Script 23 Moms and the Brass Snake

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Dortha Cooper
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) and this Sunday is sometimes known as Laetare but it s just as likely to be called Lent 4, Mothering Sunday or Refreshment Sunday.

1 Script 23 Moms and the Brass Snake Lent 4 John 3:14-16 THEME For some churches, today is a Pink Sunday, when the vestments and the liturgy lighten up. The traditional sentence that begins Mass today starts with the word Laetare (Latin for Rejoice! ) and this Sunday is sometimes known as Laetare but it s just as likely to be called Lent 4, Mothering Sunday or Refreshment Sunday. Today s Gospel: records Jesus saying about Moses and the Brass Serpent. (Not an obvious choice for a Pink Sunday perhaps, but children are always intrigued by snakes.) SET UP The liturgical color is Rose, though the churches that don t have a rose set of vestments will still be in Purple. If you change the liturgical color in your Children s Church, try to find a pink drape. Wear a pink garment. The Desert Tray plus the Jesus candle to hand. Pictures from the CD-ROM. An image of the Virgin Mary an icon, a little statue, poster or a postcard. A Bible scroll make this by sticking the text of Numbers on to a large stiffish bit of paper and rolling it up.

2 Script 23 Moms and the Brass Snake 125 A toy snake (sold at joke and party shops). A crucifix or a small processional cross. The Hail Mary cards (see page xxii), or the materials to make them (see page 128): 10 pieces of card and some brightly colored markers. (An alternative to the Hail Mary is provided below.) WELCOME the children and lead them in The Sign of the Cross X (p. xxxvi). THE KYRIE Lord Jesus, you came to call us back to God, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord Jesus, you fasted in the desert, Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord Jesus, you told sinners how much God loved them, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Ask the children to repeat The Prayer for Forgiveness after you (p. xxxvi). Leader We re in Lent, there are no candles or bells today, instead we ve got our desert. Bring the Desert Tray forward. We ve been in the desert for three weeks. Run the sand through your fingers. It s very dry Very rocky Very lonely But Jesus is there in the middle. Place the Jesus candle. Jesus prayed in the desert So let s copy Him. Light the candle and ask the children to repeat after you.

3 126 Lent 4 OPENING PRAYER Lord Jesus, This Lent, help us to return to you To pray to you And love you. Help us to see you more clearly, Love you more dearly, And follow you more nearly, Day by day. Amen. Leader Okay, it s still Lent, we re still fasting Optional Pink Moment Leader But something s changed, what is it? Yes, the altar (or whatever) is draped in pink. I m in pink, Name is wearing his pink socks Name is in pink and so is Name (choose any child you see in pink). It s a Pink Sunday, there s one in Advent and one in Lent. It s a moment to lighten up. Mothers Leader CD23.1 CD23.2 CD23.3 There s some people who are feeling very cheerful today, can you guess who they are? (Give some hints.) Today is Mothering Sunday. I d like to think about mothers for a moment, especially Jesus mother. Who was it who told Jesus to tidy His bedroom? Or eat up His nice chicken soup? Or do His homework? His Mother. (Show image of the Virgin Mary.) What was Jesus mother s name? (Mary) Now, I imagine that Jesus only had to be told once to do any of these ghastly things, but we can be quite sure that Mary brought Him up properly. I bet she made sure He read His Bible. One reason I m sure of this is that Jesus knew His Bible so well, even the odd bits: the sort of things you d only know if you read a book over and over again. Jesus Bible would have looked like this (Produce the scroll.) And in it He would have found this strange story: Open up the scroll and read Numbers 21:6-8.

4 Optional Paraphrase Script 23 Moms and the Brass Snake 127 When the Jews were wandering in the desert, poisonous snakes came among them and bit them, and many died. But God commanded Moses to make a brass snake, and put it on a pole, and lift it up. And anybody who looked up at the brass snake got better. Leader That s a weird story. I expect Jesus thought it was odd too. But He never forgot it. What seems to have interested Him was that something that hurt you like a snake could be turned by God into something that healed you. In fact God could even use a pretend snake to heal His people. We ve got a snake here... (Make it hiss and lunge at the kids) Is it really dangerous? (no) Why not? (Because it s pretend.) Yup, it s only made of plastic (or whatever) And the one Moses showed the Jews was made of brass. It was a snake that looked as dangerous as a real snake, but once it was lifted up (Lift it up, this is important!) it could heal people. Let s see what Jesus made of that in the Gospel. There is no Gospel Procession in Lent. Ask a child to bring the Gospel book down to the front. THE GOSPEL John 3:14-16 Optional Paraphrase Jesus said, Just as Moses lifted up the brass snake in the desert, in the same way shall I be lifted up. So that everyone who believes in me may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him, should not die but have eternal life. AFTER THE GOSPEL Leader Well, that s a rather odd Gospel too. Jesus said that just as the snake would be lifted up... Get another Leader to lift the snake. He would be lifted up. And, just as the snake healed people,

5 128 Lent 4 He would give those who believed in Him eternal life. What could He mean. When was Jesus lifted up? Accept all answers, bring forward the crucifix, lift it up. Jesus meant His crucifixion. The cross was a horrible thing, people died on it. But, even so, the moment Jesus was nailed to the cross, it turned into something that could heal. BEFORE THE FINAL PRAYER Hold the cross above the children. Leader 1 The Gospel today said that Jesus would be lifted up. Here He is, lifted above us. When He was on the cross He looked down and saw two people standing below Him. Does anyone know who they were? (Mary and John) Yes, His mother Mary and His friend John. And Jesus spoke to them: Leader 2 Reads John 19:25b-27 Leader 1 So even on the cross, Jesus remembered His mother. Let s remember her too. ACTIVITY Either see how fast the children can assemble the Hail Mary cards or ask the children to make a set themselves, shuffle them, and reassemble them at speed. The Hail Mary prayer is split into these sections: 1 Hail Mary 2 Full of Grace 3 The Lord is with thee 4 Blessed art thou among women 5 And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus 6 Holy Mary 7 Mother of God 8 Pray for us sinners 9 Now, and at the hour of our death 10 Amen

Script 23 Moms and the Brass Snake 129 If the Hail Mary is not a prayer used in your church, use this one instead: 1 God our Father 2 We thank you 3 For the Virgin Mary 4 Help us to love her 5 Just

6 Script 23 Moms and the Brass Snake 129 If the Hail Mary is not a prayer used in your church, use this one instead: 1 God our Father 2 We thank you 3 For the Virgin Mary 4 Help us to love her 5 Just as your Son loved her 6 And grant that one day we will 7 Join her in Heaven 8 And live with you and your saints 9 For ever 10 Amen REHEARSAL Practice your presentation for when you go back into church (see below). FINAL PRAYER Hail Mary... Or the alternative BACK IN CHURCH Line up ten children down the front with the cards, blank side towards the congregation. The rest of the children are on the side. Leader Today we thought about Mary. How she brought Jesus up How she was with Him in Jerusalem And stood at the foot of the Cross. The children have made this prayer for her. The children whip up the cards in order as they all say the prayer.

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Advent 1. Mark 13:32-37

Advent 1. Mark 13:32-37 Script 1 Get Ready! Advent 1 Mark 13:32-37 THEME Advent is an exciting time. Christmas is coming, and today s Gospel sounds adventurous. Who was the guy who went off on his travels? And why do his servants