Encounter Christianity: To Change the World lesson plan 7

Lesson seven - pages 14-15 Water

Text from the book

How does water transform the desert?
How important is water to you?

A river is shown dramatically here, making the desert bloom. Use this literal example of the transforming power of water to explore its symbolic use within Christianity.

Learning objectives

To recognize that water brings life and destroys life.
To know how water is used in Baptism services and why it is such a potent symbol.

Bible reference

Psalm 104. 10-16

Background

Water means life, especially where there are urgent shortages. In the wet West, we can easily forget how important water is to a country and its people. The Nile floods regularly, bringing the green shoots of life and abundance in the midst of the hot arid desert. There, water is a rich source of life, transforming a barren land, just as it can also bring change and death, through flooding and destruction. Water cleanses, washes away the dirt of the day; so Christians believe that baptism washes away and destroys the old life, bringing new. It transforms their life. Water can be destructive as well as life-giving. The rains destroy but they also bring fertility to the land.

Ways of using the pictures

Discuss what differences water makes to the pupils’ lives. How many ways do we use water in a day?
Can we give plants too little or too much water?
Explore with the pupils why water is often used as a symbol for life-giving and fertility.

Key words

Meander
Fertile
Regeneration
Refresh
Flood
Course
Drought
Parched
Arid
Unrelenting
Cycle
Dependence
Cleanse
Purity
Liberation
Freedom
Slavery

Activity

Read Psalm 23 with the pupils. Why are green pastures and fields so important?

Read Psalm 46. 1-7. What does this say about the power of water?

The following is part of a prayer from the Anglican 'Common Worship' initiation service that makes clear the importance of water in the Christian religion:

'We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water
to sustain, refresh and cleanse all life.
Over the water the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation.
Through water you led the children of Israel
From slavery in Egypt to freedom in the promised land,
In water your Son Jesus received the baptism of John
And was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ to lead us from the death of sin to newness of life.'

Why was Jesus baptised? Water washes away dirt and tiredness. What was John 'washing away' when Jesus was baptized?

Encourage the pupils to write a prayer or a poem showing how important water is in their lives. They could write an account or diary of their feelings if they had been to a baptism.

Learning outcome

Pupils will have:

been aware of the importance of water in Christian baptism;
recognised that water can bring fertility to barren lands;
understood that water is essential to life;
been aware that water can destroy as well as create life.

Extension work

Pupils could work on a cross-curricular project looking at the ways water has made land fertile and destroyed towns and villages.

They could write a 'water' poem or a prayer showing what they have learned about water in the Bible and in Christian baptism.

Web sites

http://www.watercare.net/
There is great advice at this web site for caring for our environment and particularly for avoiding the pollution of our water. The site is from South Australia, but their list of ‘Everyday things we can all do’ is relevant for all.

http://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/
Here is a site of relevance for a number of pages in the Encounter Christianity Big Book. There are sections not only on water, but also on the effect of severe weather changes, such as tornadoes, thunderstorms and hurricanes. There is also a section on the changing seasons of the year.

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