Christ the King C (November 20): Servant Power

Bible readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43

About the image:
Upper Left: This image comes from www.sundaygraphx.blogspot.com. It makes a great background slide and comes in three languages: english, spanish and portuguese (I think).
Upper Right: I found this image on http://commons.wikimedia.org. It is one of the earliest photos ever taken of lightning. The copyright has expired because it was taken in 1902. As human beings we tend to think we are pretty powerful and can do/build just about anything but compared with nature's power we look a tad insignificant and compared to God's power .....well........

Middle Left: A free image from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left.

Middle Right: A free image from Cerrezo Barredo - see my link column at left.

Lower Left: Another free image from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left.

Lower Right: My image of St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne with words from the Newsboys song He Reigns. 

Kid's Story: I'm the Boss of You
Tell a story - preferably from your own life if you have one (not a life - you all have one of those - a story :) )  where you suffered some sort of bullying as a child or a situation where another child took an unfair advantage of you....an "I'm the boss of you" sort of story. Use this to lead into a discussion of good and bad power and how we recognise and deal with both sorts of power.

Listening Song: Boss Of Me
By They Might Be Giants on their album, Malcolm in the Middle (pictured at left). This song relates to the activity above but it is also a good song to introduce a discussion/sermon/whatever on the type of power which necessitates that there is always a winner and a loser. You can compare this sort of power with God's power where everybody ends up a winner.

Listening Song: Thief
By Third Day on their album, Third Day (pictured at right). This song gives an interesting take on the Luke 23 reading.

Listening Song: He Reigns
By the Newsboys and found on their album, Adoration (pictured at left), Sparrow Records. This goes well with the Colossians reading.

Film Clip: Ben Hur

The last scene, where Jesus' blood trickles down the cross and mixes with the rain in a puddle, which runs down to a creek, and then to a river and then out to sea, is a good example of the implications of Jesus' death and kingship.

You probably only need the first minute of this clip.

Prayer: Christ the King Prayer

Found in Seasons of Celebration: Prayers, Plays and Projects for the Church Year by Patricia Mathson, Ave Marie Press, 1995, ISBN 0877935661, page 162 (pictured at right).

Responsive Reading: Colossians 1:15-20
Use two versions of this reading - (I used NRSV and Laughing Bird) and have the congregation read it verse by verse, translation by translation, to each other as you would in a normal responsive reading.

Introductory Activity: What Sort of King Was Jesus?
Have as many pictures as you can find of Jesus and pin them up all over the worship space. In one church, I pinned them to the end of each pew, at another I put them on the walls and at yet another i spread them out on the floor around the communion table. Ask people to walk all around and look at them all. After a few minutes ask people to stand near the one that they like the most and ask them to talk to anybody else who likes the same picture. depending on the size of your congregation, you may alternatively ask everybody to share why they chose a particular picture.

Word Association Game:
Read out a list of kingly qualities (eg power, justice, ruler etc) and ask people to write the first word that comes into their heads each time. Then read out a list of words describing Jesus and his death (eg cross, servant, death etc) and ask people to do the same again. This is a game that will lead well into the anticipated style of King people thought Jesus should have been and what he was actually like.

Drama: Guides for all Occasions
Found in Mega Drama 6 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book Publishers, 2002, ISBN 0859109208, page 13 (pictured at left). This drama is based on Colossians 1:13,14.

Story: Stronger Than Hatred
Found in The New Century Version Youth Bible, Word, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 191 (pictured at right). This is a story about God's power.

Story: Lasting Impact
Found in The New Century Version Youth Bible, Word, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 1054 (pictured at right). This story is based on the Luke 23 reading.

Story: Do Something
Found in Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks Book 4 by Wayne Rice, Zondervan, 2001, ISBN 0310236193, page 45. (pictured at left). This is story about God's power realised in us.

Response Activity: Praying With Icons
Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 58. I adapted this slightly by having numerous and various business size pictures of Jesus available at the start of the service for people to choose from. This meant that everyone for the duration of the service, and not just for this activity, had a small picture to hold on to. It also meant that they could repeat the activity again at home if they wanted to.

Poem and prayer: this king

Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 185 (pictured at left). These are based on the gospel reading.

Prayer Exercise: Praying with Icons

Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 58 (pictured above).  This is based on the Colossians reading.

Also:

Meditation: Confession

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 46 (pictured at left). This goes well with the gospel reading.

Meditation: Bearing the Cross 1

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 47 (pictured at left). 

Prayer Exercise: A Life of Prayer Requires Discipline

Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 22 (pictured above).  This is based on the Psalm.

Kids: The Way of the Cross 

This is another brilliant book by Andrew McDonough, Lost Sheep Resources, 2018. This goes with the Gospel reading.  The great thing about these books is that they only around $A7 and for a further $A10 (or instead of) you can buy online the story in any format you need to project the pictures in church.  There are also free activity sheets and for a cost activity books for both teachers and children.  Visit www.lostsheep.com.au to check out all the excellent resources.

Hope Beyond Death

Found in Party On Together by Beth Barnett and Dr Keith Dyer, Scripture Union, 2010, page 110. 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. 

New Life in Jesus

Found in Lucy Moore, Messy Church, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 978 1 84101 503 3, page 158ff. This fits with the Luke reading.

Prayer: An Easter Offering

Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 39 and based on the Luke reading.

Prayer: Reminders

Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 47 and based on the Luke reading.

Big Crosses, Little Crosses

Found in Making the Sign of the Cross: a creative resource for seasonal worship , retreats and quiet days by Janet Hodgson, Canterbury Press, 2010, pages 43-46 and based on the Colossians reading.