1. An Introduction To The Life Of Jesus For Quakers Inspired By The Musical Godspell Lesson 4 ~ Atonement Suitable for ages 11 and older. These materials are meant for free distribution to individuals and nonprofit organizations. Images are from the public domain courtesy of Wikipedia.

2. Atonement: Doing something to make up for something else you have done wrong Sin: To knowingly do something wrong Repentance: A commitment to stop doing bad things Pharisees: Probably the most influential religious party among the Jews during the time of Jesus. They were extremely conservative and committed to Jewish Law and to the tradition of the Elders. Moneychangers: Bankers and money lenders Hypocrites: People who say one thing but do another. Scribes: In a society that did not read and write there were professionals whose job it was to write things down, like receipts and contracts. Civil Disobedience: Doing something against the law because the law is unjust or because it will write a wrong. Definitions

3. Alas For You Alas, alas for you Lawyers and Pharisees Hypocrites that you be Searching for souls and fools to forsake them You travel the land you scour the sea After you've got your converts you make them Twice as fit for hell! As you are yourselves! Alas, alas for you Lawyers and Pharisees Hypocrites that you are Sure that the kingdom of Heaven awaits you You will not venture half so far Other men who might enter the gates you Keep from passing through! Drag them down with you! You snakes, you vipers brood You cannot escape being Devil's food! I send you prophets, I send you preachers Sages and rages and ages of teachers Nothing can bar your mood Alas, alas for you Lawyers and Pharisees Hypocrites to a man Sons of the dogs who murdered the prophets Finishing off what your fathers began You don't have time to scorn and to scoff It's getting very late! Vengeance doesn't wait! You snakes, you viper's brood You cannot escape being Devil's food! I send you prophets, I send you preachers Sages and rages and ages of teachers Nothing can bar your mood Blind guides, blind fools The blood you spilt On you will fall! This nation, this generation Will bear the guilt of it all! Alas, alas, alas for you! Blind fools!!

4. And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when evening was come, he went out of the city. ~ Mark 11:15-19

5. Martin Luther (November 10, 1483- February 18, 1546) was a German monk. He nailed a paper of 95 Theses (or reasons) to the church door at Wittenberg. Luther thought that the Christian Church needed reform. He thought that the people running it had fallen into corrupt ways. He called for the church to stop selling forgiveness and entry into heaven with trinkets called indulgences. When his superiors tried to get him to stop preaching these ideas he refused. His acts of civil disobedience triggered the Protestant reformation which split up the Christian church and eventually led to the beginning of Quakerism. In silence and hope will be your strength. ~ Isaiah 30:15

6. Like Martin Luther, George Fox thought his church was corrupt. After hearing him preach about this Margaret fell wrote this: This opened me so, that it cut me to the heart; and then I saw clearly we were all wrong. So I sat down in my pew again, and cried bitterly: and I cried in my spirit to the Lord, We are all thieves; we are all thieves; we have taken the scriptures in words, and know nothing of them in ourselves. ~ Margaret Fell Quakers believe that nonviolent civil disobedience, when it is rooted in prayer can be an important way to be a witness for our beliefs. But it is never done as a sudden reaction. It is usually done after a group of people have worshiped about it and no other alternative can be found.

7. By My Side Where are you going? Can you take me with you? For my hand is cold And needs warmth Where are you going? Far beyond where the horizon lies Where the horizon lies And the land sinks into mellow blueness Oh please, take me with you Let me skip the road with you I can dare myself I'll put a pebble in my shoe And watch me walk (watch me walk) I can walk I can walk! I shall call the pebble dare We will walk, we will talk together We will talk About walking dare shall be carried And when we both have had enough I will take him from my shoe, singing "Meet your new road!" Then I'll take your hand Finally glad That I am here By your side (By my side) By your side (by my side)

8. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more. ~ John 8:1-11

9. We Beseech Thee Father, hear thy children's call Humbly at thy feet we fall Prodigals confessing all We beseech thee, hear us! We thy call have disobeyed Into paths of sin have strayed And repentance have delayed We beseech thee, hear us! Come sing about Love! That made us first to be Come sing about Love! That made the stone and tree Come sing about Love! That draws us lovingly We beseech thee, hear us! Sick! We come to thee for cure Guilty! We seek thy mercy sure Evil! We long to be made pure We beseech thee, hear us! Blind! We pray that we may see Bound! We pray to be made free Stained! We pray for sanctity We beseech thee, hear us! Come sing about Love! Love! That made us first to be Come sing about Love! Love! That made the stone and tree Come sing about Love! Love! Love! Love! That draws us lovingly We beseech thee, hear us! By the gracious saving call Spoken tenderly to all Who have shared man's guilt & fall We beseech thee, hear us! By the love that longs to bless Pitying our sore distress Leading us to holiness We beseech thee, hear us! Grant us all from earth to rise And to strain with eager eyes Towards the promised Heavenly prize We beseech thee, hear us! Come sing about Love! Love! That made us first to be Come sing about Love! Love! That made the stone and tree Come sing about Love! Love! Love! That draws us lovingly We beseech thee, hear us!

10. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. ~ Matthew 25:31-40

11. Early Quakers formed Meetings for Sufferings to organize help for the families of those Quakers who had been thrown in jail. These eventually became our Peace & Social Concerns committees who try to help all those they can. Some Famous Quaker activists for the poor & oppressed were: John Woolman Lucretia Mott Elizabeth Fry Rufus Jones Henry Cadbury Clarence Pickett Some Famous Quaker activists for the poor & oppressed were: John Woolman Lucretia Mott Elizabeth Fry Rufus Jones Henry Cadbury Clarence Pickett The American Friends Service Committee & British Friends Service Council were formed to help bring aid to Europeans left with out food and shelter following World War I. It helped place Jewish refugees and petitioned the Nazis to change their policies. For its relief work after World War II they were joint recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947. Their work continues with and for under served regions and groups around the world.

12. 1.Is it hard to not be a hypocrite? Why? 2.What is the difference between using good judgment and judging others? 3.Who are the least of these in our community and how should we help them? Queries