AGE:
Infants and Juniors |
THEME:
Putting out into the Deep - Education Sunday
Making big changes in our lives can be exciting and challenging, dangerous - even apparently foolish. What inspires us to step out into the unknown, to take the risk? This resource was written for Education Sunday 2004. It refers to an event described in the Gospel of Luke (5:1-11) when the fishermen Peter, James and John see Jesus in a new light and decide to follow him.
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BACKGROUND: |
| The ninth Sunday before Easter is traditionally set aside by all the Christian Churches as Education Sunday. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education. Use this act of collective worship for a school-based celebration. |
PREPARATION: |
| If you decide to do a dramatised Gospel reading, choose children to read the parts of the Narrator, Jesus, Peter, James and John. |
SUGGESTED APPROACH: |
Begin by singing 'O Lord the world belongs to you' (No.39, Come and Praise One. See 'MUSIC' below for details). Each verse ends with the words 'turning the world upside down'.
The leader poses the question: 'Have you ever felt as if your world has been turned upside down?'
- Discuss what we mean by this expression.
- Can the children come up with any examples from their own experience? Some may use ideas from the song; other examples may be big life events like the birth of a new baby, moving house, changing classes in school, losing an old friend or making a new one.
- Introduce the idea that learning something new can make a big difference in your life, e.g. learning a new skill or learning something new about someone you know well. Once you have learned something, there's no going back!
Introduce the story from Luke 5:1-11. You could tell the story in your own words or use the following as a dramatized reading.
| LEADER: |
In this Bible story from the Gospel of St Luke, Jesus' friends learn more about who he really is and, as a result of this, realize that their lives will never be the same again.
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| NARRATOR: |
Many people had gathered by the lakeside to see Jesus and to hear him speak. There were so many crowds that he had to climb into one of the fishing boats and speak to the people from there. When he had finished, he sat down to talk with Peter the fisherman.
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| JESUS: |
Sail out into the deep water and cast your fishing nets there.
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| PETER: |
We were out fishing all night and we didn't catch anything. But if you say so, then I will do it.
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| NARRATOR: |
When he did what Jesus asked, he found his nets were miraculously full of fish. He caught so many the nets were beginning to break. He called to his friends James and John to help him with the catch.
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| JAMES: |
I've never seen so many fish in one catch.
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| JOHN: |
We need more help. Our boats are so full of fish, they are starting to sink.
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| NARRATOR: |
But Peter couldn't hear their voices. He was so amazed and terrified by what had just happened and by Jesus' extraordinary powers. In that moment, it was like the penny had dropped, and he realized Jesus was no ordinary man. Peter couldn't bear it. He wanted to run and hide. But now he knew so much more about Jesus that he couldn't let go. He knew he had to follow him.
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| LEADER: |
Peter, James and John brought their boats into the shore and then, leaving everything behind them, went off to follow Jesus. They knew their lives had been turned upside down by the miraculous catch of fish; things would never be the same again. |
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PRAYER: |
When we are afraid of failing, or getting things wrong
Lord, make us strong.
When we want to give up because times are hard
Lord, help us to persevere.
When we make excuses because we think we're not good enough
Lord, help us to believe in ourselves.
When our minds are closed to new ideas
Lord, surprise us.
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MUSIC: |
From Come and Praise One, pub. BBC Education, ISBN 0 563 320672:
No.15 'There are hundreds of sparrows'
No.18 'He gave me eyes so I could see'
No.33 'Praise the Lord in the rhythm of your music'
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FURTHER IDEAS TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE WEEK: |
Some ways to think about the Gospel story...
- 'Freeze frame' the main events in the story and put yourself into the shoes of each of the characters. Ask yourself, 'How are the characters feeling at this point in the story?', 'What might they have said to each other, or to Jesus?'
- Imagine you were standing on the seashore and saw this miracle taking place - how would you describe the events to a friend?
- Imagine what would have happened if the fishermen had decided not to cast their nets as Jesus commanded.
- Explore the expression 'when the penny drops'. Are there situations you can recall when you knew something for the first time?
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