We used the activity as an opportunity to add a second reading, the account of Jesus’ first meal with Mary and Martha. This helped us later as we looked at how they had been changed through their relationship with him.

We used a dramatized reading by Bob Hartman, available to download via engage worship. We split the reading, so one person read the “Mary” parts, while leading the congregation in the actions. A second read the “Martha” parts, along with the actions.

John 12: 1-8, which is the account of Jesus at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus when Mary pours perfume on his feet. We read this from the Message version of the Bible.

In the talk, we explore how Mary, Martha and Lazarus we transformed into faithful disciples, although this shown in different ways. We consider how all three show us important things to do in our own life as disciples, including serving, listening, learning, acts of devotion and simply “being” with Christ. We also look at the way we should do these, with generosity and humility.

A full talk is available to download.

1. Express love to Jesus by writing a love letter or creating a piece of artwork. You may want to provide examples of religious artworks and poetry on the table.
2. We have created a journal sheet with questions and prompts to help people consider the theme in more depth. People may want to fill them in now, or take them away to consider later.
3. Use air dry clay to make candle holders for birthday candles. Birthday candles burn for approximately 10 minutes. Invite people to take a few and light them over the coming week. They can use it as both a timer and a focus as they spend time with God, not asking, just being.
4. In a tuff tray or similar, provide water, petals and containers to make “perfume.” You could also include some fragranced plants such as mint, or use small amounts of essential oils.