepfold and close the gate. Sit back for a moment and reflect on the parable. Then begin the wondering.

“I count each one as the sheep go inside.” “If one of the sheep is missing, I would go anywhere to look for the lost sheep…” “… in the grass, by the water, calling my sheep by name, even in places of danger.” “And when the lost sheep is found, I would put it on my back, even if it is very heavy, even if I am very tired, and carry it back safely to the sheepfold.” “When all the sheep are safe inside, I am so happy that I can’t be happy just by myself, so I invite all of my friends and we have a great feast.”

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Point to the sheepfold. Move your hand over the good grass to your left. When the wondering is over, begin to place each of the objects back into the parable box with great care. Do not hurry. Name each piece as you return it to the box. Take the parable box back to its shelf and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

I wonder if these sheep have names?

I wonder if the sheep are happy inside this place?

I wonder where this place could really be?

I wonder if you have ever come close to such a place?

I wonder if you have ever found good grass?

I wonder if you have ever had the cool, fresh, clear water touch you?

I wonder if you have ever had to go through a place of danger?

I wonder how you got through?

I wonder if you have ever been lost?

I wonder if you have ever been found?

I wonder if the Good Shepherd has ever called your name?

I wonder where this whole place could really be? Here is the Good Shepherd. Look. The sheep. The water. The dangerous place. The sheepfold. The grass.

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 3: 20 Presentations for Winter (2002), pp. 77-86.

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The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Background Focus: the Samaritan and the wounded traveler (Luke 10:30-35)

Material The gold box for The Parable of the Good Samaritan is on the New Testament shelves. It contains:

brown felt underlay beige felt road 2 dark blue felt rocks paper Jerusalem paper Jericho 2 paper robbers paper traveler paper priest paper Levite paper Samaritan paper Samaritan and Traveler scene

Movements Go to the New Testament shelves and bring the gold box containing The Good Samaritan to the circle. Place the box in the middle of the table. Gently run your hand over the lid. Knock on the top of the box as if the top were a door.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. Look. This box is the color gold. Perhaps there is something valuable like gold inside. There could be a parable inside. They are very valuable. They are worth even more than gold. The box also has a lid on it. Sometimes it’s as if parables have doors that are shut. You can’t go inside the parable even if you are ready. I don’t know why. It just happens, so don’t be discouraged. Keep coming back again and again. One day the parable will open up for you.

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Lift the box and admire it like a present. Sit back again. Continue reflecting on what might be in the box. Move the box to your side and take the lid off. Lean the lid on the side of the box toward the circle so the children cannot see inside the box. Remove the brown underlay. Drop it in a crumpled shape in the middle of the circle and look at it for a moment. Then begin to smooth it out. Wait for the children to begin to wonder. If they do not begin, you might suggest a few things like a giant cookie or a piece of wood to get them started. See if you can leave dirt or the desert for them to propose. If there is silence, let there be silence for a while. Bring out the beige felt “road.” Lay the road from one corner to the other, starting at your near left. Place Jerusalem at the end of the road nearest you, then place Jericho at the other end of the road.

The box looks like a present. You know, there may be a parable inside, because you were given parables as a present, even before you were born. Even if you don’t know what a parable is, it is still yours. It looks old. Parables are also old. They are older than you, and they are older than me. They are even older than your grandmother or grandfather. They are almost two thousand years old. I wonder if there really is a parable inside? I have an idea. Let’s look and see. I wonder what this could really be? There is so much brown. There is no green at all. Look, there is no blue. There is nothing but brown, and the brown is scratchy. It is hard to know what this could really be if there is only brown. Let’s see if there is anything else in the box that can help us. Now, I wonder what this could be? What could it really be? Yes. It could be a crack. Perhaps the whole thing is going to break into two pieces? Let’s see if there is anything else to help us. Oh, look. It is a road. It is going from this place to this place.

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Take the two pieces of dark blue felt from the box one at a time. Put one on one side of the road and the other on the other side of the road at the midpoint of the road. Take out the two thieves and put one behind each of the dark blue felt pieces by the road. Sit back and prepare to begin the parable.

But there is more. Look at this. I wonder what these could be? There is no light in them at all. They are like shadows. Let’s see what else there is to help us make the parable. There once was someone who did such amazing things and said such wonderful things that people followed him. As they followed him, they heard him speaking of many things. Sometimes people asked him questions. One day a person asked him what the most important thing in life was. He said, “You already know.” “That is true. I do. It is to love God and to love people just like they are your neighbors.” The person paused a while and thought. He then asked another question, “But who is my neighbor?” He then told him this parable.

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Take the traveler out of the box and place him at the Jerusalem end of the road near you. Begin to move him slowly along the road toward the children as you speak. Take the robbers out from behind the “rocks” and place them in an “X” over the traveler. Then move the robbers off the underlay, back to the box at your side. When you say “half dead,” turn over the traveler. He is at the side of the road by one of the “rocks.” Move the priest from Jerusalem slowly down the middle of the road. Don’t hurry. When the priest comes to the injured traveler, move the priest slowly to the other side of the road and past the traveler. When the priest is past, move him back to the middle of the road and on to Jericho. Move the Levite slowly down the road. When he comes to the injured traveler, move the Levite to the other side of the road and past the traveler. Then move the Levite back to the middle of the road and on to Jericho.

There was once someone who went from Jerusalem down to Jericho. As he went along his way, he was attacked by robbers. They hurt him, took everything he had, and left him by the side of the road half dead. There was also a great priest of the temple who went on the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho. As he went along his way, he came to the place where the traveler was who had been hurt, had everything taken from him, and had been left by the side of the road half dead. When the priest came to him, the priest went to the other side of the road and went along his way. There was also someone who worked at the temple who went from Jerusalem down to Jericho. He was one of the people who helped the priests. He took care of the temple and helped with the music. He was called a Levite. When the Levite came to the place where the traveler was who had been hurt, had everything taken from him, and had been left by the side of the road half dead, he went to the other side and he went on his way.

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Move the Samaritan slowly down the road until he comes to the injured traveler. Move the Samaritan to the traveler. Reach into the box and take out the “covering piece” that shows the Samaritan putting a coat on the traveler. Put the card over the figures of the Samaritan and the traveler. Move the Samaritan and the traveler with the card over them along the road almost all the way to Jericho.

There was also a person on the road who did not live in Jerusalem. He was visiting from a country called Samaria. The people in Samaria did not like the people of Jerusalem, and the people in Jerusalem did not like the people from Samaria. When the stranger came to where the traveler was who had been hurt, had everything taken from him, and had been left by the side of the road half dead, the stranger went to him. The stranger put medicine on the places where the person was hurt. He gave him his coat to put on. He then put him on his donkey and took him to a place to spend the night. The stranger even stayed with him all the night, and in the morning he gave the innkeeper enough money for him to stay there until he was well.

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Sit back and ponder the whole parable. Place the “covering piece” back in the box beside you. Place the robbers by the rocks. Place the traveler on the underlay close to the children on the left side. Place the priest beside the traveler. Ask the first question. Wait. Repeat for the Levite and the thieves. Finally place the Samaritan. Move the traveler to join the other figures near Jericho. Put one of the robbers in the place where the traveler was. Move the priest up beside the robber. Try the Levite, then the other robber and the Samaritan. Finally, try the traveler. Move the priest down to the comparison position. Hold each figure next to him asking: Try different combinations of the figures, always asking: Leave all the figures on the underlay. When the wondering is over, place each of the figures back into the parable box with great care. Put the road and the dark pieces back in the box, then fold up the underlay and put it in the box, too. Name each one as you put it away.

Now I wonder, who is the neighbor to the person who was hurt, had everything taken from him, and was left by the road half dead?

I wonder if it could be this one?

This one?

Could it be this one?

I wonder if it could be this one?

I wonder who is the neighbor to this one? Could it be this one?

How about this one?

Or this one?

Or could it be this one?

I wonder who is the neighbor to this one?

I wonder who is the neighbor to this one?

I wonder what would happen if the people in the parable were women and not men?

I wonder what would happen if the person finding the injured traveler were a child?

Here is the traveler. The Samaritan. The priest. The Levite. The two thieves. The rocks. The city and the inn. The road.

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Take the parable box back to its shelf and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 3: 20 Presentations for Winter (2002), pp. 87-94. Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 169-172.

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Jesus in the Wilderness

Scripture

Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-15

Material

The basket for Jesus in the Wilderness is on one of the New Testament shelves.

It contains:

wooden figure of Jesus

3 small stones in a box

You’ll also need the mountain and the temple. And you’ll use the desert box.

Movements

Walk slowly to the shelf and pick up the basket with the materials for Jesus in the Wilderness. Carry it carefully to the circle and set the basket beside you. Get the mountain and the temple and put them with the basket of materials. Get the desert box and place it in the center of the circle. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you. Trace the edge of the desert box. Slowly move your hands over the sand, smoothing and molding it as the sand is transformed into the desert. Move sand as though wind is blowing and form a mound at the center of the edge of the box

Words This is the desert box. Inside is a small piece of the desert. So many important things happen in the desert that we need a small piece of it here. The desert is a strange and wild place. At night it is very cold, but in the day it is burning hot. There is almost no water at all. The desert is always changing. The wind comes and as it blows it shapes and molds the sand. So the desert is never the same.

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closest to you. The Temple will be placed here later. Place the figure of Jesus at the center of the edge of the desert box closest to you and move him to the center of the box. Move Jesus through the desert toward your right to the front corner. Place the three stones near Jesus. Turn Jesus’ back to the stones. Move Jesus slowly to the center of the desert box. Place the Temple in the middle of the edge of the sand nearest you. Move Jesus up to the highest point of the Temple.

Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the desert. For forty days and forty nights he stayed alone in the desert… talking with God… and wondering which way he should go. Jesus had been in the desert a very long time, and he had nothing to eat. He was very hungry. Then the evil one came to Jesus and said, “If you really are the special Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” Jesus was very hungry. Bread would taste so good. Jesus wondered…. Then Jesus said, “NO!” Then the evil one came to Jesus a second time and took him to Jerusalem, the holy city of God. Here the evil one set Jesus on the highest point of the Temple.

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Move Jesus down from the Temple and back to the center of the desert box. Then move him to the far corner toward your left. Place the mountain toward the edge of the desert on your left and move Jesus to the top of it. Turn Jesus around and down the back of the mountain. Then move him to the center of the desert box in front of the Temple. Move Jesus to the edge of the desert box opposite you. Sit back and pause a moment, then begin the wondering.

The evil one said, “If you really are the special Son of God, prove it. Throw yourself down; for the scripture says, ‘God will send angels to save you.’” Jesus wondered…. If angels saved him, everyone would know he was special and they would follow him. Then Jesus said, “NO! The scripture says, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Then the evil one came to Jesus a third time and took him to a very high mountain. “Look,” said the evil one. “Here are all the nations of the world. Look how wonderful they are. I will give all of them to you, if you will worship me.” It would be wonderful to be king of all these nations. Jesus wondered…. Then Jesus said, “NO! Go away, Satan! The scripture says, ‘You shall worship God only.’” The evil one left Jesus. And Jesus was filled with the Spirit of God. Jesus returned safely home. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus began to tell anyone who would listen about a special kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

I wonder what it was like to be alone in the desert for such a long time?

I wonder what Jesus and God talked about in the desert?

I wonder how Jesus felt when the evl one was near him?

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After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

I wonder if it was hard to say “NO!”?

I wonder how Jesus felt when the Spirit of God filled him?

I wonder what the people thought when they heard Jesus telling about the Kingdom of God?


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Jesus and the Children

Background Focus: Jesus and the children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17)

Material The basket for Jesus and the Children is on the New Testament shelves. It contains:

purple felt underlay beige felt road wooden Jesus figure 2 wooden disciple figures 6 wooden children figures

You’ll also need from the top shelves: Jerusalem model Jericho model

Movements Go to the New Testament shelves and bring the basket containing Jesus and the Children to the circle. Carefully spread out the purple underlay. Roll out the beige felt road and place Jerusalem at its end to your left and Jericho at its end to your right.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. This is the season of Lent, the time we get ready to celebrate the mystery of Easter, the time we are all on the way to Jerusalem. But who will show us the way? Jesus shows us the way. Once every year the people of God go up to Jerusalem, the holy city of God, to celebrate the feast of the Passover, to remember how God led them through the waters to freedom.

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Place Jesus on the road near Jericho, to your right, and move him along the road a little. Take the two disciples and, starting from the corners of the underlay to your right, move them simultaneously to the road until they are touching Jesus. Move Jesus off the road onto the purple underlay just in front of you. Move the disciples to either side of Jesus. Move the children onto the road from both your right and left and have them form a semi-circle on the road facing Jesus. Move the two disciples simultaneously toward the road in front of Jesus. Put the disciples together so they block the children. Pause. Turn the two disciples sideways so the children can pass between them to Jesus. Move the children to Jesus one at a time. Have Jesus take each one in his arms and bless them. Position them so they form a semi-circle leaving the center open.

This year, as Jesus traveled to Jerusalem… … crowds of people came to be close to him. They came near to hear him teach. The little children wanted to come to Jesus, too. But Jesus’ disciples said, “No! Don’t bother Jesus. he has important work to do.” Then Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Do not stop them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God.”

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When all the children have been blessed, move Jesus forward to the two disciples. Turn them to face him. Pause and consider the whole story, then begin the wondering. When the wondering is over, return all the materials gently to the basket, return the basket to its place on the shelf, and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

Jesus said, “It is true. Anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

I wonder how the children felt on their way to see Jesus?

I wonder how they felt when the disciples said, “No!”?

I wonder what Jesus said to the children?

I wonder what the children said to Jesus?

I wonder what it was like to be close to Jesus?

I wonder what it’s like to receive the Kingdom of God like a little child?


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Jesus the King

Scripture

Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19: 29-44, John 12:12-19

Material

The basket for Jesus the King is on one of the New Testament shelves.

It contains:

purple felt underlay 96X20

beige felt road 96X8

4 purple felt pieces 5X8

box containing colorful felt pieces 3X4

box containing silk palm leaves

wooden Jesus on donkey figure You’ll also need the model of Jerusalem.

Movements

Walk slowly to the shelf and pick up the basket with the materials for Jesus the King. Carry it carefully to the circle and set the basket beside you. Get the model of Jerusalem and bring it to the circle. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you. Roll out the purple underlay. Roll out the beige road, smooth it, and place Jerusalem at the end to your left. Present Jesus on the donkey and move him along the road.

Words This is the season of Lent... the time we get ready to celebrate the mystery of Easter… the time we are all on the way to Jerusalem. But who will show us the way? Jesus shows us the way. Once every year the people of God go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover, to remember how God led them through the water to freedom. This year as Jesus traveled to Jerusalem people hoped he would be their king.

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Place a purple “cloak” on the road using a motion like spreading a tablecloth. Place a palm branch on the cloak. Place another purple cloak. Place another palm branch. Place another purple cloak. Place another palm branch. Place another purple cloak. Place another palm branch.

When they heard Jesus was near Jerusalem, they ran to him and shouted, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” They put their cloaks and palm branches on the road to prepare a way for Jesus and shouted: “Hosanna in the highest!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

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Open the box of small colored cloaks; put it and the box of palms between the children and the underlay. Each time a child places a cloak, say “Hosanna in the Highest!” Each time a palm is placed, say “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” When each child has had a turn, sit back and pause a moment, then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

You can prepare the way for Jesus the King. When it is your turn you may come choose a cloak and palm to put on the road, too

I wonder how Jesus felt when the crowd wanted him to be their king?

I wonder who the people were who shouted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”?

I wonder why Jesus the King rode on a donkey instead of a horse?

I wonder what kind of king Jesus would be?

I wonder what it would be like to live in Jesus’ kingdom?


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Jesus’ Last Passover

Scripture

Matthew 26:26-28

Material

The basket for Jesus’ Last Passover is on one of the New Testament shelves.

It contains:

green felt underlay 18X48

wooden Jesus figure

small box containing: o 12 wooden disciple figures

wooden table

wooden backdrop

box containing: o small plate o small chalice

Movements

Walk slowly to the shelf and pick up the basket with the materials for Jesus’ Last Passover. Carry it carefully to the circle and set the basket beside you. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you. Roll out the green underlay and smooth it out. Place the disciples on the underlay so they are in three rows, four figures abreast. Present Jesus and place him to your right, facing the disciples, so they block his movement. Motion over the heads of the disciples.

Words Once every year the people of God go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover… to remember how God led them through the waters to freedom. Every year Jesus celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem with his family and friends. But this year Jesus’ friends did not want to go. They were afraid. They said to Jesus, “Don’t go. People in Jerusalem want to kill you.

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Pause. Move Jesus toward you around the disciples, stopping him about six inches before you get to the spot where the backdrop will go. So that you will only have to move three pairs of disciples, move two from each of the ends closest to you so they are lined up behind Jesus in pairs.

But Jesus said, “We must go.”

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Place the upper room backdrop near the end of the underlay to your left. Place the table in front of the backdrop. Put the plate on the table and then the cup. Move Jesus to the upper room by going in front of the table and then around to the center back. Follow with the disciples. Touch Jesus. With both hands, lift the plate. Hold it straight up. Place your hand over the plate like a blessing. Mime breaking the plate in two. Lower your hands and offer the plate to the two disciples facing Jesus. Continue around the circle, offering the plate to each disciple. Life the cup straight up with two hands. Lower the cup and pass it to each disciple. Pause and sit back. Move Jesus and the disciples out, behind the backdrop so they can’t be seen. Pause for a moment.

When the day of Passover came, some of Jesus’ friends went to an upper room… … and prepared the feast. When evening came, Jesus and his friends went to the upper room to celebrate the feast of Passover. They were still afraid. Then Jesus said the words of the feast in a way they had never heard before. Jesus took the bread… … and blessed it… …and broke it… … and gave it to them, saying, “Take. Eat. This is my body, broken for you.” Then Jesus took the cup and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is my blood which is shed for you.” Then they sang a hymn and went out to a garden to pray. Then it happened. People who didn’t like Jesus took him. They wouldn’t let him go. Later they nailed him to a cross to kill him…. Jesus died…. It was very sad…. But three days later, God did an amazing thing. God made Jesus alive again.

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Pause for a moment and look at the table. Touch the plate. Touch the cup. Sit back and pause a moment, then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work

So, every time we eat this bread… … and drink this cup… … we remember Jesus, and that God made him alive again.

I wonder how it felt to be around this table and to hear Jesus say, “Take. Eat. This is my body broken for you.”

I wonder how the disciples felt eating the bread and drinking the wine?

I wonder how they felt when Jesus died?

I wonder how they felt when they heard God made Jesus alive again?

I wonder if you have ever been close to a table like this?

.


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Jesus is Risen: Appearance to Mary Magdalene

Background Focus: Jesus’ resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene (Matthew 27:57-28:10, John 20:1-18)

Material The basket for Jesus is Risen: Mary Magdalene is on the New Testament shelves. It contains:

white felt underlay beige felt road tomb rock “door” for tomb wooden Mary figure 2 wooden women figures wooden angel figure wooden risen Jesus figure

Movements Go to the New Testament shelves and bring the basket containing Jesus is Risen: Mary Magdalene to the circle. Carefully spread out the white underlay. Roll out the beige road from the left corner near you to the right corner toward the children, then place the tomb at the end of the road nearest you.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. This is the season of Easter, the time we celebrate the mystery that Jesus died and that God made him alive again. This is a tomb. It is a special place for the dead.

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Move your hand over the surface of the tomb. Place the stone in front of the opening. Pause. Take the angel and silently roll the stone away. Put the angel behind the stone. Present Mary and place her on the road. Place her friends beside her and begin move all three to the tomb. Bring the angel out from behind the stone. Move Mary’s two friends away from the tomb along the road. Leave Mary near the tomb. Move Jesus to her back. Turn Mary around to face Jesus.

When Jesus died, his friends took his body from the cross and put it here. They rolled a huge stone in front to close it. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus very much. So early Sunday morning, Mary and her friends went back to the tomb. The tomb was open! Jesus was gone! “Where is he?” they cried! Then the angel said, “Don’t be afraid. Be joyful. Jesus is alive! Go tell the disciples that Jesus is risen from the dead.” But Mary Magdalene would not leave. She stood crying. Then someone said, “Who are you looking for?” And he called her by name, “Mary!” She knew the sound of his voice. It was Jesus! Jesus was alive!

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Move Mary to her two friends. Pause and consider the whole story, then begin the wondering.

Mary Magdalene was so happy she couldn’t help but tell Jesus’ friends, “I have seen the Lord. Jesus is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!”

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When the wondering is over, return all the materials gently to the basket, return the basket to its place on the shelf, and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

I wonder what it was like to be going to Jesus’ tomb that Sunday morning?

I wonder how Mary felt when Jesus died?

I wonder what it feels like when someone or something you love dies?

I wonder how Mary felt when Jesus’ body was not in the tomb?

I wonder what it was like to hear, “Jesus is alive. Jesus is risen”?

I wonder how Mary knew this person was Jesus?

I wonder how Mary felt when Jesus called her by name?

I wonder what it felt like to tell others that Jesus is risen?

I wonder how we can know that Jesus is alive?


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Jesus is Risen: The Road to Emmaus

Background Focus: Jesus’ resurrection appearance on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:1-35)

Material The basket for Jesus is Risen: The Road to Emmaus is on the New Testament shelves. It contains:

white felt underlay beige felt road wooden backdrop 2 wooden disciple figures wooden risen Jesus figure wooden table small box containing small plate and small chalice

Movements Go to the New Testament shelves and bring the basket containing Jesus is Risen: the Road to Emmaus to the circle. Carefully spread out the white underlay. Roll out the beige road from the left to right on the edge of the underlay nearest the children.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. This is the season of Easter, when we celebrate the mystery that Jesus died and that God made him alive again. This is the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

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Place the backdrop and the table between the road and you at the end of the road to your right. Present the two disciples and move them along the road from your left to right. Place Jesus between them and continue to move all three toward the house. Stop the figures when they reach the house. Place Jesus behind the table and the two men across the table from him. Open the small wooden box and place the chalice and plate on the table. Raise the plate slightly off the table. Make the sign of the cross over the plate. Lower the plate to the table. Offer the plate to each figure. Pause.

Two of Jesus’ friends were going down to Emmaus. They were very sad. Jesus had died. They had hoped he would be king. “Why did Jesus have to die?” they said. “Why did Jesus die?” Then someone came and walked with them. He told them why Jesus died. “Stay with us,” they said. The man took the bread… … and blessed it… … and broke it… … and gave it to them. Then they knew who he was. He was Jesus. Jesus was alive! Jesus was risen from the dead!

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Move Jesus behind the backdrop. Move the two disciples toward Jerusalem.

Then Jesus left. They were so happy that Jesus was alive, they couldn’t help but go back to Jerusalem and tell the disciples. “Jesus is alive! He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!”

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Pause and consider the whole story, then begin the wondering. When the wondering is over, return all the materials gently to the basket, return the basket to its place on the shelf, and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

I wonder how Jesus’ friends felt when Jesus died?

I wonder how they knew the person with them was Jesus?

I wonder what it felt like to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread?

I wonder if you have ever been close to a plate like this?

I wonder how it feels to know that Jesus is alive?

I wonder what it was like to tell others that Jesus is alive?


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The Good Shepherd and the Wolf

Background Focus: the shepherd and his sheep (Matthew 18:12-14, Luke 15:1-7) The primary sheep and shepherd parable of Jesus, recognized as authentic by many scholars, is the shepherd who searches for the one sheep that is lost and leaves the ninety-nine to do so. In this presentation, the gate is left open as the shepherd searches for the sheep, but you will also find that many of life’s conflicts find meaning and resolution in the themes from Psalm 23 and John 10, also present in the lesson.

Material The gold box for The Parable of the Good Shepherd is on the New Testament shelves. It contains:

green felt underlay 12 brown felt strips 3 dark blue felt shapes 1 light blue felt shape 5 paper sheep 1 paper Good Shepherd 1 paper ordinary shepherd 1 paper wolf

Movements Go to the New Testament shelves and bring the gold box containing The Good Shepherd to the circle. Place the box in the middle of the table.

Words Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where to find this lesson. Look! This box is gold. Something inside must be precious like gold. Parables are even more valuable than gold, so maybe there is one inside.

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When you mention the box being closed, knock on the top of the box like a door. When you are talking about the parable being a present, hold the box out toward the children as if you are giving it to them. Sit back. Reflect on the need to be ready to open a parable and to keep from breaking it. When you and the children are ready, begin. Carefully move the box to your side. Remove the lid and leave it tipped up against the box to keep the children from being distracted by what’s inside. Take out the green underlay. First leave it crumpled. Then smooth it out in the middle of the table. Take from the box the piece of light blue felt and place it to your far left on the green underlay. Smooth it out. Next, take from the box the three pieces of dark blue felt. Hold each piece in the palm of your hand and show it to the children before placing it on your far right on the part of the underlay nearest the children.

The box is also closed. There is a lid. Sometimes parable have lids on them. The box looks like a present. Parables were given to you long ago as presents. You don’t have to take them, or buy them, or get them in any way. They already belong to you. You need to be ready to find out if there is a parable inside. I have an idea. Let’s look inside and see what’s there! I wonder what this could be? It’s so green. It’s so soft and warm. I wonder what could be so green? Maybe there’s something else in here that will help us. Yes, there is this. It’s so blue… and cool. I wonder what it might be? Let’s see if there is anything else. These are very dark. There seems to be no light in them at all. I wonder what these could be?

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Take out a single brown strip and lay it close to you along your bottom right of the underlay. You can walk your fingers from one end to the other along it to suggest a path. Place the second strip parallel to the first one, but farther from you on the overlay. Place two more strips to make a square and continue laying the remaining eight strips on top of the first four. Point to the inside of the sheepfold and then the outside. Make a gate by separating the ends of the strips in the corner farthest from you at your right. Look into the box and take out the sheep.

I wonder what this could be? If I place it here, it could be a road. This could be the beginning, and this could be the end. Or this could be the beginning and this could be the end. If I add another one, the path could be in between. There are more. If I put one here and one here… I could make this place very strong. It’s getting stronger and stronger. Now I wonder what this could be? It could be a log cabin… Hmmm. It could be a corral. There is an inside and an outside in this place. But I think there needs to be a gate. I wonder who lives here? Here are some sheep. If sheep live in this place, then it must be a sheepfold. It’s called a sheepfold because the sheep are folded safely inside.

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Sit back and reflect for a moment, then begin the parable with added focus. When you say, “I am the Good Shepherd,” take the Good Shepherd out of the box and hold it in your palm, showing it to the children. Place the Good Shepherd to your right of the sheepfold, between the sheepfold and the edge of the green underlay. Touch each sheep gently, one by one. Lay back part of the sheepfold to open the gate. Move the Good Shepherd to your left on the underlay. Move the sheep, one by one, slowly out of the sheepfold into the grass. They move in single file. Move the first one then the others so they can catch up one by one. Move your hand over the green underlay to the left of the sheepfold. First move the Good Shepherd and then move the sheep slowly, one by one, to the light blue felt water.

There was once someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people followed him. They couldn’t help it. They wanted to know who he was, so they just had to ask him. Once when they asked him who he was, he said, “I am the Good Shepherd.” “I know each one of the sheep by name.” “And they know the sound of my voice. So when I call my sheep from the sheepfold, they follow me. I walk in front of the sheep to show them the way.” “I show them the way to the good grass…” “… and I show them the way to the cool, still, fresh water.”

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Move the Good Shepherd through the middle of the dark blue pieces of felt. Slowly begin to move the sheep through. Move the sheep through one at a time. Move them slowly. They do not want to go; they turn this way and that. Finally, each one is through but one. Place the last and lost sheep under one of the pieces of dark blue felt with only his head showing. There will be silence as the sheep go through. Bring the four sheep just to the gate into the sheepfold. The Good Shepherd is back in his starting position. Move each sheep into the sheepfold. Move your hand as if the lost sheep were going in. Clearly that sheep is not there. Look under and above your hand for it. Move the Good Shepherd in front of the sheepfold and then slowly to the grass, to the water, and into the middle of the dangerous place. The gate to the sheepfold is still open. Take the lost sheep from behind the dark blue felt piece and tuck it behind the shoulders of the Good Shepherd.

“When there are places of danger,…” “… I show them the way to go through.” “I count each one as the sheep go inside.” “If one of the sheep is missing, I would go anywhere to look for the lost sheep…” “… in the grass, by the water, calling my sheep by name, even in places of danger.” “And when the lost sheep is found, I would put it on my back, even if it is very heavy, even if I am very tired, and carry it back safely to the sheepfold.”

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Move the Good Shepherd and the lost sheep through the dangerous place and to the gate of the sheepfold. Take the sheep off the shepherd’s shoulders and leave it at the gate. Place the Good Shepherd back in his starting position. Move the lost sheep into the sheepfold and close the gate. Sit back and pause. Put the Good Shepherd in the box and take out the ordinary shepherd. Hold him in the palm of your hand and show him to the children. Place the figure on the underlay, midway between the water, the dangerous place, and the sheepfold. Move the sheep slowly out of the sheepfold so that one goes to the right, one to the left, one to the far right, one to the far left, and the fifth one goes past the ordinary shepherd toward the far edge of the underlay. Take the wolf from the box and show it to the children. Place it by the dangerous place facing toward the sheep. Move the ordinary shepherd off the underlay to your near left and place him in the box.

“When all the sheep are safe inside, I am so happy that I can’t be happy just by myself, so I invite all of my friends and we have a great feast.” This is the ordinary shepherd. When the ordinary shepherd takes the sheep from the sheepfold, he does not always show the way. The sheep wander. When the wolf comes, the ordinary shepherd runs away…

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Take the Good Shepherd from the box and place it between the wolf and the sheep. Put him down firmly and leave your hand on him for a moment. Turn each sheep slowly around so each one faces the sheepfold. Move each sheep slowly back into the sheepfold and close the gate. Place the Good Shepherd back in his original position beside the sheepfold. Put the wolf back in the box. Sit back and reflect on the whole parable, then begin the wondering. Point to the sheepfold. Point to dark blue felt pieces. Bring out the wolf figure. Touch the Good Shepherd.

… but the Good Shepherd stays between the wolf and the sheep and would even give his life for the sheep… … so they can come back safely to the sheepfold.

I wonder if these sheep have names?

I wonder if the sheep are happy inside this place?

I wonder how many sheep could live in this place?

I wonder if you have ever had to go through a place of danger or were lost and someone found you?

I wonder if the wolf has ever been close to you?

I wonder what the wolf might really be?

I wonder what the wolf might say to the sheep?

I wonder what the Good Shepherd says to the sheep?

I wonder if the Good Shepherd has ever called your name?

112

When the wondering is over, begin to place each of the objects back into the parable box with great care. Do not hurry. Name each piece as you return it to the box. Take the parable box back to its shelf and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

Here is the wolf. Here is the Good Shepherd. Look. The sheep. The water. The dangerous place. The sheepfold. The grass.

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 3: 20 Presentations for Winter (2002), pp. 77-86. Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 85-91 and 199-200.

113

The Good Shepherd and World Communion

Scripture

Psalm 23, John 10, Matthew 18

Material

The basket for The Good Shepherd and World Communion is on one of the New Testament shelves.

It contains:

wooden table

small box containing o paten o chalice

wooden Good Shepherd figure

small box containing o 10 wooden sheep

small box containing o 10 wooden figures

You’ll also need the 2 circles covered in green felt and the wooden sheepfold.

Movements Walk slowly to the shelf and pick up the basket with the materials for The Good Shepherd and World Communion. Carry it carefully to the circle and set the basket beside you. Get the two felt-covered circles and the sheepfold. Place the two circles in the center of the circle, touching each other. Set up the sheepfold on the circle to your right. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you.

Words There was once someone who did such wonderful things and said such amazing things that people wondered who he was. Finally they just couldn’t help it. They had to ask him who he was.

114

Place the Good Shepherd figure at the open gate of the sheepfold. Place the sheep in the sheepfold one at a time, stroking each one on the back as you place it. Move the Good Shepherd around the right side of the sheepfold to a position at the bottom of the circle in front of you. Then go back and move each one of the sheep to catch up with him. They stay in single file. Keep silence while you are doing this and just enjoy watching the sheep.

When they asked him who he was, he said, “I am the Good Shepherd.” “I know each one of my sheep by name, and they know the sound of my voice.” “When I take the sheep from the sheepfold, they follow me.”

115

Move the Good Shepherd from the bottom position on the right circle to the top position on the left circle. Take your time. Move the sheep up to where the Good Shepherd is. Move them one at a time. Think about what is happening as you move them from one circle to the other. Without saying anything else, move the Good Shepherd to the bottom position of the left-hand circle and move the sheep so that they are spread out equally now around the circle but still turned as if they are following around the edge of the circle. When all the sheep are in position, turn the Good Shepherd to face the center of the circle. Turn all the sheep so they are facing the center. Place the table in front of the Good Shepherd. Place the chalice and paten on the table.

“I walk in front of the sheep to show them the way.” “I show them the way to the good grass.” This is the table of the Good Shepherd. A special plate and a special cup are on this table. Here the Good Shepherd feeds his sheep.

116

Remove the Good Shepherd. Bring out the priest and move the priest into the position behind the table where the Good Shepherd was. Take one of the adult human figures from the basket. Show it to the children, then put it between the sheep. Continue doing this until all the adults from around the world are in place. Take out the child figures and put them by the adult figures. Sit back and look at the people of the world around the table for a moment, then begin the wondering.

Sometimes someone comes to read the very words of the Good Shepherd and to give us the bread and the wine. Sometimes the people of the world come to this table… … even the children come.

I wonder if you have ever come close to this table?

I wonder where this table could really be?

I wonder if the people are happy around this table?

I wonder if you have ever heard the words of the Good Shepherd?

117

After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

I wonder if you have ever come close to the bread and wine?

I wonder where the bread and wine could really be?

I wonder where this whole place could really be?

Jerome W. Berryman, The Complete Guide to Godly Play Volume 4: 20 Presentations for Spring (2003), pp. 91-98.

118

Ascension

Scripture

Luke 24:44-53, John 14-17, Acts 1:1-11

Material

The basket for Ascension is on one of the New Testament shelves.

It contains:

white satin underlay

You’ll also need the basket with the Christ candle, matches, and snuffer in it.

Movements Walk slowly to the shelf and pick up the basket with the materials for Ascension. Carry it carefully to the circle and set the basket beside you. Get the basket with the Christ candle, matches, and snuffer. Place it beside you as well. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you. Roll out the white satin underlay. Place the Christ candle on the white satin underlay. Touch the wick and move your hands down the candle. Move your hands slowly back up the candle. Light it as you say, “Christ is risen.” Enjoy the light for a while.

Words This is the season of Easter, when we celebrate the mystery that Jesus died and God made him alive again. Today we celebrate the mystery of the Ascension, the mystery that Jesus went away so he could be with us always… in every place and time. When there is no light, we say, “Christ has died.” But Jesus is alive. God raised Jesus from the dead, so we say, “Christ is risen.”

119

Point to the flame. Place the snuffer over the flame. Lift the snuffer slowly, as far as you can reach into the air, keeping your eyes on the smoke. Keep looking up, with snuffer extended. Slowly lower the snuffer and look toward the candle. Touch the wick and move your hands down the candle. Pause. Move your hands up the candle slowly and light it. Pause. Snuff the candle as you did before. Pause. Slowly bring the snuffer down. Sit back and look at story for a moment, then begin the wondering. After the wondering is over, put the story away carefully. Return the lesson to its spot on the shelf. Then return to your spot in the circle and dismiss the children one by one to do their work.

Jesus was alive again. One day he said to his friends, “Stay in Jerusalem. God will send you a special gift… the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give you power… power to tell everyone about me and the Kingdom of God. “I am going away. You will not see me any more. But I will be with you always… in every place and time. And I will come again.” Then Jesus disappeared,,, … into a cloud. Hmmm. This is the mystery of Ascension. Jesus went away, but somehow he is still with us. And “Christ will come again.” Hmmm. “Christ has died.” “Christ is risen.” “Christ will come again.” This is the mystery of Easter.

I wonder how Jesus’ friends felt when Jesus went away?

I wonder if they kept looking for Jesus?

I wonder how they knew Jesus was still with them?

I wonder how they felt when Jesus told them God would give them the special gift of the Holy Spirit?

I wonder what they will do with that gift?

Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 207-208

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