Proper 9 C (July 3): Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things/Travelling Light

Bible Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, Galatians 6:1-16, Luke 10:1-11,16-20.

About the images:
Upper Left: This comes from the Hermano Leon free clip art site (see my link at left) and fits in beautifully with the gospel reading.
Upper Right: This photo above was taken at 8:30 one night at a sand bagging depot for a local flood a few years back; it was freezing cold, very windy, and drizzling but this little girl begged her Mum "just one more bag" each time they finished filling one - an extraordinary effort.

Middle Left:  A free Microsoft image that exemplifies ordinary people do extraordinary things.

Middle Right: This free image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which is not up and running at the present time. 

Lower Left: Another Hermano Leon free image. 

Lower Right: Another great Cerezo Barredo free image - see my link column at left. His images are always based on the gospel reading. 

Kid's Story: Giraffes Can't Dance

By Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, Orchard Books, 2000, ISBN 1841215651 (pictured at right). a lovely story about a giraffe who thought he could not dance but learns to dance beautifully. This goes very well with the gospel reading. 

Film Clip: The Long Walk Home

(pictured at left) Miriam Thompson is a proper Southern lady, wife to a socially ambitious husband. Odessa Cotter is Miriam's black housekeeper. They both know their place - and they both speak out and change their society forever. There are heaps of good clips in this movie that exemplify ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Film Clip: Willow

(pictured at right)  Show the clip where Willow is given a job he does not think he is capable of doing.

Discussion: Willow

1. When have you felt like Willow - not up to what you think God is asking you to do?
2. What is of help when you feel like this?

Story: The Little Girl and the Piano

Found in Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Youth Specialties, 1994, ISBN 0310402611, page 143 (pictured at left). A story that shows that with help we can all do extraordinary things.

Story: Sharing Faith: Unknown Soldiers

Found in The New Century Version Youth Bible, Word, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 1022 (pictured at right). This story goes well with the Gospel reading.

Quote: Helmut Theilicke

A church is in a bad way when it banishes laughter from the sanctuary and leaves it to the cabaret, the night club and the toastmasters.

Discussion: On the 2 Kings Reading
Divide your congregation into five groups. Each group will represent one of the following characters in the story: the slave girl, Naaman's wife, Elisha's servants, Naaman, the King of Israel.
Ask each group to discuss the following questions:
1. Describe the person according to their accepted job role.
2. How has this/these persons acted out of character.

Adult Response:
I saw this done once somewhere with a business card sized sketch of a candle but I used real candles and small tubes of glitter glue which you can write with. Ask people to write on their candle the name of someone that in the world's eyes is quite insignificant but who has helped them on their faith journey. On the other side write what they think God is calling them to do despite their feelings of inadequacy.  Encourage people to take home their candles and light them regularly as an aid to prayer.

Also:

Meditation: Sharing Burdens

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 77 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Galatians reading.

Worship Activity: The Consequence of Worship

By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 83 (pictured at right).  This is based on the Galatians reading.

Kids: The Last Great Missionaries

Found in Party On Together by Beth Barnett and Dr Keith Dyer, Scripture Union, 2010, page 72 (pictured at left). This is based on the Gospel reading. This resource is also available in electronic form through the Baptist Union of Victoria website, www.buv.com.au. where it can be copied freely for non-commercial use. 

Service Outline: Harvest Gatherers

Based on gospel reading this is found in The All-Age Service Annual Volume 4, published by Scripture Union, 2010, ISBN 9781844275199, page 66 (pictured at right). 

Drama: The Case of the Missing God.
Found in Mega Drama 6 by Verena Johnson (Ed), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0 85910 920 8, page 23. This drama is based on the gospel reading.

Drama: Knock, Knock, Knocking

Found in All Age Sketches for The Christian Year by Peter Shaw, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 10 1 984101 458 3, page 155ff.  This is based on the Luke reading.

Confession

By David Slater and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 211. Based on the Galatians reading.

Proper 8 C (June 26): Memory/Discipleship/Freedom

 

Bible Readings: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62

About the images:

Upper Left: This is a Microsoft free clip art image with my text.

Upper Right: Shore lines are great examples of our call to discipleship - leaving -reaching out into new places etc. This is my image. Please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.

Middle Left: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries  which is down at the present time.

Middle Right: This is my photo - please feel free to use it for worship purposes and other related activities.
Bottom Left: This is a free image from the Hermano Leon site.  See my link column at left.

Bottom right: Fogs always make me feel like I am on the edge of the world.  This is my image (or my son's) so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities. 

Listening Song: Edge of the World

By Iona on their CD, Beyond These Shores (pictured at right). A song about discipleship.

Listening Song: Libera
By Libera on their CD, Libera. A song about God's presence (pictured at left).

Listening Song: Free
By Ginny Owens on Without Condition, 1999 or WOW 2001 ( pictured at right). A song about being free and what real freedom is.

Kid's Story: Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge
Written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas Omnibus Books, 1984, ISBN 1862913471. (pictured at left) It is about memory so goes well with Psalm 77.

Video Clip: Home Alone

(pictured at right) The scene where Kevin discovers that he is home alone - the freedom he discovers is his and his celebration of that.

Discussion: On "Home Alone".

What does freedom mean to Kevin?
What does freedom mean to you?
Does physical freedom necessarily mean true freedom? Why or why not?

Film Clip: Noelle

(pictured at left) Show the clip where the two priests discuss praying - I found this clip at Wingclips (see my links at left).

Discussion: Noelle

1.What does this clip tell us about praying, priorities, fellowship and judging others?

2. What do you think about these things?

3. What does Jesus say about these things?

Quote: Karl Barth

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.

Quote: John Ruskin

He who offers God second place offers God no place.

Drama: The Robbery

Found in Let's Make A Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 44 (pictured at right). Based on Galatians 5:22.

Discussion: On Luke reading
What are the things that distract us today from following Jesus?

Poem: When I Became a Christian

Found in Clearing Away the Rubbish by Adrian Plass, Minstral, 1989, ISBN 1854240250, page 175ff (pictured at left). A poem about discipleship. Give a copy of this poem to each person in the congregation together with a coloured pencil and encourage them to find a place by themselves to read the poem and colour over the words that mean the most to them.

Story: The Testimony of Wing Commander Edward Howell

Found in Your Point Being? by Graham H. Twelftree, Monarch Books, 2003, ISBN 1854245929, story no. 270 (pictured at right).

Adult Response:
Have enough fruit shaped lollies (candy) or stickers with fruit on them for everybody in the congregation to have one. Put them in easy reach of people but do not give them out. Ask everybody to look at the list of the fruit of the Spirit again. Ask them to chose the one from the list that they most need in their life at the moment. Read out the list one more time but with long pauses between each fruit of the Spirit. Ask people to take a fruit lolly or a sticker when you get to the one they want. Ask the rest of the congregation to pray for those people as they eat their lolly or stick their sticker somewhere obvious (lapel? forehead? cheek? whatever?)

Also:

Kids' Story: A Ring of Fiery Horses

By Mervin Marquardt, Arch Books, London, 1973, ISBN 0570060745 (pictured at left).

Poem and Prayers: Face Forward

A great prayer and collect and poem found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 163 (pictured at right). 

Adult Response: No Where To Rest

Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together: Year C by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, Adelaide, 2012, ISBN 9781921945083, page 99-101.  This is based on the gospel reading

Worship Activity: Melodramatic Reading

By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 40.  This is based on the Galatians reading.

Worship Resources: What's So Special about God's Kingdom?

Found in Multi-Sensory World by Craig Borlase, Scripture Union/Tear Fund, 2008, ISBN 9781844272662, page 18. This goes with the gospel reading.

Drama: Can't You Pick Something Easier
Found in Mega Drama 6 by Verena Johnson (Ed), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0 85910 920 8, page 64. This drama is based on the Galatians reading.

Poem: The Fruit of the Spirit
Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew, 2003, ISBN 1844170411, page 96 and based on the Galatians reading. 

Useful Stuff: Protecting Your Freedom

Found in Galatians: Experiencing Freedom in Jesus by Groups Biblesense, Group, 2007, ISBN 13 978 0 7644 3244 6, page 58

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Found in Messy Church 2 by Lucy Moore, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84101 602 3, page 183ff. This is based on the Galatians reading.

Prayer: Breathing Prayers

Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 7 and based on the Galatians reading.