In honour of the Lunar New year (Kung Hei Fat Choi every one), here is a loose-parts story based on a Chinese folk tale called The Dragon and the Pearl. It links beautifully with biblical concerns about looking after the poor, social justice, equity, and it features a dragon – what more could one want?
Loose-parts storytelling is great for your Godly Play stuff, Deep Talk, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Out of the Box, or whatever bits and bobs you have to hand – Try it with Lego, perhaps!
Here’s a gratuitous photo of my dragon, Dwagony, helping me to write something. (It’s the Year of the Dragon, in cased you hadn’t twigged the reference.)
See last week’s post for all your Lent and Ash Wednesday resources, and see below for this week’s liturgy resources.
The Dragon & the Pearl
Click here for printable script The Dragon and the Pearl (Check slideshow at end for how to construct the dragon)
Constructing the dragon
Liturgy Recourses for Lent 1
Psalm 25:1-10, Mark 1:9-15
Confession and Absolution
Let us confess our sins to Almighty God, saying:
O my God, in you I trust;
To you I lift up my soul.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation.
O my God, in you I trust;
To you I lift up my soul.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old. For you I wait all the day long.
O my God, in you I trust;
To you I lift up my soul.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake.
O my God, in you I trust;
To you I lift up my soul.
May Almighty God pardon and preserve us,
strengthen and sustain us,
for good and upright is the Lord.
O my God, in you I trust;
To you I lift up my soul.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.
Therefore let us walk in them.
Amen, Amen, Amen.
Blessing and Dismissal
In wilderness and in power, may the Spirit be upon you.
In temptation and in triumph, may the Spirit be upon you.
In repentance and in faith, may the Spirit be upon you.
And the blessing …
Go in the power of the Spirit,
in the footsteps of Christ
and in the call of the Father
to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom.
Amen.
The Reflectionary 