Jesus and soupy slime

Last Sunday, we made soup in Sunday School accidentally. It was supposed to be slime but was a major fail.

Over the years, we’ve made our fair share of slime, so we used the same brand-name ingredients, same amounts. Somewhere between the bowls of Elmer’s glue and Tide Free and Clear detergent, we realized the old recipe no longer worked.

Our theme has been “Jesus Changes Everything.” And He certainly does. We’ve read desperate situations in Luke where real-life people were hopeless and helpless. Enter the Messiah. He flipped the script like He did the tables that day in Jerusalem (John 2). The woman stopped bleeding after 12 years. The demoniac was healed/rescued. And on and on.

In making slime, the glue itself represented us. The activator/detergent was Jesus. He is the One who brings change. Typically, after the detergent hits the glue, the consistency begins to gel.

Last Sunday, the glue was unchanged. We added activator, then glitter, hoping it would thicken, and stirred ‘til the cows came home, but were unsuccessful. The mess ended up being minimal, even with using glitter. (My beloved HATES glitter worse than a stomach virus.)

Finally, we acknowledged the fail, gingerly placing the bowls in the garbage. (I triple bagged it – in case you were wondering.) They knew it wasn’t over. “Challenge accepted,” was what I said. “We gonna make some slime up in here,” was what I thought.

The high schoolers laughed and had a great time in Sunday School, which was good.

One of the girls who had cell service searched the internet for answers. She found that some types of glue now require “Magic Liquid” as an activator. (It was pricey). We discussed other options and add-ins. For days, I pondered and even prayed.

This Sunday, we continued our study, learning of Jesus’ purpose in Luke 4:16-21: to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom to prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, and to release the oppressed.

Then it was time for slime. As usual, the kids had glue. But then “PROBLEMS” came along (½ tablespoon of baking soda in little condiment cups). We talked about the problems teenagers have these days.

The kids stirred. Then, they added JESUS – the new activator, which was ¼ tablespoon of contact solution. (The bottle had JESUS written on it.) And yes, oh, yes, things began to change. We were all so excited that it was working!

They needed more contact solution. I love, love, loved hearing them say, “I need more JESUS over here!” I enthusiastically rushed from kid to kid, splashing Jesus all over the place. It was the best. I hope they will always want more Jesus.

The New Testament is filled with true stories of people who were in dire straits. The book of Luke (my favorite) shares countless miraculous healings and happenings: a widow’s son brought back to life, storms calmed, over 5,000 fed until they were full, a demon-possessed boy healed, a blind man given sight, a short man found in a tree and invited for supper with the Savior, a friend raised from the dead. Jesus changed everything! And He still does!