Dr. Pat's Orthodox Super Sunday School Curriculum

Marriage

MARRIAGE

Objectives:

  1. Children should know that marriage is the joining of a man and a woman to form a family.
  2. Children should be able to say that the two parts of the marriage ceremony are the betrothal and the crowning.

 

Possible Lesson Plan:

  1. Open with prayer.

 

  1. Discuss the Christian family.  Let each of the children tell about their families.  Do they have a mother and a father? How were the parents joined? (Marriage)

 

  1. Discuss stories in the Bible of families (Stories are in the children’s Bibles.):

Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Ruth and Boaz, Zachariah and Elizabeth, etc.

 

  1. What liturgical items are used in an Orthodox wedding? Brainstorm what the children have seen and what these things might mean?

Two white candles – symbolizing the light of Christ

Rings (A picture of two rings will suffice.) – a circle that never ends

The crowns: either wreaths, (Greek tradition) or gold crowns

(Slavic tradition) – king and queen of a new home

The Gospel book – ordained by God in His Word

The common cup – This new home is part of the whole Church

Hand cross used by the priest – Christ is the center of the marriage

 

  1. The betrothal is the first part of the marriage ceremony.  It means promise. The rings are blessed and exchanged. The crowning is the spiritual part of the ceremony.  The priest prays for the couple and crowns each of them.  What is a crown for?  Let the children try to answer.  Remind them of the crowns of kings and queens (in their new family), the crowns of martyrs (to suffer for their families and be willing to die for them), and the crown of the Kingdom (reminding us all that the Kingdom of God is much larger than our little world).  The gospel lesson is about the marriage at Cana; review the story in the Children’s Bible.  Then the bride and groom drink wine from a common cup and march 3 times around the center table.  The crowns are removed and they are man and wife.

 

  1. Make a crown of construction paper, decorating it with gold glitter.  Make a ring of gold pipe cleaner.  Use these in your re-enactment.

  1.  You can role play this with teacher as priest:

Priest (giving the rings): The servant of God (name) is betrothed to the handmaid of God (name).  The handmaid of God (name) is betrothed to the servant of God (name).

All: Amen

Priest: The servant of God (name) is crowned to the handmaid of God (name) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All: Thou hast set upon their heads crowns of precious stones.

(Bride and groom now drink from a common cup and march around the center of the room, carrying their candles, three times.)

Priest: Be exalted, O Bridegroom, and thou, O bride.

 

  1. Close with prayer – pray especially for each child’s parents.
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