CHAPTER 1
THE GREATEST PARABLE(THE PRESENTATION WITHOUT WORDS)
LESSON NOTES:
FOCUS: GOD'S ELUSIVE PRESENCE IN THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS (THEGOPELS)
• Core Presentation
THE MATERIAL
• Location: New Testament Shelf, Top Shelf
• Pieces: Thirteen Triangle-Shaped Plaques With Illustrations On One Side AndColors On The Other, Gold Triangular Box With Purple "Jerusalem Cross" On TheCover
• Underlay: Borrowed From "The Circle Of The Holy Eucharist," "The Parable OfThe Good Shepherd," Or Another Appropriate Lesson. (Since The Whole RoomEmbodies The Christian Language System That Flows From Jesus' Life There AreMany More Possibilities For Possible Underlays Than The Two MentionedAbove.)
This is the first lesson in a series of four lessons called "The GreatestParable." These four lessons present Jesus' public ministry and the relation ofhis presence to the whole Christian language system.
This is a parable, because Jesus is not a window through which God canbe glimpsed passing by. Rather, Jesus is an embodiment of God in the frailty andfinitude of a human being. Like a parable, Jesus' life hides as well as reveals.It hides and reveals both the divinity and humanity of Jesus, but also withgrace, and to a lesser degree, the divinity and humanity in our lives as well.
This is "The Greatest Parable," because Jesus is the source of parables.He is the "Parable Maker" out of whose life comes our sacred stories, liturgy,and contemplative silence, as well as parables. This lesson, therefore, needs todraw to itself and express the whole Christian language system as represented inthe Godly Play room.
The goal of this presentation is to allow the inexhaustible meaning andlinguistic complexity of Jesus to shine through with a kind of deep simplicitythat it is open to people of all ages and stages of faith development.
BACKGROUND
The background to this presentation is our whole history as Christian People. Wehave followed the elusive presence of God from the creation itself to thejourney's culmination in Jesus, and then on to the present. This long story ofour origins includes both the stability of this revelation and an open door forthe journey to continue—all with the same creativity we began with.
As Samuel Terrien writes in The Elusive Presence: Toward a New BiblicalTheology (1978): "When presence is 'guaranteed' to human senses or reason,it is no longer real presence. The proprietary sight of the glory destroys thevision, whether in the temple of Zion or in the Eucharistic body. ... Inbiblical faith, presence eludes but does not delude (476)." Our longing for Godis both a yearning for the stability of a rock and the flowing of a livingspring in the desert, as the psalms so vividly express. It is the ever-changingreality of a trusted relationship.
The guarantee against turning Jesus into an idol or cliché is that we have fourGospels rather than just one. The creative mix of the first four interpretationsof Jesus' life, death, and resurrection continues to generate new meaning andinsight about the stable yet elusive presence of our redemptive companion forthe journey.
This lesson provides a framework for continued reflection and creative insightabout Jesus' elusive presence. Its complexity is focused on a simple frameworkwithin which the children (and adults) can deepen their relationship with Jesusin an expanding way, rather than reducing it to something superficial that lacksrespect for both children and for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
This lesson can stand alone, but it is not intended to just tell the story ofJesus' public ministry. It is also intended to show—in the contextof a Godly Play room—how Jesus is the source of the Christian languagesystem, which is both our way for making personal, existential meaning and ourway for living together in community.
Present this lesson when the curiosity of the children pushes for it or whenyou, as the storyteller, feel especially called to invite them to becomeinvolved in it. Since Jesus comes, called or uncalled, this approach to timingcan be disruptive to schedules and long-range plans, which is appropriate.
NOTES ON THE MATERIAL
The thirteen triangle-shaped images fit together in two hexagons to tell thestory of Jesus' public ministry. The triangles are arranged in three groups. Thefirst group is gold on the back and shows the beginning, middle, and ending ofthe story by evoking The Annunciation, The Transfiguration, and TheResurrection. These three events in Jesus' life integrate the stories of hisministry in Galilee and Judea, which form the two hexagons. The gold trianglesof the Annunciation and the Resurrection complete the hexagons and TheTransfiguration joins them into one story.
The colors on the backs of the triangles are significant. The gold on the firstthree triangles marks three key moments in Jesus' life when God's presence wasespecially evident. The blue on the first five triangles signifies one of thetraditional colors for Mary and the blue water of the Sea of Galilee for Jesus'Galilean ministry. The gray on the second set of five triangles suggests thewalls of Jerusalem and the great stone, which shut Jesus in the tomb that couldnot hold him.
The gold, triangular box, which contains the thirteen triangles, stands up onits base to suggest its relation to the sacred stories and its key position inthe Godly Play room. The gold color and lid to the box link it to the parables.The purple cross on the container's top links the lesson to the LiturgicalAction materials, especially "The Faces of Easter," which is presented duringthe season of Lent. The relation to contemplative silence is evident during thesilent part of the presentation, which uses the color side of the thirteentriangles rather than the picture side.
The thirteen story triangles are only a little larger than the fifteen, gold"I-Am" triangles in "Parable Synthesis 2" (The Complete Guide to Godly Play,Volume 4). This suggests the implicit link between Jesus' self-identitystatements and this presentation, which is only one of many other connections tothe lessons in the Godly Play room. Everything is connected to everything else,because the room, as a whole, evokes the entire Christian language system thatflows out of and returns to Jesus.
This lesson without words helps children visualize the pattern of the trianglesand gives emphasis to the concluding gestures. You can do this as the lesson forthe day, or when the curiosity of a smaller group gathers them around it duringthe work period.
STORYTELLING TIP
Before presenting this lesson, please check the material to be sure the triangleplaques are in the proper order so you will not be searching for the rightplaque during the presentation.
CHAPTER 2
THE GREATEST PARABLE(THE PRESENTATION WITH WORDS, PART I)
THREE KEY MOMENTS OF PRESENCE
LESSON NOTES:
FOCUS: GOD'S ELUSIVE PRESENCE IN THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS (JOHN 1:1-18,LUKE 1:26-35, MATTHEW 17:1-9, MARK 9:2-8, LUKE 9:28-36, MATTHEW 28:1-10, MARK16:1-8, LUKE 24:1-11, JOHN 20:1-18)
• Core Presentation
THE MATERIAL
• Location: New Testament Shelf
• Pieces: Thirteen Triangle-Shaped Plaques With Illustrations On One Side AndColors On The Other, Gold Triangular Box With Purple "Jerusalem Cross" On TheCover
• Underlay: Borrowed From "The Circle Of The Holy Eucharist," "The Parable OfThe Good Shepherd," Or Another Appropriate Lesson. (Since The Whole RoomEmbodies The Christian Language System That Flows From Jesus' Life There AreMany More Possibilities For Possible Underlays Than The Two MentionedAbove.)
This is the second lesson in a series of four lessons called "The GreatestParable." This is the first presentation with words. These four lessons presentJesus' public ministry and the relation of his presence to the whole Christianlanguage system.
This is a parable, because Jesus is not a window through which God canbe glimpsed passing by. Rather, Jesus is an embodiment of God in the frailty andfinitude of a human being. Like a parable, Jesus' life hides as well as reveals.It hides and reveals both the divinity and humanity of Jesus, but also withgrace, and to a lesser degree, the divinity and humanity in our lives as well.
This is "The Greatest Parable," because Jesus is the source of parables.He is the "Parable Maker" out of whose life comes our sacred stories, liturgy,and contemplative silence, as well as parables. This lesson, therefore, needs todraw to itself and express the whole Christian language system as represented inthe Godly Play room.
The goal of this presentation is to allow the inexhaustible meaning andlinguistic complexity of Jesus to shine through with a kind of deep simplicitythat it is open to people of all ages and stages of faith development.
BACKGROUND
The background to this presentation is our whole history as Christian People. Wehave followed the elusive presence of God from the creation itself to thejourney's culmination in Jesus, and then on to the present. This long story ofour origins includes both the stability of this revelation and an open door forthe journey to continue—all with the same creativity we began with.
As Samuel Terrien writes in The Elusive Presence: Toward a New BiblicalTheology (1978): "When presence is 'guaranteed' to human senses or reason,it is no longer real presence. The proprietary sight of the glory destroys thevision, whether in the temple of Zion or in the Eucharistic body.... In biblicalfaith, presence eludes but does not delude (476 )." Our longing for God is botha yearning for the stability of a rock and the flowing of a living spring in thedesert, as the psalms so vividly express. It is the ever-changing reality of atrusted relationship.
The guarantee against turning Jesus into an idol or cliché is that we have fourGospels rather than just one. The creative mix of the first four interpretationsof Jesus' life, death, and resurrection continues to generate new meaning andinsight about the stable yet elusive presence of our redemptive companion forthe journey.
This lesson provides a framework for continued reflection and creative insightabout Jesus' elusive presence. Its complexity is focused on a simple frameworkwithin which the children (and adults) can deepen their relationship with Jesusin an expanding way, rather than reducing it to something superficial that lacksrespect for both children and for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
This lesson can stand alone, but it is not intended to just tell the story ofJesus' public ministry. It is also intended to show—in the contextof a Godly Play room—how Jesus is the source of the Christian languagesystem, which is both our way for making personal, existential meaning and ourway for living together in community.
Present this lesson when the curiosity of the children pushes for it or whenyou, as the storyteller, feel especially called to invite them to becomeinvolved in it. Since Jesus comes, called or uncalled, this approach to timingcan be disruptive to schedules and long-range plans, which is appropriate.
NOTES ON THE MATERIAL
The thirteen triangle-shaped images fit together in two hexagons to tell thestory of Jesus' public ministry. The triangles are arranged in three groups. Thefirst group is gold on the back and shows the beginning, middle, and ending ofthe story by evoking The Annunciation, The Transfiguration, and TheResurrection. These three events in Jesus' life integrate the stories of hisministry in Galilee and Judea, which form the two hexagons. The gold trianglesof the Annunciation and the Resurrection complete the hexagons and TheTransfiguration joins them into one story.
The colors on the backs of the triangles are significant. The gold on the firstthree triangles marks three key moments in Jesus' life when God's presence wasespecially evident. The blue on the first five triangles signifies one of thetraditional colors for Mary and the blue water of the Sea of Galilee for Jesus'Galilean ministry. The gray on the second set of five triangles suggests thewalls of Jerusalem and the great stone, which shut Jesus in the tomb that couldnot hold him.
The gold, triangular box, which contains the thirteen triangles, stands up onits base to suggest its relation to the sacred stories and its key position inthe Godly Play room. The gold color and lid to the box link it to the parables.The purple cross on the container's top links the lesson to the LiturgicalAction materials, especially "The Faces of Easter," which is presented duringthe season of Lent. The relation to contemplative silence is evident during thesilent part of the presentation, which uses the color side of the thirteentriangles rather than the picture side.
The thirteen story triangles are only a little larger than the fifteen, gold"l-Am" triangles in "Parable Synthesis 2" (The Complete Guide to Godly Play,Volume 4). This suggests the implicit link between Jesus' self-identitystatements and this presentation, which is only one of many other connections tothe lessons in the Godly Play room. Everything is connected to everything else,because the room, as a whole, evokes the entire Christian language system thatflows out of and returns to Jesus.
STORYTELLING TIP
Before presenting this lesson, please check the material to be sure the triangleplaques are in the proper order so you will not be searching for the rightplaque during the presentation.
CHAPTER 3
THE GREATEST PARABLE(THE PRESENTATION WITH WORDS, PART 2)
THE MINISTRY IN GALILEE
LESSON NOTES:
FOCUS: GOD'S ELUSIVE PRESENCE IN THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS (SCRIPTUREREFERENCES FOUND WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE LESSON)
• Core Presentation
THE MATERIAL
• Location: New Testament Shelf
• Pieces: Thirteen Triangle-Shaped Plaques With Illustrations On One Side AndColors On The Other, Gold Triangular Box With Purple "Jerusalem Cross" On TheCover
• Underlay: Borrowed From "The Circle Of The Holy Eucharist," "The Parable OfThe Good Shepherd," Or Another Appropriate Lesson. (Since The Whole RoomEmbodies The Christian Language System That Flows From Jesus' Life There AreMany More Possibilities For Possible Underlays Than The Two MentionedAbove.)
This is the third lesson in a series of four lessons called "The GreatestParable" – the second presentation that has words. These four lessonspresent Jesus' public ministry and the relation of his presence to the wholeChristian language system.
This is a parable, because Jesus is not a window through which God canbe glimpsed passing by. Rather, Jesus is an embodiment of God in the frailty andfinitude of a human being. Like a parable, Jesus' life hides as well as reveals.It hides and reveals both the divinity and humanity of Jesus, but also withgrace, and to a lesser degree, the divinity and humanity in our lives as well.
This is "The Greatest Parable," because Jesus is the source of parables.He is the "Parable Maker" out of whose life comes our sacred stories, liturgy,and contemplative silence, as well as parables. This lesson, therefore, needs todraw to itself and express the whole Christian language system as represented inthe Godly Play room.
The goal of this presentation is to allow the inexhaustible meaning andlinguistic complexity of Jesus to shine through with a kind of deep simplicitythat it is open to people of all ages and stages of faith development.
BACKGROUND
The background to this presentation is our whole history as Christian People. Wehave followed the elusive presence of God from the creation itself to thejourney's culmination in Jesus, and then on to the present. This long story ofour origins includes both the stability of this revelation and an open door forthe journey to continue—all with the same creativity we began with.
As Samuel Terrien writes in The Elusive Presence: Toward a New BiblicalTheology (1978): "When presence is 'guaranteed' to human senses or reason,it is no longer real presence. The proprietary sight of the glory destroys thevision, whether in the temple of Zion or in the Eucharistic body. ... Inbiblical faith, presence eludes but does not delude (476 )." Our longing for Godis both a yearning for the stability of a rock and the flowing of a livingspring in the desert, as the psalms so vividly express. It is the ever-changingreality of a trusted relationship.
The guarantee against turning Jesus into an idol or cliché is that we have fourGospels rather than just one. The creative mix of the first four interpretationsof Jesus' life, death, and resurrection continues to generate new meaning andinsight about the stable yet elusive presence of our redemptive companion forthe journey.
This lesson provides a framework for continued reflection and creative insightabout Jesus' elusive presence. Its complexity is focused on a simple frameworkwithin which the children (and adults) can deepen their relationship with Jesusin an expanding way, rather than reducing it to something superficial that lacksrespect for both children and for Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
This lesson can stand alone, but it is not intended to just tell the story ofJesus' public ministry. It is also intended to show—in the contextof a Godly Play room—how Jesus is the source of the Christian languagesystem, which is both our way for making personal, existential meaning and ourway for living together in community.
Present this lesson when the curiosity of the children pushes for it or whenyou, as the storyteller, feel especially called to invite them to becomeinvolved in it. Since Jesus comes, called or uncalled, this approach to timingcan be disruptive to schedules and long-range plans, which is appropriate.
NOTES ON THE MATERIAL
The thirteen triangle-shaped images fit together in two hexagons to tell thestory of Jesus' public ministry. The triangles are arranged in three groups. Thefirst group is gold on the back and shows the beginning, middle, and ending ofthe story by evoking The Annunciation, The Transfiguration, and TheResurrection. These three events in Jesus' life integrate the stories of hisministry in Galilee and Judea, which form the two hexagons. The gold trianglesof the Annunciation and the Resurrection complete the hexagons and TheTransfiguration joins them into one story.
(Continues...)
