All-age conversation
A way for leaders to help all ages explore the reading.
Tell this story: A man took a walk in a part of the wilds of Scotland that he had never been to before.
He had read the guidebooks and planned his route carefully. During the walk, as he prepared to climb the stile to enter a field, he met a woman walking the other way. She advised him not to cross the field because there had been a storm the previous night and the field was extra boggy. But, instead of heeding her advice, the man walked through the field, and sure enough he got stuck in the bog.
Sometimes when we are walking the wrong way, we need to listen to advice from those who have walked the path before us!
Ask if anyone has changed their behaviour as a result of what someone said to them, and is willing to share the story. You could present this as an interview with questions such as:
- What were the circumstances?
- What did you learn?
- What difference has it made to you?
What if someone tells us we have done/said something wrong, and we don’t agree – how do we react then? What might help us to decide whether something is right or wrong, or just a different way of seeing or doing? Can we – do we – welcome and work with those who see things differently from the way we do - people who believe different things, who behave differently?
You may also find this week's Sermon ideas useful.