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IT'S COOL TO BE WISE

Week 3 - A SOFT ANSWER              

For Leaders:
This week’s material is based around the wise saying from Proverbs 15 v 1 - A soft answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs it up.

Week 3 PowerPoint slides, leaders’ notes and various other items downloadable from the bottom of this page.

SLIDE 1 - Series theme slide ‘It’s Cool to be Wise’
SLIDE 2 - Week 3 key phrase slide ‘A soft answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs it up’

PART 1   

LEAD-IN SESSION sketch

Outline for Leaders

This week the travelling wardrobe takes Ed to a cave where he meets an explorer. Once again Ed doesn't get off to a good start with the stranger he meets, however, it's not long before conversation becomes cordial and Ed's new acquaintance helps him to find the next piece of the code.       

Props: Here it's whatever you can come up with to create an explorer's cave. Black sheets thrown over your stage can create a backdrop.
A cardboard stand-up rock (see below).
Bits of kit for the explorers small camp could include; backpack, lunch box, fold-up seat, cardboard stand-up rocks, bucket, map, bottle of water.
The other props needed are wardrobe / travelling machine, black sheet to cover it (to be removed when it lands), a bottle with a message inside, a torch for Ed and a walking stick, which the explorer picks up on discovering that there is an intruder in 'his' cave. 

Characters: Ed, narrator, explorer - Jo (e).

Drama setting: Wardrobe on stage in the mock-up cave environment.

Drama - The Cave

Narrator:
(SLIDE 3 - PowerPoint slide Week 3 chart ‘A’)
Last week we left Ed as he was taking off from a ship in the travelling wardrobe and our key word was ‘Friends’. Anyone remember what our wise saying about Friends was? Yes, ‘choose your friends wisely’. I wonder what this week’s adventure will be and what word Ed will find today.  

(Sound effect travelling wardrobe, someone needed to pull the sheet from the wardrobe just before Ed opens the doors.) 

Ed: (Opening wardrobe doors and wiping his brow) Phew, that was a bit of a bumpy one. Oh, it’s a bit dark in here where’s that torch? (Ed rummages in the wardrobe for his torch)  Got it! (looking around and picking up a map from the table). It’s a cave and someone’s around, I can hear footsteps, better hide (Ed stoops down behind a rock he still has the map in his hand).

(The explorer enters the cave)

Explorer: – Wow! Where did that come from? (Looking at the wardrobe astonished and then looking around suspiciously. Picking up his walking stick – in a stern but trembling kind of voice.) OK you can come out, I know there’s someone hiding back there, and you’ve got my map.

(Ed remains still and quiet)

Explorer: It’s no good, you’ll have to come out sooner or later and I’m armed.

Ed: Ah, ah, ah – achoo (coming out sheepishly, with a hand gesture) Err, hi there.

Explorer: (Still brandishing stick and pointing it towards Ed, then speaking with a rough voice) who are you? And what are you doing in my cave?

Ed: (somewhat bemused) Oh it’s your cave is it? (looking around) Sorry, you don’t look much like a cave man!

Explorer: (still holding stick and in a rough voice) OK there’s no need to be funny. It’s not quite my cave exactly, but I did discover it! 

Ed: Oh, so it’s not your cave? Maybe we could start again. I’m Ed, pleased to meet you?

Explorer: (looking at the stick, putting it down, holds out hand) Joe. Sorry for being a bit unfriendly, harsh words are not the way to greet someone.

Narrator: Once again Ed explains about the travelling wardrobe and how he’s looking for pieces of code and a clue, for a really important special word.

Explorer: OK I think I get the picture, wacky story but I’ll take your word for it. What does the code look like?

Ed: (Reaching into the wardrobe) here’s a piece I’ve already collected. It’s a kind of puzzle. There must be a piece around here somewhere.

(Ed and Joe look around the cave but find nothing. They look disappointed)

(SLIDE 4 - Background image for the beach and bay outside the cave)

Explorer: He…y, wait a minute, (rummaging through backpack) I wonder? I found this earlier on the beach (Joe pulls an old bottle from his back-pack) but couldn’t get the cork out, could it be...

Ed: I can get it out, fantastic! YES! It’s the third piece of the code and clue. Another name for this place with 4 letters and beginning with ‘S’ ending in 'T'. What’s the name of this place Joe?

Explorer: Calm Bay, the water is outside the cave entrance, it’s a really peaceful place.

Ed: Another name for ‘calm’ beginning with ‘S’ and ending in 'T'. Can’t be ‘still’ that’s 5 letters, I know it’s got to be ‘SOFT’! SOFT is the important word! I need to go Joe.

Explorer: Sorry you’ve got to go Ed but take care. I apologise for not greeting you with ‘SOFT’ words!

Ed: (shaking hands with Joe) That’s OK Joe, thanks so much for everything. Err, before I dash, don't suppose you've got something to eat?

Explorer: Yes of course, here's a sandwich and a packet of crisps, will that do?

Ed: That's fantastic Joe can't thank you enough. 

( SLIDE 5 - Week 3 Chart ‘B’ with the word ‘Soft’ and Week 3 code piece hi-lighted can now be displayed.)

Narrator:
(Ed gets into the wardrobe)There Ed goes, off again on his amazing adventure. Later we will find out why the word ’SOFT’ is so important to us today, but for now we can see it on Ed’s chart.

(Sound effect time travel wardrobe)

Part 2  

Bible Chat - Listen Up time (SLIDE 6)

Bible Verse: Proverbs 15 v 1

SLIDE 7 - Remind kids of this week’s key phrase:
‘A soft answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs it up’.

This week’s Bible chat opens with a short drama. It starts with someone pretending to be walking along a street looking down on his phone, when a skater comes flying by and almost knocks him over. They both shout at each other and get really angry.

The drama is then replayed but this time the skater talks softly. The man’s anger quickly subsides.

Drama   
(You will need a skateboard / rollerblades and a proficient skateboarder / roller-blader.)

Scene set: Man walking down the road looking at his phone. A skater comes whizzing by and almost knocks him over.

Man: (shouts) Hey watch where you’re going you almost knocked me over!

Skater: (shouts) You watch where you are going!

Man: I was just minding my own business.

Skater: (picks up his skate board and walks over to him and shouts in an angry tone) You were looking at your phone!

Man: You were going too fast, you’re a menace on the pavement.

Skater: (puts his face close to the man) Oh yeah!

Man: (angry tone) Yeah!

Replay Drama

Scene set: Man is walking down the road looking at his phone. A skater comes whizzing by and almost knocks him over.

Skater: (concerned tone) Oh sorry mate I didn’t see you there.

Man: (angry tone) You should look where you’re going!

Skater: (calm tone) Yeah, I’m so sorry are you hurt at all?

Man: (calming down) Luckily for you I’m not. You must be more careful on the pavement.

Skater: You’re right I will be from now on. See you around.

Man: Yeah well, see you.

In the first drama we saw the two people became very angry with one another and it seemed that they both made each other angrier, as they shouted and said unkind things.

The replay showed a very different situation. Were they both as angry this time? No. Why do you think that was? Yes, firstly the guy said sorry straight away and he said it in a SOFT manner, he didn’t shout or say unkind things and he didn’t put the blame on to him. By acting in a very different way the skater calmed everything down and the anger soon melted away.

The wise saying this week tells us that a soft answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs it up. When you are next in a difficult situation and people are getting angry, remember the advice of this saying and do what it says, you will see the difference it makes.

We see a lot of anger and violence on our televisions every day. Sometimes people who can’t control their anger end up doing things that they regret for the rest of their lives. For some people their anger has led them to a prison cell.

Try it for yourself next time you are in the playground or with a brother or sister and things are getting a bit annoying, use some SOFT words to calm things down. The advice really does work.

Jesus wants us to be peacemakers but He knows that there are times when we all get angry over something but we need to control that anger. We can ask Jesus to help us to control our temper and remember to follow the advice of today’s wise saying.

part 3   

Response time (in small groups)

Have prepared pieces of paper, one for each child with an outline of a bridge on and the word sorry in the middle of the bridge.

1.    Have you ever lost your temper?

2.    Use the bridge picture with the word ‘sorry’ – ask the children to draw themselves at one end and a person they have been angry with the other end. Then write a simple prayer underneath the bridge asking God to help them control their temper and be a peacemaker.

Week 3 DOWNLOADS

Week 3 PowerPoint slides
Lead-in drama script, Bible Chat and response time leaders’ notes

Week 3 code piece (XIX)
Response time ‘Sorry’ bridge handout sheet