READ IT talk about it live IT

Family Conversations For families to do together This week’s story is How do you think Mary felt when she saw In this story, Mary, Mary, and are 1 going to ’ tomb to anoint his body. As a The Empty the empty tomb? Tomb Day family, talk about how you remember loved from :1-8. 2 What’s the biggest surprise of your life? ones who have died. What did they do in How do you think your surprise compared Jesus’ time that we don’t do today? What to Mary’s? Jesus has been raised; he is not here! things do we still do today?

Ask each other what you remember about: 3 , Mary mother of James, and Salome all brought spices to Jesus’ • • Sabbath tomb to anoint his body. How do we For younger kids • Mary • Resurrection remember and honor our loved ones who As a family, make paper masks with surprised Magdalene have died? expressions on them. Read today’s story and The of Mark was written about hold up your surprised mask whenever the This Gospel tells us that after they left the 40 years after Jesus’ death. This is the 4 characters in the story are surprised. You can earliest of the four . The Gospel of tomb, Mary, Mary, and Salome didn’t tell do it with some of your other favorite Bible Mark tends to be simplistic and brief in anyone what they had seen. What do you do when you get big news? What news do stories, too. its narrative, while other gospels describe you want to tell everyone? What news do scenes in more detail. For example, compare you want to keep to yourself? Mark’s description of the empty tomb (Mark 16:5) to John’s (John 24:4). For older kids The stone in front of Jesus’ tomb weighed Eye Spark over two tons! An average-size car weighs The next time you see a big rock or boulder, Read the whole story together about as much. Do you think you could move think about how heavy the stone in front of a stone like that? Find out how many of you it in the Bible! Jesus’ tomb was. would take to equal the weight of the stone in Spark Story Bible pages 482-487 front of Jesus’ tomb.

Spark Bible page 1124 Ear Spark The next time you hear something surprising, Family Prayer remember how surprised Mary was by the empty tomb. Dear God, we know that life is full of surprises. We have our own plans, desires, and expectations. Make us open to receive what life brings to us. TM When we are afraid, like Mary, help us find joy in Lectionary, The Empty Tomb Family Page. Spark Sunday School © 2011 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for life’s surprises. Amen. local use provided every copy carries this notice.