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(WT) Jesus Raises Lazarus ~ Lazarus' Song Workshop

Rotation.org Writing Team

Jesus Raises Lazarus

"I am the resurrection and the life "

Lazarus' Song Workshop 

Summary of Activities

Students will creatively learn the popular contemporary song "Good Good Father" using a special lyric handout and the music video of the song. After scripture and discussion, they will then hear the same song set to video scenes of the raising of Lazarus. The goal is to use this wonderful contemporary song and its earworm lyrics to help students remember how the gift of resurrection reveals the goodness of God, and remind us of the love of God—which Lazarus surely felt in the story, as will we one day when experience the fullness of that goodness at our own resurrection.

I've heard a thousand stories
of what they think you're like
But I've heard the tender whispers
of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you're pleased
And that I'm never alone

You're a good good father
It's who you are,
it's who you are,
it's who you are.
And I'm loved by you
It's who I am,
it's who I am,
it's who I am.

Overview of the "Lazarus' Song" Workshop

You'll begin the lesson by introducing your students to the song "Good Good Father" by Chris Tomlin using a music video, and then doing a creative singing activity with it.  Following the musical activity, you'll introduce the Lazarus story and then show them the second version of the song's music video, "Lazarus' Song"—which connects the song to the story both in the lesson and in their brains!

"Good Good Father" is a popular song in contemporary worship, online, and on the radio (see its clip below.) It has an easy and pleasant melody, and its lyric repetition makes it easy for all ages to remember. (In this lesson, we'll be using two different videos, each of which features the same song.) 

The musical activity is "a music-video-sing-along with a twist." Using the attached lyric handout as your guide, students will sing with Chris Tomlin's music video, but sing some of the verses by echoing them. See "additional ideas" at the end of this lesson.

There are several reasons we are using this creative approach to singing the song: 

  • Using the music video gives the students something to look at instead of each other–so they don't feel self-conscious.
  • Using the music video lets the teacher focus on the students rather than an instrument or song sheet, and gives the teacher easy to use pause and rewind controls.
  • And lastly, by turning the singing into a sort of "cooperative puzzle" to be solved, the activity takes the focus off of "my voice and how I sound in front of others."  This type of approach is especially helpful when using music with older children and younger youth, those who aren't used to singing, or don't particularly like to sing.

The "Lazarus' Song" music video version of Good Good Father was specially created for this lesson. It features scenes of Lazarus' resurrection taken from the Son of God movie and set to the song "Good Good Father." We've titled this clip, "Lazarus' Song," and posted it on YouTube (see below). This will help create the connection between the lesson's main point and this earworm of a song.

Here are the two video clips for this lesson. 

See the notes at the end of this lesson for playing them from YouTube in your classroom or downloading them.

Good Good Father (for use in the musical activity portion of this lesson).



Lazarus' Song version of Good Good Father (for use after the Bible reading)

Why we turned "Good Good Father" into "Lazarus' song." 

Lazarus doesn't get much attention in John's story, other than being brought back to life. But it is important to imagine the profound effect his resurrection had on his life and faith—because it is a gift offered to us too. Its something to both remember and feel good about. The Lazarus' Song "mash-up" music video helps the story "hitch a ride" with the song right into our student's memories and emotions. 

Like songs, Bible stories have memorable emotions in them. We read that Jesus wept, and Mary and Martha cried, but what about Lazarus? 

Can you imagine how Lazarus felt that evening?  Can you imagine what was in his heart and how he felt about Jesus after he was given the gift of new life? And what about your own feelings? What does it feel like to know that Jesus offers the same gift to you?

The song begins to express those feelings:

Oh, it's love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think

As you call me deeper still
Into love

You're a good good father.

Jesus says that Lazarus' resurrection (and thus our own) teaches us three things:

  1. "to bring glory to God" (the light of understanding, praise, honor), John 11:4.
  2. "so that you may believe." John 11:15 (that Jesus is the resurrection and the life).
  3. "so that they will believe that you sent me." John 11:42 (and we should give Jesus our all).

Resurrection is evidence of God's goodness and deep love for us. God resurrects Lazarus and us because of who he is, or as the song says, "You're a good good father, It's who you are. You are perfect in all of your ways to us. A love so undeniable, unexplainable." 


Scripture:  

John 11:1-44  Due to the length of this story, and its narrative complexity, for this music lesson we are recommending that you read the story from a children's storybook (such as very popular The Children's Bible in 365 Stories by Mary Batchelor).

Key/Memory Verse: 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 
John 11:25,26 (Good News)

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives. 

Preparation and Materials

  • Read the Bible Background and scripture.
  • Print the Lyric Handout and makes copies for each student.
  • Preview the two music videos and practice singing along using the handout.
  • Gather and test the equipment you need to show the music videos on a larger screen. 
  • Have a cell phone ready to capture the group singing in the "recording round."
  • Various "soft" rhythm instruments (if desired) so as not to overwhelm the singing and song.


Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome your students and tell them what today's lesson is about and how it will unfold.

Learn and Sing Good Good Father

(1) Begin by telling your students that they are going to play a sort of game with a popular worship song by Chris Tomlin. They will be "echoing" some of Chris Tomlin's words in the music video, and other times they will be singing right along with Tomlin. Tell them that after they have practiced the song at least once, you'll take a video of their "final" performance.

(2) Depending on how much time you have, you may choose to preview the entire four-minute "Good Good Father" video with your students at this point in the lesson, prior to learning how to sing-along with it. You can cut short the preview if needed.

(3) Distribute the lyrics handout to each student and explain how it works. In the left-hand column are the words Chris Tomlin sings in the music video, and in the "student" column are the words we will be singing. Point out that SOME of the student lyrics are not on the same line as Tomlin's lyrics, but are sung AFTER he has just sung them—as an echo. 

(4) Demonstrate the echoing by inviting them to sing along with the first minute or so of the "Good Good Father" music video. As you do, keep time with both your hands and body. Encourage others to join you in keeping the beat and singing the words in this first try. (Keeping time is super helpful to both the teacher and students.)

(5) Now sing along with the entire music video, in unison and echoing where the lyrics handout tells you to. Don't stop if someone flubs up, just get it back on track.

Want to "game" this a little more? (especially if you have some resistant older students?) Split into two or more groups, giving each a turn at singing along and echoing the lyrics to see who can "do the best job" and take a video of their attempts.

(6) Questions:  According to the song...

  1. Who is God? and who are we?  (God is the good good father who loves his children.)
  2. What is the "deeper still" that God calls us into?  (a life of faith and compassion, an afterlife of praise and untold wonders, ....this is a key idea to share).

Introduce the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead

Before reading the story, tell your students that the story of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life is a wonderful example of Jesus' promise that we have a Good Good Father watching over us –his children, and makes a wonderful promise to us about giving us a life in heaven after we die.

Use a children's Bible or children's storybook to read a shortened version of John 11:1-44. Go ahead and use it with your older students too, just make a copy of the book page so they don't feel like "little kids." 

Viewing the Lazarus' Song music video version of Good Good Father

Opening Question:  How does the story of Lazarus demonstrate the goodness of God? (Resurrection is a gift to God's children, unearned and given out of his love, and not earned.) 

Show the Lazarus' Song version of the music video. 

Questions:

  1. How does it make you feel knowing Jesus loves you so much that he has promised to bring you back to life after you die and bring you to heaven? 
  2. What was it that Jesus said we needed to do in order to receive such a wonderful gift? (John 11:25-26)
  3. Do you believe him?  Ask this of each child using their name.  ("Jack, do you believe this?)  Remind your young students that if they aren't sure they believe, or feel like their belief isn't very strong, that they can trust in God's goodness to love them and help them believe.

Closing

View the videos you took of your students singing along with the music video. If you have time, sing the song one more time, perhaps a capella so that we can hear each other's voices loud and clear.

Close with a circle thanking God for being the good good father who loves us so much that he will take us to heaven at the end of our lives.



Adaptations, Additional Suggestions, Notes

For Younger Students: Begin with a simple unison version of the song, teaching them the main repeating choruses. You can skip the "round" and "echo" styles if needed, or sit in groups with group leaders to cue their singers.

For Older Children: Add a few singing teenagers to the class to help sing (and signal that it's "cool.") You might also add a guitar-playing teen to strum along to the music video. 

For those short on time: Use a shorter version of the 44 story verses or read it from a Bible storybook. Reduce the number of times you sing the song from three to two, and shorten the opening and closing.

For those with extra time: Discuss which lyrics you want to change to sound more like the Lazarus story. For example, instead of singing, "to us," you could sing "Je-sus."  You could also substitute the word "Savior," for "father" in the chorus. We've provided a third column on the handout for your changes.

Keeping Rhythm: The song has a simple consistent rhythm throughout. On at least your first sing-through, have each student keep time in a manner they individually prefer as they figure out the "echoing" parts. Some will prefer to sway in beat, others tap or clap. On a second go-round, singers and non-singers could add percussion (clapping, for example). Do not use "loud" rhythm instruments like bells and tambourines, as they will overwhelm the song and lyrics.

For those who might accompany the song with musical instruments: Choose "soft" instruments like a guitar so as not to overwhelm the singing, video, and contemplative mood of the song. The chords to the song are simple and can be printed from a variety of "guitar chord" websites, such as https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.c...ather-chords-1772968

Recording or Performing the song:  It often helps students do a better job when they know there's a goal they want to achieve. After they have had a practice round or two, do a "recording round" and bring out your cell phone to record your class singing to the song. They'll enjoy seeing themselves during the playback and it will be yet another opportunity to stick the song with your content into their memories.

Chris Tomlin is considered one of the finest contemporary Christian music artists today. His sound has a broad appeal and he excels at modernizing familiar words from the church, Bible, and hymnbooks for a new generation of listeners. CCLI, the Christian licensing organization, estimated that on any given Sunday in the U.S., 20 to 30 million people are singing Chris Tomlin's songs in worship. His version of Pat Barrett's song is the most popular.

The lyrics of the album version of the song are slightly different than those sung on the music video. 

Age Range: In addition to elementary age children, this lesson plan can easily be used by youth, adults, and families.

Don't have a dedicated internet connection in your classroom?  Here are two options for you:  (1) You can access the YouTube video using your cell phone's internet connection, and "cast" your cellphone's screen to a larger smart tv (or via your phone cable connected to a computer or TV). (2) If you do not have an internet connection to access the video, you have the limited right to download it using website designed to help you download YouTube videos as transportable MP4 movie files.  See our helpful articles at https://www.rotation.org/topic/how-to-connect-phone-tablet-to-tv-projector


Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright 2018, Rotation.org Inc.

We are referencing the lyrics for the protected purposes of teaching commentary, and pointing you to the YouTube video of the song posted by the artist and which you have protected permission to use via YouTube in a face to face teaching situation. If you want to perform the song in worship you will need to check with your church music license. 

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Last edited by Neil MacQueen
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