8/03/2009

Puppets

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc.org:

I’m a puppeteer. I love putting a puppet on one hand and then begin to have a conversation between the puppet and me. It’s a lot of fun to have the conversation as part of a children’s sermon at church or another kind of gathering of younger folks. I love it that the younger ones pay such close attention to the conversation – hopefully learning something in the process. I also have observed on almost every occasion when I’ve presented the puppet/person conversation that adults pay as close or closer attention to what the conversation is about.

At last count, I think I have conversations with 17 different puppets at one time or another. Sometimes it get’s difficult to remember which puppet is talking – and when I should talk in my voice and when I should use the puppet voice. I make plenty of mistakes – yet it usually adds to the fun.

A favorite conversation is one where one of the puppets shows how adept they are at impersonations. I am sure to act as if I am in complete amazement as this one puppet impersonates all of the other puppets. As a matter of fact, I’m planning to have such an impersonation event with one (and all) of the puppets this Sunday as I introduce the Bible reading from Ephesians 4:25-5:2.

I’ll have to talk about the differences between impersonating someone and imitating them, and as I do that I can start to introduce the concept of imitating God – and living God’s love.

How would you move a conversation that starts with impersonation towards imitation and then to God’s love?

1 comment:

Jill Warner said...

We must be on the same wave length on this one. I've just named my sermon "The Great Impersonators". Like the idea of playing with Impersonation vs Imitation. Thanks.