Sitting in different chairs, joining in at different times throughout the day, God’s people still gather for worship on this, the Lord’s day. Welcome, to Sunday worship.
Call to Worship to say aloud
God of all places,
as Jesus called his followers to the Way,
walk with us,
receive our reluctance to give our full attention,
receive our hopes and our worship.
HYMN When the Music Fades
All-Age Prayer
Loving God,
we do not always know
what the right thing to do is,
we do not always know what
you want from us,
but we know that
as long as we love you,
and love each other,
we will be following
your Way.
Your words can be confusing,
they can be hopeful,
they can be happy,
they can be sad,
but whatever they are,
whatever they mean,
we know that they
all point us towards
your love for us.
Thank you, God, for showing us
the way forward,
even though we might not be able
to see you with our eyes,
we know you
through the world, and our families,
and our church.
Amen.
Reading: John 14 v 1 -14 to read in your own bible at home
Dramatised reading:
HYMN Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus
Reflection:
Prayer of dedication:
We pray,
we ask,
we act,
we believe,
in your name, Jesus.
We come today, a people, a community,
without seeing first-hand, you the Creator,
without seeing first-hand, you the Son,
in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
gathered together in faith,
and we trust in you and in the Way.
We pray that your life will be our guide,
that we will have the courage
to follow you,
to know the way forward
through your example,
that our lives will be inspired
and led by what we know of you.
We ask for boldness,
that your love will be our standard,
that we will love in your name,
in your way,
without condition, without fear,
that we will show love to all,
in the promise of a better world.
We act, in your name.
We pray for the strength
to carry out your work
in adoration of you,
in the love of your people,
bringing your Kingdom ever closer.
We believe,
as a community gathered here,
in you,
in your life, death and resurrection,
in the love of God
and the power of the Holy Spirit.
We live our lives in this belief
and trust always in your way.
We pray,
we ask,
we act,
we believe
in your name, Jesus.
In faith we present these tokens,
these monetary offerings,
these promises of
time, talent and money,
as a sign of our commitment
to do the work of Jesus,
in the ministry and mission
of His church
today and every day.
Amen.
Sunday School activities:
“Way” craft
You will need: old street maps or downloaded printed pictures of maps, or a map you have drawn yourself, card, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, hole punch, ribbon or string.
Give the children a sheet of card and ask them to draw around their shoe or foot onto the card using pencil. Ask the children to cut out the footprint shape. Ask the children to glue a section of a street map onto the footprint and again to cut around the footprint shape. Ask the children to punch a hole at either the heel or the toe end of their footprint and then to thread ribbon through the hole so that the footprint can be hung up.
Talk with the children about a journey they make on a regular basis and a route they know well (for example, to school, to church, to grandparents’ house, to library, to shops). Talk with the children about making journeys to new places for a trip or on holiday. It might be to visit a place of interest. Do they use maps, Google maps, car sat nav, or their memories? Talk about the importance of finding the way not just once but over and over again. Talk about how Jesus helps us to find the way in life, over and over again, by showing us how to live in kindness and love.
“Show Me The Way” game
You will need: arrows on the floor or wall showing which direction to take, some areas to stop at, a dice and prepared questions on cards (the prepared questions need to be about choices to be made such as: If someone was alone in the playground what would you do? or If someone drops their books at school what would you do? In other words they should be framed so that there is a good choice that is based on a loving, generous and kind response. If they say nothing – that is wrong they go back to the start following the arrows. If they say they would go over and speak to them then they carry on. The questions should all be about good choices based on the way of Jesus.
The children take it turn to throw the dice and walk that number of steps. They keep going following the arrows until they come to a station where there is a question for them to read. If they cannot find a positive response then they take steps backwards to the start, but if they have a good response they continue on to the next question. Keep going until all the children are over the finish line.
“I am the way”: the way is about following Jesus’ example in caring and looking after each other and the environment. Re-look at the questions with the children one at a time and discuss the questions and answers more fully. We need to copy good examples in life.
CHILDREN’S HYMN – I am the Way, the Truth and the Life
Prayer for Others and Ourselves
Loving God,
we, gathered together,
in worship of you,
still our hearts in prayer
as we focus our minds towards
your promise of love for us.
We pray for ourselves,
for this congregation of believers,
each at a different stage of life and faith,
thriving, struggling, wondering,
hoping and trusting.
Grant us the grace to meet each person
where they are,
not where we think they should be.
We pray for our communities,
for our families, friends, children,
parents, neighbours, and enemies,
each one your child
and our sibling through the love of Christ.
Grant us the power
to love all others as you love us.
We pray for our church
and all your communities of faith.
In these challenging times
as Christianity strikes a new relevance
in many nations around the world
grant us the wisdom
to remember the purpose of your church,
not numbers, but love in your name.
We pray for our world
as the planet continues to bear the wounds
inflicted upon it by our waste,
our arrogance,
our inability to see the
beauty of your creation.
In our constant misuse
of the resources given to us,
grant us the boldness
to see the error of our ways,
to act now and live with respect in your name.
Amen.
HYMN – What a Friend we Have in Jesus
Sending
Jesus shows us the Way
and we follow.
Go!
The Way, the Truth and the Life
are there for us all! Amen.