Experiential RE supdocs.indd - SfE

I sometimes do the introduction to this lesson in the role of the priest, welcoming them as visitors
to my church. I then describe to them the features of the church, reminding of the previous lesson
in this way. In this role, I can ask them questions about the previous lesson’s learning, referring to
the lessons they have had on the Orthodox Church in preparation for their visit.
Now you should conduct a visualisation to help the class empathise with how Christians might
feel in this place. Ask pupils to close their eyes and relax. Turn the music up a little to enhance the
atmosphere.
In order to engage the pupils’ feelings and empathy and develop their own spirituality, have a tray
of tea lights ready and invite each student to light one for someone or something special to them
or that they wish to think about. I remind them that Christians call this a visible prayer.
Visualisation:
It is Easter time, when Christians remember how Jesus died on a cross, was buried in a tomb and
on the third day rose from the dead. It is Saturday evening. Your grandmother has taken you to
this church to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. She is Russian, and although she has lived in
England all her life, she attends this church every week, where she meets other members of the
Russian community.
This is the most important festival of the year. Imagine that you have just entered this church. You
have never been here before. You are struck by how beautiful it is. You walk quietly to the side
and sit on one of the chairs and look around you. You can hear the sound of the choir singing.
You can smell the incense. You can see the candlelight flickering on the gold of the icons. Your
eyes settle on a picture of Mary nearby. You see her sad eyes looking sorrowfully into the future,
thinking of the suffering of her son who she holds tenderly in her lap.
Your grandmother has arrived early to tend the flowers. As you sit quietly by yourself in the corner,
near the sad icon, the door opens slowly with a creak. A lady who is leaning on a stick walks over
to the icon. She approaches the icon and kisses it. She reaches out and slowly strokes the figure
of the child. She steps back and gazes prayerfully at the figure of Mary. She lights a candle and
places it in the holder by the icon.
As she stands before the icon, her lips moving silently in prayer, two tears slide slowly down her
cheeks, splashing onto her hands. You wonder what, or who, she prays for so fervently.
The priest’s voice begins the liturgy. People begin to fill the beautiful church. The smell of the
incense drifts through the air as your grandmother leads you to stand near the iconostasis. “Her
son is a soldier,” whispers your grandmother as you turn back to look at the woman. “Perhaps
he too prays for her on the other side of the world,” she adds. “On this special day when we
remember how our Lord defeated death and rose from the darkness of the tomb. Look the lights
are going out, we are almost ready.”
Ask pupils to open their eyes and come back to the classroom.
Now it is time for us to re-enact the service.
14 Experiential RE: Supporting documents