Bible lessons for persons with cognitive disabilities
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James 1: 22-25 (© Jeff McNair)
(23) Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror (24) and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
(22) Do not merely listed to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says.
OK how about a little role playing . . .
Dress up in a robe and pajamas
My wife Kathi who is also a member of our class says to me, "You don't wear a robe and pj's to church!"
I look in the mirror and see I have a robe on. I say "OK."
I then walk away from the mirror.
"I'm ready to go to church." I say.
Kathi says, "Go look in the mirror, you have your robe on."
I go back to the mirror and say, "I have my robe on."
I then walk away from the mirror.
"I'm ready to go to church." I say.
You can repeat this as much as you want. The students will chime in "No" or "No you aren't" when you walk away from the mirror and say you are ready for church.
Make the connection between looking at yourself and forgetting what you need to do, change your clothes, and looking at what the Bible says we should do and then not doing it. We keep looking at the Bible and then forgetting what it says. Looking at the Bible and forgetting what it says.
Draw the connection with getting angry, stealing, bad language, sex, etc.
So I will read from the Bible, "Don't steal." I then look at something that one of the students has, and try to distract her attention so I can pretend to steal it from her. Everyone will say, "Hey Jeff, that's wrong you shouldn't steal." I will remind them that the Bible says I shouldn't steal but I forget and steal. It is just like looking in the mirror and seeing you still have your pj's on but forgetting an going to church without changing.
Help them to see the difference between hearing what the bible says and doing what the Bible says. Remind them of the food chewing example of an earlier lesson.
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© Jeff McNair