FAITH QUEST

This lesson plan is copyrighted and belongs to the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian,

Cary North Carolina. It may be used for non-profit uses only.

MARY AND MARTHA

 

 

PRAISING PUPPETS

 

Jesus’ encounter with Martha and Mary, as recorded in these verses, is part of a larger series of reflections on how to be a good disciple.  In these verses in Luke, Mary is the one who models what it means to listen attentively for God.

 

Scripture:      Luke 10:38-42

 

Concepts:           God wants us to have a good attitude.

                                    Jesus wants us to listen to God.            

 

Objectives:     This workshop will focus on the attitudes that Mary and Martha showed while they were serving Jesus.  Although they both intended to give Jesus the best they had to offer, Mary listened attentively while Martha worked with resentment.  Jesus said that Mary had “chosen the better part” compared to Martha who was “distracted by many things”.  The children will discuss that any activity can be done with a cheerful attitude of caring or with a sour attitude of discontentment. 

 

 

Procedure:

Welcome and Introductions:

  1. Greet the children and introduce yourself.  Remember you are interacting with a different group of students each week that may not know you.
  2. Tell the children that today they will use the puppets to talk about their attitude when they listen and when they do their work.  The Bible story today gives an example of someone who was a good listener and someone who had a bad attitude toward her work. 

 

Bible Story:

  1. Ask all children to find Luke 10:38-42 in their Bibles.  Since this is a short passage, it is an opportunity to add a little Bible teaching—especially for the younger children.  Points that can be mentioned are: The Bible is written in books (Luke), chapters (just like a chapter book that they might read) and in verses.  Luke is in the New Testament; it is one of the four Gospels; and only the Gospels have the stories of Jesus’ life.  The workshop leader and shepherd will need to help younger children find the passage.  Read the parable to the first graders.  Ask volunteers from the older grades to take turns reading. 
  2. Briefly discuss the parable with emphasis on Mary and Martha’s attitudes.  Ask the children who had the better attitude in this story.  Also mention that we have a choice about our attitude and that every activity—even listening--can be done with a pleasant or an unpleasant attitude. 

 

Application:

   Younger children

  1. Divide the younger children (1st and 2nd grades) into pairs and pass out puppets to each child.  It does not matter which puppet goes to which child. 
  2. Tell the children that for this part one puppet will be the “speaker” and one the “listener” but the “speaker” is only to pretend to talk.  Both puppets should be silent and just show their actions and attitudes without words.  The puppets can actually talk later. 
  3. Have the “speaker” pretend to have a pleasant conversation without regard to what the “listener” is doing. 
  4. Have the listener puppet first demonstrate “good listening”.  If necessary you can clue the children on what their puppet would be doing if it were listening with a good attitude such as sitting quietly, looking at the speaker, paying attention, etc. 
  5. Then instruct the listener puppets to demonstrate a bad attitude for listening.  Again only give help to the children that need it with suggestions such as having their puppets look around at other things, turn their back on the speaker, pretend to talk themselves, twiddle their hands, etc.
  6. After a few minutes, call the children’s attention back to you and have a brief discussion about a listener’s attitude.  Ask them which attitude Mary had during the Bible story today.
  7. Tell the children that they will do a similar activity showing the puppets’ attitude toward doing a job.  Each puppet will pretend to be picking up toys.  The workshop leader could bring in small items such as Legos, clothespins, etc for the puppets to move from one place to another as if they were cleaning up. 
  8. Let the children choose which puppet will have a pleasant attitude and which will grumble and complain about the job.  Let them spend a few minutes demonstrating working with both a good and bad attitude.  If needed suggest the “pleasant” puppet could whistle, talk about how nice it will be when all the toys are put away, how he likes to help, etc.  The “unpleasant” puppet could complain about how unfair it is that they do all they work, why can’t their sister help, how big the job is, etc. 
  9. End the demonstration when you feel the children have adequately shared the puppets’ different attitudes toward doing their jobs.
  10. If there is extra time, have all the puppets sing together the songs listed at the end of the lesson.  Otherwise, move on to the wrap-up and discussion.    

   

Older children 

  1. Ask the children to divide into groups of four and pass out two puppets to each group.  Two children will be puppeteers and two will be scriptwriters and readers.
  2. Designate half of the groups to write a very short play about good and bad listeners.  Ask the other half to write about working with a pleasant and an unpleasant attitude. 
  3. Let the children do most of the creative work with suggestions from you only as needed.  Suggest that they can use the Bible story as an example.  If needed the workshop leader can offer some of the specifics listed above for the younger children.
  4. Allow the groups enough time to plan their play, write the script and to practice it once or twice.  This may take the groups 8-10 minutes. 
  5. Leave enough time for each group to perform their play in front of the class using the puppet stage.    

 

Wrap-up: 

          Allow time for discussion. Ask the children to return the puppets to their storage location and to sit down quietly. 

 

   Younger Children: 

  1. Spend a few minutes to tie the Bible story and the puppet demonstrations together.  Ask the children which puppet was like which Bible character, which attitude of the puppets Jesus would like best, what attitudes Jesus wants us to have when we are listening and doing jobs. 
  2. End discussion here for the younger classes. 

 

   Older Children:

  1. Spend a few minutes discussing each play—how the groups showed good and bad listeners and good and bad attitudes toward work.  Tie the Bible story and the plays together by asking which group showed Mary’s attitude and which showed Martha’s attitude. 
  2. Further discuss the attitudes from the plays that Jesus would have praised and liked best.  Also discuss which attitude Jesus wants us to have when we are listening and doing jobs. 
  3. The discussion can easily be ended here, but if time permits, take the discussion into the idea of “fairness” and “unfairness”.  Even though it seemed “unfair” for Martha to do all the work, Jesus did not demand that Mary make it “fair” by helping her.  Rather Jesus said that Mary’s attitude of listening and giving her time freely to Jesus was better.
  4. Ask the children how Martha could have changed her attitude so that she didn’t feel it was “unfair”.  As needed, suggest she could have looked at her work as a service or gift to Jesus rather than a miserable chore she had to do alone.   By understanding that she and Mary were both giving their time to Jesus—just in different ways—she could have felt less burdened and overworked.        

 

 

 Reflection Time:

  1. At 10:35 a.m. ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/markers. Ask children to make a list of ways they can serve/help other people.  The younger children should have 4 items on their list and the older children should have 8 items. If the children do not think of it, suggest that, just as in the story, listening attentively is a gift they can give a speaker.  On the other hand they can do specific jobs for someone such as setting the table for supper, feeding the pets, etc.  
  2. At 10:45 ask the students to close their journals and sit quietly for prayer.

 

Closing:

Prayer: End with a simple prayer asking God to help us give our time freely to others whether we are listening to them or whether we are doing a job for them.  Ask God to help us have a pleasant attitude in all that we do.  Thank God for the examples he has given us in the Bible. 

 

 

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help clean up as they wait for their parents to arrive.  Put pillows behind stage area. Put away boom box, workshop bin, etc.

 

SONGS—

            The song from the Barney TV show called “Clean Up” could be sung.  The words are:

 

                        Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere

                        Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share

                        Repeat two or three times.

 

                                   

            A song titled “Mary and Martha” that is sung to the tune of “Are you Sleeping”

 

                        Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming.

                        Hurry, let’s clean.  Hurry, let’s clean.

                        Scrub the floors and windows. Scrub the floors and windows.

                        Martha said to Mary.  Martha said to Mary.

 

                        Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming.

                        Let’s make some stew.  Let’s make some stew.

                        Knead the bread and bake it.  Knead the bread and bake it.

                        Martha said to Mary.  Martha said to Mary.

 

                        Jesus is here.  Jesus is here.

                        Let’s sit down and listen.  Let’s sit down and listen.

                        He has much to tell us.  He has much to tell us.

                        Mary said to Martha.  Mary said to Martha.

 

Teacher preparation in advance:

 

1.      Prepare an opening/closing prayer.

2.      Write your key scripture verse on the white board.

3.      Collect any props (things to clean-up).

4.      Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located. Optional:  Bring a CD or tapes music for background music while you are gathering, meditative music for reflection time.