jesus is just all right.

Most of this weekend was devoted to my seventh grade sunday school class. We were putting on a "children's chapel," a short service for the younger kids. Our theme was "The Loaves and The Fishes." We did a skit of it. We had readings and sang songs about sharing. Lovely.

I was the director of the whole thing. I've never directed drama or music before. So I was saying things like "you guys are playing disciples. That means that you think Jesus is fabulous. That means that you would look at him, not your shoes, while he's speaking." And "sing louder! Sing louder!"

And our skit was a very Unitarian take on the Loaves and Fishes. The kids didn't go for the miracle part of it: Jesus turning 5 loaves and 2 fishes into enough food to feed thousands. Instead, the miracle was that people saw the boy (or girl - we had gender-blind casting) share his food and were inspired to share all they had brought. I think it would be a miracle if people gave up all that they had in order to feed others. Such a good, progressive, Unitarian message.

I wrote the script. It was very post-modern. It broke down the fourth wall. The younger siblings of the kids in my class were planted throughout the audience with baskets of bread. They brought there bread forward "spontaneously" at the appointed moment. Jesus and the apostles distributed the bread to the audience. [My mom suggested that we give them goldfish crackers as well. A great idea, one which I promptly forgot.]

Rachel's drama tip: giving the audience food is a guarenteed way to get them to like your show.

And afterwards, as the cast and crew were feasting on pizza and root beer, the Director of Religious Education told me that I should seriously consider being a teacher when I grow up. . .