Respond to the Word
Activities based on Matthew 22.34-36 and 1 Thessalonians 2.1-8, including A simple worship activity for all ages
Question trap
Trap questions are a common literary device. Retell a story about a question, e.g.Rumpelstiltskin or The Hobbit (see below). Just as Jesus needed to have all his wits about him, so we sometimes need to think quickly when put on the spot. Try to identify together one good question about Christian faith, and one question that will not really lead to deeper understanding.
The story of Rumplestiltskin is widely available on the internet and in collections of folk tales. There is a beautifully illustrated version in Classic Fairy Tales, Berlie Doherty, illustrated by Jane Ray, Walker Books, 2000, ISBN 978-0744561159.
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is readily available in paperback but is probably best known among young people from the film/DVD – the scene referred to is in Part 1.
Question time!
Ask people to write a genuine question they have about faith or life on a mocked-up graffiti wall. Decorate the rest of the space with question marks and create a question mark border around it. Gather round the wall and invite one or two people to select a question, and see if you can manage to answer it together. There are no complete answers, and wonderment remains at the heart of our faith. Emphasise that this is to be done in a spirit of genuine mutual enquiry. We are not trying to catch each other out, like the Pharisees did with Jesus!
Tender and gentle among you
Display a map of your local area and, if relevant, a map of more remote places where your church supports the work of the gospel. Give everyone a few stickers and invite them to place a sticker wherever the tender, gentle work of the gospel is being practised. When your maps are complete, share again the words of today’s reading from I Thessalonians.
A simple worship activity for all ages
God asks us questions, too! Let’s answer some of them together. God asks: Are you listening? (hands on ears) Yes! God asks: Do you love me? (hands on hearts) Yes! God asks: Will you follow me? (walking on the spot) Yes! God asks: Will you stick by me? (fist in air) Yes! God asks: Do you know that I will always be with you? (raise hands) Yes! (say together, repeating the actions) We are listening. We love you. We want to follow you. We will stick by you. Thank you for being with us always!