Adult & All Age
Make a jigsaw of your congregation!
For this, you will need to do the following in advance: take a photo of your congregation, and make a jigsaw of it on a computer. As the congregation gathers, play the ‘scrambling’ of the pieces and their ‘restoration’ on a loop. On the fully restored slide, superimpose the words, ‘When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion...’
You might like to listen to Psalm 126 sung in Hebrew, the language in which it was composed. There are two links to recordings in the Further Resources section.
In those special moments...
In those special moments when we know that God is close to us, it is as though everything comes together in a dream. Today in Psalm 126 we encounter the attempt of the psalmist to express those moments of awareness, when everything seems right.
As we gather before you, Lord
As we gather before you, Lord,
help us to remember
the things you have restored in our lives.
We bring before you all situations when
circumstances, fortunes and relationships have been restored,
and we praise you.
Amen.
How glad we are that we are here today
How glad we are that we are here today with our friends to learn more about you, Lord.
We are glad to be able to celebrate all you have done for us.
Amen.
Children & Young People
Decorate the room for a celebration
Decorate the room as if you were celebrating something. You could use flags, bunting, banners, streamers or balloons. As the group arrives, play some joyful music.
Play a simple memory game
Play a simple memory game by placing a selection of party items (e.g. party popper, blowout, rattle, whistle, confetti, candle, badge, bubbles) on a tray. Give the children 60 seconds to memorise the items. Out of sight, remove one item then ask the children to guess what is missing.