A New Teaching. Scripture. Material. Movements. Words. Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37

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Anastasia Walsh
5 years ago
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1 A New Teaching Scripture Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37 Material The basket for A New Teaching is on one of the New Testament shelves. It contains: Sea of Galilee green and blue felt underlay wooden figure of Jesus wooden figures of poor woman, sick man, girl, boy, and man with unclean spirit wooden figures of 2 scribes wooden figures of Peter, Andrew, James and John You ll also need the wooden synagogue. Movements Words Walk slowly to the shelf and pick up the basket with the materials for A New Teaching. Carry it carefully to the circle and set the basket beside you. Sit quietly while you feel the story forming in you. Take the green and blue felt underlay and lay it out in front of you, with the green closest to you. Smooth it. Then point to the place where the green and blue meet at your right. Trace all around its edge, moving counterclockwise. Move your hands over the sea, portraying the actions, with your voice full of wonder and amazement, and then with calmness as you end. This is the Sea of Galilee. So many important things happen by the sea that we need a small piece of it to help us tell the stories. The sea is a wonderful and strange place. When the wind blows the sea becomes very rough and wild. And when the wind is calm the sea is peaceful and still. 1

2 Pause and enjoy the calm. Many different people live by the Sea of Galilee. Present the poor woman and place her to your right. Present the sick man and place him a little to the right of the woman. Present the boy and girl and place them near the poor woman. Present Peter and Andrew. Place them to the right of where the synagogue will be placed. (Jesus will be standing at the center so people will be in two rows, with those in the back looking at Jesus between the front two.). Place James and John behind Peter and Andrew. Some are poor. Some are sick. Some are children. Peter and Andrew are fishermen. So are James and John. Present the man with the unclean spirit and place him near the spot where the synagogue will be placed. Some have unclean spirits. Unclean spirits say and do things people don t like. Present the synagogue and place it near the edge of the underlay that is closest to you, toward the left corner. There is a synagogue in the village of Capernaum by the sea. A synagogue is a special place to worship God and to learn the best ways to live. Present and place the two scribes by the synagogue, one to the right and one to the left of the entrance. Scribes are teachers and rulers in the synagogue. Pause to take in the scene. 2

3 . Present Jesus and place him on the underlay to the right of the sick man. Move Jesus to the sick man. Move Jesus to the poor woman. Move Jesus to the two children. Once there was someone who came to the Sea of Galilee. He said many amazing things and did such wonderful things that people followed him. He came close to the sick. He encouraged the poor. And he enjoyed the children. This is the way God wants us to care for one another, he said. This is the way of the kingdom of God. But they did not understand, so he said, Come. Follow me. I will show you the way. I will show you the way of the kingdom of God. They followed him to the synagogue. 3

4 Move Jesus to the entrance of the synagogue and stand him facing the Sea. Pause. Pause. Shake the man by picking him up just a little and flopping him in several fast movements. Let the man rest on the ground for a moment, and with your hands gently touching the sides of his body lovingly pick him up and stand him in front of Jesus. He began teaching. This is amazing, they said. He is teaching in a new way. He teaches with authority, not like the scribes. Now the man with the unclean spirit started yelling, What are you doing here, Jesus? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the Christ. Jesus said to the spirit, Be still. Come out of him! The unclean spirit began shaking the man. And it left. They were amazed and kept asking, Who is this? This is a new teaching! Even the unclean spirits do what Jesus says. Sit back and pause a moment, then begin the wondering. Touch the man with the unclean spirit. I wonder how the people feel now that the unclean spirit is gone? I wonder how this person feels to be free of the unclean spirit? I wonder how the people feel hearing the unclean spirit ask Jesus if he is here to destroy them? I wonder how the unclean spirit knows Jesus is the Christ? I wonder who the people think Jesus is? I wonder how the scribes feel about Jesus when the people say Jesus teaches in a new way, with authority and not like the scribes? I wonder what Jesus taught that was different from the scribes? 4

5 Touch the man with the unclean spirit. I wonder what the people think of the way of the kingdom of God that Jesus is showing them? I wonder what this person will do now that the unclean spirit is no longer in him? I wonder if Peter, Andrew, James, and John and the others still want to follow Jesus? 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. Sonja M. Stewart, Following Jesus: More about Young Children and Worship (Louisville, Kentucky: 2000), pp

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

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