Outline act of worship for all ages

When it’s hard to hope

• Explore together that sometimes it can be easy to hope for things, e.g. a gift at Christmas, and we can just place our hope in somebody else to do what we hope for. Sometimes it can be hard to hope for things, e.g. an ending of a war, and this may feel futile to hope for.
• Divide the room in half and invite the people on one side to think of things that are easy to hope for. Invite the people on the other side to think of things that may be hard to hope for. Share ideas with the whole group.
• Explain that in today’s readings we’ll hear about the hope that God brought to a nation of disillusioned people – people who struggled to hope, or had even lost hope, after many years of difficulty. We’ll also reflect on the hope that God gives us through Jesus.

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 are you hoping for?
• How would you like Jesus to meet with you in the coming week?
• How might you bring the hope of Jesus to others?

Isaiah 42:1-9

You will need: a list of key words in the passage displayed so that everyone can see – justice, faithfully, called, righteousness, covenant, light, new things.

• Share some of the backstory to this chapter of Isaiah. The Israelites had been living in exile, in Babylon, for several decades – a time that would have been physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging. They were a disillusioned group, far from home and lacking in hope. Then, in Isaiah 42, God speaks to the Israelites with a message full of hope.
• Explain that the passage will be read twice. During the first time, invite people to close their eyes and to listen to the hope that God gives the Israelites. During the second reading, invite people to raise their hand or stand up to show when one of the key words listed feels like it has given them hope.

Matthew 3:13-17

You will need: script below.

• Begin by saying that it can be easy to let the words of well-known Bible readings wash over us without really listening to, or reflecting on, what is happening. By encouraging people to place themselves in the reading, they may get a refreshed understanding of what God is saying to them, or to their community.
• Use the script to introduce the Bible reading and how people, at the time of Jesus’ baptism, may have been feeling. Society was divided by politics, religion, economics and race and the leaders seemed to only care about gaining power, glory and wealth for themselves. People were waiting on the promised Messiah, but at a hard time to remain hopeful.
• Invite people to listen to the reading as if they were one of the onlookers: What hope did they have before, during and after the baptism of Jesus? Invite people to share their thoughts in pairs, or small groups.

Script: It’s hard to have hope   

Setting: Jordan River, Jordan, in the early first century just before Jesus was baptized. 

Characters: Two ‘ordinary’ people living under the rule of the Roman Empire.  

Costume: Simple tunics, belts, and sandals.  

Both actors sit side by side, on chairs.  

Voice 1: It’s hard to have hope.  

Voice 2: How do you have hope when so many of us are living in poverty?  

Voice 1: It’s hard to have hope.  

Voice 2: How do you have hope when our rulers only want power and glory for themselves, and care nothing about us?  

Voice 1: It’s hard to have hope.  

Voice 2: How do you have hope when everywhere we look people are deeply divided by politics, religion and race.  

Voice 1: It’s hard to have hope.  

Voice Two stands up.  

Voice 2: And yet, there’s talk of a Messiah.  

Voice 1 stands up.  

Voice 1: God’s promised one.  

Voice 2: A King who will change everything.  

Voice 1: And so, we wait with hope.  

Voice 2: We wait with expectancy…  

Voice 1: For God to deliver us.  

Voice 2: For God to bring about change.  

Voice 1: For a fulfilment of God’s promises.  

Voice 2: For God to act.  

Voice 1: Maybe today will be the day… 

Voice 2: The day when hope is refreshed. 

Active worship

Representing refreshing E S A

Create an image of today’s theme

You will need: pictures that represent the word ‘refreshed’; paper, pens.

• Invite people, in pairs or groups, to talk about what images might represent the word ‘refreshed’. Share responses with the whole group and show some pre-prepared images, e.g. drink, deodorant, running water.
• Explain that today’s theme is ‘hope refreshed’. God provided hope to the Israelites who were in desperate need of hope. Invite people, in groups, to design a picture/logo/image to give the Israelites, and people today, ‘hope refreshed’.

Epiphany challenge
Hope for our community W E A

Throughout Epiphany, one of our weekly activities will be a social-action challenge, helping churches to think about how we can shine the light of Jesus in our communities and beyond.

You will need: example of vision boards (Pinterest; YourStory), a large piece of paper; sticky notes in three different colours, pens.

• This week’s social-action challenge looks at what hope is needed in our community and how to bring refreshed hope to others.
• Discuss that people, often at this time of year, make ‘vision boards’ – images, words and drawings to help inspire them to reach their goals or aspirations. Share an example of this. Explain that today you are going to make a giant collaborative vision board together, all about ‘hope refreshed’ in your community.
• Invite people to write or draw on their three different-coloured sticky notes and then stick them onto the large piece of paper. Colour one: What hope is found in the readings? Colour two: Who in our communities and world are in desperate need of hope refreshed? Colour three: How can we share the hope of Jesus with those people and places?

Playing our part in hope E A

Planting project to encourage action

You will need: compost, pots, seeds (ideas of what to plant). 

• Explore together that today’s messages of hope are not just delivered for those hearing it to sit back and feel ok, they are invitations to action. Hope is not just a feeling but something we need to act on and step into.
• Invite people to plant seeds today and discuss as they are doing so the hope of what is to come as they grow. However, encourage discussions around what is needed alongside that hope: care, nurture, action to ensure the growth happens – we cannot just sit back and hope they will grow.
• Find ways to build in time to care for the growing plants in the coming weeks.

A simple worship activity E S

Refreshing waters

You will need: containers of water, towels.

• Place several containers of water at different points around the room, with towels next to them for people to dry their hands afterwards.
• Invite the group to disperse and move to a container of water. Then encourage them to slowly move their hands through the refreshing water. As they do, invite people to reflect on their own baptism, or, if they haven’t been baptized, to reflect on the hope they have because of God. It may be helpful to have some quiet music playing during this time. 

Activity sheet

Go with God W E

• Re-read Isaiah 42:5-9, replacing the word ‘you’ with your church/community’s name. Invite people to listen out for one word or phrase that they will take with them into the coming week, to help them continue in hope.

Go with God 24/7

Encourage everyone to put their faith into action

When you have your first drink of water in the morning, remind yourself of the ‘new things’ promised in Isaiah and of hope refreshed through Jesus.

Thrive

Give out the
Thrive resource
to encourage
faith at home.