Godly Play on the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
Welcome to our online Godly Play circle on the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost. This week our Sunday lectionary offers us the story of Abraham & Isaac. This is one of the foundational Old Testament narratives, but it is also a story with very complex and sometimes troubling themes that young children might not be ready to unpack. With this in mind, we are offering two stories this week! For our younger children (~4-8) we are offering a story of Jesus called "Follow Me." For older children (9+) we have the Godly Play version of the story of Abraham and Isaac. We invite parents to thoughtfully decide which story is right for your child, regardless of age.
In her book Violence and Nonviolence in Scripture: Helping Children Understand Challenging Stories, Catherine Maresca asks parents and Christian educators to be thoughtful and deliberate as they present scripture stories to children. She explains, “reading the Bible with children requires understanding the developmental capacities and characteristics that children of different ages bring to the table. Though young children are certainly capable of receiving the Word of God, it would be unwise to have them go through every chapter and verse without appropriate support.” After the videos, we will provide a few more quotes & resources to help you offer this support to children.
First we have the story “Follow Me,” taken from Sonja Stewart’s book Following Jesus: More about Young Children and Worship.
If you would like to re-visit the wondering questions from the end of the story they were as follows:
I wonder how the sick and the poor felt when this person came near them?
I wonder what this kingdom of God must be like?
I wonder if this person is someone that you would follow?
If your child is ready for a more complex narrative, click on the video below to watch the story of Abraham & Isaac:
If you would like to re-visit the wondering questions from the end of the video they were as follows:
I wonder which part of the story you liked the best?
I wonder what part was most important?
I wonder where you are in the story? Or which part of the story is about you?
I wonder if there is any part we could leave out and still have all the story we need?
If your child would like to engage in a deeper discussion, perhaps you could watch or read a portion of Fr. Tyler’s Sunday sermon together — “Abraham, Isaac, and the End of Sacrifice.” Both Fr. Tyler & Catherine Maresca (in her book referenced above) state that placing the story of Abraham & Isaac in its historical context is critical to a proper understanding of it. Maresca suggests to “carefully introduce the context of human sacrifice among the people of the Ancient Near East, so the action of God to move us away from child sacrifice is clear.”
Here is the entire chapter on Abraham & Isaac, should you care to read further: Ch 7. The Binding of Isaac.