You will need: slips of paper, each with a different name on: Judas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus; pens.

• Split the group into four. Each group (or each person if a small group) picks a piece of paper with the name of a person on: Judas, Mary, Martha, Lazarus. Ask them to write down what they know about the person first. You may wish to point them to other stories in the Bible.
• You may wish to pose some specific questions to help, such as: How was the evening until then? How do you feel about Jesus? How did you feel when the ointment was used? How did you feel about what Jesus said?
• Now introduce the idea of a talk show, with you as a host. Place four chairs in a line facing towards other chairs that form the ’studio audience’.
• Ask each group to select someone to represent their character and they then sit on the four chairs.
• Begin a debate, asking people’s opinions on the spending of money on ointment.
• Smaller groups may do this as a round table conversation.
• Open up the questions and discussion to include the studio audience. At the end, close the programme, come out of character and ask the group to consider for themselves – would you have used all that expensive ointment in that way?

Play

Goodbye game (C+YP 10 mins)

A fun way of introducing the idea of saying goodbye

You will need: music and the means to play it.

• Explain this is a game of chance. The group walks/dances around the space as the music plays. When you stop the music, people choose one of four corners (or equivalent) named as Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Judas.
• When they are all in their chosen space, you call out one of the four names and anyone standing in that place is out. Before they sit down, you shout at them ’Goodbye’ and they have to shout ’Goodbye’ back. Later the people who are out can join in with this.
• Play this a few times. Then, with everyone sitting, talk to them about the fact that Jesus’ three friends were probably saying goodbye that evening. How would that have felt? What sorts of goodbyes are easy, and what sorts are difficult? Which sort was this goodbye for all those involved?

Listen and discuss

Glory torch (C+YP 5 mins)

An ongoing activity, looking for the glimpses of glory

You will need: torch or torches.

• Look back at the Glory torch activity from 10 February (or introduce it this week). Consider the passage from this week. Where are the moments of glory?

Play and discuss

What’s it worth? (C+YP 20 mins)

A discussion activity about the costs of things

You will need: some pre-prepared cards labelled with things that the youngsters may have bought/had bought for them: a chocolate bar, magazine, cinema/sports match/theme park ticket.

• Beforehand, check out the prices of each of the items on the cards. Prepare a list for yourself.
• If your group is large, subdivide it. Each group is given the same set of cards (as above). They must simply put them in the order of expense – cheapest first. Allow plenty of discussion and feedback time, with you giving the correct answers and approximate costs.
• Then consider as a group: Were they surprised about anything in the order or the cost of the items? Did they know that the Bible says we should give some of our money to church or to other people?

Pray

Lotion prayers (C+YP 10 mins)

A very hands-on prayer, using the foot lotion!

You will need: a pot or tube of scented foot lotion; saucers; washing facilities or wipes. Use a creamy lotion, not an oily one.

• Give everyone some foot lotion, in a saucer. Invite them to take off their shoes and socks, then to take a little bit of lotion and rub it between their hands, as you pray. Dear God, may our prayers be a sweet fragrance to you, as we bring to you the people we love and the things that are in our hearts.
• Now they rub the heels of their feet with the lotion, as you pray for their homes, giving them chance to pray themselves, aloud or in silence, as preferred. We pray for our homes, the places that we come back to and go out from...
• Next, they rub lotion into their toes, as you pray for friends and family. We pray for the people you have put around us in our lives...
• Finally, the youngsters rub lotion into their soles, as you pray for the places God will lead them to. We pray for all the places we go to, or you will send us to, to share your love with others.