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Hijos del Altísimo |
| (Children of the Most High) | |
Teaching Idea of the Month - October 2001 |
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On this page, you will find each month a new idea for teaching or for an activity with children.
The New Heart (A clown presentation)
Bíblical Foundation:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh. " (Ezekiel 36:26)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Persons:
- Clown: He is the character the children will identify
with. He should be spontaneous and expressive (both when showing
sadness and when showing happiness.)
- Christian: He (or she) is a quiet person, sure of
him/herself and friendly. Inspires trust and peace.
What we need:
Two big hearts made of cardboard (about 12 inches
in size) folded in a way that they can be opened; one of them has
inside an ugly face, the other one a happy face (and you could
write inside "I LOVE JESUS"). From the outside, both
hearts look equal.
At the beginning, the clown has the first heart sticked with a
safety-pin on his chest. It is closed so nobody can see what is
drawn inside. The second heart must be ready at some place on the
stage where it cannot be seen, but where the Christian can
quickly pick it up in order to give it to the clown.
| Closed heart (front) | Closed heart (back) |
 |
 |
| Adhesive
tape for opening and closing |
Safety-pin to
stick it on the clown's shirt |
| The first heart, opened | The second heart, opened |
 |
 |
Let's start!
Clown: (enters the stage, thoughtfully. On
his chest he cas a large cardboard heart sticked with a
safety-pin.) Children, I have heard something which troubles
me. They told me that God can see what is in our hearts! Is this
true, children?
Children: Yes!
Clown (looks at the cardboard heart on his
chest): Can God see my heart too? (He keeps looking at
the heart with curiosity.) What might be in there? Let's
see, I want to see... (He begins opening the heart carefully
in order to look inside. A very ugly face appears inside. - It
should appear in a way that the children can see it well, but
without giving the impression that the clown showed it
intentionally to the children. - As soon as the clown realizes
what is seen, he looks frightened and closes the heart quickly.
Then he tries to appear quiet:) No, nothing happens ...
nobody has seen it, right? ... Or maybe I did not look quite
well. Let's see, I will have another look ... (Repeats the
same scene again.) No, nothing happens ... everything is all
right. Sure I looked the wrong way ... let's have a better look.
(Repeats the same scene again.)
(The clown walks up und down the stage, while his expression
changes gradually to sadness.) Everything is ok. You cannot
see what is inside here, can you? ... But ... if somebody gets to
know it? ... No, I don't like this heart. I do no longer want
this heart! I want another heaa-aaart! (He starts crying.
Covers his face with his hands and cries some time.)
(After some time, the clown gets quiet and looks at the children
again.) I will look for a new heart. Where can I find a new
heart? (He walks up and down, approches two or three children
and asks them:) Can you give me a new heart? Or can you sell
me one?
... Aah, I know what. I will go to the superstore (mention a
store which is well known to the children), sure they will
sell me a new heart there. (He starts walking hastily off the
stage, but bumps into the Christian who is just entering.)
Christian: Hi! Where are you going in such a
hurry?
Clown (looking ashamed): I ... I ... I
have to buy a new heart.
Christian: And where are you going to buy a new
heart?
Clown: To ... to the superstore.
Christian (laughing): But you will not
find a new heart there. You can't buy this at a store.
Clown: Noooo? - But, but ... (starts crying
again.)
Christian: Now don't despair. I know how you can
get a new heart.
Clown: For sure?
Christian: Yes, sure.
Clown (hastily): How? Where is it? Give
it to me right now!
Christian: I can't give you a new heart. (The
clown almost starts crying again, but he gets quiet while the
Christian keeps talking.) But I know who can. Jesus can give
you a new heart!
Clown: Jesus? Where does he live? Quick, bring
me to him!
Christian: Jesus has come from heaven. He has
given his life for you, that's why he can give you a new heart.
Now he lives again with God in heaven. You can't go there. But
you can talk to him from right here and he will hear you.
Clown: But I can't shout that loud.
Christian: This doesn't matter. Jesus hears
everybody who talks to him.
Clown (looking up to heaven, shouts):
Jeeeesuuus! I want a new heart! (He waits some moments in
this position, then turns again towards the Christian): He
has not given me anything.
Christian: The problem is: You have not given
him your heart.
Clown: My heart??
Christian: Yes. First you must give your heart
to Jesus.
Clown (looking at his cardboard heart):
This very heart of mine?? - But ... but ... this is mine, I can't
give it away... (Gets sad again.) And if it hurts? - No,
I can't, I can't give away my heaaa-aaart! (Cries.)
Christian: Now what? Do you want a new heart or
not?
Clown: Yes ... no, I don't think so ... but no,
yes, I want!
Christian: If you don't give your heart to
Jesus, he can't give you a new heart.
Clown (keeps struggling with himself. He
grabs his cardboard heart as if he wanted to pull it off, but
then he lets it go again): No, I can't. I can't do this! (Repeats
the same several times. Finally, he takes off the heart):
Okay, Jesus, I give you my heart. (Looks up to heaven, then
puts the heart on the floor.)
Christian (giving the clown another
cardboard heart): Look, here is the new heart Jesus gives
you.
Clown (puts the heart on his chest,
happily): Thank you, thank you very much ... (looks up
to heaven, shouts): Thank you Jesus!!! (Looks happily at
his new heart. But he starts looking dissatisfied): But ...
it looks exactly like the other one! Nothing has changed ...
(In the meantime, the Christian has left the stage.)
Clown: Is this heart really different? ... Let's
see, I want to look inside. (He starts opening the heart, but
then realizes that the children are watching him. Quickly he
turns round and turns his back towards the children. Looking
back): You are not looking, are you? (Starts opening the
heart, always with his back towards the children. Before opening
the heart completely, he looks back again): But you will not
look! (Repeats the same scene again.) Nobody looking at
me! (Finally he opens the heart. Inside is a happy face. The
clown turns quickly towards the children, the heart opened so
they can see what is inside. He jumps joyfully up and down):
Look, children! I have a new heart! I have a new heart!
(Keeps jumping and shouting, leaves the stage jumping.)
Hijos del Altísimo - http://www.altisimo.net
You can contribute to "Idea of the
Month"! If you have a good idea for teaching children, send
us an e-mail describing your idea. We will publish here the best
ideas, together with the name of the person who sent us the idea.
Write to: 
with the subject "Idea of the Month".
