May 2021
May 2021
Exile and Prophets – Isaiah and Hezekiah
Gather
Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the Eastertide (white or gold) cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light candle.
Opening responses
If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following:
We take out the Bible
– and think about God the Father
We take out the cross
– and think about God’s Son, Jesus
We light the candle
– and think about God, the Holy Spirit
Today we are moving to a new book in God’s big story – the Book of Isaiah.
If you are using this for class worship – take out the items in the box (see notes for the teacher) and place them in the centre
Big question – looking at the clues in the box, I wonder what our story might be about today?
Make connections
Isaiah was a prophet. You can use the ear and speech bubble and ask pupils to remind what a prophet is. A prophet is someone chosen by God to speak for God. Prophets listen to God and pass on his messages to others. In today’s story Isaiah has a message from God for the King Hezekiah.
Engage
Read Isaiah 38: 1-8
The Lion Storyteller Bible – Hezekiah trusts God
You can use the items in the box to help tell the story.
A brief overview for the teacher
Hezekiah was king of Judah and a faithful worshipper of God. His tiny nation was threatened by many enemies, but God chose to protect his people from invading armies. The king had restored the worship of the God of his ancestors and his reign was likened to the golden age of David and Solomon. When Hezekiah became seriously ill Isaiah, God’s messenger, warned that he was close to death, but Hezekiah called on God to heal him and continue to protect the nation. God caused a shadow to move back up the steps as a sign that he would answer Hezekiah’s prayer. Three days later the king was up and about, and attending services at the Temple. Although Hezekiah lived for another fifteen years and his nation was preserved, Isaiah warned that the riches of the city would one day be plundered and many of its citizens would be exiled to Babylon.
Wondering questions
- I wonder what part of the story you liked best?
- I wonder what part of the story was the most important?
- I wonder how Hezekiah felt when Isaiah delivered his first message?
- I wonder how Hezekiah felt when Isaiah delivered his second message?
Respond
Reflection activity :
TRUST hand prayer (download)
Encourage pupils to look at their hand and give them an opportunity to reflect or pray for each of the five themes
T say a thank you prayer for the people we have in our life that we trust to help us
R say a prayer to remember people we know who need our help
U say a prayer to for someone we know who is unwell
S say a prayer about something we would like to say sorry about.
T invite pupils to put their thumbs up. Thank you God for listening to our thoughts or prayers.
Send
Encourage pupils to take their hand prayer and use it through the week as a reminder to reflect or pray about the themes. You could put some blank hand outlines in your reflection area for pupils to use and post their prayers or reflections into a reflection box.
Notes for the Teacher
In the collective worship box each week
- Cloth using the seasonal colour of the Church’s year (this week is white or gold)
- Bible
- Cross
- Candle
For this week – some footprints, a crown and an ear and speech bubble
You could also use a torch to create shadows
Making links
This connects with the concept of the People of God and panel 3 of the Understanding Christianity frieze you could include the people of God concept symbol in your box.
Digging deeper and learning more
Although the kingdom of Israel had been absorbed into the Assyrian Empire Judah remained an independent nation. Hezekiah, king of Judah, was a faithful worshipper of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, though his tiny nation was threatened by many enemies God chose to protect his people from invasion. The king had restored the worship of the God of his ancestors and rid the nation of foreign worship places. His reign was likened to the golden age of David and Solomon, no other king of Judah was like him. When Hezekiah became seriously ill Isaiah, God’s messenger, warned that he was close to death, but Hezekiah called on God to heal him and continue to protect the nation. Three days later the king was up and about and attending services at the Temple church. Although Hezekiah lived for another fifteen years and his nation was preserved Isaiah warned that the riches of the city would be plundered and many of its citizens would be exiled to Babylon.
Christian Aid Week
Notes for the Teacher
This week we are encouraging schools to focus on climate justice and creation as part of Christian Aid week.
A resource pack including a collective worship can be found here:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/J227153%20Letters%20for%20creation%20resource.pdf
We are also encouraging our schools to take part in Letters for creation. This is a project that invites children to tell the people in charge what they think about climate change and how they need to look after our world. Christian Aid will share these letters with some leaders and make sure that children and young people’s voices are heard. Pupil’s letters could be in any form: written word, art, song, rap, poetry or prayer.
Go to the letters for creation webpage:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/get-involved/schools/letters-creation https://www.churchofengland.org/about/policy-and-thinking/our-views/environment-and-climate-change/creationtide/get-your-voice and find out about the project and the challenge.
There is also a series of reflection area resources for Christian Aid week written in partnership with Prayer Spaces in Schools. You can download the activities here:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/get-involved/schools/prayer-spaces-schools
Exile and Prophets – Jeremiah
Gather
Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the Eastertide (white or gold) cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light candle.
Opening responses
If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following:
We take out the Bible And think about God the Father
We take out the cross
And think about God’s son, Jesus
We light the candle
And think about God , the Holy Spirit
Today we are moving to a new book in God’s big story – the Book of Jeremiah
If you are using this for class worship – take out the items in the box (see notes for the teacher) and place them in the centre
Big question – looking at the clues in the box, I wonder what our story might be about today?
Make connections
Jeremiah was a prophet. You can use the ear and speech bubble and ask pupils to remember what a prophet is. A prophet is someone chosen by God to speak for God. Prophets listen to God and pass on his messages to others. In today’s story Jeremiah’s message from God led to a bad King putting Jeremiah down a well!
Engage
Read Jeremiah 38
The Lion Storyteller Bible – Down in the Well
You can use the items in the box to help tell the story.
A brief overview for the teacher
Jeremiah lived through the reigns of five kings of Judah. His repeated message was that God would punish the kingdom through defeat in battle and their independent nation would be absorbed into the mighty Babylonian empire. Understandably this was not a popular message and he was treated as a traitor. The bad king, Zedekiah, allowed Jeremiah’s enemies to imprison him in an empty well full of mud. You can imagine the conditions that Jeremiah found himself in, simply for warning people that God was going to punish their failure to follow his way. Eventually Jeremiah was lifted out of the pit, a task that apparently required thirty men and the king asked his advice. Faced with inevitable defeat Jeremiah advised surrender, but this was not an option. Consequently when Nebuchadnezzar and his conquering army arrived the city was destroyed as God had warned, but Jeremiah was protected from harm.
Wondering questions
- I wonder what part of the story you liked best?
- I wonder what part of the story was the most important?
- I wonder how Jeremiah felt down at the bottom of the well?
- I wonder how Jeremiah felt when he heard Ehed-Melech’s voice?
- I wonder if there is a time you have been a helping hand to others?
Respond
Reflection activity :
Helping Hands
Give out an outline of a hand to every pupil (download)
Encourage them to think about how they can be a helping hand to others. Pupils could write the name of someone they want to help this week with an action or intention on the hand. Display the hands in your reflection area as a reminder through the week.
Send
Prayer
Dear God
Thank you for the Story of Jeremiah and Ehed-Melech and what it teaches us about persevering at the right thing and being a helping hand to others. Help us to show courage, be brave and be a helping hand to those around us this week. Help us to do this even when it is difficult. Amen
Notes for the Teacher
In the collective worship box each week
- Cloth using the seasonal colour of the Church’s year (this week is white or gold)
- Bible
- Cross
- Candle
For this week – an ear and speech bubble, a plastic spider, some clothes tied like a rope.
Making links
This connects with the concept of the People of God and panel 3 of the Understanding Christianity frieze you could include the people of God concept symbol in your box.
Further resources
You can use pages 28-31 of Bible Infographics for kids to show the different kings and where the prophets fit in
Digging deeper and learning more
The prophet Jeremiah was active through the reign of five kings of Judah, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. He repeatedly warned of impending disaster unless the nation returned to the morality of the ten commandments. Unlike many of his contemporaries, the prophet used performance art as well as dictating his God-given message. One of his most compelling images is that of God the potter who shapes and reshapes clay until satisfied. The prophetic warnings went unheeded by successive monarchs, despite being told that defeat would also mean seventy years of exile. When Zedekiah ordered Jeremiah to be thrown into a disused well it was hoped that he would be smothered by the thick mud which lay at the bottom. Relenting the king ordered that Jeremiah be hauled out of the miry pit, a task that took thirty men, but he remained a prisoner. Jerusalem was finally captured by the Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar, resulting in the exile of many citizens. Jeremiah however was allowed to remain together with the poorest people.
Exile and Prophets – Daniel and the Fiery Furnace
Gather
Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the Eastertide (white or gold) cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light candle.
Opening responses
If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following:
We take out the Bible And think about God the Father
We take out the cross
And think about God’s son, Jesus
We light the candle
And think about God , the Holy Spirit
Today we are moving to a new book in God’s big story – the Book of Daniel
If you are using this for class worship – take out the items in the box (see notes for the teacher) and place them in the centre
Big question – looking at the clues in the box, I wonder what our story might be about today?
Make connections
Daniel was a prophet. Although we are looking at a story from the book of Daniel today our focus isn’t on Daniel but on three of his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel and his friends were in Exile ( this means they were living in captivity away from their home country) Like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego worshipped the one true God and were faced with a King who wanted them to worship a false God
Engage
Read Daniel 3
The Lion Storyteller Bible –the men who liked to say no
You can use the items in the box to help tell the story.
A brief overview for the teacher
Judah was defeated and its people taken off to Babylon, but Nebuchadnezzar was wise enough to use any with talents and skills and happily accepted them in his service. He did have one weakness, pride, and wanted to show off his power. He ordered the construction of a huge statue, covered in gold; an image of himself. When the day of its unveiling came all the rulers, administrators and officials were drafted in to watch. The order was given that when the palace band began to play everyone, without exception, was to bow down in worship of the monarch. Three men of Judah stood upright, and when challenged they announced that they worshipped God alone, and whatever happened that would never change. Understandably Nebuchadnezzar was furious with them and demanded that they be thrown into a fierce fire. God protected them, and
Nebuchadnezzar realised that he was perhaps not as powerful as he thought.
Wondering questions
- I wonder what part of the story you liked best?
- I wonder what part of the story was the most important?
- I wonder how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego felt when they were asked to bow down to the statue?
- I wonder how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego felt when they were ordered to the furnace?
- I wonder who the fourth person in the furnace was?
- I wonder what this story teaches us?
Respond
Reflection activity :
Have a basket or container next to the cross in your reflection area. Give every pupil a pebble. Encourage everyone to sit quietly and think about something they need courage for this week. You can connect back to last week and their boats where they wrote about courage to do the right thing.
After a short time of quiet encourage pupils to place their pebble in the basket as a reminder this week of showing courage.
Send
Prayer
Dear God
Thank you for the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Loving God, Just as they did, help us to stand up for what is good and right. Help us to do it even when it is difficult. Thank you for the people in our lives that encourage us and help us to do the right thing. Amen
Notes for the Teacher
In the collective worship box each week
- Cloth using the seasonal colour of the Church’s year (this week is white or gold)
- Bible
- Cross
- Candle
For this week – a toy trumpet, a picture of a golden statue, the word NO, some flames,
Making links
This connects with the concept of the People of God and panel 3 of the Understanding Christianity frieze you could include the people of God concept symbol in your box.
Further resources
There is further information about the book of Daniel in Bible Infographics for Kids pages 28-29
Digging deeper and learning more
Set in Babylon during the seventy-year exile, the Book of Daniel is a complex mix of narrative and prophetic vision; in it we encounter exiled Jews undertaking significant administrative roles and despotic rulers behaving out of character. Nebuchadnezzar, conqueror of Judah wanting to show off his power ordered the construction of a huge statue of himself, covered in gold. When the day of its unveiling came all the rulers, administrators and officials were drafted in to watch. The order was given that as the royal orchestra began to play everyone, without exception, was to bow down to worship the monarch. Three men of Judah stood upright, and when challenged they announced that they worshipped God alone, and whatever happened that would never change; despite being offered a second chance they were adamant. Understandably Nebuchadnezzar was furious with them instructing that they be thrown into a super-heated furnace. Under the protection of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob they survived, giving the king cause to reflect on what he had witnessed.
Pentecost
We are encouraging schools to use the Pentecost collective worship materials
from the Church of England Education office
You can download them here (scroll to the bottom of the page):
https://www.churchofengland.
Exile and Prophets – Jonah
Gather
Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the Eastertide (white or gold) cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light candle.
Opening responses
If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following:
We take out the Bible And think about God the Father
We take out the cross
And think about God’s son, Jesus
We light the candle
And think about God, the Holy Spirit
Today we are moving to a new book in God’s big story – the Book of Jonah
If you are using this for class worship – take out the items in the box (see notes for the teacher) and place them in the centre
Big question – looking at the clues in the box, I wonder what our story might be about today?
Make connections
Have you ever been asked to do something you really didn’t want to do? Have you struggled to do the right thing? . . . Jonah is a prophet. Can anyone remember what a prophet is? (use your ear and speech bubble as a reminder) Well in today’s story God asked Jonah to do something and Jonah decided to ignore God . . .
Engage
Read Jonah
The Lion Storyteller Bible – Jonah the Groaner
You can use the items in the box to help tell the story. You could encourage pupils to make actions for the waves and make a groan every time it mentions ‘Jonah the Groaner’
A brief overview for the teacher
God’s concern is for everyone, but when God told Jonah to travel to the great city of Nineveh and urge them to change their ways he chose not to. Instead he set off in the opposite direction, taking a boat to get as far away as possible. When a wild storm blew up the superstitious sailors decided that it was all Jonah’s fault and threw him into the raging waves. A very large passing fish rescued the reluctant prophet and days later dumped him on the beach. Jonah admitted defeat and walked through the Nineveh warning people that if they did not change, punishment would follow. Prophets were accustomed to being ignored and Jonah was no exception, so he waited to see what would happen. To his great annoyance, the people took notice of his warning and changed the way that they lived.
Wondering questions
I wonder what part of the story you liked best?
I wonder what part of the story was the most important?
I wonder how Jonah felt when God asked him to go to Nineveh?
I wonder why Jonah decided to run away?
I wonder how Jonah felt when he was on the boat?
I wonder how Jonah felt when he was in the belly of the big fish?
I wonder if you were Jonah what would you do?
Respond
Reflection activity :
Give a few moments of quiet reflection or talking partners for the following questions:
Have you ever been asked to do something you really didn’t want to do? Have you struggled to do the right thing? . . . Is there a time when you showed courage and said sorry even when it was difficult?
Send
There are two activities this week
Sorry Strings – cardboard, pegs and string are required
We get things wrong. Sometimes we do and say things that hurt other people; Saying sorry is admitting that you are wrong and that you want things right again. Do you need to say sorry for something? If you want to, write or draw a sorry thought or prayer and peg it up; don’t use any names
Showing Courage – outline of a boat (Jonah & Boat picture)
Give each pupil an outline of a boat and encourage them to write or draw how they might be courageous and do the right thing this week
Notes for the Teacher
In the collective worship box each week
- Cloth using the seasonal colour of the Church’s year (this week is white or gold)
- Bible
- Cross
- Candle
For this week – an ear, a speech bubble, a boat some blue cloth for the sea, a picture of a big fish (the Bible doesn’t actually mention a whale!)
Making links
This connects with the concept of the People of God and panel 3 of the Understanding Christianity frieze you could include the people of God concept symbol in your box.
Further resources
Here is a video version of the story you could use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOSadLyqshg
You could also use The Rhyming Bible – Swallowed
Digging deeper and learning more
Although prophets could expect to be badly treated as they shared their message from God, few balked at the task. Jonah was the exception. Instructed by God to warn the inhabitants of Nineveh about impending judgement and punishment, not only did Jonah refuse, but set off by boat in the opposite direction. When a fierce storm blew up the superstitious sailors blamed Jonah, electing to throw him into the sea, immediately the storm eased. The narrative describes how Jonah was rescued by a big fish and three days later deposited on the shore. Chastened, he travelled through the city warning people that the threat of disaster hung over them. When the king heard the warning. he took it seriously, ordering the population to stop doing evil and not to harm others, in the hope that they might escape judgement. Everyone immediately changed their behaviour, thus avoiding the threatened punishment. Jonah however was angry at this and had to be reminded that the God of Abraham Isaac cared for all, not just his chosen people.