NEW LENT COURSE
Forever the same... sharing prayer through lent.>>GO
 
Jesus... for churches
 
  In three video programmes Pam Rhodes presents an account of a Passion Play and the impact it had on many lives. This Guide shows how they can be used for personal reflection, by groups and in school RE lessons at Key Stage 3. It begins by telling the story of the Passion Play and then introduces each programme, suggesting how it can be used in different ways. It then provides more material to look further at the biblical text , at the people of the passion , and at doing a Passion Play in your own community.
 

2000 years ago Jesus took the love of God on to the streets . He taught, he healed, and he made a remarkable difference in the lives of many people. From the wide open spaces of the countryside and the towns of Galilee to the bustling streets of Jerusalem he brought people face to face with the power of God to transform their lives. He invited people to follow him. People discovered a new kind of friendship which broke down barriers of race, gender, politics and creed; what's more, they entered into a remarkable friendship with God.

Yet Jesus came into conflict with the authorities. He was betrayed by a friend, arrested, tried, and executed. His friends were shattered. It seemed as if everything had come to an end ... in reality it was only just beginning. On the third day Jesus joined them once more, he called them by name, and made his presence felt among them. They knew he was alive! He had a task for them to do.
 
TODAY
 
For the last 2000 years the followers of Jesus have carried out that task. They have taken the love of God on to the streets. For Easter 2000 the churches of Cheltenham took the story of Jesus on to the streets of their town. The first programme on this Video, Jesus for Today, captures the heart of that play ... but it also goes further. Those who took part and others who watched talk about their experiences, their faith and the difference Jesus makes in people's lives today. The notes that go with the programme suggest different ways of using it for personal reflection and in group discussion.
TOMORROW
 
The second programme, Jesus for Tomorrow, has been made with the help of teachers and pupils at Pittville School, Cheltenham. Aimed at Key Stage 3, it is very appropriate for work with 11-14's. Students enter into conversation with the actor who played the part of Christ and together they explore the five themes of the play ... friendship, conflict, betrayal, death and resurrection. It relates closely to Unit 8b in the Secondary Religious Education schemes of work which are part of the National Curriculum guidelines for KS 3: What does the Resurrection of Jesus mean for Christians today?
 
FOREVER
 
The third programme, Jesus for ever the same, is a sequence of five prayer meditations based on the themes of the play ... friendship , conflict , betrayal, death, resurrection. They can be used as separate prayers, or as a single time of prayer and reflection after using one of the earlier programmes.
 
LOOKING FURTHER
 
The booklet contains other background material on biblical text , the people of the Passion together with ideas for doing a Passion Play in your community. Other resources are on the Web at ... Jesusfortoday.com
 
CREDITS
 
Our thanks to all those who took part in the Passion Play Project, and a special thanks to the Council for World Mission and others for giving financial support to make the Video possible.
 
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