The Lord's Prayer

Art Workshop 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will explore the spiritual discipline of prayer, the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and the Church season of Lent. They will learn about Albrecht Durer's life (and the painting of praying hands) and create metal tooled praying hands plaques.

Scripture References, Memory Verse, Theme and Objectives: 

Refer to first post in this lesson set.

Important Note for Art Workshop Leaders:

In the Art workshop the Bible lesson is explored through creative and hands-on experiences.  The children may make something that they can take home to help remind them of the monthly theme or they may work together to make something for classroom or church to display.

Preparation and Room Set Up:

• Review the Background Information, Teaching Tips and Lesson materials.
• Gather necessary supplies. 
• Obtain a picture of Albrecht Durer's Praying Hands (most churches have a print of this somewhere, or do an internet search.
• Set out embossing molds and foil cut into 4.5 inch square pieces. (For the K-2^nd graders, wrap the foil tightly around the molds before class). 
• Cover the tables with old tablecloths.
• Review the Music CD. Plan to play the music as the children arrive and during activity and journal time.

Supplies List:

• Foil (heavy duty embossing foil available in craft stores -- gold is preferable)
• Small dowels with point on one end, such as the type used for scratch art
• Black paint or shoe polish
• Cardboard frames
• Molds of Praying hands
• Paintbrushes
• Tape

Time Guidelines:

Presentation

Opening-Welcome/Introduction

Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Make sure everyone is wearing a name tag. Please include the shepherd in introductions.Tell the children that they will be learning more about prayer and specifically the Lord's Prayer during this session.

Prayer

Please, begin your class with prayer each week.

Dear Heavenly Father, how amazing it is that we can talk to you through prayer.Be with us today as we learn more about prayer and how it helps us be closer to you. Amen.

Important Teacher Notes:

Each workshop includes the Bible story.  One of our primary goals is to improve the children’s Bible literacy!   If children did not bring their Bibles from home, use the classroom Bibles. Shepherds should help the children locate the stories. Use the Background Information to help you introduce the story.

Remember that as the rotation progresses; the children will become more familiar with the story.  When this happens, allow the children to tell you what they know.  The children should still locate the story in their Bibles every week. Use the bold headings in their Bibles to guide your discussion.  You may want to review some of the Bible notes as well.  Be sure to fill in any missing information and add additional details using the Background Information to help you.  One of the greatest advantages of this model is that children who come regularly learn the story in great depth.

Each lesson contains more Background Information and discussion questions than can be used in one session.  Remember, children are studying this story for four weeks!  Be sure to follow the time guidelines and leave ample time for the activity.          

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Introduce the Story

The disciples were very close friends of Jesus. They paid attention to everything He said and did. They wanted to know God and have a close relationship with God like Jesus did. They were constantly learning from Jesus. They knew from living here on earth that in order to have close relationships with people, you had to spend time with them and communicate effectively with them.  That meant that you had to learn how to express your feelings and your needs, as well as listen to the feelings and needs of others.

One day the disciples saw Jesus praying and they asked Him to please teach them how to pray.  They wanted to grow closer to God through their prayers, like Jesus.

At that point, Jesus responded by giving the disciples a “model prayer.” What is this prayer called? (Lord's Prayer). It is a way of telling God everything we need and to truly open our hearts to God. The Lord’s Prayer includes all types of prayer. What are the types of prayer? 

1. Praise
2. Thanksgiving
3. Forgiveness/Confession
4. Intercession- praying for others
5. Petition-praying for yourself
6. Silent prayer- being still and listening to God

Right now, we are in a special season of the church year - Lent. Just like we have spring, summer, fall and winter on our monthly calendar, we have seasons on our church calendar. Who can tell me why Lent is an important season in our church? (It is a time when we prepare for the death and resurrection of our savior, Jesus).

Lent is a period of 40 days that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. One way to prepare or get ready is to pray. Prayer is how Jesus prepared for His death and resurrection. Jesus knew what God wanted Him to do here on earth and he accept His plan.  There is not one perfect prayer to pray, but we can use the guidelines that Jesus gave us to know how to pray and to prepare for the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Bible Study: Grades K-2

The Picture Bible

Jesus taught the disciples about prayer in the Bible.

Where would we find a story about Jesus and the disciples?  (New Testament, gospels)

Help the children locate the story “The Lord's Prayer" on page 621 of The Picture Bible. Read as the children follow along.

We say the Lord’s Prayer a little differently than it is printed here in this Bible. Sometimes we memorize something and get so used to reciting it that we don’t really pay attention to what we say and what it means.

Before we review the Lord’s Prayer that we say in church, let’s go over a few words:

Thy- Your

Hallowed- Holy

Trespasses- sins or things that we say or do that hurts someone as well as makes God sad

Thine- Yours

Temptation- makes you want to do bad things or make bad choices

First, He wanted us to recognize that God was our heavenly father and holy.

Our Father, who art in heaven

Hallowed (holy) be Your name

He wanted us to recognize that God was here with us on earth. God wants what is best for us, so we should want that too.

Thy kingdom come;Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

He wanted us to be dependent on God for all of our daily needs and recognize that God feeds our spirits with the “Bread of Eternal Life,” just as we fill ourselves with food.

Give us this day, our daily bread

He wanted us to realize that we will make mistakes and hurt others.  We need to ask forgiveness from God for our sins, forgive others to hurt us, and trust that God has the power to forgive.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

We should ask God to help us not want to make bad choices or do things that will hurt others

And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil

Finally, we should pray that we recognize how powerful God is and that He has the ability to do anything He thinks is best in our life.  We should ask for God to use us as a way to show others His presence here on earth.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever

What is prayer?  (talking and listening to God)

Why do we pray?  (to get closer to God, to share our feelings with God)

What are the five types of prayer?  (praise, thanksgiving, forgiveness or confession, intercession (for others), petition (for ourselves) and listening)

When do you pray?

Bible Study - Grades 3-5

What we know as the Lord’s Prayer is found in two of the gospels -- Matthew and Luke.  Let’s compare the two gospels and see how they are similar and how they are different.

Divide the children into two groups.

Assign one group Luke 11:1-4 and the other Matthew 6:5-15. 

Help them locate the scriptures in their Bibles.

Have them bookmark both so they can go back and forth as needed,

 Read Matthew 6:5-15

• What is a hypocrite? (Someone who professes to believe something they don’t really feel)
• Why does Jesus tell us to pray in our room with the door closed?  (we aren’t supposed to show off with fancy prayers, trying to impress people, babbling on and on  -- remember the Baal prophets and Elijah?)
• Does this mean we should never pray out loud at church?  (No!  but it does mean our prayers should be sincere and come from the heart)

Read Luke 11:1-4

• What is the setting for Jesus’ teachings on prayer in Luke’s gospel?  (Jesus is praying at a “certain place” while the disciples are nearby.)
• Which version sounds more familiar to us?  (probably Matthew’s version.)
• What about AMEN?  Amen means “so be it” or “let it be."         

 Sometimes we memorize something and get so used to reciting it that we don’t really pay attention to what we say and what it means. Jesus did not tell us to only pray the words He spoke, but He did want us to do certain things when we prayed.

Use the above line by line discussion with this age group as well.

Memory Verse

Each rotation we encourage the children to memorize the Rotation Memory Verse. Help the children locate the memory verse in their Bibles. Review it with the children at this time.

Embossed “Praying Hands”

(Molds, foil, frames, and complete kits are available from S&S Crafts catalog, www.ssww.com)

Introduce the Activity

Show the picture of Praying Hands to the children and ask if they have ever seen it before. 

Using the attached handout, paraphrase the story of Albrecht Dürer.

Supplies:

• Foil (heavy duty embossing foil available in craft stores -- gold is preferable)
• Small dowels with point on one end, such as the type used for scratch art
• Black paint or shoe polish
• Cardboard frames
• Molds of Praying hands
• Paintbrushes
• Tape

Advanced Preparation:

1. Cut foil into squares .5 inch larger than the mold
2. Put small amount of black paint in paint palette for kids to share
3. Set out molds, foil, dowels, paint and paintbrushes

Directions:

1. Lay the plaque/mold, raised side down, on the foil. The foil should be a little larger than the plaque.
2. Wrap the edges of the foil tightly around the edges of the mold.
3. To make sure that the foil is as tight as possible, turn the four corners down.
4. Turn the plaque over (foil side up) and bring your thumbs to the center and press out toward the corners.
5. Continue pressing the foil down with your thumbs from the center to the edges, until you have a clear image of the design and the four edges will be visible on foil.
6. Fold the foil to the back, around the edges of the mold.
7. Using the blunt end of the dowel, go around the outline of the design very carefully, making sure you have gone over all recessed areas of the design.
8. Turn the tool over and carefully use the pointed end to press all of the small indentations of the design. Be sure not to let the tool slip and mark the background.
9. Leaving the foil on the mold, dip the brush in the paint and cover the entire design.
10. When the paint is tacky, wipe it away gently. The paint will remain in recessed areas. (If the paint dries too much, a damp cloth may be used to remove the excess paint).
11. While the paint is drying, give children a cardboard frame and allow them to write either part of the Lord’s prayer around the edge, their name or “Lord, teach us to Pray.”
12. Once the paint has dried, remove the foil from the mold and tape it to the back of the cardboard frame.

Modifications for younger children: Perform steps 1-6 before class.

Reflection/Journal Time:

The last ten minutes should be reserved for journal time. This is an opportunity for processing and reflection about what the children have learned. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pens/pencils. Place the journal question sticker for the day in each journal.

Journal Questions:

Grades K-2:.Draw a picture of praying hands.

Grades 3-5: What is something new you learned about God today?

Closing:

Gather the children together in a circle. Review with them one word or concept that they learned during today’s session. (prayer, praise, thanksgiving, forgiveness or confession, intercession, petition and Lent are a few suggestions). Ask for prayer requests and close in prayer, ending with the Lord's Prayer.

Story of Albrecht Durer and the Praying Hands

http://www.barefootsworld.org/albrechtdurer.html

Below is a wonderfully touching story about Dürer's Praying Hands that is circulated widely. It tells of Dürer doing his creation in appreciation of a brother who went to work in the mines to support Albrecht's education. There his hands were deformed. There is no credible source for this story. It appears to be a relatively modern work of myth and fiction.

The Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Dürer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy. After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Dürer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Dürer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Dürer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Dürer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Dürer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of The Praying Hands, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!

~Source Unknown~

Images in this post are in the Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons: "Praying Hands" by Albrecht Dürer (1508)

A lesson written by Jaymie Derden from: State Street UMC – G.R.E.A.T. Adventure
Bristol, VA

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