This is the place where each month, I will either teach a new trick, or actually perform one for/on YOU! These will most likely not be EARTH-SHATTERING tricks, but I think you will agree that the lessons they are designed to teach are extremely valuable, and very practical for children's workers!

This page is dedicated to anyone who has ever had to teach children, and wondered, "what am I going to speak on this Sunday??". All materials are commonly available, and should cost little or nothing to gather up and use.

Comment:

As many of you know, I make my entire living by performing illusions that illustrate the truth, and teaching and selling the items I use, to equip others to present the Gospel in this most effective manner. Well, this month, I am responding to the practical side of majority of the people who frequent these pages, and supplying you with an idea that is perhaps one of the most useful concepts in the art of illusion. If you like this idea (and what's not to like??) may I suggest you browse on over to our on-line catalog, and see the vast array of professional props that will accomplish similar effects, and that will last a lifetime? You might be amazed at the things you will find!

Materials Needed: 2 Paper lunch bags, Glue Stick, Scissors

Setting Up:

The setup for this illusion is not at all complicated, and once made, you will have what is known as a "utility" item - capable of making things "vanish", "appear", or "change". You will then be limited only by your imagination, (and the size of the bag).

We start with a plain paper lunch bag. You are going to need to cut along the sides, and include the bottom section of the bag as well. For your convenience, I have marked a bag along the lines where you should cut. Close examination of figures 1 and 2 will identify where you should cut, and how it should look, when completely cut out.

figure 1 figure 2

Having cut out this section of the first bag, you will now need to apply glue (I use a glue stick) to the areas shown (marked in black lines) in figure 3. Please note that the side you are gluing is the "under" side of the bag. That is to say, you will turn this section over after applying the glue, and all three glued sides will fold inward in preparation for insertion into bag (figure 4). Upon application of the glue, slide this whole section, glue-side up, into the second (complete) bag. See figure 4.

figure 3 figure 4

Once this is in place, all the way into the bag, fold out the glued flaps, and cause them to stick to the bottom, and sides (respectively) of the complete bag. What you will be left with is a bag with a pocket, as seen in figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows the pocket exposed, and figure 6 shows how the bag appears as you show it to the audience.

figure 5 figure 6

That's all there is to it, and now you have a wonderful item that can help with a multitude of object lessons. One of the things that makes this prop so great is that it is almost above suspicion. I mean, hey, we all know everything there is to know about paper bags, right? No one would ever be so sneaky as to "doctor" one up, right?? (grin)

Presentation:
The presentations you can produce with this utility item are unlimited - here is just one idea of how you might use this.

Call the paper bag your, "portable tomb". Have a picture of Jesus, perhaps colored by one of the chlidren in your Sunday School class nearby. Holding up the picture of Jesus, speak about the fact that He was in fact an historical person. That has never been questioned - we know that He lived on earth, about 2,000 years ago.

You can talk about all the things He was recorded as having done, including teaching at the temple, healing the sick, changing the water into wine, and all the other miraculous things that followed Him - all of which are a matter of history, and are not debated, even among scientists and historians.

But what made Jesus whom He said He was? It is a matter of fact that He was crucifed - killed - for the claims He made, about being the Son of God. He likened Himself unto God, and for that - history records that He was put to death.

But we all die! Was Jesus just another man? Was He a great speaker, perhaps a great magician? Or was He whom He said He was? Well - while this trick cannot "prove" anything about the claims of Jesus - it *can* point the way to the truth of the Sciptures, which tell us that after Jesus died, He was buried in a tomb. (Put the picture of Jesus into the bag, secretly sliding it into the pocket and NOT into the main chamber of the bag.)

And we know that guards surrounded the tomb - and they were under STRICT command to not allow ANYTHING to happen to the body. It would have taken a miracle to remove Jesus' body from the tomb. But then... it WAS a miracle, and on the third day - the stone was rolled away, and Jesus was NOT in the tomb! (Open the bag, holding the pocket closed with one hand, and show it empty!)

What makes Jesus whom He said He was? Well, the fact that He did what He, (and the Old Testament prophets) said He would do! He rose from the dead, and fulfilled all the prophecies spoken about the Messiah!

NOTES:
This is a wonderful way of illustrating the truth of the divinity of Jesus, as well as the resurrection! Please remember, and make sure that you communicate to the audience - your little trick does not "prove" anything. It is merely a tool to help people visualize the "concepts" and truths of the Word! The authority comes only from the Word, and I encourage you to weave as many supporting Sciptures into your illustration as possible.

Also: here are a couple of "finesses" that I use, that strengthen the overall effect.

1. Have a child (or several children) act as the "guards" in the story. Have them each grab a hand-hold on the top section of the bag, keeping it closed, and instruct them that it is VERY IMPORTANT that they make sure that "Jesus" does not escape! This makes a simple trick into a large production - and the more people inolved, the greater the impact! The looks on the kid's faces when "Jesus" has disappeared SELLS the impact to the furthest row!!

2. When showing the bag "empty"... hold it up and allow kids to peer inside. After they have got a real good look - give them no chance to theorize a possibility of where the picture went, by actually TEARING the bag in half! Yes, grab both the front and the back of the bag, and just rip the whole thing in half! The glue you used reinforces those sides, and so it will not tear! You will be left with half a bag in one hand, and half a bag (with a pocket) in the other! This REALLY gets them!!

3. If you REALLY want to polish this routine - have a DUPLICATE Jesus figure somewhere else, and bring it into view after the vanish of the first! This illustrates the fact that Jesus is alive, and that He was indeed seen by many witnesses over the course of the next 40 days. It also resolves a bit of conflict - as if you do not cause Jesus to reappear, there will, no doubt, be children who ask, "where's Jesus"? It's also more accurate Scripturally!

4. Resist the urge to show your audience how this is done. Honestly, it not only takes away from the impact of the lesson you just taught, but it reduces the spiritual truths upon which the lesson is based to the possibility of trickery as it relates to the Gospel. This is a HUGE disservice to the Word, and should be pondered deeply before any such exposure is performed. Remember, to be a Christian, one must be ethical... and to be ethical, one must not reveal the secrets of the illusions we use.

May God bless you as you use this item! I'd love to hear from you - and perhaps discuss how you have, or are planning to use this! It makes a GREAT Easter story!

How can one be a Christian, and also an illusionist?
The answer may be found by clicking: What is Gospel Magic?

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