Proper 24 B: Looking at the Bigger picture

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Bible Readings: Job 38:1-7, 34-41, Mark 10:35-45 Theme: Looking at the Bigger Picture About the photo: This is Australia Rock near Narooma in New South Wales, Australia. Unless you stand in front of the Australia shaped hole you cannot see the bigger picture -the sea beyond. From the side, one can mostly see just a rock wall. Nobody is quite sure how the hole was made but it is known that ships used to tie up here in the early days. For more info about Narooma visit www.visitnarooma.com Kid's talk: God is Here Have each letter of the words "God is Here" on separate cards and scatter them about the worship space. Get a couple of people to adlib a conversation about the whereabouts of God and their difficultly working out just where God is - especially when things go wrong. Have a third person join the conversation by noticing the scattered cards. Together, with the help of children in the congregation, sort out the cards so that they spell out the words "God is here" and then work out how these words apply to the conversation about the whereabouts of God in difficult times. Story: True Greatness Found at http://elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+4537 Story: A Lesson in Servanthood Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and Greg McKinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, Page 151 (pictured in an earlier blog). Listening Song: You Then Me by Rebecca St James on her album, God, 1996.(pictured) Quote: God does not always give us all the answers ... God gives us himself. - Frederich Buechner. Response Activity: Ask people to form inward looking circles of around eight to ten people. Tell them that each circle represents the church. Get each circle group to discuss and reform in any way and in any shape that they like in a way which they think, as a group, best represents the way the church should be. Closing Prayer: By Michel Quiost in Gentle Darkness by Rowland Croucher(Ed.), Albatross Books, 1994, ISBN 073241007X, pages 421-422. (pictured).

Proper 22 B: Sticking up for Others

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Bible readings: Psalm 26, Mark 10:2-16 Theme: Sticking up for Others About the Photo: I took this photo of my kids 20 years ago. I wanted to take a photo of Kate without the teddy bear (oddly named "Winter") and, as you can see if you look closely or click on the photo to enlarge it, her eyes filled with tears at the very thought. Jared, her big brother, flew to the defense of Winter being included and to comfort Kate. So I photographed them all :-) Listening song: People Putting People Down By Bob Dylan on his Hardest to Find album, 1996 Psalm 26: The Prayer of the Innocent Believer Often called the above name for obvious reasons - works well if you ask different people to read a verse or two each. Get them to read from where they are sitting in the congregation and choose the readers from a variety of ages and gender, different ethnic backgrounds and various disabilities etc etc. Kid's Story: Jesus loves kids I can't source the original idea for the story about James, but it pops up in various places and in various forms when Googled eg http://www.liturgiesonline.com.au where Moira Laidlaw uses it for a similar purpose. Take along a large photograph of one of your children or a child who is special to you and, if possible, take a camera and take a photo of the kids as they come and sit around the front. Discuss with them about how photographs are a good (sometimes!) record of what a person looks like. Hold up your photo - say that its not a bad likeness of the child you love. Tell them that even though the child's face is imprinted on your heart you still like to have a few photo's around as well. Then tell the following little story (from the internet). Three years old James was visiting his grandparents and he was playing in the garden just outside the back door whilst his grandmother was making tea. It was getting pretty dark and stormy and she was just going to call James indoors when there was a flash of lightning. Thinking that James would be afraid, she rushed to the back door just as he came running in, filled with excitement - "Guess what, Gran," he shouted "God just took my photo!" Well, we know that lightning is not really God taking photos of James or anyone else. Do you know why? Because God doesn't need to take our photo because God is with us all the time. And we know what God is like because we know from the Bible what Jesus is like. So, that's almost as good as a photo. And while we haven't any photos of Jesus either, we have enough words written about him to know what he was like. Tell the gospel story for today of the children coming to him. Then ask the kids to put on badges that say "I am one of God's beloved children" and if there is time and availability of badges, ask them to distribute one to every member of the congregation - alternatively, they could make the badges during the service to distribute to everyone just before the benediction. Discussion: Mark 10:13-16: Who is being hurt or put down or rejected? Who is doing the hurting? - why? How does Jesus respond to those doing the hurting? How does Jesus respond to those who have been hurt? Film Clip: A Colour Purple Show the clip where Shug Avery comes back to reconcile with her father and he walks out on her. Ask the same four questions as above replacing the word "does" with "would". Film Clip: The Preacher's Wife Show the clip where the Rev. Henry Biggs prays for help and Dudley, the angel, arrives in answer to his prayer. Unfortunately, Biggs puts the angel (God’s help) down by thinking it’s all a bit of a joke and drives off. Drama: Out of the Mouths of Babes In Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.) Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859100186, page 58 (pictured in an earlier blog) Further Discussion: Our Community What sections of our community here in .....(put in the name of your own community) do you think our church may hurt or put down or reject? How? How would Jesus respond to these sections of the community? How would Jesus respond to us? Response Activity: Give everyone a business card with a clip art drawing or sketch of two people hugging - this works best if one person is larger than the other. Also give everyone a pencil. Encourage everyone to use this card and the pencil as a conversation starter with God. Ask: Is there someone you need to reconcile with? Do you need to put your arms around someone who you have hurt? Then colour in the larger figure? Or do you need a hug this morning, do you need Jesus arms around you today? Sometimes we sit on the other side of the fence like David in Psalm 26. Sometimes it is us who are hurt, sometimes it is us who suffer some sort of put down or rejection. Then colour in the smaller figure? Either way, don't show it to anyone - it is for you and God alone. Listening song: I Am By Jill Phillips on her self titled album. I have suggested this song before but it fits beautifully as something that can be listened to either after or during the above activity. Meditation and symbolic action: Testimony and Prayer of Three Anonymous Children From Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose, 2002, ISBN 0901557642, page 111 (pictured in an earlier blog)

Proper 19 B: Wisdom's Invitation

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Bible Readings:Proverbs 1:20-33 Theme: Wisdom's Invitation Kids's Story:God's Greatness Have a quick discussion about what proverbs are and what the word "wisdom" might mean and then ask where wisdom comes from. Conclude by using Story 250 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 1993 - ISBN 0801091551 (pictured). Dramatic Illustrated reading: This can be used as an introduction to the sermon or the reading or you can use the last line as the start of a discussion. Use two readers and illustrate what they are saying either with projected images or mimes. Make sure the readers read smoothly but with enough time for people to take in the image or mime action. 1. Think for a minute about wisdom 2. And foolishness. 1. Wisdom outshines foolishness 2. As light outshines darkness 1. The wise man has his eyes in his head 2. But the foolish man walks in darkness. 1. A wise man listens to advice. 2. But the way of the fool is right in his own eyes 1. The wise man trusts God. 2. The foolish man trusts only himself and takes pleasure in his own opinion 1. The wise man quietly holds back when he is annoyed and irritated 2. The foolish man lets everybody know about it. 1. So... 2. Tell us….. Both: Where do we find true wisdom? Quote: "Wisdom consists of all God's ideas about how the world should be and how we should treat one another" - Carolyn Brown in Forbid The Not: Year B, p.151 (Thanks for the info on this quote, Sandra) Quotes, Cartoons and Film Clips: Leunig Just about anything from the pen and mind of Michael Leunig works well for this theme - particularly when you think of how we can recognise wisdom. If you don't know where to start, I suggest you look at the video Leunig Animated, Fruitcup Films, 2001 (pictured in an earlier blog) or trawl through A Common Prayer: a Cartoonist talks to God by Michael Leunig, Harper Collins, 1990 - ISBN 1863717404 (pictured). Enjoy! Listening Song; Edge of the World By Iona on their album Beyond These Shores (pictured in an earlier blog)

Proper 16 B: Grace of God or Prayer or God's Armour

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Bible Readings: Psalm 84, Ephesians 6:10-20, 1 Kings 8:1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43. Theme: Grace of God or Prayer or God's armour Resources for the Psalms Reading: Story: The Grace of God Story No 1445 in Parsons Bible Illustrator for Windows. Dramatic reading of Psalm 84: I think Rosemary Broadstoack and I wrote this one six years ago and we used three versions to do it. However if the idea is not ours, please let me know and I will duly acknowledge the source. Psalm 84 as a call to worship: The readers come from their places in the congregation. As they come to the centre front, they join in the repeated chorus stopping close to the seats: All: (repeat) Lord God all-powerful, being with you is so lovely. With everything inside me, I long to be here; 1: (moves up to the table as he/she speaks) How I love your church, God! How I like to be here! I go all weak at the very thought of it. My heart and body explode with joy when I’m with you! I want to sing. 2: (joining him/her) Even sparrows find a home here and swallows build nests here to raise their young. You bless everyone who stays close to you. 3-6: (remain near the seats) 3: How privileged are those who live in your house; 4: and they sing your praises. 2: (taking a step towards the other four and beckoning them to join him/her) Lord, Those who have tapped into your strength have got it made. The highway to heaven begins within them; a direct route to your holy presence. 1: (joins in beckoning the others forward) Come and be welcome. He will give you everything you need to come to him – food, drink, faith, strength, endurance. You will get stronger as you come nearer. Come on! As 3-6 arrive they are welcomed by 1 and 2 1 and 2: They will see God! All: Lord God all-powerful, tune in to our prayer. 2: You are the shield that protects your people. One day spent in your presence beats a thousand nights in a five star resort. 3: I’d rather scrub floors in your house, O God, than rub shoulders with the rich and famous beneath the flashing lights of greed and corruption. 4: O LORD our God, you are the sun that shines on us and the shield that keeps us safe. 5: You shower us with generosity and honour, 6: You never refuse any good thing to those who trust you. All: O LORD, ruler of all, everyone who trusts in you has got it made! (all look at each other in amazement and shout) All: We are blessed!!!!! (and run off back to their seats except 1. who hesitates) 1: Thanks God – for everything!! Bible verses from C.E.V. Living and ©2000 Nathan Nettleton www.laughingbird.net Resources for the Kings reading: Kids Story: Where Does God Live? Written by August Gold and Matthew J. Perlman, Skylight Paths Publishing, 2001.(pictured) Resources for the Ephesians Reading: Kids: Armour Drama: Be melodromatic about this one and please feel free to change to suit your congregation/culture/whatever. A person stands all alone looking a bit miserable. One at a time, six people come out of the congregation and hit him/her with a balloon while saying the words below - you could even write the words on the balloon if you like. They then stand back smirking; looking tough and unbeatable. The person who is hit flinches back each time and, each time, asks the kids to help find a piece of armour that will help him/her. When the kids find the matching piece of armour with the suitable message, he/she puts on the piece of armour, unpins the message and pricks the tough person’s balloon. The tough person shrieks, “Arrrggghhh, Curses! Foiled again!” and runs back to their seat. As the miserable person gains more and more armour and foils more and more tough balloon weilding meanies, he/she becomes increasingly more confident and relaxed and happy.

Nasty balloon weilding meanies enter and are foiled as follows:

Nasty balloon: Nobody in this group likes you. Go and play with someone else! Piece of Armour: Belt Armour message: God loves me!! Nasty balloon: Come on, let’s grab their footy. They’ll be too scared to do anything about it. Piece of Armour: breastplate Armour message: No, I‘d rather play with them than mess up their game. Nasty balloon: How dumb! Do you really go to church?? Piece of Armour: Shoes Armour message: Come with me and find out how much God loves you. Nasty balloon: Ha ha ha, I got you into trouble. Piece of Armour: Shield (umbrella) Armour message: At least God knows I was right. Nasty balloon: You can’t have any, you don’t deserve it ! Piece of Armour: helmet Armour message: God gives me heaps of great gifts. Nasty balloon: You’ll never be good enough to join our group. Piece of Armour: sword-bible Armour message: There are heaps of messages in here which tell me how special I am. Talk it through with the kids... Written by Rosemary Broadstock and Ann Scull. Story: Men Story 426 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers by Craig Brian larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 2002 Discussion questions: There is much talk in this reading of evil forces and the stuff the devil throws at us. 1.How are these forces demonstrated in our lives? 2.How do they infect our church? 3. How do they infect our community – our social and political structures? Film Clip: Romero Show the scene where Archbishop Oscar Romero goes to the village that is under martial law and confronts the soldiers who have transformed a church into a barracks - start the scene where he first arrives and end it when he is leading the service. Discussion on film Clip: How is Romero able to withstand evil with such strength? Response Activity: Project a picture of the armour complete with labels and give everybody a 1 cm or so cube of self hardening clay. Ask: I wonder if there is a piece of God’s armour that you use less than you could? A piece going rusty or a piece that until today you never knew God had given you. With the small cube of clay which you have been given, model that piece of armour and while you model, talk to God about how you can use that piece of armour better. Resources which suit all three readings above: Music video clip: My Will By dc Talk on their The Supernatural Experience video.(pictured) This song does not appear to be on any of dc Talk's cd’s. However, it is one of their best. It talks about depending on God’s strength to do the things he has called us to do and it acknowledges that our own discipline, knowledge and will may fail us from time to time but that God never will.

NB. for more info on this song and where to find it, click on the comment posted at the end of this week's blog - thanks to "anonymous" for helping me out with this.

Listening song: Breathe Your Name By Sixpence None the Richer on their album, The Best of Sixpence None the Richer or their album Divine Discontent or on the album WOW 2004.

Response Activity: As people arrive, ask them to write their name on a small square of paper - even better, make business cards with a photo or clip art of praying hands leaving enough space for people to write their name on the card. Collect all the cards. During the last hymn or song, ask some helpers (kids like to do this) to distribute the cards, making sure that no person receives a card with their own name on it and making sure that everybody receives a card. Encourage people to take home the card and pray for the person who is named on their card over the next week/month/year.

Proper 15 B: Wisdom

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Bible readings:1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14, Ephesians 5:15-20 Theme: Wisdom Story: Choosing Wisdom This story can be found in Betsy Devine and Joel E. Cohen's book, Absolute Zero Gravity, Simon & Schuster or at http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1689 Kid's Activity: Based on Ephesians 5:18b Take a large clear glass of lemonade and drop some sultanas in it. Together watch the sultanas repeatedly sink and then rise again. Discuss how the Holy Spirit is all around us,(like the lemonade around the sultanas) but we are not always aware of the Spirit’s presence. God's Spirit can lift us again and again giving us strength, courage, hope, faith etc – whatever we need to be Christians in this world. Film Clip:Stigmata Just after the scene in which Frankie discovers the third sign of the stigmata, there is a scene where the priest bumps into her in a market place. Over a coffee, the priest tells Frankie that he was an organic chemist. She asks him why he became a priest. He replies that there were "too many holes" and that the science he learnt could not explain everything. He goes on to say that the explanation he needed could only be found in God. Listening Song:Deep Calling Deep By Margaret Becker on her Grace album or on WOW 1996 (pictured) Discussion questions to get people thinking after the OT reading: What is wisdom? Can we be as wise as Solomon? How does wisdom work in the 21st century? Story: The Holy Spirit Story No 307 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers edited by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 2002. Story:Stopping at the Lights Found in 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching edited by Michael P Green, Baker Books, 2000, page 428, story no 1562 (pictured) Response Activity: Ask people to get in to groups and together write an acrostic prayer using the word "wisdom". It would be useful to have A3 or A4 sheets already brightly printed with the word. At the end of the activity display all the prayers and allow people some quiet reflective time to walk around and pray/read all the prayers.

Proper 9 B: Disciple Job Description

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Theme: Disciple Job Description Bible Readings: Mark 6:1-13, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Interesting thought: Disciples travel light, are not wet blankets and never wait until they have it "all altogether". Kid's Talk: Have someone come in dragging the biggest suitcase you can find, packed absolutely bursting to the brim with all kinds of things one may take for a trip away - make sure there is some improbable stuff such as a toaster, or a beach ball, or curtains, or a tool box or whatever. Ask the person what they are doing. They tell you that they want to go out into the world to share the good news about Jesus and so they have packed a bag ready to go. Have a conversation, with help from the kids, on what we really need and don't need in order to share the good news. Listening Song: You’re Here By Sixpence None The Richer on the CD, City on a Hill: Songs of Praise and Worship (pictured below) Film Clip: Simon Birch (pictured below) Start about 28:00 minutes in – just after Joe’s Mum gives him a new jacket. Stop at about 33:00 minutes when they walk out of the church. Discussion questions for the film clip: For what reasons do you think Simon’s Sunday school teacher said what she did? Why do you think Simon was so convinced that he could be a disciple? What kind of people does God use? Introductory Activity: Have enough paper and pencils or pens for everybody. Ask people to write, draw or doodle their reactions as you read Mark 6:1-6 from your usual church translation and then from the Message. Then either in pairs or small groups discuss the following questions: What does it feel like to be rejected? Why did the Nazareth people reject Jesus? How, even as Christians, do we sometimes reject Jesus? As an alternative way of tackling the last question you might like to project a number of example answers such "We've never done it that way before" or I'm going to shop around to see what each church has to offer me" or "We don't have the money to do that" or "If we try that, people might leave" - have about ten to fifteen pertinent to your church members - and encourage people to a) choose one that stands out to them, b) share why they think it "wet blankets" God's work in the world, and c) envite them to suggest how the statement they chose could be turned into a positive statement. Meditation: Behold the Lamb of God Found in Present on Earth by The Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild goose Publications, 2002, page 21 (pictured in an earlier blog) Story: The Bumblebee Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and Greg Mackinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, page 43 (pictured in an earlier blog). Story: The Epitaph The third illustration at http://www.preachhim.org/sevensay-3.htm . Interesting quote: "We don't need self confidence; we need God-confidence", found in How To Succeed At Being Yourself : Finding The Confidence To Fulfill Your Destiny by Joyce Meyer, Harrison House. Adult Response: Based on the Bumble bee story and the interesting thought. Have small pictures of a bumble bee for everyone with enough space for people to write a few words. Ask: what is God saying to you today: Is it to travel lightly and to trust God more? Is it to stop being a wet blanket and to start being a possibility person? Is it to get going right now as a disciple of Jesus trusting in God’s strength instead of your own? Is it a reassurance that God is giving you or is it a challenge? Write down beside the bee what you see to be your personal message from God this morning. Place it in your wallet/handbag/ purse/Bible/whatever as a reminder which you can carry with you.

Easter Day B: Jesus is the One!

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Bible Readings: Mark 16:1-8, Acts 10:42 Theme: Jesus is the One! First, a note this week on the photo:It never ceases to amaze me how new life can arise out of the devastation of an Australian bush fire. Because of the oil in our trees and the dense undergrowth, the fires can be amazingly hot and a burnt area can appear to be an absolute wasteland. However it doesn't take all that long for the bush to regenerate: Life out of death! This photo shows first growth leaves in a very burnt out area of the Australian High country. Decor and preparation: As for Good Friday - black cloth over communion table and unlit Christ candle. Get enough musical instrument eg bells, shakers, clackers etc etc. for everyone - or in a huge church, enough at least for every kid. Cheap toys are fine. Call to Worship: Project a series of pictures about Good Friday whilst playing Grace by Moby from the album Songs (pictured below). Move straight into the following Opening Drama: The Three Woman Found in Stages on the Way by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1998 (pictured in an earlier blog). As the three woman say their final lines together, "He is Risen" , project their words. Woman 1 then removes the black cloth, woman 2 lights the candle and woman 3 gives out the musical instruments and announces the first song. Then make enthusiastic music!! or Opening Drama: The Message In Lets make Another Scene 3 by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 1995, page 66 Absolution for prayer of confession and/or Passing of the Peace: This is the Good news Found in Stages on the Way, (see above) page 183. Drama: Easter Eggcitement Found in Mega Drama 1 by Verena Johnson (ed), Open Book, 2001, (pictured below) page 94. Pew and Plenary Discussion: Tell your neighbour what your best celebration ever was. Share as a congregation the age you were for this event. Just as birthdays can become a little more ordinary as we grow older I wonder if we can sometimes lose the intense meaning and significance of Easter as each year adds another celebration. Share as a congregation: what is the significance of Easter? Tell your neighbour how you think that will make a difference this week? Sermon Idea: The Visit Found in The Final Boundary by Adrain Plass, Minstral, 1987 Listening song: Beautiful Day By U2 on All That You Can’t Leave Behind Response Activity:Christ has died, Christ has risen Found in Stages on the Way (again!!), page 196. Benediction: Here are your Disciples Found in Stages on the Way (you can tell I like this book!), page 198.