AGE: Secondary |
THEME: Change |
AIM: |
| In the context of the end of the school year, when some students
are leaving, to encourage consideration of the fact that all things
change and move on. To reflect on the Christian belief in forgiveness and hope for the future. |
RESOURCES: |
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DEVELOPMENT: |
| This collective worship is designed to point out how easy it is for
people to resist change and how limited and prejudiced this can
make our lives become. The collective worship on 'End of Term'
shares a similar theme but develops it to look at the concept of
judgement. (Eight of the speakers are standing in a row with blindfolds on. They speak in turn, slowly and deliberately.) SPEAKER 1: Today I shall lie in bed and wallow in self-pity. SPEAKER 2: Today I will only do things that get me lots of praise and approval. SPEAKER 3: I have a right to seek revenge on people who've hurt me, so today I'll start some intricate plots against them. SPEAKER 4: My choices are limited, so I must stick rigidly to the plan I have outlined for myself. SPEAKER 5: I have a right to change people into who I want them to be. SPEAKER 6: Today I will tease someone about their worst fears. SPEAKER 7: While in conversation, I will keep adding up all the different ways other people are stupid. SPEAKER 8: Today I'm just going to act as I feel, whatever the consequences. (Pause.) SPEAKER 1: Phew, I feel better already. See you again same time tomorrow, folks. (The group start to move off in a line, with each speaker placing a hand on the shoulder of the one in front. They walk wearily, as if wearing balls and chains.) CHEERFUL PERSON: (Enters, and catches up with the last of the speakers, stopping him/her.) Hey, you were here yesterday, weren't you? SPEAKER 8: We're here every day... every day the same... it's the only fun we get... now, if you'll excuse me... CHEERFUL PERSON: No, wait a minute. You sound so unhappy and gloomy, but the sun is shining - it's a good day. Even if you can't see it you could come and talk to me! SPEAKER 8: No, sorry, you won't trick me like that. Anyway, I might hurt my eyes - it's not as if I'm blind, you know. CHEERFUL PERSON: What's the blindfold for then? SPEAKER 7: Come on, hurry up, we mustn't be late! SPEAKER 8: It's obvious isn't it? You can't trust what you see. You're a fool not to wear one if you ask me. Everybody says so. Now if you'll just excuse me... (Speaker 8 runs off after the column. Pause.) CHEERFUL PERSON: Oh well. Time to be off. (To the audience) Be sure to have a good day, whatever you're going to do! |
READING: |
| One of the reasons that so many people followed - and follow - Jesus is that he showed them how life could be changed for the better. He did this both by what he said and by what he did, healing body, mind and attitudes. Many stories from the life of Jesus would illustrate this point, but the story of the healing of the man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (Luke 6.6-10) shows, additionally, Jesus defying unhelpful, man-made laws for a greater good. |
REFLECTION / PRAYER: |
| Think about the way we approach our lives. Let us pray for the insight to be ready to change, for the courage to change what can be changed, the grace to accept what cannot be changed and the wisdom to know the difference. (This is a version of a prayer that is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, but he never claimed it himself, and it is probably from the 18th century or earlier.) |
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: |
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