Proper 25 A (October 26): Being at Home with God

There is an 2023 updated version of this post - see archive at left.

Bible readings: Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46 Theme: Being at Home with God About the image: Microsoft clipart and my text. Quote: Robert Frost "Home is where when you go there they have to take you in." Found in Death of a Hired Man. Drama: We are a Family Found in Let's Make a Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 31 (pictured at left). A drama about not being at home with God. Poem: The Real Problem By Adrian Plass in Clearing Away the Rubbish, Minstral, 1988, ISBN 1854240250, page 142 (pictured at right). A poem about not being at home with each other. Story: Sharing the Gospel Found at the following address: http://pietist.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_archive.html Type the name of the author, Cecil Northcott, into Find to find the story. Response Activity: Give each person a small folded card (six fitted on an A4 for me) with two empty frames printed on the inside. Reassure everybody that this is an activity between themselves and God - that no one will see what they write or draw. Ask people to write or draw their public image in the left hand frame, and the real person in the right hand frame. Play some nice thinking music while they are doing this. To conclude, either pray a prayer about committing/giving all of ourselves to God and/or challenge people to put their cards in with their offering as an act of commitment. NB. Sorry there's not as much stuff here this week - I am to be ordained next Sunday so my head is in another place entirely :-)

Proper 23 A (October 12): The invitation

There is an 2023 updated version of this post - see archive at left.

Bible Readings: Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14 

Theme: The Invitation 

  About the image: Microsoft free clipart with my text. 

  Listening Song: Douchas (Hope) By The Crossing on their album, Douchas (pictured at left). 

  Group Activity: Matthew 22:1-14 Give everyone a copy of the gospel reading. Divide the congregation into six groups. Give each of the groups a character or a group of characters out of the Matthew story: the king, the son, the servants, the first guests, the second guests, the people who were not dressed properly. Give each group the same questions to discuss: 1. Who are you? (just to make sure everybody in the group is on the same page) 2. What part do you play in the story? 3. Who do you think you might represent? 4. Why do you do what you do in the story? 5. How do you think you might feel about what happens in the story? N.B. If you have heaps of people you may have to have multiples of each group. Film Clip: Meet the Parents This clip is found around 25 minutes into the film when Jack (father) asks Greg to say grace. Discussion: Meet the Parents 1. Why do you think that Greg is uncomfortable praying? 2. What does it mean to be religious? 3. What does it mean to have a relationship with God? 4. What is the difference between the two? Drama: The Mystery of the Missing Athletes Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916, page 58 (pictured in an earlier blog). This is the gospel story with athletes instead of wedding guests. Drama: The Feast Found in Let's Make a Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 20 (pictured in an earlier blog). This is a conversation between two of the king's servants. Story: Choosing Mary In Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Youth Specialties, 1994, page 64 (pictured in an earlier blog). This story works on the idea that God chooses/invites us. Prayer for Others: Ask everyone to think of a person or a place that God wants to invite to his party. Then have a time of silence when people can pray for that person or place. Adult Response: Change Screen the words of the poem Change by Charles Singer. I found it in in Imaging the Word Volume 3 by Susan A Blain, Sharon Iverson Gouwens, Catherine O'Callagan and Grant Spradling, (Eds.), United Church Press, 1996, ISBN 0829801862, page 49 (pictured in an earlier blog). I put images with each line and played reflective music in the background. I used Missing by Vangelis on his album, Odyssey for the music (pictured at left). Towards the end, I projected the following words: "Which piece of clothing do you have in short supply?" and passed around cards with the various lines from the poem printed on them. People were asked to take the card they needed the most. This was followed by a time of silent prayer.