Mrs Round Bakes Some Cakes
Children's Liturgy and Story
Call to worship:
When Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus' feet with oil, the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. As we worship God today, may this whole church be filled with the fragrance of our prayers.
Invitation to confession:
Jesus, sometimes we fail to notice or appreciate beauty.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we resent the actions of others and are spiteful towards them.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we don't understand the most appropriate way to worship.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [2] There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. [3] Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, [5] "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" [6] (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) [7] Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. [8] You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
Story:
Judas resented Mary's extravagantly generous and flamboyant action, but he tried to hide his resentment by taking the high moral ground and pretending he was concerned about the poor.
In this story, the vicar's wife resents Mrs Round's generous actions, but takes the high moral ground by pretending that she's thinking of the good of the church.
Mrs Round Bakes Some Cakes
Mrs Round had a wonderful idea. She would bake and bake and bake until she just couldn't bake any more. Then she would take all her cakes and pastries and biscuits down to the church hall, ready for the coffee morning.
Mrs Round set to work with a will. She asked Mr Skillett to go down to the shops for her to buy all the ingredients she needed. Since Mr Skillett was as tall as a bus and as thin as two pieces of paper stuck together, he could carry much more shopping than Mrs Round. She was as round as she was tall and as she only came up to Mr Skillett's knees, she could never carry very much.
Mrs Round mixed and melted, cooked and baked for two whole days. Although she was always baking, she had never baked quite so much in her whole life. When she had finished baking, she began to ice and to decorate and to pack into boxes until all was finished.
There were so many cakes and biscuits and pastries that not even Mr Skillett could carry it all. They had to call on the services of Timid Tilly the schoolteacher, to bring her van. Then the three of them loaded the van until it was packed from floor to roof with Mrs Round's offerings.
Lots of people were helping at the coffee morning in the church hall, but they all stood and stared as the van was unloaded. They had to bring a second table to take all Mrs Round's cakes and both the tables were so laden that Mr Skillett wondered whether their legs would collapse beneath them.
The cakes were so delicious that almost everyone crowded round, wanting to buy something for themselves. Almost everyone. Just one person stood aloof with arms folded and a grim frown on her face. It was Mrs Halo, the vicar's wife.
Mrs Halo confronted her husband, the vicar. "You can't allow this!" she ordered.
"No, dear," said the vicar absently, pushing his gold-rimmed spectacles back onto his nose as he watched the amazing scene around the cake stall.
"You're not listening to me," warned Mrs Halo, in a rather threatening voice.
The vicar jumped. He'd heard that voice before. "What was it you were saying, dear?"
"This is bad for the church," pronounced Mrs Halo. "You must stop it at once and send that silly woman home."
"Er, why is it bad for the church?" asked the vicar, puzzled.
"Because that woman has taken it all on herself and no-one else gets a look in. You know these occasions are about working together. But she" – Mrs Halo pointed at Mrs Round – "has stolen the limelight. She hasn't worked with anyone. She's done it all herself. I'm only saying this for the good of the whole church, you understand. That's what I'm thinking about."
"Of course, dear," nodded the vicar, remembering that his wife rather fancied herself as a cook, "but perhaps there are other ways in which people can work together in the church. Mrs Round has been wonderfully generous and industrious and I think on this one occasion we must thank her and gratefully accept her delicious contribution."
But Mrs Halo just said "Hhumph!!" very loudly and turned on her heel and left, and the vicar knew he was in for a bad time at home that evening.
Activity:
Start preparations for an Easter garden. This week, make the cave tomb and the stone to go over the entrance, the three crosses and the figures, and plant the garden.
You need:
old newspapers
flour and water paste
plasticine
six lolly sticks
glue
Make the shape of the garden tomb in plasticine. Tear up the newspaper into small pieces. Soak each piece in the flour and water paste, and place strips over the plasticine cave until it is covered. Leave to dry, and repeat three or four times. (This could be an on-going project, adding a new layer next week.) Repeat for the stone to cover the entrance to the cave.
Make the lolly sticks into three crosses, fixing the crossbars to the upright with glue.
Make the figures.
You need:
Bundles of pipe cleaners
Brightly coloured scraps of material.
Some pieces of gold or silver foil.
Some metal paper clips.
Bend a pipe cleaner into the head and body of a figure, then with another pipe cleaner form the arms and legs. Make a number of figures before beginning to dress them, so that they are all roughly the same size. Using the material and the foil, dress some Roman soldiers. Make swords from opened out paper clips. Using the material, dress the women who stood at the foot of the cross (John 18:25). The three figures to go on the crosses should just be dressed in loin cloths. Make a crown of thorns for Jesus, using opened out paper clips.
Plant the garden.
You need:
A very large sand tray filled with soil.
Some small trowels and forks.
Some large pebbles or small rocks.
Some small pots of polyanthus or other suitable plants.
Some moss.
Water and a watering can.
Rake over the soil, decide where the tomb and the crosses will be (the garden is completed next week), divide up the polyanthus into tiny clumps and plant in the garden. Make a hill with soil and cover it with moss, for the crosses. Use the rocks and pebbles to mark a rocky area where the grave will be. Water the plants and the moss, and if necessary, be prepared to water again during the week.
Prayers:
Supportive God, may we in the church appreciate and encourage each other. Help us to avoid jealousy and resentment, but to welcome each other's gifts.
Supportive God, we pray for our world leaders and our local leaders, asking that they may be open to other traditions and cultures, and that they might be outward looking rather than inward looking.
Supportive God, when people around us act strangely in ways that we don't understand, help us to suspend judgement until we know those people better. Then help us to be gentle and encouraging rather than angry and resentful.
Supportive God, gather into your arms all those who are hurting and who need your healing touch. Make whole those who are sick and encourage those who are sad, so that they may all know your gentle care.
Blessing:
May you be so filled with God's love
That you identify and welcome
All the gifts that others offer.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Be with you, be in your homes
And in your families,
With those whom you love
And with those for whom you pray,
Both now and always. Amen.
When Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus' feet with oil, the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. As we worship God today, may this whole church be filled with the fragrance of our prayers.
Invitation to confession:
Jesus, sometimes we fail to notice or appreciate beauty.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we resent the actions of others and are spiteful towards them.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we don't understand the most appropriate way to worship.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. [2] There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. [3] Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [4] But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, [5] "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" [6] (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) [7] Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. [8] You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
Story:
Judas resented Mary's extravagantly generous and flamboyant action, but he tried to hide his resentment by taking the high moral ground and pretending he was concerned about the poor.
In this story, the vicar's wife resents Mrs Round's generous actions, but takes the high moral ground by pretending that she's thinking of the good of the church.
Mrs Round Bakes Some Cakes
Mrs Round had a wonderful idea. She would bake and bake and bake until she just couldn't bake any more. Then she would take all her cakes and pastries and biscuits down to the church hall, ready for the coffee morning.
Mrs Round set to work with a will. She asked Mr Skillett to go down to the shops for her to buy all the ingredients she needed. Since Mr Skillett was as tall as a bus and as thin as two pieces of paper stuck together, he could carry much more shopping than Mrs Round. She was as round as she was tall and as she only came up to Mr Skillett's knees, she could never carry very much.
Mrs Round mixed and melted, cooked and baked for two whole days. Although she was always baking, she had never baked quite so much in her whole life. When she had finished baking, she began to ice and to decorate and to pack into boxes until all was finished.
There were so many cakes and biscuits and pastries that not even Mr Skillett could carry it all. They had to call on the services of Timid Tilly the schoolteacher, to bring her van. Then the three of them loaded the van until it was packed from floor to roof with Mrs Round's offerings.
Lots of people were helping at the coffee morning in the church hall, but they all stood and stared as the van was unloaded. They had to bring a second table to take all Mrs Round's cakes and both the tables were so laden that Mr Skillett wondered whether their legs would collapse beneath them.
The cakes were so delicious that almost everyone crowded round, wanting to buy something for themselves. Almost everyone. Just one person stood aloof with arms folded and a grim frown on her face. It was Mrs Halo, the vicar's wife.
Mrs Halo confronted her husband, the vicar. "You can't allow this!" she ordered.
"No, dear," said the vicar absently, pushing his gold-rimmed spectacles back onto his nose as he watched the amazing scene around the cake stall.
"You're not listening to me," warned Mrs Halo, in a rather threatening voice.
The vicar jumped. He'd heard that voice before. "What was it you were saying, dear?"
"This is bad for the church," pronounced Mrs Halo. "You must stop it at once and send that silly woman home."
"Er, why is it bad for the church?" asked the vicar, puzzled.
"Because that woman has taken it all on herself and no-one else gets a look in. You know these occasions are about working together. But she" – Mrs Halo pointed at Mrs Round – "has stolen the limelight. She hasn't worked with anyone. She's done it all herself. I'm only saying this for the good of the whole church, you understand. That's what I'm thinking about."
"Of course, dear," nodded the vicar, remembering that his wife rather fancied herself as a cook, "but perhaps there are other ways in which people can work together in the church. Mrs Round has been wonderfully generous and industrious and I think on this one occasion we must thank her and gratefully accept her delicious contribution."
But Mrs Halo just said "Hhumph!!" very loudly and turned on her heel and left, and the vicar knew he was in for a bad time at home that evening.
Activity:
Start preparations for an Easter garden. This week, make the cave tomb and the stone to go over the entrance, the three crosses and the figures, and plant the garden.
You need:
old newspapers
flour and water paste
plasticine
six lolly sticks
glue
Make the shape of the garden tomb in plasticine. Tear up the newspaper into small pieces. Soak each piece in the flour and water paste, and place strips over the plasticine cave until it is covered. Leave to dry, and repeat three or four times. (This could be an on-going project, adding a new layer next week.) Repeat for the stone to cover the entrance to the cave.
Make the lolly sticks into three crosses, fixing the crossbars to the upright with glue.
Make the figures.
You need:
Bundles of pipe cleaners
Brightly coloured scraps of material.
Some pieces of gold or silver foil.
Some metal paper clips.
Bend a pipe cleaner into the head and body of a figure, then with another pipe cleaner form the arms and legs. Make a number of figures before beginning to dress them, so that they are all roughly the same size. Using the material and the foil, dress some Roman soldiers. Make swords from opened out paper clips. Using the material, dress the women who stood at the foot of the cross (John 18:25). The three figures to go on the crosses should just be dressed in loin cloths. Make a crown of thorns for Jesus, using opened out paper clips.
Plant the garden.
You need:
A very large sand tray filled with soil.
Some small trowels and forks.
Some large pebbles or small rocks.
Some small pots of polyanthus or other suitable plants.
Some moss.
Water and a watering can.
Rake over the soil, decide where the tomb and the crosses will be (the garden is completed next week), divide up the polyanthus into tiny clumps and plant in the garden. Make a hill with soil and cover it with moss, for the crosses. Use the rocks and pebbles to mark a rocky area where the grave will be. Water the plants and the moss, and if necessary, be prepared to water again during the week.
Prayers:
Supportive God, may we in the church appreciate and encourage each other. Help us to avoid jealousy and resentment, but to welcome each other's gifts.
Supportive God, we pray for our world leaders and our local leaders, asking that they may be open to other traditions and cultures, and that they might be outward looking rather than inward looking.
Supportive God, when people around us act strangely in ways that we don't understand, help us to suspend judgement until we know those people better. Then help us to be gentle and encouraging rather than angry and resentful.
Supportive God, gather into your arms all those who are hurting and who need your healing touch. Make whole those who are sick and encourage those who are sad, so that they may all know your gentle care.
Blessing:
May you be so filled with God's love
That you identify and welcome
All the gifts that others offer.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Be with you, be in your homes
And in your families,
With those whom you love
And with those for whom you pray,
Both now and always. Amen.
