LeSSon 28 aLLeLuia! ChriST iS riSen!christianformation.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/1/2/... · In the Episcopal Church, Easter is not a day but a season, lasting for 50 days (The Great

Summary of Today’S SToryOn Sunday morning, the third day after the death of Jesus, Mary and Mary Magdalene go to the tomb and find an angel there, with the stone rolled away. The angel tells the women that Jesus has been raised from death and sends them to Galilee to tell others.

As they are leaving the tomb to tell the disciples, Jesus appears to them, and they worship him.

Jesus then tells his disciples to “go out to all the nations,” baptizing and preaching the Good News in his name.

Key ConCepTS ■ Alleluia! ■ Joy ■ The disciples’ charge

LeSSon 28

aLLeLuia! ChriST iS riSen!

© 2012 by Doris Ash. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.MorehouseEducation.org. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

Where you’LL find Today’S SToryin the BibleWe recommend the New Revised Standard Version Bible.

Matthew 28:1-10 (11-15), 16-20

in our Sunday LectionaryToday’s story is told in church on the following Sundays:

Year A: Easter Day and the Monday of Easter WeekYear B: Easter Day and the Monday of Easter WeekYear C: Easter Day and the Monday of Easter Week

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Weaving our STory WiTh The BiBLiCaL SToryAlleluia! Christ is risen!

Jesus rose to life again. In this, we see the power of divine love and forgiveness. Jesus’ death and resurrection inaugurates the kingdom of heaven right now.

And when we know the Good News of God in Christ, Christ gives us his Great Commission, as written in Matthew 28:17-20: “go out to all nations.” It’s not enough just to believe. Jesus tells us to bear to all nations the message of salvation through Christ.

Matthew ends on the promise of the never-failing presence of Christ—just as he began his gospel: God with us, Emmanuel. Jesus tells us, “And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” God stays with us, no matter what.

The epiSCopaL ThreadOn Easter Day, Episcopalians join with other Christians to celebrate the risen Christ. Note that in the Episcopal Church, the cross is almost always an

empty cross. The crucifix is much less evident. The Christ who is worshipped is the risen Christ, the Christ who was crucified but now is alive.

Some Episcopal churches have reclaimed the tradition of the Great Vigil of Easter, an ancient service that was included in the 1979 Prayer Book and that, when observed, is seen as “the first service of Easter Day” (BCP, p. 284).

Easter hymns in The Hymnal 1982 (New York, NY: Church Publishing, 1985) are #174-213. Sometimes these hymns are sung at other times, when the message of the resurrection is proclaimed, for example, at a funeral.

In this lesson, we hear Jesus commanding his disciples to make disciples of others, to baptize them and to teach them. From this “Great Commission” comes Holy Baptism as one of the two principal sacraments of the Church, commanded by Christ himself.

In the Episcopal Church, Easter is not a day but a season, lasting for 50 days (The Great Fifty Days). Thus Episcopalians hear the opening acclamation each Sunday during Easter, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” And the people respond, “The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!”



gaTheringCheck-inHave some joyous music playing as the group members enter the room to remind them

of this special day!

Invite group members to sit comfortably, giving them an opportunity to visit with each other, establish friendships and build community. Relationships are an important dimension of Christian formation, so a few minutes of visiting will enrich their spiritual development. This is also the perfect time to “check in” with your group members by asking them to share how they are feeling at the time or what kind of a week they had.

prayermaterials: ■small table with cloth to cover it ■taper or pillar candle

■ matches ■ cross

After all group members have a few minutes of fellowship time, gather them together for a simple opening prayer. Ask one of the members to light the candle while saying these words from Psalm 119:105: ■ Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto

my path.

Explain that you are inviting the light of God to be with all of you. (You might consider posting this verse from Psalm 119 in the meeting room).

Invite the member who lit the candle to read this prayer: ■ Heavenly Father, on this most joyous day we

remember your son’s ultimate sacrifice for us. We raise our hands and sing to the glory of his name! Alleluia! Amen.

Carefully extinguish the candle.

TeLLing The STorySet the scene:

■ Hand out Easter eggs with treats and special messages of the day to the group. Adolescents love them, too!

Read today’s story aloud from a Bible or tell the story in your own words. Another way to tell the story would be to talk about the trip to the tomb and the revelation of Jesus’ rising from the dead from the perspective of a witness or one of the women who came to the tomb only to find it empty.

At this time you do not need to explain or discuss the story. This is the time for the youth to hear the story. For now, simply let them absorb it in their minds and in their hearts. Later, use the discussion or arts time to help the group members draw appropriate and meaningful connections between the story and their own lives.



aCTiviTieS for ThiS WeeK’S SeSSion

aCTiviTieS: arTS, CrafTS, gameS, drama, eTC.

Select one or more activities to supplement and enhance today’s story. For each lesson, there are five suggested activities, one from each of the REACT categories. For a detailed explanation of REACT, see page 10 of the Introduction. All activities are meant to reinforce the concepts that were central to the day’s lesson.

Additional activity ideas can be found on pages 2-6 in the Appendix where we’ve provided suggestions and directions for a variety of general activities that can be adapted to any lesson. Also included are outreach and service projects that can be done at any time.



Weaving our faiThLesson Box Materials: ■ 1 3" x 5" index card for the day’s

scribe ■ pen or pencil

■ a file box in which to store the cards

Ask for a volunteer or assign a group member to act as scribe. Then, ask the group to articulate the most important lesson gleaned from the day’s reading. As a prompt, you might ask: ■ Jesus said to his disciples, “Remember, I am with

you always, to the end of the age.” How does that make you feel?

■ Some people come to church on Easter Sunday only. Why Easter?

Once the group has agreed on its wording, ask the scribe to write the lesson on the card, date it and file it in the box. By the end of the year, you will have a wonderful and thorough summation of the lessons covered in the participant’s own words.

CLoSing prayerBefore the group leaves, say a closing prayer to send them into the church worship service or

back to their homes in the knowledge of God’s love and protection. The prayer can be very simple, such as this one: ■ Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The participants respond: ■ The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

End the session with a dismissal that is used in church, such as: ■ Let us go forth in the name of Christ. ■ Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the

power of the Spirit.

The participants respond: ■ Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

In this joyous time, encourage them to shout their thanks!


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Joy iS everyWhere— even on The WaLLS!

Group members contribute to an Easter graffiti wall in celebration of our rebirth in Christ!

materials:large sheet of butcher papermasking tape or poster puttypens and pencilsmarkerscraft paints

preparation:Mount a large sheet of butcher paper on the wall. If the group will be using paints, you may want to double the thickness of the paper.

directions:1. Remind the group of the joyfulness associated with Easter.

2. Explain that they will create a graffiti wall of pictures and words to express that joy.

3. They may select verses from the day’s lesson or write a message in their own words, for example: — Alleluia! Christ is risen! — Do not be afraid. — Obey everything I have commanded you. — His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow. — And suddenly there was a great earthquake…

4. Encourage members also to draw pictures of things or people they associate with Easter, from the simplest to the most profound, for example:

— an empty tomb — a rabbit — crosses — bright lights — clouds in the sky — butterflies or eggs (to symbolize rebirth) — other goodies (representing the end of Lenten sacrifice)

Close: ■ When the graffiti wall is finished, post it for the rest of the congregation to see and contribute to!


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greeT The day!Group members spread Easter joy by serving as greeters for the service and/or by helping to organize and run an Easter egg hunt for the children of the church. Note: This activity requires some advance planning.

materials:individual flowers copies of coloring pagescrayonseaster eggs (prepared in advance)name tags for greeters

preparation:Arrange with the person or committee in charge of assigning greeters to include some of your group members as greeters for Easter Sunday.

Flowers are usually purchased by the church for that day; these should be individual stems for distribution to church members.

Create copies of several Easter-related coloring book pages for children.

Make small packs of crayons available.

A day or two before Easter Sunday, some of the group members may help with decorating real eggs or filling plastic eggs for use in the egg hunt.

directions:1. Depending on the size of your group, you may have some acting as greeters and others helping with the Easter

egg hunt after the service.

2. Make sure that all members of the group are wearing their name tags. Have them decorate the tags to reflect the spirit of the day.

3. As people enter the church, the youth will hand adults and older youth individual flowers. Children will receive coloring pages and crayons.



The greaT CommiSSionGroup members discuss how they can stay true to and honor Jesus’ instructions to the disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).

materials:poster board or other heavy papermarkers

preparation:Write the following on a piece of poster board and attach it to the wall in your meeting space:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18b-20).

directions:1. Explain to the group that, at first glance, Jesus is asking a great deal of us! But upon reflection, we understand

that we are being asked to do what we can to spread the word of God in our worlds, whether that means amongst our families, our friends, our neighborhoods, our communities or even the world at large.

2. Read aloud this line from Matthew 28: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Discuss: — Is God the only authority in our lives? — How do we balance or handle responding to God as well as other authority figures? — How can God’s presence and influence on us help us in those situations?

3. Read aloud this line from Matthew 28: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Discuss: — Whoa! Does this mean everybody we know, everybody in the world? How is that possible? — Where do we start? — What if you’re not comfortable with talking about your faith? How can you demonstrate it to others?

4. Read aloud this line from Matthew 28: “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Discuss:

— Wait, can we even do this? — What exactly did Jesus teach us? What “rules” do we try to obey? — What do you want others to know about Jesus and his presence in your life, in their lives? — How can you show, by example, how you try to live a good Christian life? — What do you do when you make mistakes, when you forget what Jesus has taught you?



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5. Read aloud this line from Matthew 28: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — How does knowing this help you? — How can it help others?


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SymBoLS of reBirTh and LighTGroup members have a choice of making paper origami birds, candles or butterflies, all symbols of Jesus’ resurrection and our rebirth.

materials:colored paper or origami paper, assorted colorsscissorsglueoptional: glitterstringsheets of beeswaxcandle wickspillar candles, assorted heightssheets of decorating waxplastic knives or matting knivescopies of the dove pattern (p. 12)optional: hair dryer

directions for Birds:1. Make several birds to represent doves (p. 12) and hang in the church’s meeting space or coffee room for all to

enjoy.

2. For additional origami patterns and how-to videos, go to www.origami-fun.com or www.en.origami-club.com.

directions for Candles:1. Cut the large beeswax sheet that will be used to make the candles into smaller squares, rectangles or triangles.

2. Place a wick at the end of the sheet of beeswax and roll tightly.

3. To decorate the candles, cut small pieces of beeswax of contrasting colors.

4. The wax is soft enough to make shapes; encourage the creation of shapes associated with Easter, such as a cross, flower or butterfly; or decorate the pillar candles with shapes cut from the wax decorating sheets. Use the hair dryer to slightly soften the candle or the decorative pieces in order for them to adhere better.

A B, C

D



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directions for Butterflies:1. Cut two paper squares from different colors for the wings. If using origami paper, these sheets are usually a

standard 10” size and perfect for these crafts. Cut a narrow strip of paper for the body.

2. Fold the squares back and forth, accordion-style, from corner to corner (A). Make the folds small and the same size.

3. Place the folded papers together and wrap the paper strip around the middle (B). Glue in place.

4. Open the folded paper on both sides of the body to form fans (C).

5. Glue the fans together to make the wings (D).

6. Glue glitter on the wings.

7. Tie a string to the butterfly and hang.


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eaSTer Bread and eaSTer fLoWerSParticipants have the opportunity to bake Easter breads for sale or as gifts and/or to deliver Easter flowers and cards to the homebound.

preparation for Bread:Bread dough will have to be made a day or two before Easter. Participants may choose to make “Dough Babies” or traditional Easter Egg Bread. Recipes and instructions follow.

preparation for flower delivery:Make arrangements with the rector or person responsible for flowers to get some of the plants for delivery to the homebound after church.

Get the names and address of the recipients from your church secretary or rector.

Recruit parent volunteers to drive the youth to the recipients’ homes.

materials:card stock, assorted bright or pastel colorspens and pencilsmarkersglitter, glue, stickers and other embellishmentsscissors

directions:1. Cut the card stock into standard card-sized pieces and fold over.

2. Draw and decorate a picture appropriate for the Easter season on the cover.

3. Write a message of cheer and joy on the inside.

4. Some suggestions: — Happy Easter! — Have a joyful day! — The Lord is risen! Alleluia! — Thinking of you on this special day of joy and rebirth!

5. Deliver with flowers and cards to the homebound members of your congregation!



reSurreCTion dough-BaBieSFrom the Netherlands, this recipe makes a wonderful Easter bread.

materials: (makes about 8 dough-babies)

1¾ cups milk, plus 1 additional tablespoon milk¼ cup butter or margarine2½ teaspoons sugar2 teaspoons salt1 package active dry yeast¼ cup warm water5-6 cups flour 9 small eggs (for 8 dough babies)seedless raisinslarge bowl, warmedspoon or other utensil for stirringlightly floured board greased baking sheets wire racksovencotton swabsvinegarfood coloring and brush

preparation:If there isn’t time to both prepare the dough and bake the bread, you may want to prepare the dough ahead of time.

directions:1. Make the dough: Scald 1¾ cups milk. Stir in butter, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast on warm

water in a large, warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the lukewarm milk mixture and 3 cups of flour, beating until smooth. Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 8-10 minutes.

2. Let it Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, approximately 1 hour. Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough into eight pieces and keep covered until ready for shaping.



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3. Shape the dough: Shape a piece of dough into a 5" oblong roll. Place a small, raw, undyed egg on the dough, just above center. Imagine the egg is the center of a clock; cut slits at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 o’clock. Pulling the dough, shape the arms and legs. Place the arms over and across the egg. Shape a round, flat head. Use raisins for the eyes, nose and mouth. Do this with the remaining dough pieces. Place all dough-babies on greased baking sheets.

4. Bake the dough babies: Combine the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of milk and brush over the dough-babies. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

5. Color the eggs: Color the eggs only after baking. Remove any oily film from the eggs with a cotton swab and vinegar. Brush liquid food coloring on the eggs to decorate.

Note: You could also go to http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easter-egg-bread/detail.aspx for a great Easter Bread recipe!

Documents

LeSSon 28 aLLeLuia! ChriST iS riSen!christianformation.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/1/2/... · In the Episcopal Church, Easter is not a day but a season, lasting for 50 days (The Great