5th Sunday of Easter. John 14:1-14
3-7year olds
1. Opening Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, you are leading us to your Father, help us to follow you every day. Amen"
2. Let's talk about the way to our church. Which buildings are on our way to St Mary's church? When do we turn left and when do we turn right? When do we cross the road? What do we do when we cross the road?
3. Jesus is the WAY to his Father and happiness. Jesus knows His Father. Do we know our parents and siblings?
4. Games: what is my Mum's favourite colour? What is my sister's/brother's favourite cake? What is my dad's hobby? We know each other, because we live together and love one another, the same is with Jesus and his Father.
5. Prayers:
- let's pray for all people who search for God
- let's pray for all children, especially for those who are not well
- let's pray for our teachers and our schools
- let's pray for our families with names.
- let's pray that we may follow Jesus every day.
6. Activity: follow the path below!
8years +
1. Opening prayer: "Lord Jesus, you remind us today that we should trust you in all situations. Help us to to be your faithful friends in our daily life. Amen"
2. Reading of the Gospel of John, 14.1-14.
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Jesus the Way to the Father
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
The opening verses are about trust. Let's explore this attitude.
- who do we trust among people? Our teachers? Our GP? The pilot on the plane... We trust many people in our life and we take trust for granted (nobody is asking the pilot on the plane to show his or her certificate of graduation). What does it mean to trust to a person? Are there any conditions or limits?
- we trust signposts: e.g. speed limit or one-way traffic. Nobody is arguing with the signs.
- we trust symbols: green light we can cross the road... we don't cross when is the red light, why?
3. Today we are called to trust Jesus as he knows the way to his Father. What helps me to trust Jesus? Prayers? Stories from the Scriptures? Personal experience? Trust Jesus means also WORRY LESS! He is our guide, leader, with Jesus, we will find the way to God
4. Watch this video:
5. Prayers: let's pray for deeper understanding of Jesus' presence in our current situation. Let's remember all whom we love, people who are our teachers, Doctors, police men and women, key workers.
Let's pray for people who are homeless and all charities trying to help them.
Let's pray for elderly people, especially in our church at St Mary's.
Let's also pray for all who are refugees in refuge camps and those who care for them.
5. We conclude with the Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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