Does anyone have any ideas for a routine that would illustrate the parable of the sheep and goats. Specifically the idea that when we give to others we are giving to Christ. We already have and are using elsewhere in the show the flip book of faces where the spectator chooses a face and it turns out to be Jesus. Any other ideas to illustrate that point again? It would be for a school show to teach about how we should treat others. Any other ideas for a show about how we should treat others would be welcome as well. Thanks!!

Tricia and Daniel

You could tell the story, (make the point about giving with a pure motive i.e. to help others with the Glory going to God, and not just to bring glory to ourselves) and you could go as far with this as able if in a public school, whcih I am guessing you are not, if you are showing a pic of Jesus .

Then after having been seen mixing a deck of cards thoroughly while telling the story, then go into an "oil and water" type of card effect, where they get all "mixed together" but then are shown to be the reds and the black cards separated?

To keep from identfying Black as the "bad guys" which makes me very uncomfortable, I would probably modify the effect to bring Spades and Hearts together and clubs and diamonds together.

I have never tried this type of effect with this story, nor have I tried it with Jumbo Cards. But if you can get the necessary handling done with Jumbo Cards, it might be visible enough for a stage routine.

This is just off the top of my head... so I hope it gives you something to work with.

BroDavid

If you have some basic carpentry skills you could build something I use that looks cool but maybe not so magical. It does always leave an impression on the kids.

Build an "L" shaped box open at both ends. Both legs equal in length.Put a piece of glass bisecting the box where the tubs meet at a 90 degree angle. Cut a hole the same size as the piece of glass in the end of one leg where the two legs meet. So if you look through the hole you see out the end of one of the legs (looking through the glass.)

Now put a light bulb in the top of both legs. Connect both bulbs to a fader switch. So when looking through the hole, if the light is on behind the glass you see straight though that leg. But when the fader switch is turned that light goes out and the other light comes on, now you see a reflection off the glass of the leg that is perpendicular to the leg you were looking through.

Attach black cloth to the ends of both legs.

Now dress one child's face with a "Jesus" beard. and have him put his face in the opening of the leg parallel to the audience and another kid puts his face in the other opening.

Now explain when do to others we do to Jesus and flip your fader switch. The kids will be looking throu the cut hole at one kid through the glass and (as the lights change) his face will transform into "Jesus".

I know this is lengthy and may be difficult to understand so p.m. me if you need.

Curt

Very Clever Curt. It reminds me of the same technique as used in side shows years ago for the Girl to Gorilla illusion.

And I expect that it is very memorable for the kids.

BroDavid

Good ideas, thank you both. We are already using the flip book that shows Jesus' face in others. We want to emphasize the idea of treating others well more than the judgement or separation because this will be for the younger kids also (and no, not at a public school, but at a Catholic one). Thanks guys, keep the ideas coming.

I have used an effect marketed by Steve Taylor called "Otherwise". This is a great effect to illustrate that how we treat others reflects on how much we love Jesus. Basically, you get a deck of Large cards with various faces pictured on the card. After someone selects one as a "friend", you show it to the audience. Then turn the back of the card toward the audience and proceed to have the kids come up with ways to hurt this new friend. As ways are suggested, you demonstrate by performing an equivolent action to the card. In the end the card looks fairly battered and torn. The revelation at the very end is that the card is actually a picture of Jesus. How we treat others, is a reflection of how much we love Him. The lesson is very good, and the reaction by the audience is always stunned silence.

Scott

In the book "Life, Death, and Other Card Tricks", Robert E. Neale has a card trick called "The Devil and His Disciple". I have changed the patter to suit Matthew's Gospel and now the found card is the sheep instead of the goat as in the Devil's Disciple. This trick takes a few minutes to present (which I think is good) but today's audiences want quicker card tricks. There is a lot of up-down-up-down etc. separating the cards into sheep and goat piles (four times through the deck) before the revelation of the spectator's card.
-=> Rubber Dougie <=-

More of an object lesson than a trick, but I have put a peice of paper over a picture of Jesus. Volunteer then draws someone he hates on the blank paper and throws darts at the paper.Blank paper is removed revealing Picture of Jesus.
73 Donnie

Donnie, Whew that will lead to conviction with adults there. A good husband, wife council idea there.

Curt