Outline act of worship for all ages

Risky business!

• Divide your group into two teams, and ask each team to provide five volunteers. Only now tell people that the game is ‘Risk it for a biscuit’! Ask one volunteer from each side to come forward for their challenge; if they take it on, they get a biscuit (or similar). Afterwards, ask the volunteers how they felt doing the challenges –was it worth the risk?
• Set challenges appropriate to your context and the age of the person, but here are some examples: drink a cup of water from the back of the cup –no hands; hop around the building on one leg; name the books of the Bible; eat a doughnut without licking your lips; sing a verse of a nursery rhyme.
• Ask everyone to think about a time when they were faced with doing something risky. Did they do it? How did that make them feel? Who has done something risky this week? In today’s worship we explore the risks and opportunities involved in sharing our faith.

First impressions

You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.

Click on the image to view a larger version or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images. For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.

Questions

• What is about to happen here? 
• What aspects of the Gospel message would you want to ‘shout from the rooftops?’
• Does fear stop us from sharing our faith? What does God have to say about this?

Jeremiah 20:7-13

Display an image of a burning fire in the background as the following monologue, a version of Jeremiah’s words, is read.

Oh Lord, where are you?
Why have you tricked me?
Why have you abandoned me?
I’m done, I can’t do this anymore!
I am tired and weary.
All day long they laugh at me and call me names!
They hate me, God, they hate me!
It’s too much, God, I can’t do this anymore!
This prophet life is so hard,
Full of twists and turns
Risks and more risks.
I AM DONE!
Oh! But oh no!
There is a fire, yes, a fire burning in my soul,
it’s shut up in my bones (whatever that means?!)
Even if I don’t want to talk about you, Lord,
It’s there in me,
Bursting to get out. I cannot contain it.
My friends are waiting for me to fall and stumble
But you, God, you are with me.
You are holding me up and my friends will not win.
You, God, you will WIN.
I am singing to you, Lord, all day long.
You have delivered me and the needy
From the hands of those who hate us.
I will sing to you, Lord, even though sometimes it’s hard.

Matthew 10:24-39

In the Polish chapel at the third station of the cross in the Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem, there is a painting of Jesus’ followers taking up their crosses behind a ghostly figure of Jesus carrying his cross. It is a powerful image of the sacrificial and risk bearing cost of being a disciple of Jesus. Display the image to accompany the Gospel reading, along with words taken from the reading that change as the reading progresses to highlight the message: ‘What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light’, ‘Do not think I have come to bring peace’, ‘Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me’, ‘Those who lose their life for my sake will find it’. Allow a time of silence for reflection.

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Active worship

Share stories

Hear from those in our communities who have taken great risks

• It’s Refugee Week. Do you have any refugees in your church or your local community? If so, could you invite them to come and share something of their story, of the risks and challenges they have faced in their journey (obviously being sensitive to their situation)?
• In groups, ideally of mixed ages, discuss what stood out from what was shared. What did they have to stand up for to get to where they are now? How could your church community journey with them more closely? Are there practical things you could help with? W E A

A simple worship activity 

Explore the meaning for us of 'taking up our cross'.

• Read the following quote from Henri Nouwen: ‘Who can save a child from a burning house without taking the risk of being hurt by the flames? Who can listen to a story of loneliness and despair without taking the risk of experiencing similar pains in his own heart and even losing his precious peace of mind? In short: Who can take away suffering without entering it?’ (from The Wounded Healer).
• Play some gentle reflective music (e.g. ‘Für Alina’ by Arvo Pärt – avoid something with words, they may be distracting). Lead a time of meditation by asking the following questions. Leave a reasonable time after each one for people to reflect (up to a minute); ask the final one just as your chosen music ends, so that reflection on that question is in silence.-What does sacrificial discipleship look like for you?-When have you had to stand up for your faith?-What conflicts have you encountered with family and friends about your faith? -What risks have you taken concerning your faith?-What does taking up your cross daily look like for you?
• At the end of the reflection, encourage people to share with neighbours, or in small groups, something of what they have been thinking. And end by inviting people to pray for each other and the costs of discipleship, now and during the week ahead. Alternatively, read Psalms 3 and 23 to end. W E S A

A musical reflection

Contemplate the awesomeness of God.

• In Matthew’s Gospel, we are encouraged to tell in the light what is shared in the dark, to shout it from the rooftops. Watch the video of the song ‘Indescribable’ by Chris Tomlin and listen to the words. It may be helpful to print them out or display them.
• Ask people to ponder and then share which line of the song – or perhaps just a word or two – particularly speaks to them of the awesomeness of God? What can or do you learn from those words or phrases? W E

Make a collage

Explore what sacrifice means to us.

You will need: sheets of paper (e.g. strips of wallpaper), magazines, newspapers, scissors, glue, pens, crayons, other craft materials as available.

• Invite everyone to make a collage picture, either on their own or working with a few others (give the latter a larger sheet of paper). Use images of famous people who have led sacrificial lives, or situations that depict sacrificial acts or living, or headlines that do the same. They can add their own words and colours, etc. –whatever they are drawn to do to create something beautiful. And encourage people to put something in their collage that depicts Jesus’ sacrifice. W E S

Activity sheet 

• Place a large lit candle in the centre of the worship space.
• Give each person a small tealight. Invite them to hold it and reflect on all they have heard and explored about the cost of discipleship.
• Play or sing a song about sacrificial living – one that will be well known in your context.
• During the song, invite people to come to the central space, light their tealight and place it close to the large candle, gradually building up the shape of a cross with the large candle at its centre.
• Encourage people to see this as an act of recommitting themselves to sacrificial living. E S

Go with God 24/7

Encourage everyone to put their faith into action

Commit to praying for those with whom you shared your thoughts about what sacrificial living and discipleship is. Perhaps you could get together again with them at some point in the week? W S

Thrive

Give out the
Thrive resource to encourage
faith at home.