The Faces of Easter V

Lent is the season when we prepare for Easter. We move toward the Mystery of Easter by hearing the stories of Christ’s journey toward the cross and resurrection. This week’s presentation—the fifth in a series of seven—focuses on Christ as healer and Parable-maker.

How to Use this Parent Page

With your child, begin by looking together at the illustrations below and listening as your child recalls—and in a sense relives—the expe-rience of today’s Godly Play presentation. Invite your child to respond to the drawings. You might say, for example:

■ I wonder what you can tell me about this picture?

■ I wonder what this picture has to do with today’s story?

Just listen. This is not a time to quiz children on what they may or may not recall about the lesson, but to be quietly present as they share their own experience. This will be different for each child—one may retell much of the presentation, another recall a single moment that had meaning, and yet

another talk about his or her own creative response. Again, your role is not to correct or supplement what your child tells you, but simply to listen in a supportive way. You are supporting the formation of young—sometimes very young—theologians.

Then, if you wish, you can read with (or to) your child the condensed version of today’s presentation offered below. (If you retell this lesson, you might like to use the home version of the Godly Play materials for Lent, available from Godly Play Resources, called the “Mini Faces of Easter”; call 1-800-445-4390 or visit www.godlyplayresources.com). Conclude by sitting quietly for a moment and then saying, “Amen.”

The Presentation

Jesus came back across the Jordan River and began to do his work... but what was his work? His work was to come close to people, especially the people no one else wanted to come close to.

Jesus traveled about the land with the Twelve. He was teaching and showing people how to be real human beings. As he taught, people came to him to be healed. If they were hurt or sick or upset in some way, they sensed that Jesus could help them be well.

Now, here comes a rich man. He has so much money to put in, he brought friends with him to help him carry it. His money clangs and clatters as they pour it into the box. Jesus asked, “Now I wonder which one really gave the most?” That was how he taught.

On Thursday evening, Jesus and the Twelve hurried

through the dark streets to a house. They climbed up the stairs to an upper room and shared their last supper together. After supper, Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it and said something like, “Whenever you break the bread like this and share it, I will be there.” He also took a cup of wine, gave thanks to God for it, and said, “Whenever you share a cup of wine like this, I will be there.”

What was he talking about? He was always saying things like that.

Suddenly Judas got up and left. The rest went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus wanted to pray. When he was finished, he joined the rest, but Judas came out of the dark and greeted him. This was a signal for the temple guards to come out of the shadows and take Jesus away with them.

Now, I wonder if there is anything here at home that can help us tell more of the story? Look around and see if you see something. Let’s each go to get something to help us tell more of the story of Jesus’ showing us the sacra-ment of the bread and wine.

If you don’t feel like getting something, that’s okay. Let’s just sit here and look at the picture a moment more.

Godly Play

Godly Play in Other Settings (Part 3)

In every Parent Page, we offer infor-mation about Godly Play to help you under-stand both its methodology and purpose. Godly Play is more than a Sunday school program. It finds a home wherever people want to play deeply and profoundly with the language of God’s People.

Jerome W. Berryman tells this story:

In Houston, one setting for a Godly Play pre-sentation for runaways was an auditorium.

I walked in with a Parable box under one arm, and said, “Hi. I’ve got something strange to show you, if you’re interested.”

Not many were! One or two came and looked at the box. I started telling the Parable of the Good Shepherd. Before I was done, about thirty out of forty teen -agers in that room came and gathered around. Perhaps this is less surprising than it sounds. After all, if they weren’t really scared and searching, they wouldn’t have come into a religious shelter to start with. These kids were very involved in the wondering, because the existential ques-tions were so close to their skin.

Excerpt used with permission from The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 4, Jerome W. Berryman.