MEETING AIM
To explore what the Resurrection means for us today, and how it should impact the way we live our lives.
BACKGROUND PREPARATION
You’ll need food – as extravagant and delicious as budget and helpful parents allow – for the feast, copies of the passage for writing on, pens, ambient music, Easter eggs and sticky labels and Chinese lanterns and matches.
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PREPARE THE FEAST
This session is based around an opportunity to eat delicious food and celebrate together (be aware of allergies etc). As people arrive, invite them to join you in preparing the food. This might involve some cooking or baking if you’re feeling adventurous or it might just be about opening packets onto plates and laying the table. Set the scene for a big celebration, but crucially, don’t let anyone eat anything yet!
Key Point #1
Today we’re looking at Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead and all that it means. There’s been no greater cause for celebration in the history of the universe!
OPTIONAL SERIES LINK
If you’re running the four-part series, show a final clip from your chosen movie. The clip should be the redemptive moment in the film’s finale. Some examples: The Lion King – Simba is restored to his rightful place as king; Star Wars – Han Solo returns to help Luke destroy the Death Star; Toy Story – Buzz and Woody pursue the removal van by rocket power, and Andy finds his two favourite toys safe and well. Ask: think back to last week’s clip – how does this scene make you feel in the context of that earlier scene? Do you prefer stories which have a happy ending? Why? Not all movies include a moment of redemption, but the most satisfying ones often do. In this session we consider the final scenes of the Easter ‘movie’ – the greatest redemption story ever told.
VICTORY REFLECTION
Explain that the reason for our focus on celebration – and the big table full of food – is the redemption moment in the Easter story. We’re here to celebrate Jesus’s resurrection from the dead - the big comeback after Good Friday’s ‘all is lost’ moment. Take this opportunity to look at how the Bible tells the story. Give everyone a copy of Luke 24:1-8 as a print-out which they can write on. Give them ten minutes to read and reflect on the passage in quiet while you play some ambient music in the background. Pray briefly, that God would speak to them through his word, then start the music. After ten minutes, ask if anyone would like to share any words or phrases which particularly stood out or spoke to them, anything that they felt God might be saying, or anything significant that the passage made them think about. If no one clearly brings this out, make sure you clarify that Jesus’ death was all part of the plan – a plan which means we can be in relationship with God.
Key Point #2
The Bible reminds us that Jesus predicted his death, and had to die in order to fulfil his role. Because he died and rose again, the way is open for people to know God – and the exciting news is that he’s still alive today.
FEAST!
Sit everyone around the table, and ask someone to give thanks to God for the food. Invite people to serve one another – as Jesus encouraged through his words at the Last Supper – and to enjoy the lavish banquet you’ve prepared together. As you eat, ask the group how they think Christians are seen by the rest of the (non-Christian) world? As do-gooders perhaps? Religious weirdos? Ask the question a different way: do they think Christians are known for what they stand for, or for what they stand against? Lots of people think of Christians as the people who wave placards saying what God hates… or want to try to get fun things banned. Yet as you eat this meal, you’re getting to the heart of what Christianity is really about – celebration, community, serving each other out of love. Ask: so what does it mean to live as ‘resurrection’ people, rather than as ‘Good Friday’ people? How can our lives better reflect that the Christian faith is about good news, not a list of things we have to stop doing? Invite everyone as they eat to come up with one way in which their lives are going to better reflect the celebration heart of their Christian faith from now on.
Key Point #3
Our faith is built on life, not death – we mustn’t confuse the two as we communicate it to our friends and neighbours. Christians are people who stand for something, not against everything.
CHINESE LANTERN PRAISE
Write short prayers of praise to Jesus for his death and resurrection, what that means for us, and the life of love and celebration that he invites us into. Insert these prayers into Chinese lanterns, then pray together as you release them into the night sky.
REVERSE EASTER EGG HUNT
You’ve given your young people an opportunity to practice celebration among themselves; to finish, take some time to practice it as an encouragement to others. Give out Easter Eggs to the group, along with pens and sticky labels. Invite everyone to write something on their label which would encourage someone who found it – perhaps something they’ve heard or thought of in this session. Now affix the labels to the eggs. Take the group somewhere to hide the eggs. You could choose to hide them around your church building (but not near any radiators) or you could be bolder and hide them around another place or building in your local community. The idea is that the finders will be both blessed by the gift, and encouraged by the message (so make sure you check that the messages are encouraging!).
Martin Saunders is Youthscape’s director of creative development.
