5 PYCLs TO ENGAGE & ELEVATE YOUR CLASS & FLOOD IT WITH THE LIGHT OF LOVE! 1) DEFINE LOVE 2) LEARN TO RESPOND IN THE OPPOSITE WAY OF THE SENSES 3) SHARE THENAAMAN STORY & ACT IT OUT 4) FLASHLIGHTS AGAIN! 5) IMAGINE THE WITHERED HAND HEALING…
Possible Younger Class Lesson ideas for the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“LOVE”
for Sunday, January 29, 2023
by Kerry Jenkins, CS, of House Springs, MO
kerry.helen.jenkins@gmail.com • 314-406-0041
PYCL #1: DEFINE LOVE.
Define Love–what does it “look” like, feel like, sound like. Can they draw a picture of Love? Love is often the easiest way for us to feel and know God. How does the synonym Love feel to you/the students? Try showing them all the stories in the lesson as well as the passages from the Sermon on the Mount.
How do these stories and verses illustrate Love?
It might be interesting to help them understand that Love is not “transactional”. This is a big word, but here we can think of it in terms of citation B9/Matt. 5:39, 44,45.
We must love based on the fact that we are Love’s ambassadors, not based on what we want in return. In fact, if we get nothing but grief and hatred in return for the love we express, we are to continue to love without expectations. Mary Baker Eddy gives us the “return”, if you will, in cit. S14/57:22-24.
When we express love/Love, our natures are enriched, enlarged, purified, and elevated!
You may want to define some of these terms with younger children. Even older children should articulate exactly what it means to “enrich” our nature, for example.
What is “elevated” nature or thought, compared with “regular” thought or nature?
PYCL #2: LEARN TO RESPOND IN THE OPPOSITE WAY OF THE SENSES.
Sometimes doing the loving thing is utterly the opposite of what we feel led to do. Our senses often lie to us, telling us that someone is a “mean person”, rather than remembering that error or evil is never a “person”, but is impersonal error. (This might be a subject for older children, but see what you can do, it’s a terrific lesson to remember as it removes hatred and anger from the scene!)
Talk about how if someone who was mad at you pushed you, or wanted your place in line, you might want to push back. That is exactly what Jesus is telling us not to do. We need to always respond with love. This is what we find in citation B9 (see above Pycl) where Jesus tells us that we must “turn the other cheek” when struck, “do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.
You may need to define some of these words and also share in a more modern translation.
Ask if this is an easy thing to do or a hard thing?
Discuss the difference between “responding” and “reacting”.
Can we learn to listen before reacting so that we can instead respond with gentle wisdom and love, rather than anger, impatience, or even disdain/disrespect?
PYCL #3: SHARE THE STORY OF NAAMAN IN ALL ITS COMPLEXITY, AND THEN ACT IT OUT.
This story in 2nd Kings 5:1-4, 9-14 is a fun one to share with the children. There are several elements that you can bring to their attention while telling the story (or reading it, preferably in a modern translation.)
I do find that even when I tell a Bible story to young children, it is helpful to hold the Bible in my hands open to the story, so they know where it comes from.
So, first of all, Naaman is not a Jew. He is one of the Syrian invaders who captured a Jewish slave girl to serve his wife in his household. This young girl, despite her situation, must have embodied a lot of love to tell her master’s wife that there was someone who could heal her master! (You may have to briefly explain the seriousness or dreaded nature of leprosy).
I am always impressed that Naaman, who is portrayed in this story as “honorable”, but also as proud, was clearly beloved. Not only did his slave girl mention how he could be healed, but his own servants and fellow soldiers begged him to reconsider his decision to storm away in a temper.
They encouraged him to do a simple act, not to be put off by the “dirty” waters of the Jordan River, nor by his reception by the prophet Elisha’s servant, rather than the prophet himself.
Why would Elisha not speak to Naaman personally?
Why wash in the muddy Jordan?
Think together about the humility involved in this story.
How did Naaman arrive at Elisha’s door?
Did he come on foot? Or did he arrive “with horses and chariots”?
What was really washed away in that river? Was it pride? A false sense of self? Perhaps a false sense of Israel as “beneath” him? I don’t know!
See what comes up in your conversation!
Finally, have the children act out the story. One can be Elisha, “inside” the house, while another can be the servant who goes out to greet Naaman. Others can convince Naaman to try being obedient to Elisha’s humble request of him.
Why is this story in a Bible lesson about Love?
PYCL #4: USE FLASHLIGHTS AGAIN!
You probably have these handy by now. Have each child hold a flashlight (or save them for the end of the discussion so they aren’t distracting).
Look at citation S11/454:18 “Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way.”
Define some of these words. If the children are older ask them how this can be. What does Love do that causes us to see more clearly how we should behave, walk, live?
Share an example from your experience. Show with your flashlight how it lights up a path and talk about how Love lights things up by showing us that the path of Love leads us to happiness, to friendship, to patience, kindness, gentleness, and so on.
This path is “light” in that it brings intelligence & joy to bear on all we do.
Let them shine their flashlights as they discuss this idea of the light being Love’s illumination of the good in our lives.
Talk about how, when we behave in ways that reflect Love, we see the goodness of Love around us more readily, as if it is lit up!
PYCL #5: IMAGINE TOGETHER THE WITHERED HAND HEALING (cit. B12/Mark 3:1-5)
Ask the children to imagine themselves sitting in a temple or church. Perhaps someone is preaching. A man walks in and notices another who has a withered hand.
This man, Jesus, stands up and interrupts the scene and asks a question “Is it within the Church law to do good on the Sabbath, or do evil, to save life, or to kill?”
The answer seems pretty obvious. Can anyone say “do evil” or “kill”?
In fact, the Commandments tell us that we definitely can’t kill!
Why did Jesus ask this? Why didn’t he just heal the man?
Also, again, why do the students think this story is included in this lesson on Love?
These are questions that may not have simple answers, enjoy the discussion.
Do we sometimes need to interrupt a false sense of “law”, of a belief that “this is how things are done” in order to find out what is truly loving, truly reflects divine Love?
Do the students think that Jesus was maybe reading the thoughts of those who were Church elders, Pharisees and scribes, who might be looking for ways to discredit Jesus?
Jesus was informed by Love in all that he did.
His love for this man with the withered hand caused him to heal him– help him to express his natural useful nature– where a false sense of Church law might lead some to ignore the love that inspires us to truly meet the human need of those at Church and elsewhere.
Have a great week in Sunday School.
