Hey everyone. I am scheduled to speak at a marriage seminar next month and I was wanting to incorporate some magic into my presentation. The theme of the seminar is on how to cultivate a healthy Christian marriage. Would anyone have any routines/ideas that would offer some type of visual illustration of marriage. Thanks so much for the help!

Andy

Laflin had a routine written up for the Red, White, Blue version of Rainbow Ropes/Patriotic Ropes on marriage.

Here are two routines I wrote for Sunday school object lessons on marriage.

Tying the Knot
Genesis 2:24

REFERENCE: “be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.”

NEEDED:. 6 to 8 feet of rope.

Set-up: Cut and restored rope trick. This is a relatively simple trick to do with a little practice.

LESSON:
The first two people in the world were Adam and Eve. Since Adam and Eve were first, we are all descendants from them and since they are our great-
great-great-great-great-on-and-on grand parents, we are all one big family. Not always a big happy family, but a family just the same.

God created Adam, (Hold one end of the rope and get ready for the cut and restored rope trick.) He took a rib from Adam and created Eve. (Perform the cut and restored rope trick, but don’t tie the ends together yet.) We will let these ropes represent both Adam and Eve. (Adam is one end of the rope, Eve is the other.) The bible tells us, “that a man shall be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.” (Tie the ends of the rope together.) God joins a man and a woman together in one marriage. You could say he ties the knot that binds them together. From the very beginning, God wanted this to be a strong and binding relationship. He wanted people, working together as one, to make marriage work for the rest of their lives. Sometimes people try to control the other (Wrap the rope around your hand and steal the knot.) by bullying the other one around but that is not what God had planned for us. But because we are human, we don’t always live up to God’s expectations. Today there are many divorces, (Perform cut and restore trick again and steal this knot away too.) but remember that too is not God’s plan for us. (Show rope restored.) His original plan was for two people and one marriage to survive with God’s help.

NOTE: this is just the starting point to teach on the seriousness of marriage and the commitment we make to it. Many of the children you will be teaching will know divorce first hand and we have to be sensitive to their feelings. When working with children, it is not wise to paint “divorced” people as bad people, sinners or unloved by God. We all make mistakes and have comfort in the fact that God is a God of forgiveness and love.



MARRIAGE – LEAVING HOME

Genesis 2:24: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Genesis 2:18: The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Mark 10:6 “But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female..”


EFFECT NEEDED: Color Block Release. You can purchase this from a dealer as a small pocket trick or you can make your own. Instructions for making this can be found in the Sept/Oct 1999 issue of the Christian Conjurer on page 18.

SETUP: Have the box open and the six blocks out in the open.

OBJECT OF LESSON: Marriage is from God.

LESSON
We have six blocks here and I will use them to represent one man (let someone pick the color for each) and one woman who are in love and are getting ready to be married. At the beginning of time God created every living creature. Mark 10:5 said God made them male, man (hold up the block that represents man) and female, woman. (Hold up block that represents woman) It is Gods desire that man not be alone. (Gen 2:18) God wants us to grow up and for many of us we will find a mate for us to marry. I would suggest that when you start to think about that someone you will meet you start to pray that God is preparing the right man or woman for you.

This man (hold the block) has two parents and these two blocks represent them. This woman also has two parents represented by these two blocks. (Start to put the blocks into the box.) These two
people have chosen to get married and they like many people go to a church to have the ceremony performed. (Close the lid and insert the sword while saying) The minister will say many words at the ceremony, but one thing they usually say something like, “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” But by being married God says in Gen 2:24 a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife. (Turn box over and let the now husband and wife fall out.) At this point in their lives they are to leave their parents and start on a new life together. First loyalties now become the husband to the wife and the wife to the husband. As they step out into their married life, it is God’s desire that they are not alone and they unite to serve and love God and to serve and love one another.

I have toyed around with the Dean's Box for such an effect (two become one, the ring phase, etc.) and I was recently cruising Hocus Pocus and found this very clean, inexpensive rope effect from Dick Barry. Have also used the McCombical deck with a married couple as a "compatability test."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6nudfa5......embedded

Are linking rings too obvious?
Two joined together, their lives intersecting.
But we never marry only our spouse, but their family.
And they marry our family.
And often the marriage leads to a bigger family – and ultimately connects us to the family of God.

Cool idea! Another angle could be that marriage is a trinity: the husband, wife, and God connected in perfect love. (Obviously three rings would be needed.

Wow, these are some great ideas! Thanks guys for sharing!

Andy

It's not really a magic trick but a very good illustration in my opinion. Take two
pieces of carboard, they represent man and woman. Take quick drying glue, representing God. You talk about how when a man and woman come together God binds them to each other. They are no longer two, but one. If they are separated from God's binding they must be ripped apart, and neither one are ever the same. Show how the two cardboard pieces are ripped and torn.

I have also used the backstage vanishing elephant. I painted red toe nails on the elephant on one side, and introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Phant. They used to be on two different cards but then they got married and are on one. I would seperate them but then they would never be the same. I then go into the rest of the routine and follow it up with what I call the elephant linking wedding rings. I've performed this at weddings.