Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Performance poetry for Mothering Sunday

Hmmm.  The story of Lois and Eunice is not, in fact, a story, but a mere mention: a sort of 'thumbs up' from Paul, commending in a single verse the mother and grandmother who passed their knowledge of scripture and love of God on to Paul's new helper Timothy.
How to present this single verse in an enjoyable way to a group of children tomorrow?
Here's a performance poem rap type thinger.  As always with performance poetry, the scansion is rather free (critics would say that the scansion is rather rubbish, but I prefer to say free!)  Watch out for the longer line in each chorus...


Lois was a lady who lived long, long ago,
Her mother used to say to her, when Lois was small,
Lois, here's a story that you need to know,
It's about the God who loves us and who made us all.

He's the great creator who made you and me,
When we were stuck in slavery he set his people free,
He's a shepherd who guides and feeds his sheep,
And he's given us the scriptures to read and keep.

Lois grew up and had a daughter as well,
She called her Eunice, and she said when she was small,
Eunice, here's a story that my mother used to tell,
It's about the God who loves us and who made us all.

He's the great creator with the world in his hand,
He led us out of trouble and gave us the Promised Land,
He's a steadfast God who does no wrong
And you'll find him in the scriptures, full of story and song.

Eunice grew up and she had a little son,
She called him Timothy, and said when he was small,
Timothy, this story is for everyone,
It's about the God who loves us and who made us all.

He's the great creator of the heavens and earth,
He made you and he knew you long before you came to birth,
His works are perfect and his ways are just,
And he's given us the scriptures to read and trust.

Timothy grew up with his mum and gran,
Till one night he came to dinner with a friend named Paul,
Who said, “Here is a story about a man,
He's the son of God who loves us and who made us all.”

He's the great creator who made you and me,
He has led us out of trouble and has set his people free,
He's the shepherd of the lost and he hears our call,
And he loved the world so much that he died to save us all.

And when Timothy and Eunice and grandma Lois too
Heard the story about Jesus who was dead but is alive,
They recognised their God and they believed that it was true,
And that's why you'll still find them in 2 Timothy, 1:5.

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