Godly Play on the Third Sunday in Easter

Welcome to our Godly Play Circle on the third Sunday in Easter! We hope you enjoy this week's story, which comes from a series called Following Jesus: More About Young Children and Worship by Sonja Stewart, who worked with Jerome Berryman, the founder of Godly Play. Today's story is called "Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene". If you'd like to read the story from the Bible, it can be found in the Gospel of Mark 16:1-11. 

If you'd like to revisit today's wondering questions they are as follows: 

• I wonder how Mary Magdalene feels when the person she loves the most dies?

• I wonder how Mary feels going to Jesus' tomb?

• I wonder how the women feel when they do not see Jesus' body in the tomb?

• I wonder why they are too afraid to tell that Jesus is alive?

• I wonder how Mary Magdalene feels when Jesus appears to her?

• I wonder why Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene first?

• I wonder why Mary Magdalene is no longer afraid to tell Jesus' friends that Jesus is alive?

• I wonder why they do not believe Mary Magdalene when she tells them Jesus is alive?

• I wonder how she feels when they do not believe her?

• I wonder what she will do?

If you’d like to re-visit the “body prayer” we used to get ready, you can find the text of the prayer and instructions for the movements below:

Reader: Creator God, you feed my soul.

Movement: cup hands and bring them to the mouth as if bringing food to the mouth.

Reader: With the whole earth…………………..you feed my soul.

Movement: extend arms outward and form a circle with fingertips……cup hands to mouth.

Reader: With the creatures that walk, and swim and fly……you feed my soul.

Movement: with fingers and hands form creatures walking, swimming and flying….cup hands to mouth.

Reader: With the wind and the rain……….you feed my soul.

Movement: move arms and hands from side to side, and wiggle fingers downward to indicate rain falling…….cup hands to mouth.

Reader: With the stars in the heavens………..you feed my soul.

Movement: with index finger point upward as if to three stars in the sky…..cup hands to mouth.

Reader: And I grow strong in heart, and mind and spirit…..with your gifts.

Movement: bend elbows and make fists to indicate strength, bring hands together over heart, then to forehead and then form fist with left hand and with right hand make circles coming from the fist upward to indicate spirit…..cup hands to mouth.

Reader: Amen

Movement: hands together in prayer and bow to others.