The Beatitudes: link back to summary
An Overview of the Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-11
Article two of eleven part series:
by: Anna L. Liechty & Phyllis Vos Wezeman
Summary:
Twelve methods, with two suggestions for each, offer a variety of useful and practical ideas for exploring and developing activities and for tailoring experiences related to the lesson’s focus.
This article continues an eleven-part series on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11), including an overview of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), an overview of the eight statements, an in-depth look at each Beatitude, and a concluding summary. Christian Educators, as well as pastors, will find helpful materials for teaching children, youth, and adult classes.
Architecture
Find pictures or representations of Roman arches. Explain that the arch allowed the Romans to build bridges, aqueducts, and homes that were very strong as well as beautiful. Point out the central stone in the arch that held the structure together, the keystone. Relate the concept of the “Keystone” to the importance of the Beatitudes in the Christian life. If we live according to the principles in Jesus’ sermon, our lives will be strong and beautiful, too.
Mold stepping stones from plaster and decorate them with mosaics or marbles to spell out a key word from each Beatitude in each stone. Discuss the symbolism of the stepping stones as reminders that the Beatitudes represent the way of life for all Christians.
Art
Create a frame for a photograph from card stock or other simple materials. Decorate the frame with letters cut from craft foam to spell the word “Blessed” and create a three-dimensional effect. Discuss the understanding of the Beatitudes as the “frame” for the Christian life.
Purchase or make a “smiley face” stamp to decorate notepaper or post cards. Connect the symbol of the smiley face with the “blessedness” of the Christian life as Jesus presented in his Sermon on the Mount.
Banners/Textiles
Design a fabric covering for a worship center. Create the center of the cloth by decorating and joining eight quilt squares, one for each Beatitude. Frame the squares with a light-colored piece of cloth. As an act of commitment, ask participants to sign their names in the cloth border.
Make a ribbon banner to display the eight Beatitudes. Cut eight 24"-36” strips of fabric or crepe paper and print one Beatitude on each piece. Attach the top of each strip to a dowel rod and hang the banner in a prominent location.
Creative Writing
Determine to write a paraphrase of each of the eight Beatitudes. As a group or as individuals, instruct the participants to use a dictionary or thesaurus to find their own way of phrasing the ideas in Jesus’ sermon. Share the results of the effort on a bulletin board or in a newsletter.
Make a word map to help explore the meaning of the word “Blessed.” Look up the word in a dictionary or a thesaurus. Put the word “Blessed” at the center of a poster; then cluster synonyms around the word to help others understand the central message of the Beatitudes.
Culinary
Find a recipe for old-fashioned divinity candy and make a batch. Share the lighter-than-air confections and discuss the idea of “divine” or “blessed” experiences. Relate the sweetness and light of the treat to the happiness described for those who live according to Jesus’ teaching.
Organize an intergenerational event called “Dinner for Eight.” Place those who sign up in groups of eight. Decorate the tables with place cards that reflect the teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. Use the theme throughout the evening to create a “Blessed Event.”
Dance
Enact the words to the hymn “Blest Be the Tie that Binds.” Read or sing the words as gestures are added to illustrate the phrases. Relate the idea of the “tie that binds” to the Christian commitment to live what Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes.
Use movement to represent the Beatitudes as an ensemble. Tell the participants that their task is to physically symbolize the idea of their assigned phrase, while remaining connected to each other. After their presentation, discuss the connection with the Beatitudes themselves: while each is different, they are all inter-related and must be embraced as a whole teaching on the Christian life.
Drama
Develop a clown or mime presentation that represents the transformation found in each Beatitude. Assign someone to be the “transformer” applying a touch of “blessedness” to those who seem to be “poor in spirit” or “persecuted.” Emphasize the change in facial expression that comes with each transformation.
Explain that each of the “Blesseds” in the Beatitudes is really an exclamation, not a simple statement. Rewrite the beginning phrases, or look for a forceful translation of the Beatitudes. Orally interpret each phrase with great emphasis and enthusiasm – like a true exclamation.
Games
Create a variation of the “Password” game with words that are synonyms for “Blessed,” such as “happy or fortunate.” After the game, discuss which words seem to be more in keeping with Jesus’ teaching.
Play a variation on the “Telephone” game to focus on the Beatitudes. Whisper one of the eight phrases from Jesus’ sermon to the first person; then let each person in the circle whisper what he or she heard to the next. Compare the results at the end with the phrase given at the beginning. Make the point that we must listen clearly to what Jesus says in his sermon, not relying on others to tell us what he says.
Music
Search for songs related to the message in the Beatitudes. Or locate a copy of “The Beatitudes” by Avery & Marsh. (Avery, Richard and Donald Marsh. The Second Avery & Marsh Song Book. Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1983.) Sing or play the song(s) to hear Jesus’ message in a new way.
Write a “Piggy Back” version of the old children’s song “If You’re Happy and You Know It” in order to relate the message to the Beatitudes, for example, “If you’re happy and you know it you’ll be meek.”
Photography
Invite a professional photographer to demonstrate how negatives are turned into photographs. Make the connection that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus challenges Christians to turn the negative into a positive. Consider creating a display made from photographic negatives that invite viewers to keep “developing the negative.”
Share photographs or find pictures in books of scenic vistas. Discuss that the view from the mountaintop gives us “the big picture” of the world around us. Likewise, explain that the Sermon on the Mount gives us “the big picture” of Jesus’ teaching.
Puppetry
Make a bottle puppet to represent someone known for the quality described in each Beatitude. Choose well-known people, for example, Mother Theresa who expresses the importance of being “Poor in Spirit.” Also, invite puppeteers to model their creations from the lives of folks in the local community who represent a Beatitude Jesus preached.
Write a puppet script in which each character symbolizes one of the eight Beatitudes. Design the story so that each character joins with the others to become pilgrims on a journey. When they meet Christ they discover that they are truly blessed and continue their journey with joy.
Storytelling
Arrange opportunities for participants to interview people of various ages about their favorite Beatitude. Have the interviewer tell the story that he or she gleaned from the exchange. Tell the stories on paper or on videotape and record them as a living history.
Tell the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in a way to point out the paradox found in Jesus’ teaching. Instruct listeners to respond to the question “What do you think?” with the phrase “Oh, that’s bad!” Then the storyteller says, “No, that’s good!” and offers the positive interpretation presented by Jesus. For example, the storyteller says, “Guess what! Some people are always willing to be forgiving. Other people may treat them badly, but they just continue being merciful even though it sometimes seems other folks take advantage of them. What do you think?” The audience responds, “Oh, that’s bad!” The storyteller responds, “No, that’s good! For Jesus said that the mercy we show to others is what we receive from God!”
