Thursday, and how can we make Lamentations interesting?

The Supplemental Teaching Plan from Hampton Road Baptist Church creates interest by beginning with a class exercise to categorize various statements as Reliable or Not Reliable. It also helps establish a focus on the lesson aim to help us rely on the Lord in times of suffering.

An alternative to create interest is to capture and show Rembrandt’s painting of Jeremiah lamenting. Using the background material for Rembrandt's painting, discuss the painting, Jeremiah’s pose, Zedekiah’s end, and tie it to the lesson topic.

To further the interest spell, you might also capture and show a slide of a needlework gobelin tapestry of Rembrandt’s painting, or continue with a slide of a pictorial description of Judah’s march into captivity as exhibited in the Tower of David Museum. If so, don’t leave out Michelangelo’s painting of a suffering Jeremiah.

Reading the lesson commentary by Dr. Sam Tullock, Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, posted at www.founders.org gave me another idea. He makes the point that this lesson demonstrates God is faithful to keep His Word. Not that He is not faithful to us as believers, but that He is faithful to do what He says He will do. Use this to create interest by constructing a list of sample promises found in God’s word using this article. Discuss how they have been and are kept by God. The story related in the article about the young man and his grandmother’s “T’s and P’s” is inspiring. This actively demonstrates God’s faithfulness and that we are the beneficiaries if we obey Him.

Is this interesting, or what?