Adult & All Age
Ideas for sermon preparation on John 13.31-35
- In history, when great generals won battles, the grateful nation would raise for them a tribute that would stand to their glory for ever. So, Blenheim Palace was given to the Churchill family after a victory won at the Battle of Blenheim (against the French). Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square commemorates both a British hero and a British victory. Glory is supposed to show battles won, armies commanded, triumphs, power, and the defeat of a hated enemy. But Jesus says that he is to be glorified in the place where he is shortly to go, but where the disciples can’t follow. And this glory comes not from victory, but from defeat. Not from triumph, but from his ignominious execution as a criminal.
- In John’s Gospel, we are time and time again told to follow Jesus, preferably like sheep. But now Jesus says that his disciples won’t be able to. As yet, they’re not ready to hear this. But the new commandment has a hint of the contrast with the old – instead of ‘love as you love yourself’, now it is ‘love as I have loved you’. The world still doesn’t understand this radical new commandment; it still makes no sense in human terms. The old saying that ‘charity begins at home’ is the exact opposite of Jesus’ new commandment. For charity to begin at home, it must start with me, and my own interests. Jesus instead calls his disciples to love without counting the cost, and to not worry about themselves in the process.
- The new commandment takes a long time to become embedded in the life of the disciples. Peter is still learning about what it means when he is called to Caesarea. He sees that God is working in the lives of those who call him, and he realises that the commandment to love has no boundaries, no limits, no need for us to choose who we can and can’t love.
- Through over-simplification of people’s thoughts, through misunderstanding and poor listening, through the need for drama in news programmes, soap operas and entertainment, and more, we see polarisation and hatred all around us, and an expectation that conflict can only be overcome with power, and must end in victory for one side and defeat for the other. Instead, reconciliation can happen when we put aside all of this, and try to see the world as God sees it, loving all, unconditionally. Resurrection can happen, but it often happens slowly, with long periods of seemingly no progress.
What is a more deserving cause?
Prepare a game based on the TV programme
Dragons’ Den. In advance, brief a few volunteers to be those seeking investment from the dragons. Each of them is trying to raise money for a new ministry. Choose any appropriate ministries or charity work (e.g. working with the homeless, the mentally unwell, or refugees, single parents, or the traveller community). Include a few less obvious and non-traditional (in church terms) ministries as well, perhaps with some intentional humour (e.g. ministry to the bankers who haven’t received bonuses, to retired football players, to unemployed billionaires – it could provoke an interesting discussion: what ministry do such people need?). The volunteers could be asked to research and prepare their own material, or it could be provided for them on cue cards.
Now, on the day, tell the rest of the people present that they are to be investors, and that they’ve got £100,000 to invest in a new charity. Each volunteer will give a brief ‘pitch’ (maximum of, say, two minutes), designed to get the dragons to invest in their cause. Once all pitches are delivered, invite the dragons to give opinions about the causes and pitches they have heard. What is a deserving cause? What is not? What are the real needs of those who seem not to be so deserving? How do you decide between equally deserving causes? Finally, invite the dragons to vote on who they want to give the money to.
After the game, talk about the need not to choose who to invest our time and love in, but to follow the commandment we have from Jesus to love all, and ask what that might mean for those present, and for their church – how might, or should, they be doing things differently?A circle dance, based on the song 'Caring, sharing, loving, giving ...'
In advance, rehearse a circle dance with a small group of people, using the song ‘Caring, sharing, loving, giving‘(BBP 8; CFW 448) - see instructions below). Demonstrate the dance, and then repeat it, inviting all present to join in. The song is short and simple, and the dance will not take long to learn or demonstrate.
- Gather everyone together to form a circle.
-
Each verse of the song has four ‘action verbs’ (caring, sharing, etc.), and a final line,
‘Living the Jesus way’ so ask members of the group to suggest simple actions or gestures
for each ‘action verb’. The following are only suggestions!
- Caring – place your left hand on the shoulder of the person on your left.
- Sharing – mime handing something to the person next to you
- Loving – cross your hands over your heart.
- Giving – cup hands front of you, then move hand forward in ‘giving’ gesture
And for the final ‘chorus’ line:
- Walking – one step into centre
- The Jesus – index finger touching opposite wrist in turn (this is the BSL sign for Jesus)
- Way – hands facing, but apart creating a road
- To develop this further, and to make it you own dance, write your own verses!
- Ask people to think about all the things that the disciples did, or saw Jesus doing,
as they walked and lived with Jesus, and to find a single word, like those in the song,
to express that ‘thing’. Invite them to suggest more simple actions to accompany these
new words. Here are some examples:
- Listening – lean to the right with your right hand to ear.
- Inviting – open your arms to the whole group.
- Resting – rest your head on your hands.
- Seeing – put your hands above your eyes and look round
- Praying – put your hands together in prayer
- Trusting – everyone in the circle holds hands
- To make the dance even more interesting (and challenging), ask people to work in pairs,
mirroring their actions: e.g. one turns right when the other turns to the left, and so on.
Activities based on John 13.31-35
A simple worship activity for all ages
Give out small, rough and irregular stones (small enough for people to carry around). Ask people to look at their stone, its colours, its markings, its roughness. Ask them to imagine what its journey might have been before it rested in their hand today. Pass round a bowl or jug of cold water, and a bowl containing gold glitter. Ask people to dip their stones in the water, then in the glitter and to shake off any excess (the water is not essential, but it will help the glitter to stick to the stone). Now ask them to look at it again: how has it changed? Invite people to share their thoughts with the person next to them.Ask people now to imagine that the stone represents them, that its journey represents their life’s journey, and that the glitter represents everything in their lives that reflects the light and glory of the risen Lord. Invite them to reflect on their lives, and to try and identify any moments that ‘sparkle’ because of a particular experience of encounter with, or feeling close to, Jesus. If appropriate, people could share these thoughts too, but some may not wish to do so.Now invite people to come and put their stones close to the Easter garden (see A simple worship activity for all ages on page 21), or in another appropriate place, to represent placing themselves close to the risen Christ. When all have returned to their places, end with a prayer of thanksgiving for those ‘sparkly’ moments, and that all present may remain close to the risen Lord.
E S
Caring, sharing
In advance, rehearse a circle dance with a small group of people, using the song ‘Caring, sharing, loving, giving‘ (Further resources). Demonstrate the dance, and then repeat it, inviting all those present to join in. The song is short and simple, and the dance will not take long to learn or demonstrate.
E A
Love’s endeavour
Read out loud, as poetry, the words of ‘Morning glory, starlit sky’ (also known as ‘Love’s endeavour, love’s expense’ and found in many hymn books). Invite people to read the words again for themselves (either from their hymn book, or project them) and to reflect silently on Jesus’ example of sacrificial living, and his command (from today’s Gospel reading) to ‘Love one another as I have loved you’.
W S A
May I sit here?
Share your response to the reading ‘May I sit here?’ (see Present the Gospel) – if it was not used earlier, the poem could be read out now. Invite people to reflect on the words, and to share with those sitting next to them how it challenges their church and their own daily lives.
Are there people whom they would find it difficult to sit next to, whether in church or in daily life – if so, why? What can they do about it?
W E
Ideas for sermon preparation on Revelation 21.1-6
The final chapters of Revelation provide a magnificent climax to the last book of the Bible and make a beautiful connection between the first book of the Bible and the last.
-
Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1.1). Revelation 21 describes the new heaven and the new earth and God coming to his people, a tremendous promise of hope and reassurance to Christians living in the midst of fear and adversity, both at the time Revelation was written and subsequently.
- Chapter 21 opens with a description of the eternal blessedness bestowed by the God who makes his home among mortals. Here the author elaborates on the promise that God had long before given to Isaiah that he would ‘create a new heavens and a new earth’ (Isaiah 65.17) that would abide for ever (Isaiah 66.22). John uses the word ‘new’ to mean a new kind of heaven and earth. The new creation will have some kind of continuity with creation as we know it but it will be different. There will be a new order of life, a reversal of the ‘curse’ of Genesis 3. In this new place sorrow and pain will cease and death has no final triumph.
- Behind the strange announcement that there will be no more sea lies the fact that the Jews were fearful of the sea, regarding it as a symbol of separation and restlessness: Job 38.8-11; Psalm 89.9; Isaiah 57.20. In Revelation 13.1 the system that embodies hostility against God’s people is cast up out of the sea. By contrast, in the dry Mediterranean lands, where water must be saved and carefully stewarded, salvation is represented here as a spring and river. To all who are thirsty, God promises to give water, a gift from the spring of life (21.6). The balance between being saved and being overwhelmed may be quite fine. What could we learn from this?
- Many Christians support charities and NGOs who work in the name of the Churches to provide education, healthcare, sanitation, fair trade and a fairer distribution of wealth; changes which offer life ‘in all its fullness’ (John 10.10, Good News Bible). We would never question the urgency of this work, yet Revelation’s new earth is of a different order. Does this eschatological vision inspire our contemporary action? What part must we play in being ready to promote ‘all things new’?
- Although God is ever-present in Revelation, he doesn’t often speak. Seated on the throne, God declares, ‘See I am making all things new’ (21.5). The present tense is significant. God is continually at work: ‘It is done!’ (v. 6). At every stage of the struggle a believer can count on the final victory. The divine name is mentioned to underscore the completion of everything that God has begun: ‘I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.’ God is the originator and completer of all things.
Another angle
- Do verses 3 and 4 help in our struggle to understand the concept of heaven? Far from being ‘pie in the sky by and by’, John’s vision of God ‘dwelling with his people’ is the consummation of faith. Creation is renewed. The face of God is seen. How does the picture of John help us in our sadness when people die?
How do you react to this New York sculpture?
How many different types of love, or ways of loving, can you think of?
When have you experienced love turning things upside down?
Children & Young People
A guided visual meditation using the Louis Armstrong track
Play the 4 minute
YouTube film with the accompanying soundtrack of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ as a guided visual meditation on God’s glory.
Do
Glimpses of glory 15 mins E S
Spot glimpses of glory in unexpected places
You will need: (optional) cameras/phones.
- Take the children on a walk outside or around your building, looking for glimpses of glory – things that make us smile and remind us of God, e.g. a beautiful flower, children’s artwork.
- The children could take pictures to discuss later or create a display/slideshow to show in church.
Love in action 10 mins E A
Guess Jesus’ actions and consider how we can show acts of love
You will need: slips of paper, a container.
- Beforehand, write out on separate slips Jesus’ loving actions: Healed the sick; Welcomed children; Fed the five thousand; Calmed the storm; Cried for his friend Lazarus; Washed the disciples’ feet; Shared bread and wine; Died on the cross. Fold these slips up and put them in a container.
- Invite individuals up to pick a slip and mime the action for the others to guess. Once everyone has had a turn at miming, talk together about ways in which we can mirror Jesus’ behaviour and share his love.
Make
Glory and love duster 15 mins S A
A reminder that God’s glory is seen in our love and service to others
You will need: new dusters, one per child, paintbrushes, lemon juice in dishes, (optional) an iron.
- Give everyone a duster and a paintbrush. Invite the children to paint the words ‘Glory’ and ‘Love’ onto their duster with lemon juice. They can add decorations around the edge.
- Leave the dusters to dry and explain that when they are ironed, the words will magically appear! If possible, demonstrate this with an iron and a prepared duster.
- Talk about how God’s glory and love can be seen in our service to one another, and encourage the children to take their dusters home to use.
Challenge booklet 20 mins W E S A
Explore active ways of loving others and making a difference
You will need: A4 paper, a stapler, pens, felt tips, (optional) old Love Life Live Lent booklets, internet access.
- Show the group some old Love Life Live Lent booklets or go online for ideas on serving others (Further resources). Which actions are appealing/fun/challenging?
- Give everyone two sheets of A4 paper. Show them how to make a simple booklet by folding the sheets in half and stapling them in two places along the folded edge, to create a front cover, and one page per day for the week ahead. They can decorate the front cover with words and pictures.
- Encourage the children to write a challenge for each day in their booklet, e.g. an act of kindness for a friend, family member or someone they find it difficult to get on with.
- The children can tick off the challenges as they do them each day, and write down any consequences. Report back next week!
Pray
Light in the darkness 10 mins E S
Invite Jesus’ love and glory into dark places
You will need: newspapers and scissors, a large black cloth, a large candle, matches, battery tealights, one per child.
- Give everyone some newspaper pages and scissors, and invite them to cut out headlines and pictures of situations around the world that need our prayers.
- Lay out the headlines and pictures on the black cloth, leaving space in the centre. Remind the children that Jesus knows what it feels like to suffer and be in a dark situation. Light the candle and place it in the centre of the cloth.
- Give each person a battery tealight, and invite them to place it on the cloth, among the cuttings. Close with a prayer:
Lord Jesus,
we pray that you would bring
your light, love, hope and glory
into the midst of this darkness.
Amen.