So we're looking at Naboth's Vinyard at church tomorrow. A passage very dear to my heart.
Naboth tends his ancestral vinyard, but King Ahab wants to extend his organic, sustainable allotment over the vinyard. Queen Jezebel taunts him with his lack of power, and they plot and scheme for Naboth to be killed so they can take the vinyard. Elijah arrives and proclaims God's judgement on Ahab who comes to a very sticky end.
All well and good, but Naboth is still dead!
So many layers of meaning and theology. But how to explore this in a way that includes both adults and children?
With teddy bears.
We've invited the congregation - we're at a neighbouring church - to bring their old, precious Teddy bears (or other toys). We'll share stories of teddies and what they mean to us. After which I will offer to swap them for a Steiff teddy (worth about £150) provided I can burn their teddy. Hopefully no one will take me up on the offer!
Then for our prayers, I have just finished making a batch of teddy bear shaped biscuits. We've got some tubes of writing icing, so they can ice their concerns onto a biscuit then swap their biscuit with another member of the congregation - a sort of non-eucharistic offering of love.
The sky is bluer... hopefully!
18 hours ago
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Don't you dare murder any teddy bears - even if their owners are traitors!
ReplyDeleteDo you actually have the Steiff?
ReplyDeleteLove the idea though (as long as it works!)
we doing the lectionary in the evening at the moment so no children, but i might still ask the adults to bring their teddy tomorrow evening.
I have a virtual Steiff - downloaded from their website. We know the congregation very well. The only person who might have been tempted to accept the offer is Clare's son, Joel - and he's on Scout Camp this weekend!
ReplyDeleteCatriona - you will be delighted to learn that no teddy bears were harmed in the making of this service. Presumably the congregation listened to the Word of God through Elijah - or Clare?
ReplyDeletePhew! Glad it went well.
ReplyDelete