27 February 2011

Advent - my story materials

[I've travelled back in time, to tell about our first Godly Play sessions, last December, in my own house.]

I was only going to write those first two posts today,

but then I realized they're hard to interpret if you don't know anything about how Advent is observed in Godly Play.


Here are my Advent materials (apologies for the rushed photo - no, candles should never be used on a couch!). The wooden boards and all the wooden cut-outs on them were made by Johanna Kaarto-Wallin, and stained / painted by me at the Godly Play European Conference last spring. While at that conference, I saw some German materials with the plaques not painted or stained, but covered with felt - an idea which I copied. (This very rosy purple was the only purple felt available when I needed it.)
(Update: for more about my Advent materials, read this post.)

On the first week, we remember the prophets, who pointed the way to Bethlehem, and we light the first advent candle. On the second week, we remember Joseph, Mary, and the donkey, on their way to Bethlehem. We put the figures from a nativity set right onto the plaque (or the felt underlay, depending on the size of the figures), and we light the second advent candle. And on the third week (with figurines again if possible), we remember the shepherds, the sheep, and the angels, singing a song of joy, which is why the third candle is a joyous pink.

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