A service to celebrate the King James Bible with all ages
Planning
2011 marks the four hundredth anniversary of the publication of what became known as the King James Version of the Bible (also known as the Authorised Version). Although it was not the first translation of the Bible into the English language, the work that led to it was carefully prepared and designed to produce a Bible that would be acceptable to Christians with many different views in post-Reformation Britain.
Prepare the space
Make a large display of different King James Bibles at the front of the church. You might invite people to bring Bibles that have belonged to their family. If a Bible has a particular story, this could be written on a piece of paper laid beside the book. As they arrive, encourage people to look at the Bibles and talk to each other about what they think of them, what seems strange, what seems attractive.
Gather
Opening words
Today we are giving thanks for an amazing gift: it has shaped not just the Church, but our history, our laws, our language and our culture. It is the gift of a Bible. It is not the first Bible in English, but one that has lasted 400 years. We will discover more about it today, thanking God not just for these words, but above all for his living word, revealed to us through Jesus.
Call to worship
The response may be accompanied by actions:
> FIRST RESPONSE: hands flat, palms up
> SECOND RESPONSE: cup hands to ears
> THIRD RESPONSE: move hands to sides of mouth.
Lord God, we praise you for your world, speaking to us of you, our Creator.
Help us to hear your word.
Lord God, we praise you for your word, speaking to us of your promise and your plan.
Help us to hear your word.
Lord God, we praise you for Jesus speaking to us of your love and salvation.
Help us to hear your word.
Today!
Today!
A prayer of confession
Based on the words of the prophet Hosea in the King James Version.
Come let us return unto the Lord:
Let us return unto the Lord.
Our goodness is as a morning cloud,
and as the early dew it goeth away.
Let us return unto the Lord.
God desireth mercy and not sacrifice.
Let us return unto the Lord.
We have dealt treacherously against the Lord.
Let us return unto the Lord.
God will heal us. He will bind us up.
He will revive us and raise us up and we shall live in his sight.
Amen.
Open the Word
A quiz
Begin with a true/false quiz. Which of the following words or phrases came into existence in the King James Version of the Bible?
Deal or no deal [F]
The skin of your teeth [T: Job 19.20]
Armoury [F]
Nimrod [T: Genesis 10.9]
Signs of the times [T: Matthew 16.3]
Chariots of fire [T: 2 Kings 6.17]
No peace for the wicked [T: Isaiah 48.22]
My brother’s keeper [T: Genesis 4.9]
The hand of history [F]
Wit’s end [F]
Double or quits [F]
Read the Word
Choose from the following Bible passages. Make sure they are each read very well. You might like to use the King James Version itself for one (or even all) of them. Make sure the reader practises: reading seventeenth-century English can be rather daunting today (and in addition the Nehemiah passage contains some tricky names). If you use more than one passage, try to use different readers for each.
Make sure you use good readers so that the Scriptures are read in an inspiring way. Don’t overlook the fact that good readers are sometimes children and young people!
- Nehemiah 8.1-8
- Psalm 19.7-14 (this might be memorised from the KJV and recited)
- 2 Timothy 3.16-17
- Luke 4.16-24
Explore the Word
When Elizabeth I died in 1603 and King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England he soon found himself the focus of pleas from people of varying religious views. He set up a conference at Hampton Court Palace to hear from all parties. One of the demands, from the Puritans, was that ‘man know God’s word without intermediaries’.
Although there were already versions of the Bible in English, King James commissioned a new translation. Work began in 1604 and 47 scholars worked on the original Hebrew and Greek writings for seven years. The result was a text that was authorised to be read in churches: no other translation might legally be read aloud during worship.
All this gives us its two names: the King James Version or the Authorised Version. The richness of the Bible’s vocabulary, not heard widely in English before, had a profound effect upon the development of the English language, introducing new words and phrases that are now commonplace. It became the most widely used version in the world.
This English translation of the Bible helped to bring the story of God’s love and promises to millions of people. It has helped people in times of sadness, encouraged them when they are frightened, advised them how to live well. Four hundred years later it is still special – and reminds us that the Bible is special. We might wonder how the story will continue into the future? How is the Bible special in your life? How might it be more special?
Respond to the Word
Remember: Invite some older people to talk about words from the KJV that have been important to them.
Learn: Learn a verse from the King James Version of the Bible, such as ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path’ (Psalm 119.105, KJV). You could create actions to help the memorising process: e.g. hold hands like a book for ‘word’, hold hand as if with a torch for ‘lamp’, make footsteps with hands for ‘feet’; flash both hands like spotlights for ‘light’ and make a winding gesture with hand sideways for ‘path’.
Make: Create a Bible page either by illustrating some well-known stories or making a compilation of lots of the verses that people find special.
Sing: Very small children might enjoy learning a very old song: ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so’. Stick to the first verse and chorus and don’t expect older children to like it! (140 in Junior Praise and can be found in many old books.)
Discuss: How helpful is it if everyone reads the same version of the Bible? Are there advantages to several translations?
Build a text: This might be a communal exercise undertaken with the whole congregation, using A4 paper, or a group exercise, undertaken with slips of paper. Choose one, two or more Bible verses and then write the individual words onto separate pieces of paper. Shuffle them and hand them to individuals or lay them around the room. Invite people to work together to find the words that make up individual verses. Suitable verses might include: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want’;’ I am the good shepherd’; ‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.’
A Bible chain prayer
Hold up the words in bold in sequence.
Translators
There are thousands of languages in our world, and still today men and women bring God’s word alive across the world. We pray for all organisations and all people involved in Bible translation.
For your word, Lord, we thank you.
Printers
Print is taken for granted now, even ignored, but people researched and planned and suffered to put God’s word into a book for all of us. We pray for publishers, for printing companies and media industries.
For your word, Lord, we thank you.
Bookshops
Without a bookshop we couldn’t buy a Bible. We pray for local Christian bookshops and for all who distribute Bibles and religious books.
For your word, Lord, we thank you.
Churches
Each week, each day God’s word is read in our churches. For centuries it was the only place it could be heard. We pray for the world, for all local churches and for our own church.
For your word, Lord, we thank you.
Readers
The Bible is given to individuals, sometimes it gathers dust, sometimes it is read. We pray for the Bible to be a living word in our lives.
For your word, Lord, we thank you. Amen.
Sending out
Stand at the door (or the front) with a very large Bible and a bowl of seeds. Invite people to collect a seed and hold it until everyone is gathered then process outside with the Bible held high.
Thank you for the gift of your Word.
May it be a seed in our lives that bears fruit.
May we spread that Word through our lives and in our community.
Thank you God.
Everyone throws their seed into the air.
Go to index of all ROOTS
Year of the Bible 2011 material