Respond to the Word: Dead or alive

In this story Jesus really is fully human, displaying many familiar human emotions: calm assurance, frustration, patience, distress, deep sorrow, anguish and grief. Provide copies of the Gospel story for everyone and scraps of coloured cloth, tissue paper, coloured plastic, beads and other things. Invite people to match colours to the emotions in the story to help them get in touch with their feelings. Encourage people to share times when they have felt deep emotion — does it help to know that Jesus knows how it feels? This exercise is good for those who like this sort of thing, but be aware that it will be alien to some, so ensure it is part of a variety on offer.

Try re-telling the story with different people or groups of people taking on the roles of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, the crowd and Jesus. Give time to study the story closely examining ‘your part’ and then have an interview for ‘Jerusalem Today’ Radio programme in which one interviewer asks what happened and how it felt to each character or group.

This story is the pivotal point in John’s Gospel at which Jesus turns his face towards Jerusalem and the cross. Devise a group action where those present listen to the Gospel and then turn from the reader to a large cross held or mounted in a different area of the building. Together and in silence all could walk slowly and purposefully to the foot of the cross to remind them that this day is the first Sunday of Passiontide, perhaps singing quietly together a repeated song such as ‘Jesu Tawa Pano’ (Jesus we are here) from Zimbabwe or ‘Santo, Santo, Santo, mi corazon, te adora’ (Holy, Holy, Holy, my heart, my heart adores you) from Argentina.