Primary Current Assemblies



EASTER: FINGERS AND THUMBS

By the Revd Oliver Harrison MA

Suitable for Whole School

Aim

Telling the story of the resurrection by showing it with our fingers and thumbs!



Preparation and materials

No preparation is necessary but you might like to practise so that you’re not all ‘fingers and thumbs’ on the day.

Assembly

1. Explain that you are going to tell the Christian story of Easter and what happened afterwards, using your hands. Ask everyone to watch carefully. If appropriate you can ask the children to do the actions with you. Alternatively you could do the story on your own first, then again with the children joining in.
   
   Right hand:
   Thumb up (in the classic OK gesture): Jesus is alive.
   
   Tuck thumb down inside the fist, behind the four fingers: Jesus is dead in the cold, dark tomb.
   
   Pop thumb back up to first position: Jesus is alive (again!).
   
   Hold that position with right hand, while …
   
2. Left hand:
   Spread out all five fingers: the disciples (explain that five will have to do to represent them all).
   
   The risen Jesus (the right hand in thumbs-up position) greets his disciples (the spread-out left hand). Right thumb may touch the thumb and each of the fingers on the left hand. (Kids love it if you make a kissing noise by smacking your lips!)
   
3. Jesus ascends into heaven:
   
   Left hand: thumb-up and raised above head. This signifies God on his throne in heaven.
   
   Right hand: Jesus (the raised thumb of the right hand) ascends into heaven (raise right hand up, still with thumb sticking up, until it is next to the already raised left hand, with its thumb sticking up) and is seated at the right hand of his father (i.e. the raised thumb of the left hand) in glory.
   
   Final position: both hands in a fist with thumbs raised (classic ‘thumbs-up’ gesture) and both are elevated above the head. The right hand is Jesus, who has lived, died, risen and ascended to sit at the right hand of his father in heaven.

Time for reflection

Invite the children to repeat the actions without the words as a reflection or prayer if they choose.

Song

‘All in an Easter garden’ (Come and Praise, 130)