Active worship
Activities based on Matthew 22.1-14
A simple worship activity for all ages
Introduce the activity by saying that Paul tells the church at Philippi to ‘Rejoice!’ And he thinks it is so important that he says it again: ‘Rejoice!’ Suggest that the letter to the Philippians is unusually positive.
Paul mentions the words joy and rejoicing 16 times in four short chapters. Yet it is likely that Paul’s joyfulness here had nothing to do with his circumstances (he was under arrest when he wrote it). He has what some call an ‘attitude of gratitude’. Ask everyone to listen to this challenge by the 17th-century Lutheran writer, Bengel: ‘The whole of the letter could be summed up as “I rejoice…Do you rejoice?”’ A more modern writer, Gordon Fee, puts it like this: ‘In every truly Christian life the most obvious evidence of the experience of God’s grace and peace is gratitude and joy.’ With that in mind, we are going to use the party poppers you were given when you came in (see Prepare the space).
Invite people to shout out something specific that they are thankful for today, and to pull their party popper (making sure that it is not pointed directly at someone else!).
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Open invite
Distribute postcard-sized pieces of card and pens. Invite people to write on the card the names of one or more people who they would really like to see come to church and/or encounter Jesus. Encourage them to take the card home and to pray each day for those people, and also for the opportunity – and the words – to invite them to church.
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Save the date
Give out A6-sized cards, coloured pens and pencils, scrap paper and card, ribbon, scissors and glue. Invite people to design and make an invitation for a forthcoming church event (e.g. Halloween Light Party, a Christingle, festival or celebration service). Encourage people to use the completed invitation during the coming week to invite someone to the event.
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Casting crowns
If they are not doing so already, ask people to wear their party hats/crowns (see Prepare the space). Remind them that the wedding guest in Jesus’ story was expelled for not wearing his party clothes. Then, working in pairs or small groups, ask people to read Revelation 4.10-11 in order to discover what the elders do with their crowns. Invite people to respond in a similar manner, by placing their crowns in front of the Communion table (or a cross, or another suitable image) as a symbol of their commitment to Jesus.
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Spiritual styles abbreviations
W Word E Emotion S Symbol A Action
Read our Spiritual Styles articles