Bartimaeus Cries Out (Mark 10:46-52)

Game Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

This Games lesson starts with a reading of the scripture story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus. The class activities consist of a paper, rock, scissors team-based game, a "Guess who made that noise" game, and a beach ball demonstration.

A "new identity in Christ" is a phrase we might be quick to say, and is definitely demonstrated by Bartimaeus, who does not let the crowd determine his identity (as one who is not worthy). Instead, Bartimaeus lets go of his identity of a beggar (by throwing off his beggar's cloak) in order to ask and then receive healing from Jesus.

But the power and importance of identity is not so easily understood when one's own identity is not yet fully formed. So, all three activities focus on (hopefully) helping the students think about the strength and importance of THEIR identity. (Note: that makes this lesson a little high concept for younger children, and trust you will age-adjust accordingly).

IMPORTANT NOTE:
For the full lesson, download the attached Word .doc at the bottom of this post. Note that the first three pages of the document are "background" and that the actual lesson starts on page 4 (which is also where you will find the supply list).

The following posted here is only PART of the lesson --the paper, rock, scissors game with some of the teaching comments (in first person) included.

 

Some clarification/suggested improvementsy have been added by a Rotation reviewer below and are not in the downloadable doc. They are marked in blue.

Supplies List:

• Rope

Leader Preparation:

• Gather the materials. 
• Read the scripture ahead of time.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with a prayer.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

READ the scripture story

• Did you hear what kind of clothing Bartimaeus threw off when Jesus called for him? (his cloak)
• That’s right! The cloak that Bartimaeus was wearing helped other people know that he was a beggar and blind. Can you think of some clothes or accessories that help us know that someone is blind? (long stick, that’s usually white and sometimes a seeing-eye dog)
• What kinds of clothing or "uniforms" do people wear to project an 'image' or identity to others?  *Here you might have some photos/illustrations of people in various "costumes"  (police, athlete, student, "bad boy").  Do kids at your school wear "uniforms" to signal their identity, or what group they think they belong to?  What kinds?  
• So when Bartimaeus took off his cloak, that was his way of saying that he was ready for a new identity. Do you know what an identity is?
• What is YOUR identify?  Who do people think you are?  Geek? Star? Daughter? Christian? Loser?  Nobody?  Trustworthy?  (Take a moment for kids to think through and respond. (an identity is who you or who others think you are; it’s a combination of personality and characteristics).
• So a big part of Bartimaeus identity was that he was blind. But here's the important question:  What identity did Jesus give to Bartimaeus? (an identity of seeing; an identity of someone who was blind but could now see)
• What identity does Jesus want US to put on?

Tell

• So this idea of getting a different identity might seem a little strange to us.
• But we often change clothes and identities – just not as drastically as Jesus changed Bartimaeus’ identity.
• We’re going to play a game now where we’re going to change identities each round.

Explain Paper, Rock, Scissors Identity Game

• So the way this works is that we need to get into two teams with an equal (or as close as possible) amount of people in each team.
• Before each round, each team will choose what identity they are going to be. A team can choose one of three identities. Those three identities are: Paper, Rock and Scissors.
• Once your team decides what your identity is going to be, then your team comes to the middle of the room where this rope is and you make a line parallel to that rope.
• Once both teams are lined up, I’ll say, “Ready?” And then everyone will make a fist and raise it above the palm of their other hand.
• Then I’ll say “paper” and you say it with me, then we’ll say “rock” and then we’ll say “scissors” and then I’ll say “Shoot!”
• Each time we say a word, our fist should be hitting our palm.
• When I say SHOOT, that’s when each team shows their “identity” pose.
• If you chose Rock, you crouch down in ball. If you chose Paper, you put your arms out to the sides so that you look flat. If you chose scissors, you put your arms out in front of you and swing them up and down like you are cutting something.
• Rock beats scissors. Scissors beats Paper and Paper beats Rock.
• Let’s say Team A shows the Scissors Identity and Team B shows the Rock identity. Who won? Team B, right?
• Once Team B sees that they won, they chase Team A. Once Team A sees that they lost, they run back to their base (marked by a rope or string).
• If a member from Team B tags a member of Team A before that person makes it back to base, then that member now joins Team B.
• First team to have everyone on their team, wins.
• After each round, each team determines what identity they’re going to be for the next round.
• [if no team is winning, end the game somewhere between 5 to 7 minutes].

DO Paper, Rocks, Scissors

Ask

• Ok, everyone – have a seat.
• So after each round, how did your identity change? (changed between paper, rock and scissors. Also changed if you got tagged and you changed teams).

Tell

• We sometimes change our identity when our circumstances change, like in the game we just played.
• But our identity is also shaped by what people tell us. And even if someone is wrong about who they say we are, but they keep saying it, then we sometimes start to believe them.

Closing:

End with a prayer.

...lesson continued in attached lesson plan.

A lesson posted by Nathanael from rfour.org

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

If you like this lesson, and are interested in more, visit www.rfour.org/curriculum.html.