Rotation.org Writing Team

JESUS & PETER: DO YOU LOVE ME?

COOKING WORKSHOP I

PASSAGE

Bible Story

John 21:1-17

Background Scripture passages for teacher preparation include:

John 13:33, 36-38

John 18:15-18, 25-27

Key/Memory Verse

John 21:15-17

PURPOSE

Objectives

Students will:

Locate the story of Peter’s denial and restoration in the Bible, learning that the story is in the New Testament Gospel of John

Retell the story in their own words.

Contrast Jesus’ love for Peter, even after Peter denied knowing him. Jesus was giving Peter another chance.

Discover that we, too, do wrong things sometimes – but God forgives us and gives us second chances.

Explore Peter’s statement of faith – “Yes, I love you.”

Recognize that Statements of Faith are hollow words without Statements of Action.

Develop their own Statement of Faith and Action, pledging support to Jesus.

Connect Jesus’ breakfast with his disciples, and his questions to Peter with our own “breakfast with Jesus” – communion – and understand that sacrament as a pledge to Jesus that we will minister to others in Christ’s name.

PREPARATION

Read Scripture passage.

Read Bible Background.

Materials List

• Bowls, 1 per ingredient (4) and 1 empty
  
• Candy, small heart-shaped chocolate or hard
  
• Goldfish snack crackers, 1 large box
  
• Marshmallows, 1 package mini-size
  
• Netting or tulle fabric, 2 – 6” x 6” squares per person
  
• Pretzel sticks, 1 bag
  
• Scissors
  
• Scoops or spoons
  
• Twine
  

Advance Preparation

Mark story in Bible.

Cut netting or tulle into 6"x6" squares, 2 pieces for each participant. Note that some craft stores have prepackaged tulle, cut into squares or circles, in the wedding aisle.

Cut lengths of twine to size for tying tops of bags.

Put food ingredients in separate bowls and get out a large bowl to remain empty.

Have small scoops or spoons in each bowl.

PRESENTATION

Open – Introduction

Introduce yourself and have the learners introduce themselves to you as you sit in a circle.

Say "Today we're going to talk about what happened to the disciples (Jesus' special friends) after Jesus died on the cross.

DIG – MAIN CONTENT

Say "How do you think the disciples were feeling after all that happened - Jesus was killed, everyone ran away, afraid of the soldiers, then some of the women came and said they had seen Jesus again? (They were sad, afraid, and angry)

"Yes, they were probably feeling all those things. Mostly, though, I bet they were feeling alone without Jesus."

Set empty bowl in center.

"They might have felt empty and alone like this bowl. Now, listen to what happened as we read the story in our Bible."

Distribute Bibles or have the children use their own. Read the story from the Bible.

Say "I'm going to help you learn to tell this story, and then you can go home and tell it to someone else, so they can learn about Jesus' love, too."

Slowly re-tell the story, using the ingredients to stand for parts of the story. As you read that part, take a scoop of that ingredient (or let a kid do it) and put it in the empty bowl.

Explain the symbolism:

goldfish crackers = fishing

pretzel sticks (break a couple of them) = breaking bread

heart-shaped candy = Do you love me?

mini-marshmallows = Feed my sheep.

Reflect -- Closure

After the project is completed, put the rest of all the ingredients in the big bowl and stir it up.

Pass out 2 pieces of netting and twine to each child.

Let each child take a scoop of mix for each piece of netting, place it carefully in the middle of the fabric and pull together to form a little bag. Then, using twine, tie into bags. Explain that they can eat one, but take the other home and use it to tell the story to someone else.

If there is time, form pairs and have the students tell the story to each other as practice for sharing it with family and friends.

Conclude the session by praying that the people who hear the story may understand how much Jesus loves them.

CONTRIBUTOR: Joy Feemster