Object lessons

Lutheran, The, Apr 2004

Ways to teach the Holy Week and Easter stories

What do nails, rocks and a snowman have in common? They all can be used to teach about Holy Week and Easter.

OK, nails make sense. Jesus was nailed to the cross. On Good Friday 2003, kids brought hammers to church at Mount Olive Lutheran, Hickory, N.C. After listening to the Good Friday story, each child hammered a nail into a wooden cross.

Parishioner Tammy Jones West said, "My son, Robert (then 6), spent a good portion of the day talking about how he couldn't believe they would nail Jesus to the cross. 'I think I'm going to cry, Mom.' I think he got it."

Rocks seem obvious too. The "Rock Festival" at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Greenwood, S.C., is a reminder of the stone that was rolled away from Jesus' tomb. On a Saturday the youth spray-paint medium-sized rocks. On festival Sunday, members of all ages decorate the rocks with Easter scenes, symbols and Scripture. The rocks are put around the cross in the sanctuary for Easter. Later, stones are displayed in members' gardens as a Easter reminder.

But a snowman? It worked for Julie Baird, a member of St. James Lutheran Church, Johnston, Iowa. It all started with her son, Jacob, then 11, who put his melting snowman in the freezer. Baird eventually snuck his creation out, asking, "How long is it reasonable to keep a snowman in the freezer?" Jacob thought a long time.

So a new snowman made its way to the freezer. On Good Friday, Jacob made a brick tomb in a flower bed. They wrapped the snowman in linen and put it in the tomb.

His mom says: "It was a rather cold weekend. I'll admit to wanting to help the melting process ... but I resisted and had faith. When we opened the tomb on Sunday, the snowman Jesus wasn't there, but the cloths were laying there. In a small way, we experienced the wonder and joy of that first Easter morning."

Send stories of your youth group (preschool-confirmation age) or craft ideas to: Andrea Pohlmann, The Lutheran, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631-4183; apohlman@elca.org.