Presbytery of Geneva Resource Center
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Seasonal Resources
Lent and Easter
Drama
At the Foot of the Cross - A chancel play for teenagers. Traditional in content.
Meditation on the Cross - A liturgical dance-drama for Good Friday.
Who Am I? - The discovery of Christ and the meaning of Easter for chancel presentation.
Jesus Minus Ten - The lost opportunity of ten who saw the living Christ.
Death-Day Life-Day - an Easter presentation proclaiming the good news of Christ.
The God Play - A choral reading for Easter based on Psalm 146.
Journey With Jesus Through Holy Week - Tells the story of the special days in the week prior to Easter.
Listen to Easter - A playlet telling the story of Easter morning, using narration and four "sound" groups.
He Lived, He Lives, I Live - An Easter sunrise meditation for six narrators.
Confrontation at Jerusalem - Palm Sunday is a perfect date to present this play. The setting is a Roman evening news broadcast about 31 A.D., and it concerns Jesus creating a civil disturbance by riding his donkey up Coliseum Avenue. Three players are needed - an anchor person, one reporter with Jesus, and one reporter with the Sanhedrin. This is a fresh and relevant appraisal of the Palm Sunday event and takes 20 minutes to present.
Golgotha - A play for Lent.
Daybreak (cassette tape and book) - A performance piece for reader(s) and musician(s) by John Harrell that covers the time of Christ's crucifixion to the Apostles encounter with Him. The cassette contains the performance for your enjoyment. The book has the words and music for you to use for your own performance plus notes to the performers and musicians.
The Women At Calvary. Few, if any, of the men who followed Jesus were there as he carried his cross to Calvary, was nailed to it, and died in crucifixion. The men were afraid to be there. It was mostly the women who were able to be faithful to him until the moment of his death. An Unknown Woman and the three Marys tell the Good Friday story in successive monologues. Their words increase our understanding of the passion and the death of our Lord. Presentation adaptable to any worship service.
Lovelight by Janet Litherland - A Tenebrae service for Holy Week. Candlelight, music, color slides and narration combine to recreate the mood of an ancient 18th century Tenebrae service. The suffering and death of christ is told by two persons: Mary, the mother of Jesus, and a narrator. Mary extinguishes six candles as the story unfolds. Each action represents how darkness overcame the earth during the events of the crucifixion. Seven additional candles representing the light of Christ are also extinguished as the seven last words on the cross are spoken. Candles are re-lit as the service ends with the Lord's Prayer. Along with the narrative voices, the choir and a musician soloist perform important roles with seven musical interludes. This is a quietly beautiful service appropriate for Good Friday or any evening of Holy week.
Day of Redemption - A tenebrae service and worship for Good Friday.
Crossroads - 6 Lenten Worship Dramas involving 3-5 characters cast as Biblical figures. Themes include Jesus authority, obedience to God, what God requires, the suffering servant, etc.
The Glorious Rainbow of Easter by Cheryl Bushweiler. A short drama suitable for an Easter sunrise service. One objective is to involve as many youth as possible (min. 7 plus one narrator). Some may perform as "colors;" others may participate as Scripture readers or members of the choir. No memorization is necessary. The parts can be read. With good advance preparation, minimal rehearsal time will be needed. The conclusion of this Scripture-based drama focuses on God's promise of eternal life for all. Contemporary Drama Service. 1986.
Trapped: A Christian Murder Mystery by Georgianna Summers is not an ordinary who-done-it. There are clues throughout the play to help the audience discover the real meaning of the drama. Because of its theme-the death of one person in an effort to save others-it is an ideal play for Lent. Discussion questions are included as are suggestions for worship. Nine speaking parts. May be copied for performance purposes. C.S.S. Publishing, 1984.
Printed Music
Please contact the Resource Center for information on printed music.
Printed Resources
Teaching and Celebrating Lent and Easter, by Pat and Don Griggs - Teachers, Church educators and parents will find in this book many suggestions of ways to teach and celebrate the season of Lent, the days of Holy Week and Easter. Chapter titles include: Days to Remember and Celebrate, Teaching Activities, Family Activities, Some Questions of Concern, Biblical Resources and Children's Creative Writing. A special feature of this book is a beautiful story for younger children by Marvis Uthe, "A Story About Jesus".
The Butterfly Book - Tells the story of the Lenten Season by showing the dozens of uses made of the butterfly motif for an overall theme of Metamorphosis - New Life.
Lent, Holy Week, Easter Learning Centers - Series I - Children who use these 12 centers will get a picture of the meaning of Lent, Holy Week and Easter. And they will be challenged to create their own art, writing and drama. Through a variety of learning activities, participants in the series will dig into scripture, examine a number of Christian symbols and arrange key events in the life of Jesus into proper sequence. The materials will appeal to non-readers, as well as students who like to do research. Title placards, clear directions and lists of auxiliary resources are provided in the packet. Also included are a filmstrip "How We Got Our Easter Customs" and a cassette tape, describing the temptations of Jesus in his 40-day wilderness sojourn.
Journey to Jerusalem, by Boyd Lien. An intergenerational celebration of Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Take a trip, complete with tour guide (person in charge), traveling companions (no teachers please), guide books (to learn about places you're visiting), passports, and of course, baggage (supplies and materials) and itineraries (instructions found at each locale). Visit such places as Nazareth, Jericho, and Capernaum on the way to Jerusalem.
A Time of Hope - Family celebrations and activities for Lent and Easter. Useful for all settings where children are present.
Lent/Easter-Cycle C-This packet contains 6 learning centers to help children of elementary grades to gain insight into major themes of the Scripture for the Lent/Easter season. Includes a chart that outlines the selected themes, including Easter day.
Lent/Easter Learning Centers - 6 centers for grades 1-6. Lectionary Year A.
More Than 40 Lent/Easter Ideas - Reprints from "Church Teachers" Magazine: General ideas, worship, studies, dramas, stories, special projects. NTEP, '88.
The Pail Of Nails by Harriet May Savitz and K. Michael Syring and illustrated by Charles Shaw is the story of a boy who unknowingly befriends Jesus. All ages. Abingdon Press, 1989.
The Tale of Three Trees is a traditional folktale about three trees whose wishes come true in a surprising way. Retold by Angela Elwell Hunt and illustrated by Tim Jonke. Lion Publishing Corp., 1989.
Lent, Holy Week, Easter Learning Centers - Series II - A variety of activities take the participants through the season of Lent and into Holy Week as well. To do these centers is to take a journey with Jesus throughout His ministry. Learners are asked to reflect on their own calling as Christians. Bible studies in the centers are outlined in an easy-to-use format. Most of the materials needed are included in the packet. Other resources can be easily obtained locally. Included in the packet are placards and directions, activities, a filmstrip "Who Do Men Say That I Am? and a cassette tape with Lent and Easter content.
Lent, Cycle C and Cycle A. - Six learning centers each: Youth-Adult, similar to the Cycle C & A learning centers for children.
Hosanna. A journal of pastoral liturgy. "Lent: Dying and Rising".
Christian Seder by Dr. James G. Emerson. Can be used by large or small groups. The text is faithful to the Hebrew tradition, and reflects the Christian interpretation of events that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Preparing For Easter - Learning the meaning of ministry. A study/action resource from Alternatives. Designed to refocus Easter celebrations as a time not only to celebrate hope and renewal, but to affirm Christ's work on earth and hear the call to responsibility. The packet includes: reflections on the Lenten Gospel texts, household activities for Lent a Passover Seder, an Easter Seder, a poster and a sample bulletin insert.
The Lenten Banner (Contemp. Drama service). An 8-part sequential presentation for each Sunday of Lent plus Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This symbolic liturgy can be used as a brief supplement for worship as a new symbol is added to the empty banner each week. A complete playkit.
From Palm Sunday to Easter - A Lenten program for adults. 6 sessions exploring the lives of some of the persons involved in Holy Week: Jesus, Judas, high priests, Pilate, Herod, Peter. Educational Ministries. 3 copies.
Creative Ideas for Lent - Programs, stories, activities, worship services, etc. to help plan a meaningful Lenten season. 3 sections: children, youth, and all church activities.
Creative Ideas for Lent - Vol. 2 - four sections - all church, family, youth, children.
Programs for Lent and Easter - Vol 1. Ideas from churches around the country for worship services, programs, and plays, and pageants.
Programs for Lent and Easter - Vol 2. Similar to volume 1 but also includes celebrations for Pentecost plus several chancel dramas and workshop ideas for suppers and other gatherings.
Sacrifice - "Word" Packet. Suitable for intergenerational use as family night supper program. Each packet includes a potpourri of ideas and strategies for teaching persons of all ages - placards, printed resources, a cassette tape and many teaching aids for relating each word to its biblical and contemporary meaning.
Covenant - See description for Sacrifice.
Forgiveness - See description for Sacrifice.
Meditations for Lent by James G. Kirk. Based on Scripture readings from the lectionary, these forty meditations help Christians prepare to celebrate the Easter mystery. The meditations are complemented by prayers on facing pages. Westminster Press, 1988.
A Pilgrim's Way: Meditations for Lent and Easter by J. Barrie Shepherd. This Lenten prayer diary, consists of 47 days of morning and evening prayers derived from suggested lessons of the scripture in the common Lectionary. It is a collection of thought-provoking meditations written to enrich the Easter season. Westminster/John Knox, 1989.
Lent: The Season of Sacred Stories. Elaine Ward, the storyteller, has produced a remarkable resource that combines the season of Lent with the ancient art of storytelling. Central to the book are a large number of sacred stories for reading and reflection. The resource has many uses from personal devotion to sermon telling, from class discussion to family telling, or from week-end retreat to intergenerational gatherings. Educational Ministries, 1990.
Come, Watch With Me by Terry Deffenbaugh. A collection of seven programs which use the events of Christ's life from his entrance into Jerusalem to Pentecost as a springboard for personal growth. Each program is designed to fully involve the participants. The sessions are not designed to be used continuously but individually according to the needs of the particular group. Educational Ministries, 1991.
Celebrating Holy Week, edited by Henry R. Rust. Included in this resource are original dramas, poetry, prayers, meditations and a variety of worship suggestions for the week from Palm Sunday to Easter as well as the Sunday after Easter. Educational Ministries, 1993.
Kneeling in Jerusalem by Ann Weems. In a powerful and creative way, renowned author and speaker Ann Weems brings new insight into the Lenten season by providing seventy-one poems of inspiration. With her intuitive and heartening poems, Weems takes the reader on a pensive journey through Lent and Easter. For group or personal inspiration. W/JKP, 1992.
Video Cassettes
Phos - Filmed on location in Greece, this story intertwines the customs and life-style of a Greek village preparing for Easter celebrations, with the private, unspoken anxieties and problems of a fatherless boy. Looked down upon by his more fortunate peers, he makes a special effort, and succeeds in being the first to get the "light" (phos) in the Easter Vigil ceremony. Afterward, he is pursued by the envious boys, but manages, after a suspenseful nighttime chase, to bring the new light home so his mother can relight the lamps with the new fire. 11 min. Teleketics 1988. Cross ref.: family, baptism, confirmation, Easter/Lent.
Parable. This imaginative and thought-provoking morality play evokes the Passion of Jesus in the story of a clown who assumes the burdens of others in a traveling circus. In doing so, he angers those who are exploiting the troupe members, and is subjected to a bizarre "crucifixion." But afterward, one of the exploiters paints his face and follows the example set by the clown. A stimulating production that challenges viewers to interpret a variety of images and symbols, Parable has been honored the world over since its presentation at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. 22 minutes.