Easter

I teach Sunday school at church about every other week. Our class is roughly five to nine year-olds and on any given Sunday there may be from one to seven children, all girls. The parents of these girls hail from France, Senegal, Madagascar, Congo, Russia, and the U.S.

Since the fall of 2010, we've used the rotation model. I came across it when we visited a church in Bogotà that summer. We follow a six year (or so) teaching plan and stick with one Bible passage for three or four weeks before moving on.  I have loved it as we've had the freedom to approach the passage in different ways each week. We've done drama, cooking, praying, crafting, reading, acting the passage out with Playmobil people, art and probably other things that I've forgotten.

For Easter, we've looked at Jesus' trial. Last week, we acted out a few examples of what happens when someone is caught stealing.  We juggled the roles of thief, victim, police officer, and judge between the three who were present. Then we read the story of Jesus' trial and talked about it. No fancy craft, and the acting out was even done as we sat around the table because our Sunday school room has no space for us to move around. But, the kids were completely engaged.

This week, we read and talked through the resurrection passage from Luke. Then we did the above coloring page while we kept talking. Since we don't color very much, the girls were extremely enthusiastic. I've honestly never seen so much care go into something as seemingly boring as coloring rocks.

So, the girls are coloring their rocks, and we are talking about various things. Things like whether you should use a grey marker or a pencil, and whether to use your finger to smudge the pencil to add shading to the rocks. And we are talking about Jesus and his life when one of girls mentions that Jesus never married.

And another replies, "Of course he did, he had a son."

At which point we talked a lot, and I got her back on the right track theologically.

We continue to color, and I mention that the city in the background is Jerusalem. I also say that I once visited Jerusalem.

Same girl with wide-eyed curiosity, "Did you see Jesus?"

At which point I draw a time line which ends up having everyone from prehistoric peoples to Louis the fourteenth on it.

Happy week after Easter to you all!