What is the Kingdom of Heaven like? Is is for us to enjoy only after this life is over or do we catch glimpses of it in the here and now? This is only one of the questions that Rev. Elizabeth Bloch pondered in her homily for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost.(Please click here to read it).
For years I was determined to "figure out" exactly what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of Heaven. I thought if I laid out all the references for what the Kingdom of Heaven was like (and according to E+ there are 87 references in Scripture with 32 of them in Matthew's Gospel alone) I would be able to come to a conclusion. Silly me. Taking the parables literally is exactly what Jesus did not want us to do.
Recently I attended a "Godly Play" workshop at Saint Mark's Cathedral in Seattle. I was not familiar with this Montessori-based program that according to their website “teaches children the art of using religious language . . . helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives." I had no idea what to expect when I arrived with my usual notepad and pen in hand. I was planning on taking copious notes. Little did I know that the major concept behind "Godly Play" is play! And that's just what we did.
Early in the afternoon we settled inside a classroom where the presenter brought out a gold box exactly like the one in the photo above and proceeded to "tell the parable of the pearl of great price." What I discovered was that the story began to tell itself. I felt the delight of the little girl deep within me as the presenter laid the simple pieces of felt out on the white circle. No longer was the story 2 dimensional! With the tactile elements of felt and glass beads I became closer to that story than I had ever been before. And just as E+ told us on Sunday that the Kingdom of God is hidden inside each and every one of us I discovered in the "Godly Play" process of interactive storytelling that I was indeed Christ's pearl of great price!
- Roberta Hiday
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