Making Connections: Holy Week

On Palm Sunday, our last atrium gathering before Easter, I walked through the City of Jerusalem work with our first through third graders. This is a work most have seen before, some of them many times, and a new work for a few. Unlike many presentations which are offered to small groups, we did this work all together, quietly walking through the last days of Jesus' life, his death and resurrection, using the map of the City of Jerusalem as a touch point.

I've presented this work in this manner for the last few Palm Sundays and I am always moved by the peaceful, serious manner the children bring to it. This year, thoughtful comments and questions peppered the presentation, and the group moved through the work slowly and deliberately.

When we were finished I invited any additional thoughts the children would like to share. No one offered anything and I encouraged them to continue to ponder the work in atrium and in the days ahead. Several children asked to put the work back together and the others returned to other parts of the atrium to finish their own work.

I sat by as two children put the pieces back where they belonged on the topography map. One of the two is a first grader, and I watched as he gently and silently replaced one of the wooden pieces. Then softly, as if he breathed the words, I heard him say "Thank you, Jesus."

The City of Jerusalem

The cross and the tomb in the True Vine Atrium.

Children in both the Good Shepherd and True Vine Atria worked with the City of Jerusalem material last Sunday. This is an amazing work that allows us to walk along side Jesus through his last days, his death and his resurrection. Children come to understand that Jerusalem was a real city, and become familiar with its features. They also begin to appreciate that Jesus spent some of the most important moments of his life in Jerusalem.

As I've worked with this material over the years and with children of different ages, I've come to appreciate it so much. In a very gentle way, without becoming overly emotional, this material takes children to the heart of our faith-- through the Last Supper and Jesus' death to the joy and hope that is the resurrection.

This is our City of Jerusalem material from the Good Shepherd Atrium for 3-6 year olds. You can see there is a topographical map of the city on the left and a control on the right. Children move the walls and buildings from the map to the control as they identify and reflect upon them. Younger children learn the names and locations of some of the important places we remember during Holy Week, such as the Cenacle (where the disciples gathered for the Last Supper), the Mount of Olives, Herod's Palace, and Mt. Calvary.

This is the material from the True Vine Atrium for 6-9 year olds. The pieces on the map are smaller, and more detail has been added to the city. The presentation with the children is also more detailed and draws on their knowledge of Jesus' last days.

This year in the True Vine Atrium I realized how much the children have learned from working with this material and how much they love it. Several "big questions" arose, such as "Why didn't God keep Jesus from dying?" with the children themselves offering their thoughts and ideas.  It was pretty amazing.

Both of our cities were purchased from wood workers, unfinished. The talented Lynn Winkelman spent countless hours creating these beautiful maps. Needless to say, she became well known in train display making circles! What a gift to the children!


Our Last Supper Celebration is this Sunday! Check back for more about this special event.