Welcome to ROOTS at home for Sunday 10 May 2020

Worship at home resources for everyone linked to John 14.1-14

ROOTS is a partnership of denominations and other Christian organisations and has been publishing lectionary-based worship resources online and in print since 2002.

Go to: Resources for families; Resources for adults

Copyright

You are welcome to copy this material for use in your own resources e.g. printed sheets or web pages including audio/video recordings. If you do so, please include this acknowledgement to ROOTS:
© ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020.
Reproduced with permission.

For families

Introduction

We often think about this passage as Jesus preparing a place for us in the future but, in your worship today, explore the idea that this is Jesus talking about how we can have a relationship with him, despite the fact that he is not physically with us.

You might also be able to apply that to other friends and family you are or have been separated from.

Gather

Use this prayer as you begin your time of worship together. Nominate a leader or all join in together.

Response line: Do not fear

Father, Creator,
God is with us:
Do not fear.

Jesus, redeemer,
God is with us…

Holy Spirit, sustainer,
God is with us…
Amen.

Read

Share the Bible story using the idea below to help you explore it together.

Bible story

Open the Bible at John 14.1-14: Jesus tells his friends that he’ll be with them for ever as he shows them the way to his Father’s house.

Say what?

Ask for two confident volunteers to act the parts of Thomas and Jesus, reading the lines from the passage. Another volunteer can read the rest of the passage as a narrator. You could ask for a third person to take the part of Philip - there are no lines to say, but they could act this part by expressing the emotion without words.

View print version

Geoff Hays, www.geoffrey-hays.co.uk

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I will be going away soon, but don’t worry, because I am going to prepare a place for you in my Father’s house, which has many rooms. When the time is right, I will return and take you there, so that we can all be together.’ Wanting to know where this place would be, Thomas asked, ‘How will we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. I will show you the way to God the Father.’ But Philip wanted Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus sighed. ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still don’t recognise me?’ Jesus continued, ‘Believe in the Father and believe also in me, because I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If you can’t do that, then look at the things I have done and you will know what God the Father is like. If you believe in me, you will be able to do even greater things than I have done. All you have to do is to ask in my name and I will do it for you.’

Activities

You may wish to use these additional resources to worship together and/or the activity sheets for children.

Finger labyrinth

A symbol of the journey to God the Father

You will need: labyrinths, photocopied onto card, (template), one per person, PVA glue, crayons/felt tips, glitter, beads.

Explain that walking a labyrinth has been used for centuries as a way of praying. The path can symbolise a person’s journey to God. It has three stages – the inward journey, the centre and the outward journey. The centre is a place to pause, pray and find God’s peace.

Give everyone a labyrinth card.
Show everyone how to slowly trace their fingers along the path, letting go of the things that stop them coming close to God.
Encourage them to pause and pray at the centre.
Then they can slowly trace their fingers back along the path, using their relationship with God to help them think about themselves, other people and the world.
Invite the children to decorate their labyrinths with colour, glitter and/or beads.
Encourage them to pray with their finger labyrinths at home. You could challenge them to learn the Bible verse, too.

More information about labyrinths can be found at: www.labyrinth.org.uk; www.labyrinths.org/resources/childrenslabyrinths.pdf

Online labyrinth

Do this individually on laptops/iPads/tablets, or as a whole group.

Explain that a labyrinth is not a maze, which has multiple paths and dead ends and is designed to confuse and trap. A labyrinth has one path that leads to the centre and back out again. There is one entrance and one exit and you can’t get lost. It symbolises the journey of life and can be a helpful prayer tool.

Access the virtual labyrinth online. If time is limited, do one or two pieces together and let people complete it at home.