Explore the path of holy living

Gather

Prepare the space

A display of things ‘full to overflowing’: representations of food and drink – e.g. a pint glass brim-full with coloured liquid (in a bowl to catch overflows) and a plate overflowing with imitation spaghetti (yellow wool); also less obvious items – e.g. an oversized diary crammed with appointments and a head exploding with thought bubbles.

Gathering words

Today is All Saints Sunday, and we will be hearing Jesus ‘Sermon on the Plain’, which gives us a glimpse of the holy living of the saints. If we sample that kind of living, we might get a taste for it ourselves – but the question is, do we have room for the good things God offers (gesture to the overflowing display)?

Open the Word

Sermon ideas

• Which way is up? In an old experiment participants wore glasses that made the world appear upside down. After wearing these glasses for a period of time they began to see everything ‘right way up’ when wearing the glasses, and upside down when not.
• Which way up is the world? We’re used to seeing it with the north uppermost in atlases, but it could be seen differently. Talk about other things where ‘the right way’ is just ‘what we’re used to’.
• Explore how the view of being ‘blessed’ given in Luke could be described as ‘upside down’. Consider how saintly living might be sampled by putting on the ‘gospel glasses’ that give an upside down view of being blessed , and what happens if we wear them long enough.
• Talk about the kind of preparations you might make if you were moving abroad, to try and get used to the customs of the country so you would feel at home when you got there. You might try and learn and use the language and adopt aspects of the culture. Talk about what those might be, and what effect that would have on you. If you really ‘got into’ adopting aspects of your future home, what would it feel like for someone visiting you? How might you begin to view the land you were planning to leave?
• Explore how the ‘Sermon on the Plain’ gives some hints about getting ready to feel at home among the saints in God’s Kingdom, and the implications for our everyday lives in this ‘in between’ time.
• Allude to the Christmas story – ‘no room at the inn’ – and imagine other situations where a key guest might be crowded out. For example, all the wedding guests start a party in church before the bride arrives and get so carried away they don’t hear her knocking at the door.
• Explore the way Luke’s first two blessings and woes paint a picture of being too full to have room for the real treasure or the best food. Think about whether that kind of imagery can help us explore the third and fourth pairing of blessings and woes. Getting a taste of saintly living involves having space for God’s gifts and concerns in our lives.
• The ‘Golden Rule’ with which the passage ends is not unique to the gospels. Look up some other examples via the internet. Many of the examples from other faiths and philosophies put the rule negatively: don’t do things to others that you wouldn’t like done to you. This is often the way adults express it to children. Explore the different effects on behaviour, attitudes and feelings of expressing the rule in positive or negative form. Discuss saintly living as something we can get a feel and a taste for through positive, loving action.

All ages together

Present the reading

The ‘blessings’ and ‘woes’ are illustrated by two groups (not necessarily composed of children) and a person representing Jesus. They mime during the reading, which should be delivered from a position where the reader will not distract from the action. The reader should keep pace with the mime, pausing where necessary.

The ‘blessings’ group comprises five people. As the first two ‘blesseds’ are read (verses 20 and 21a) two of them hold their hands out, and the Jesus figure mimes filling them with extravagant abundance. At the next ‘blessed’ (verse 21b) a third individual puts their head in their hands and Jesus comforts them until they look up and smile. The fourth ‘blessed’ is represented by the remaining three from the ‘blessings’ group. As verses 22 and 23 are read, they cower as if under verbal or physical attack. Jesus moves behind them to ‘cover their backs’ and, as a parent protecting children, shepherds them away from the threat.

The ‘woes’ group can be of any number and mimes together rather than as individuals while the woes are read (verses 24-26). The group is turned inwards, intent on their activities and oblivious to anything outside their circle. At each ‘woe’ Jesus tries to offer abundant armfuls of ‘blessing’, but he can’t get into the group and is ignored. Finally he turns away and the group moves off and out of sight.

At the words, ‘But I say to you that listen’ (verse 27), Jesus approaches the ‘blessings’ group. They gather round him, perhaps sitting, to be taught. The actions described in the following verses (27b to 30) are not mimed. But as verse 31 is read, Jesus begins to exchange the Peace with the group, either using handshakes or hugs. Finally they all link arms and with happy smiles, join the congregation.
   

Explore the reading

Ask if anyone has seen the film The Poseidon Adventure. Invite the congregation to retell some memorable features of the plot, or outline the key points for them. Focus on the fact that a great wave knocked the ship over so that it was floating upside down. The survivors had to choose which direction to attempt their escape. Some thought they should head for the deck, forgetting this would take them deeper under water. The course that led to their eventual escape was to go towards the ‘bottom’ of the ship. On the way they met another party mistakenly heading towards the bows rather than the thinner-plated stern, but could not dissuade them from their mistake. (You might mention it was a young person who pointed out the hull would be thinnest at the stern!)

Sometimes it can be lonely ‘standing out from the crowd’. If you used the mime, remind the congregation of the image of the ‘in crowd’ who were too busy to notice Jesus offering them something different. Ask the congregation what Jesus might have been offering in the mime picture. Verse 23 talks about being ‘excluded … on account of the Son of Man’. Ask for suggestions as to what that means and whether anyone has had experience of feeling excluded in this way.

Today is All Saints Sunday – an indication that there is another ‘in crowd’ to be in with, and that by following the ideas in the reading we can line up with the direction in which the saints are going. If you have a traditional church building, remind the congregation that ‘nave’ (the long body of the building) is said to derive from the Latin for a ship, navis. Point out that a traditional nave roof is like an upside down ship’s hull – a Poseidon reminder. One way of not feeling lonely when following Jesus is to gather together with the rest of the saints in the upside down ship of the Church.

The Poseidon Adventure, 20th Century Fox, 1972 (from the novel by Paul Gallico, 1969, published by Coward-McCann)

Prayers

A prayer for all ages together

In a world that rushes to grab what doesn’t last,
Father, help us stand still and hold out our hands
for your lasting riches, freely given.
Amen.

A way into prayer

Project an image of a rush-hour crowd. Ask the congregation to pick out a single person and bless them in God’s name.

Respond to the Word

Ideas to suit different interests, ages and learning preferences.

Doing it differently

Ask a small number of volunteers to travel from the back of the church to the front. Say, ‘Go!’ to set them off, but don’t use the word ‘race’ in your instructions. (Be mindful of safety issues, as they probably will run.) Ask the congregation who won. Point out you never said it was a race or what the rules were. Consider what other criteria for ‘winning’ there might be – most graceful movement? Ask the congregation to discuss what the ‘rules’ might be for the saints’ ‘game of life’.

A simple worship activity for all ages

It’s easy to think Luke is suggesting God wants us to be in poverty, starving, miserable and unpopular. Is that really what God wants for the saints? Instead, maybe God doesn’t want us to be so concerned with the things of this life, which don’t last, that we have no space in our hearts and minds for the things God has to offer – good things that will last for ever. Perhaps God knows that eventually we will be hungry for these things and sad without them.

Point to the visual display – things that are too full to take anything more. Open the diary and cross out some of the entries with a thick felt pen. Take scissors and snip off some of the thoughts from the head. Bail out the glass as the congregation reflect on the things they might empty from their lives to make room for God’s good things.

Send out

Live in faith

Use a sand egg timer as a focus for reflection. Every day find time to watch it emptying, and think about making time and space for God in your life.