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This forum is part of Rotation.org's Palm Sunday to Easter Morning forum of resources. In addition to the public lessons and ideas posted below, be sure to see our Writing Team's extra special lessons: Last Supper ~ Lord's Supper Lesson Set.

The image pictured right is from Rotation.org's Annie Vallotton Bible Illustrations Collection.

Music and "Other" Lessons, Ideas, Activities, and Resources for Teaching the Last Supper, Communion, and Seder, (and Creative Movement)

  • Please include a scripture reference, supply lists, sources, suggested age range. age modification, etc.
  • Photos are much appreciated!  Click "attachments" and upload to your post.
  • Please be careful not to post copyrighted materials. Excerpting and paraphrasing is okay. Include attribution.

Included: Last Supper, Upper room, Judas, Bowl, Feet, This is my body, broken, cup, Do this in remembrance of me, Lord's Supper, Passover, Seder, Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-23; John 13:1-17, 21-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Exodus 11:4-8, 12:3-13, 37-39, etc.

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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Last Supper- VINE AND BRANCHES

A Creative Movement Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities

Students will interpret what Jesus is saying in John 15:17 kinesthetically, in this creative movement workshop, using body sox and/or scarves.

John's Gospel has a number of "speeches" that Jesus delivered at the Last Supper. The "Vine and Branches" is one of them. It is Jesus saying, "stay with me, keep yourself connected to me and to each other. Do not fall or run away."

I wrote this lesson for our summer camp. This photo is of the kids performating the script you see below. We used scarves. Body sox are a bit more fun and I would encourage you to consider them.
~Amy

CreativeMovement

Scripture Reference:

John 15: 1-17

This lesson is most appropriate for elementary-school aged children.

Lesson Objectives:

At the end of the session, the students will

  • Be able to identify John as one of the four Gospels and be able to find it in the New Testament.
  • Know the key verse by heart: John 15: 12: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (NRSV)
  • Understand that we are all connected by Christ.
  • Understand that we can only grow into what God wants us to be by staying connected with Jesus.
  • Understand that we are called to serve God and one another in love.

Materials List:

  • Carpeted open space will allow for the best movement
  • A large wall mirror is helpful
  • Optional: BodySox and/or colorful, flowing scarves (can be made from chiffon from fabric store)
  • Vines (either living, cut branches, or silk ones from a hobby store).


Lesson Plan


Opening

Greet the children, introduce yourself, and explain what they'll be doing and learning today.

Bringing the story to life

Explain that today's scripture is not a story but a "saying" that Jesus taught his disciples to explain how they were connected with him and how we can grow in faith and love. To learn it, we will be exploring the Bible passages kinesthetically -- by moving -- talking with our bodies instead of our voices.

Warm-up exercises:

1. Encourage the students to experiment with the body sox and/or scarves. Ask them to make "shapes" with their bodies, pretend to be objects, and work with others to see what sorts of "effects" they can achieve. Some movement and imagination starters: "Can you feel yourself moving like:" a butterfly, a bird, a tree with a bird family living in a nest in your branches, a mother holding a [crying/sleeping/smiling] baby. Walk sadly; jump thoughtfully; tiptoe angrily. You may want to write these and other ideas on slips of paper and have students take turns drawing one and experimenting with it. There are no right or wrong ways to do these things; each person's response will be as different as the person himself/herself.

Explain that the only rules are:
  *move safely so you and others don't get hurt and
  *no talking (use your face and body to show the object/feeling/experience).

2. Have the class divide into pairs and use their imaginations and move their bodies to interpret (give each pair one or two words/concepts):

vine
branch
gardener
fruit
clean
plants withering/wilting/drying up
fire
love
commandment(s)
friend

Moving As We Read the Passage

Read through the Creative Movement script below and allow the students to experiment with movements that express the thoughts and feelings in the passages.

  • Read slowly and thoughtfully and with meaning.
  • Stop frequently to allow students to further explore and try different ways to express the passage.
  • If you have a large class (more than eight people), you may want to divide into two groups and let them take turns interpreting the passages.
  • Allow individual students to decide if they want to enhance their movements with scarves or BodySox (if available). See the script and the attached notes for additional hints and guidelines.

The Script ~ The Vine and the Branches
John 15: 1-17
Leader's Script for Creative Movement

(Adapted from Today's English Version and New Revised Standard Version)

Following their last supper together, Jesus said to his friends, the disciples:

I am the true vine,
and my Father is the gardener.
He removes every branch in me that does not bear fruit. {1}
He prunes every branch that does bear fruit,
so that it will bear more fruit. {2}

You have already been made clean by the teaching I have given you.

Live in me,
and I will live in you.

A branch cannot bear fruit by itself;
it can bear fruit only if it remains in the vine.
In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine,
and you are the branches.
Whoever lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit;
for without me you can do nothing.

Whoever does not live in me is thrown out like a branch and dries up;
such branches are gathered,
thrown into the fire, and burned.

If you live in me and my words live in you,
ask for whatever you wish,
and you shall have it.

My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit;
and in this way you become my disciples.

As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you;
live in my love.
If you obey my commandments,
you will live in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments
and live in His love.

I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment:
that you love one another
as I have loved you.
The greatest love a person can have for his friends
is to give his life for them.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I do not call you servants any longer, {3}
because a servant does not know what his master is doing.
Instead, I call you friends,
because I have told you everything I learned from my Father.

You did not choose me;
I chose you and appointed you
to go and bear much fruit,
the kind of fruit that lasts.
And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.

This then is what I command you:
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.


Closing Discussion

  • On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most, how connected do you feel to our church?  To our class?  To Jesus?
  • Does NOT feeling very connected mean God doesn't like you? Or you are a bad Christian?
  • How does it feel to know that Jesus CHOSE you?
  • Did he choose perfect or imperfect disciples, you?
  • What does it mean to "bear good fruit"?
  • When you do good things, how does that help you feel more connected to Jesus?

Closing Movement Prayer:

Pose the following phrases:
"thankfulness to God," for "forgiving us our sins."
"Jesus connect with us,: and "help us to grow in you." Amen


Resources

Exiner, Johanna and Phyllis Lloyd. Teaching Creative Movement. Boston: Plays, Inc., 1974.
Griss, Susan. "Creative Movement: A Language for Learning." Educational Leadership, 51: 5 (February 1994), pages 78-81.

Some thoughts on using creative movement

Creative movement is a way of moving our bodies to show feelings. The goal is not a polished performance, but a visual expression of our understanding of God's word. There are no right or wrong movements. We were created as individuals, each of us different, and we create as individuals.

"For teachers who may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the idea of using movement and creative improvisation as a teaching tool, remember that you do not have to do the movement yourselves. The children will supply all the physicality needed for a successful lesson. Your job is to supply the direction, the guided imagery, the permission to be physical, and an encouraging gleam in your eye. The idea is not to have the children imitate your movements, but to discover their own physical language." (Griss.)

Outcomes of kinesthetic learning include "increased comprehension. Interpreting a concept through physical means ... helps children - especially those at the elementary age level -- to grasp, internalize, and maintain abstract information." (Griss)

Creative movement is
improvisational
not permanent, not perfect
spontaneous, changing, always seeking to express more
heart to head, brain to body, thought to action
experimental

Notes for leading creative movement script:

Read the script several times slowly and thoughtfully, section by section, line by line, with expression. During the first reading of each section, allow the listeners to think about and experiment with movements. After they have a feeling for and understanding of that section, move on to the next. Finally, read the entire script from beginning to end, allowing selected students to "perform" their movements for the rest of the group.

The script is written so that each line is a movement/image/thought. Discourage attempts to interpret every word.

Some sections are more appropriately dramatized by several students working as a team, others call for solos.

Read section by section and analyze the meaning before attempting an interpretation. The following are some notes to get you started. (Note that not all commentaries are in 100% agreement on the meaning and interpretation of the Bible . Trust your students' insight.)
1 - TEV translates removes as "breaks off," which is less accurate from a gardening point of view, but more meaningful for movement.
2 - The same Greek word refers to pruning and cleansing.
3 - The word used in Greek for servant means "slave."

Scripture taken from the Good News Bible in Today's English Version - Second Edition, Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

A lesson written by Amy Crane for Camp Feliciana in Norwood, LA

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Last edited by Luanne Payne

Foot Washing and "Servant Seed Bomb"

Mission/Service Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:
Students will make “seed bombs” (a clump of compost, clay, and seeds) that will beautify an area that needs some vegetation for pollinators (bees and butterflies) and as a way of honoring God's world and its creatures. By looking at the story behind various feet, they will realize that Jesus wasn't "against" dirty feet, he was showing respect and care for their owners, and so should we.

Scripture Reference:
John 13:1-20

Leader Preparation:

  • Create cards explaining the project to send home with Seed Bombs to families. Editor adds: Cards should include -- Allow for the balls to dry for a few days. Throw your seed bomb onto an appropriate spot. (Not your neighbors yard or in to the street.) Make sure the spot you choose has sufficient soil, moisture and sunlight.
  • Gather the materials.


Materials List:

  • Family Story Bible or NRSV Bible
  • wax paper
  • (optional) string to tie up the seed ball package
  • compost
  • clay
  • wildflower seeds (Editors note: do not use large seeds as this will cause the balls to crack when drying)
  • paper to cover the table


Lesson Plan

Opening :

Gather your students and explain what they'll be doing and learning about today.

Pictures of Feet

Collect and show various pictures of feet. We've attached MANY to this lesson! Feet can tell a story. They are not the most "honored" or beautiful part of the body, but serve an important purpose. At the Last Supper, the disciples and Jesus observed the ritual of "washing" ones feet before reclining at table. Keep in mind that they wore sandals and walked dirt roads. But the washing was more than just a sign of being "clean," it was a sign of respect to each other and to God whose table they were joining.

Get reactions from your students. Have them decide "what the story is" behind each picture (it doesn't matter what the real story is, rather, that they begin to see something "ugly" and "dirty" in a new way -- like Jesus sees us.

In Romans 10:15, Paul announces, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."  In other words, Jesus values us in different ways than the world values us.

Click the images to enlarge and save them. Find your own as well.

Homeless-FeetPain-feetfarmer-feetParent-child-feetPraying-FeetDisciples-Feet

Different-Gathered-FeetWhat stories might these feet be telling?

What makes a foot truly "beautiful" to God?

How does "caring for the least beautiful" reveal our true hearts?



Read the Story of Jesus Washing Peter's Feet

  • Use a Bible or storybook with illustrations (preferred) to get the visual impact of this part of the Last Supper story.

  Making Pollinator Flower Seed Bombs:

  1. Explain that today, just like Jesus, we’re going to get our hands dirty in order to bring forth something beautiful and helpful to God's world.  NO... We’re not going to wash each other’s feet exactly, but we are going to get our hands dirty so that we can serve God's world. small__9292328026
  2. Explain the idea of a “seed bomb” (a clump of compost, clay, and seeds that will beautify an area that needs vegetation). Often it's a way to plant flowers where people don't expect them, which is kind of like what happens with God's kingdom...it shows up where we don't expect, and we can work for God's kingdom--just like we can make seed bombs, but it's really God that makes the kingdom...and the flowers...grow).
    Seed "bombs" are also a way to grown flowers for "pollinators" like bees -- the "least of these" insects that make a big impact on the land's ability to grow food.
  3. Show the kids how to mix the seeds and the soil to form it.  (There are some pretty straightforward instructions from this website: https://www.instructables.com/howto/seed+bomb/ If link goes dead, search for "Seed bombs"
  4. Let everyone make one, and then talk about how/where to plant them (obviously, nowhere with concrete…make sure it’s in a place that it’s okay for flowers to grow—not someone’s lawn, but maybe where the drainage ditch is, or in the median of the highway, or near the bike trail).
  5. When they are finished, have them wrap their dirt bombs in a piece of wax paper and ask them where they think they might put theirs.  Give each of them a pre-made card to put with their Seed Bomb so that their parents know what to do with their creation.

Discuss how making Seed Bombs is serving others.

For more info, watch this video:



Closing:

How can we make a "SERVING BOMB" ??   What would we put in it? What would be wrap it in?  What are some places in the world that Jesus wants us to "throw" it?

To illustrate this idea, write answers on tennis balls or small rubber balls and wrap them in a piece of newspaper. Throw it high and watch it splatter and spread.

Close with a prayer that each of us would become God's "seed bombs" spreading his love and message to others and to unexpected places and people.


A lesson from originally from Plymouth UCC in Fort Collins, CO
Expanded and enhanced by members of the Rotation.org Content Team

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Last edited by Neil MacQueen

Foot Washing Activity

This is meant as a family devotion activity for Lent/Holy Week where the family members wash each other's feet. But it would also work well as a classroom activity focused on Jesus washing the disciples' feet - could be part of a spiritual practice workshop. Includes good discussion questions, not only for the foot washing passage, but for the rest of Holy Week.

A Family Foot-washing ceremony from Christie Thomas.

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Author Jill Kemp has a number of FREE printable one-page Bible storybooks for younger children and preschoolers which use Richard Gunther kid-friendly illustrations.

NEW Testament storybooks:  http://www.lambsongs.co.nz/One...0Bible%20Stories.htm

OLD Testament storybooks: http://www.lambsongs.co.nz/one..._old%20testament.htm

These include both color and black & white story pages.

Washing Feet storybook: http://www.lambsongs.co.nz/One...ge%20story%20col.pdf

Last Supper storybook: http://www.lambsongs.co.nz/One...ge%20story%20col.pdf

Judas one-page storybook: http://www.lambsongs.co.nz/One...ge%20story%20col.pdf


You can find more free Bible illustrations by Richard Gunther at freeBibleimages.org and licensed for non-commercial teaching use. Illustrations by themselves are good for teaching non-readers and for using as "charade" or Pictionary clues, and for story-ordering games.

To see all of Gunther's other illustrated stories organized by Bible story go to https://www.freebibleimages.or...tors/richardgunther/

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Last edited by Neil MacQueen

This was originally posted by Neil in our "Teaching about worship" forum.

"Come to the Table" by Sidewalk Prophets is a great song with a discussion-producing music video and lyrics about those who are called by Christ to come to his table. 

"We all start on the outside, on the outside looking in, this is where grace begins."
(full lyrics below)

You think it's about the Communion Table (and it could be!) ...but it's about something else too, perhaps "church" is the Table we are called to come to, the feast, the fellowship.

Note in the video all the burdens people are carrying as they respond to the invitation. How do we invite others?  https://youtu.be/DXXxLwxfo0U

I can easily imagine a group of students re-enacting the various "cameos" in this video...people coming with their pasts and issues, as the music or music video rolled. They would come to the Communion Table and take a seat. Could be a powerful thing to create and show in worship prior to Communion.

FYI:  Their song "You Love Me Anyway" feels like the song you sing AFTER "Come to the Table."

"I am the man who yelled out from the crowd who yelled out from the crowd for your blood to be spilled.   ....but you love me anyway."



Lyrics to Come to the Table

(The lyrics are available at many sites across the internet. Used here for the purposes of teaching and commentary. Almost every line begs a question!)

We all start on the outside
The outside looking in
This is where grace begins
We were hungry, we were thirsty  
With nothing left to give
Oh the shape that we were in
Just when all hope seemed lost
Love opened the door for us
He said come to the table
Come join the sinners who have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior now
Sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Come meet this motley crew of misfits
These liars and these thiefs
There's no one unwelcome here, no
So that sin and shame that you brought with you
You can leave it at the door
And let mercy draw you near
Just come to the table
Come join the sinners, you have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior now
Sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Just come to the table
To the thief, to the doubter
To the hero and the coward
To the prisoner and the soldier
To the young, to the older
All who hunger, all who thirst
All the last, all the first
All the paupers and the princes
All who fail you've been forgiven
All who dream, all who suffer
All who loved and lost another
All the chained, all the free
All who follow, all who lead
Anyone who's been let down
All the lost you have been found
All who've been labeled right or wrong
Everyone who hears this song
Just
Come, come to the table
Oh eh, come join the sinners you have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior
Just sit down and be set free
Oh come on
Just sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Come on now
Come to the table
You're welcome here
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Dave Frey / Ben Glover / Ben Mcdonald
Come to the Table lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Capitol Christian Music Group

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