Blind Bartimaeus

27th October 2024, 3pm- 4pm at Kidlington Methodist church

Watch on YouTube/read the Bible story online

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBx_Fuuai5c

Context

You’d have thought it was obvious what Bartimaeus wanted, but Jesus still asks. How often do we assume we know what other people need?
This is the final healing miracle in Mark. Jesus is travelling from Galilee to Jerusalem, which is only about fourteen miles from Jericho. “Bartimaeus” actually means “son of Timaeus”; it could be a mixed Greek-Aramaic name: a hint of outsiders coming to follow Jesus?
Bartimaeus was sitting by the road (on the edge of things) until Jesus calls him into the road — or on to the “way”, a way of life following Jesus. This is a clue that Bartimaeus’s blindness has a deeper meaning. The next thing that comes in the story is Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem: now we see what being “Son of David” really means (a title used for the coming anointed king, or “messiah”). Earlier, Jesus tells people to keep quiet about who he is; now other people try to keep it quiet but Jesus lets Bartimaeus shout out. And then Bartimaeus leaves behind his old cloak and follows on the way. Sitting near the way is a good start but he is (and we are) called to join Jesus on the way.
Minecraft Church

Plan

20241027 Blind Bartimaeus Download

Icebreaker	/quickbuild Make an object – we will tell you what you have to create and give you five minutes to work on it!
Story	/home Make your way into church. We will read the first prayer and listen to the story.
Create Refreshments are served!	/broken and /restored You have 20 minutes or so to build something in response to the story, either on your own, or team up with others. Ideas: ● /broken Spend 3 minutes destroying our Minecraft Village using TNT, lava etc Our world can seem broken too, but Jesus is there to make things whole again. We are assured in church every week that we are loved and forgiven. We get a fresh start. ● /restored Our village is whole! What will you do with your fresh start? Improve your house? Build a park or a game for everyone? If you don’t fancy building you can go back to the home village (/home) and read the story again in the church, or read some of the other stories in the library, or you might want to just explore the world, or work on your house.
Wonder	While you are creating, think about these questions with the adults on your table. I Wonder: ● which part of this story you like the best? ● what part is the most important? ● where you are in this story or what part of the story is about you? ● if there is any part of this story we can leave out and still have all the story we need? There are many other things that can make us WONDER – what are you thinking about?
Final Prayer	/home Back to the church for our final prayer
Dance	/home We’ll put some music on and let your Minecraft characters dance about using jumping or emotes!
Games	Free play while the adults tidy up!!