Flaming chalice basic lesson

The Very Short Rule

From From Long Ago and Many Lands by Sophia Lyon Fahs, second edition (Boston: Skinner House, 1995). Adapted for Spirit Play by Nita Penfold.

Materials:

• 
  Figure of Jesus
  
• 
  boat in water piece
  
• 
  Jesus on rock piece
  
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  various crowds of people pieces
  
• 
  figure of a sheep
  
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  picture of the Torah
  
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  orange heart
  
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  Golden Rule on card.
  

Presentation:
Words for you to say are in italics; actions are in plain type.
Take out the underlay, unfold it and lay it out smoothly in front of you. Place Jesus at a corner near and facing the children. Say:
Jesus was a great teacher. Even though he lived a long, long time ago, his words of truth and love, the stories he told, and stories about his life are still being told today. Often he taught people by telling stories or parables while traveling among the Jewish people in his country. Remember, Jesus was a Jew; the Christian religion was not begun by his followers until after his death. He was not an important or rich man. He spoke to people about how to live good lives and he did not hesitate to criticize the people in power if he thought they deserved it.
When Jesus came into town, someone who knew him was sure to pass the word around. A plan would be worked out for him to be at a certain place when evening came and the day's work was done. Then men and women who had to work during the day could gather and listen to what Jesus had to say.
Sometimes they would find him in the house of a friend. And the number of people who would come might fill the whole house and the street outside, too. Other times they would follow Jesus to the lake. He and some of his fishermen friends would step into a boat. They would anchor it near the shore.
Place boat with water piece in upper right of underlay near you. Place picture of Jesus on rocks just below that to your left.
The people would sit on the rocks and grass nearby, and Jesus would stand up in the boat and talk to everybody or he would come to shore and sit on a rock near them.
Place people sections to either side and below of Jesus so that they are looking at him but with a space between them and Jesus.
Sometimes there were men and women who listened to Jesus who were very much discouraged. Some were so poor they did not get enough to eat. Some had sick children to take care of at home. Some were old and crippled and always in pain. Some felt that nobody cared for them. They were always given the meanest jobs to do and they were always being scolded because they did not do them well enough. There were others who felt it was scarcely worth while trying to be good at all. No one was ever pleased with what they did no matter how hard they tried.
One day as Jesus was speaking with the people, one of these discouraged men asked a question. "I am a shepherd," he said.
Place sheep figure to right below Jesus above people sections.
"I have to spend long hours in the open fields. When eating time comes, I cannot always find a brook where I can wash my hands before I eat. It is the rule, is it not, that a man should always wash his hands before eating? Do you think, Jesus, that I am a bad man because I have to eat my lunch without washing my hands?"
"Certainly not," said Jesus with a smile. "You are not a bad man simply because you eat without washing your hands when you are in the fields and cannot do so. Unwashed hands cannot make a person bad anyway. Goodness and badness are inside of you, not in your skin."
Then a woman spoke up and asked another question. "There are many of us here, Jesus, who have never learned to read. We have not gone to school.
Place Torah to left of sheep figure.
We have not been able to study the laws in the Torah, our sacred book. We can't remember all the laws the preachers in the synagogue tell us about. There seem to be hundreds of laws the preachers say we must follow if we want to please God. But we simply cannot remember them all. Do you think, Jesus, that we are bad because we can't remember all the laws? Our other teachers seem to think we are no good just because we don't know much."
Then Jesus would encourage these people. He would say: "For many years, our teachers have been adding more and more laws to the ones that are in the Torah. They have meant to help us but what they have really done is to make living a good life so hard that none of us can be counted good.
"I say to you, friends, that being good is not just obeying a large number of rules. Whether one is good or not depends on how one feels inside in one's heart.
Place heart on underlay to left of Torah.
Do you feel hateful or loving toward others? Do you feel angry or patient with the person who hurts you? Those are the things that count."
"That kind of talk sounds good, Jesus," said a man who had been busy all day long hauling stones for building a road. "But I wish you would tell us in just one sentence what is most important so that we can't forget."
Jesus smiled at this and said: "Your wish reminds me of what someone once said to Hillel, that great teacher of ours of whom you all have heard. The story is told of how a student one day said to Hillel: 'Tell me, Rabbi, what all the laws put together mean and tell me so simply that I can hear it all while I stand on one foot.'" At this everyone laughed.
"Hillel gave the student a very good answer and a very short one," said Jesus. "Hillel said: 'Never do to anyone else the kind of thing that is hateful to you. This is all the laws put together. All the rest is just an explanation of that one short rule.'" Then Jesus added his own thought.
"I would say this rule in just a little different way. I would say it this way. Do those things to others that you would like to have others do to you."
Place card with Golden Rule on it to left of heart after reading.
"That's a good rule," said the workman who had asked the question. "I could have stood on one foot easily while you said that."
"Try the rule," said Jesus. "It doesn't take long to say it, but it may take a long time to learn to follow it."
When his talk was over, the people got up from the ground and walked along the shore to their homes. Some of them seemed very much relieved. Jesus had given them something they could understand and something they could not forget.
"Do those things to others that you would like to have others do to you." It was a very short rule, but one that is still remembered after nearly two thousand years. We call it our Golden Rule and some version of this rule is believed in almost every religion there is.
Ask some of these Wondering Questions (as time and interest allow):
I wonder if you have heard or seen any of this before?
I wonder which part of this story is the most important?
I wonder which part of the story you liked the best?
I wonder where you might be in this story?
I wonder if there is a part of the story you could leave out and still have a story?
I wonder if it is easy or hard to be good all of the time?
I wonder what some of the rules are that you have to obey and find hard to remember?
I wonder if you remember the Golden Rule? (Challenge the children – while one member of the class states the rule, the others try to stand on one leg. Or use the Golden Rule statements in the box to read and practice)
I wonder if you think this is a good rule?
I wonder if you think it is a good rule for ALL situations?
I wonder how you can tell someone that you do not want to play or be in their group or be with them so that they will leave you alone without hurting their feelings?
I wonder what you have heard about the teacher, Jesus?

Choices:
Say something like:
In this classroom you are able to choose what you would like to do with your time here after the story and before class is over.
Today’s choices are:

• 
  Retelling the story to yourself
  

• 
  Making Golden Rule Cards for family & friends
  

• 
  Play “Simon Says” in Pairs
  

• 
  Advocacy: Immigration, Racial Justice, or other issue
  

Or other activities you have chosen as the teacher. It is up to you whether to give totally free choice to each child individually (this will work best when you have enough adults to assist any child who needs help with a chosen activity without too much waiting) or whether to help the class as a whole decide on one or two activities to do together.

Whichever you decide, be sure to let the children know clearly what choices they have (and do not have).
Activity Directions
Retelling the story independently:
Coach children to take turns, and to treat the materials with respect so that they will be available for other children and teachers to use in the future. For older/reading children, provide a copy of the script (above). For younger/non-reading children, provide a photo of the finished storyboard.
Making Golden Rule Cards for Family & Friends:
Give each child one or more folded cardstock or construction paper cards. Show them how to write/write for them a note on each to the following effect:
Dear , I like it when you [do something positive for me]. I’m going to show you how much I like that by doing [something similar] for you! Love,
Encourage children to take these notes home with them and give them to the appropriate people. If a child can’t think of something specific, the note could say something as general as, “Dear Mom, I like knowing that you love me. I’m going to show you I love you too!”
Play “Simon Says” in Pairs:
The usual way of playing Simon Says has one leader saying to do things which a whole group of other players then do (if prefaced with “Simon Says”) or don’t do (if the leader DOESN’T say “Simon Says”).
This time, pair players off and tell them that they will take turns being “Simon”. The twist is, they should only tell their partner to do things which they would like to have done to them. For example, “Simon says … give me a hug” or “Simon says … pat me on the head.” The same rule about not doing things unless the leader says “Simon says …” applies, but it’s a hard rule for very young children to use successfully!
Advocacy: Immigration, Racial Justice, or other issue
If you have older children in the class, invite them to consider some ways in which we should treat others the way we want to be treated – but which our culture/society/country does not always live up to. Examples: welcoming the stranger (immigration), assuming positive intentions (police interactions with communities of color), etc. Older children will be familiar with this sort of idea, and may bring their own ideas to the conversation. Invite children to write letters or a class statement to send or share on the RE blog (send to Dawn Star for publication) or newsletter (send to Dawn Star or newsletter@buxmontuu.org.)

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