Easter Three
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Easter 3
Read the Gospel for the day over -Luke 24: 13-3 - it can be found online at http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/AEaster/aEaster3.htm#luke Pay attention to the words or phrases that jump out at you.
Read over the lesson so that you are familiar with what is intended to happen. Gather the materials that you will need for each section of the lesson. If you can, print up the picture for the week from the website. For deeper thinking or for ways to extend the lesson take a look at the following websites:
http://www.textweek.com/yeara/eastera3.htm
http://msssbible.com/newtestament/resurrection.htm
http://www.create-kids-crafts.com/The-Road-to-Emmaus.html
http://biblekidsfunzone.com/onlinestore/adeasterfunpack2.html
http://coloringbookfun.com/jesus/imagepages/EMMAUS.htm
http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/israel-first-century.html
Materials needed:
Small table or end of one table
White candle
Bible & Bookmark
White cloth (optional)
Yellow streamers (one per person) with Alleluia printed on them
Bubble container (from previous week)
Gather around the small table or at the end of one table. If you have the white cloth put it down and place the candle on it. Put the Bible and the bubble container near the candle (you may want to let the children help with this). Give everyone an "Alleluia streamer" and show them the word printed on it.
Light the candle.
Explain that every time they say "Alleluia" in the prayer they are to wave their streamer around. Pray the following prayer together:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thank you God for Jesus. Alleluia!
Thank you God for new life. Alleluia!
Thank you God for all that you have done. Alleluia!
Amen.
Blow out the candle. Have the children put their streamers back on the table. Ask the children if they have ever seen someone who they should know but didn't recognize. If you have a story about that you can share it with the children. Explain that in our story today two friends of Jesus are going to have a surprise.
Materials needed:
A comfortable place to tell the story - on the floor with cushions or around a table
Some large flat crackers or flat bread of some sort - put them on a plate
Juice in container and cups for everyone
Teach the children the following chorus (sung to the first two lines of Twinkle, twinkle little star)
Walking, walking along the way,
Who will come to share our day?
"Cleopas are you ready to leave?" asked Joanna.
"Just about," answered Cleopas. "I just want to find another water container. It is going to be a long walk."
Joanna said, "I know. I just feel like we have to leave Jerusalem. I don't know what to think anymore. Some of the other women say Jesus is risen from the dead, but I am not sure."
"I know what you mean," said Cleopas. "That is why I think it is a good idea to go to Emmaus for a while."
Then they set off. They went down the road from Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus.
Walking, walking along the way,
Who will come to share our day?
While singing have the children walk around the room.
While they were walking a man came up to them. He asked them what they were talking about.
Cleopas answered, "Are you the only one in all of Jerusalem who does not know what happened?
The man said, "What happened there?"
Walking, walking along the way,
Who will come to share our day?
While singing have the children walk around the room.
Joanna told the man, "Everything that happened to Jesus. Jesus was someone that God gave great gifts to - he healed the sick, he raised the dead, he shared stories with us about how God wants us to live, then he was taken by the leaders and put to death on the cross. We had so hoped that Jesus was the one who would save Israel. "
Cleopas continued the story, "Some of the other women who were with us went to the tomb early this morning. Do you know what they found? They found the tomb empty and they found angels there who told them Jesus was raised from the dead. No one saw Jesus, however."
Walking, walking along the way,
Who will come to share our day?
While singing have the children walk around the room.
The man said to them, "You foolish people. Do you not know that everything had to happen that way? It was important that the Son of God should suffer and die and then rise into God's glory."
He then opened up the Bible for them. He showed them everything there that told about how Jesus would live, die and be raised to God's glory.
They then came to the village of Emmaus. The man was going to continue walking down the road.
Walking, walking along the way,
Who will come to share our day?
While singing have the children walk around the room.
Cleopas and Joanna invited the man to join them for a meal. They said, "Come and share with us. There is enough for everyone."
So the man stayed and shared the meal with them. When they were seated at the table and everyone had something to drink. (Pour a glass of juice for everyone.) The man then picked up the bread and blessed and broke it. (Break the crackers and share them with everyone.) At that moment Cleopas and Joanna knew who the man was. They knew it was Jesus. Just as they recognized Jesus he disappeared from their sight.
Cleopas looked at Joanna and said, "Did our hearts not burn when Jesus was speaking to us?
They got up right away and made their way back to Jerusalem. They had to see the other friends of Jesus. They needed to tell them what happened. They needed to tell them how Jesus was shown to them in the breaking of the bread.
Walking, walking along the way,
Jesus came and showed the way!
Note change in last part of the song. While singing have the children walk around the room.
Idea #1: Paper Plate Mask
In this idea the children can remember how the disciples did not recognize Jesus at first but had to see him blessing and breaking the bread.
Materials needed: paper plates, paper tubes - like from paper towels, construction paper, glue, scissors, stapler and markers
Instructions: Depending on the age of the children you may want to do some of this ahead of time. Give each person two paper plates and a paper tube. Staple the plates together, so that the round sides are facing out and leaving a space in the bottom to put in the tube. Flatten the tube at one end and put between the two plates and staple into place. Have the children make a face on one side of the plate that shows the man in the first part of the story - using the construction paper and markers. Then decorate the other side to show it as Jesus. The children then can use their masks to tell the story to each other and to their families.
Idea #2: Emmaus Skit
This idea will enable the children to make the story of the Road to Emmaus their own and more able to share it with the whole church family. This idea will work most effectively if there are older children as part of the group.
Materials needed: newsprint, markers, drama props - shawls, hats, cups, plates, walking sticks and anything else you think might work
Instructions: Gather with the children in front of the newsprint. Ask them to name the characters in the story they just heard - Cleopas, Joanna, and Jesus and they might also want to name Jesus' other friends and the angels. Then ask them to name the key actions in the story - you might need to prompt them - the key ones are probably walking down the road, meeting the stranger, going to have a meal, and the breaking of the bread. Then get volunteers to take on the different roles and act it out together. Do not get too worried if the children don't follow the story line as it was shared earlier. Enjoy their expression of the ideas.
Idea #3: Blessing Prayer
One of the ways that we know Jesus is through our prayers together. This prayer will be one that the children can share with their families.
Materials needed: paper, pencils, markers and seasonal stickers
Instructions: Explain to the children that the prayer that Jesus would have said over the bread would have been something like this: "Thank you God for this bread and for the hands that made it." It is one of the reasons why we give thanks over our food and why the great prayer we do together in the church is to say thanks over the gifts of bread and wine during the communion. Give them each paper and pencils. Work either individually or together to create a blessing prayer that can be used at home. When the prayers are done have the children rewrite them using markers and let them decorate their prayers with the stickers. Encourage them to share them with others.
Gather with the children around the worship table again. Place the bubble container on the table. Put a piece of cracker on the table. Relight the candle. Say the prayer line by line and encourage the children to repeat it after you:
Thank you God for our time together.
Thank you God for Jesus.
Thank you God for loving us.
Amen.
