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Many teachers have found the reflective style of storytelling that has been developed within Godly Play to be a very helpful and effective way of opening up the Bible with children. For similar stories told in this style see Bible Storybags.
The story of
the feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle to be recorded by all four Gospel
writers. You can read it in: Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6: 30-44; Luke 9:10-17 and
John 6:1-14. Of these, it is John's account that makes mention of the young boy
being willing to part with his basket of food and this is a particular focus in
this retelling. John also has chosen this event as one of his 'seven signs'.
These are particular miracles that have something very special to say to the
reader about who Jesus is (see John 20:30-31). There is certainly a lot to
wonder about from this story, which is why there are additional 'wondering
questions' you might like to use with your class.
Spend time with the Bible story by presenting it, using three-dimensional materials.
Gather the class in a semicircle, using a back row of benches or chairs if necessary so that all the children can see the following presentation of the story clearly.
Tell the story using some carefully chosen items. You will also need the following items (try to find the most beautiful and attractive examples you can for each of these).
Gingerbread people and some of the other wooden
items, including the bucket-like containers are available in packets from the
chain store Hobbycraft=http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/Home.aspx.
Carefully place all these items on to a tray. Tell the story simply, using the words below and focusing on the story rather than the children.
When you have finished telling the story, leave a short space and then use the wondering questions written out for you at the end of the piece.
1.
As you say the following words, lay out the beige cloth carefully and then
place the piece of blue felt in the corner where the boat will land. This
should be close to the children. Also place on the cloth the stones and the
green grass areas randomly across the base cloth, but leave the area close to
the shore empty, as this is where the disciples will gather with Jesus and the
main action takes place.
This is a lonely place. It is by the sea. It is lonely and deserted.
There are places that are very beautiful and picturesque;
and there are some places that are very bleak and empty.
Some places are obviously beautiful but there are others that can be beautiful
in a different way.
Lonely, bleak places can be beautiful.
And some lonely places become special because of what happens there.
This is a lonely place.
2.
Put down the boat, half on the water and half on the shore. Place the
disciples and Jesus in a semicircle in front, on the dry land facing the
storyteller.
Jesus and his disciples arrived here by boat. It
was important that it was a lonely place. Jesus had suggested going there. They
needed a rest and a place to be quiet.
The disciples had been very busy, perhaps too busy, and now they needed space
to be alone.
Jesus also needed space. Space and time to mourn, because he was sad.
The news of how his cousin John had been executed in prison had just reached
him.
Jesus needed time to think, to remember and to be sad.
So they came to this lonely place together.
3.
Begin slowly to place the sets of people around the scene near to the grassy
areas and the rocks. They should arrive across land from the side nearest the
children. The crowds should be turned towards Jesus.
But the crowds from the towns and villages were so
needy and so desperate.
They had come running to find Jesus in the lonely place.
They needed to hear him, to see him and to come close to him. They needed a
place to bring their loneliness. And so they came in their hundreds... in their
thousands to this lonely place and filled it up with their own emptiness.
When Jesus saw the crowds he felt their sadness. He
knew how they felt. He understood their loneliness. They were like sheep
without a shepherd. And so Jesus spoke to them about the Kingdom of God; about
the way things can be when God is in control.
And the people listened. The disciples listened.
They listened all day to his teaching and to his stories. They listened until
it was already late in the afternoon.
Hold your hand as the storyteller near to the
person who is speaking.
His disciples were growing hungry and the crowd too
needed to eat. 'It's time to finish,' suggested Philip. 'Send the crowd off to
buy food for their journey home, before it's too late .' 'Why don't you give
them some food?' asked Jesus. 'You would need a year's wages to feed this
number,' replied Philip. 'It's just not possible.'
4.
Bring on the small child figure and place him next to the disciple who is
Andrew.
Just then Andrew spoke up. 'There's a child here
with some food - five barley loaves and two small fish. It's all we have but it
won't feed this crowd.'
5.
Lay down the five loves and two fish in front of Jesus. Move the child next
to Jesus.
Jesus told the people to sit down in large family
and friendship groups. There were some grassy areas in this lonely place and so
that's where they arranged themselves in fifties and hundreds.
The disciples watched and wondered. Jesus knew what
he would do. The crowds watched and wondered. The child watched and wondered
too.
6.
Lift up one of the loaves as you say the following words.
Jesus took the loaves, looked up to heaven, blessed
the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples.
7.
Move one disciple out at a time to each of the groups that represent the
crowds, taking with him one loaf or one fish. Once all seven disciples have
arrived with a section of the crowd, this loaf or fish should then be concealed
in your hand and quietly returned to a basket out of view.
The disciples took it out to the crowds. Each time
they returned there was more for them to distribute. They did the same with the
fish.
And everyone had enough to eat.
8.
After a pause, bring back each disciple to the semicircle by Jesus and place
in front of him one or two of the baskets of leftovers, until all twelve are
resting in front of them with Jesus and the child still as the focus of the
semicircle.
After they'd finished, the disciples went out to
pick up the leftovers. Between them the disciples brought back twelve baskets
full of broken pieces.
In that lonely place the crowds were amazed and
began to say that this must be the prophet that they'd been told to expect.
In that lonely place the disciples were amazed and began to puzzle over what it
all meant.
In that lonely place the child wondered at the miracle that happened with the
five loaves and two small fish.
Reflective
Questions
I wonder what you like best about this story?
I wonder what is most important in this story?
I wonder where you are in this story or which part of the story is especially
about you?
I wonder whether you've ever arrived at a
lonely place like this?
I wonder whether you've ever been so busy you needed a break but then that
break was taken from you?
I wonder whether you've ever needed space to be sad?
I wonder why Andrew noticed that child with
the packed lunch?
I wonder why he thought to mention it to Jesus?
I wonder why the child was willing to hand it over to Jesus?
I wonder why Jesus didn't just tell them all to go home?
I wonder why Jesus made them sit down in groups?
I wonder whether the
child was happy that he had given up the loaves and fish to Jesus?
I wonder what the child said later to friends?
I wonder what the disciples were feeling as they collected up the leftovers?
I wonder what the crowds thought had really happened?
I wonder if this miracle is also a parable?
I wonder why all the stories of Jesus include this miracle?
I wonder what Jesus' was hoping they would understand from what had happened?
I wonder why it's so important a miracle that we need to hear it about today?
