This half term we are in ordinary time from 28 February until 5 March and the liturgical colour is green From 6 March until 15 April we are in Lent and the liturgical colour is purple Each week we encourage you to: Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the liturgical cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light a candle Say opening responses If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following: We take out the Bible – and think about God the Father We take out the cross – and think about God’s Son, Jesus We light the candle – and think about God, the Holy Spirit
If you are using this for class worship, you can choose items to go in a box that are taken out at the beginning of the worship. We encourage including a Bible, cross and candle along with the liturgical cloth in the colour for the season of the church year. You might want to have a symbol for the Lord’s Prayer that stays in the box all year, alongside the symbols we provide that highlight if we are exploring an Old Testament story, a New Testament story, a story Jesus told or an example of an individual. For this half term you could use the hand and heart symbol to represent forgiveness and mercy. You can then select items relevant for each week’s story.
You could set up a reflection area this half term using one of the resources below that provides creative ways for pupils to reflect or pray. Saying Sorry full details here: https://prayerspacesinschools.com/resources/saying-sorry/ Have you been unkind or unfair towards someone? Have you done or said or even thought mean things about someone? If you want to, pick up one of the stones and think about saying sorry to that person. If you want to, you can also say sorry to God. Take your stone over and put it in the bowl beside the cross as a way of saying sorry. (When you next see the person, you might want to say sorry to the person too.) The Beatitudes: Forgiveness full details here: https://prayerspacesinschools.com/resources/the-beatitudes-forgiveness/ ‘I wish I hadn’t ...’ ‘I’m sorry I ...’ ‘I didn’t mean to ...’ Sometimes other people say and do things that hurt us. Has anyone hurt you? Are you feeling hurt? We have a choice to forgive others. Christians believe they can ask God to help them forgive others. If you’d like to, you can think of something you’d like to say sorry for or forgive someone else for, then use a pen to write the word ‘sorry’ on a piece of paper. As you dip this into the water and watch it disappear, think about how it feels to forgive. Reconciliation Zips full details here: https://prayerspacesinschools.com/resources/reconciliation-zip/ When people argue and fight, they get separated from each other. They’re not together anymore. Have you argued with someone recently? Do you know people who don’t get on well together? Zips are clever. Zips bring two sides together. Reconciliation means bringing two sides together. Pick up a zip and think about the people that you want to bring back together. If you want to, you can say a quiet prayer for the people you’re thinking of as you do up the zip. This is a reconciliation prayer.
This half term we are in ordinary time from 28 February until 5 March and the liturgical colour is greenFrom 6th March until 15 April we are in Lent and the liturgical colour is purple Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the liturgical cloth and take out the Bible, cross and light a candle Say opening responses If you have school responses or opening words for collective worship say them together or say the following: We take out the Bible – and think about God the Father We take out the cross – and think about God’s Son, Jesus We light the candle – and think about God, the Holy Spirit
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Hand and heart symbol to represent forgiveness and mercy Forgiveness quotes
Overview for the teacher Christians believe forgiveness is at the heart of God’s character. Jesus modelled forgiveness for His followers, He linked the petition for daily bread with the petition for forgiveness. “Forgive us” comes right after “Give us this day our daily bread.” He is telling his followers they need both, every day—food and forgiveness and that they should pray for it daily. You could explore the words forgiveness and mercy. Have a definition of each word and discuss what it means You could use this video to explore what Christians believe about forgiveness https://request.org.uk/resource/issues/ultimate-questions/big-questions-why-should-i-forgive/ You could include some Bible quotes on forgiveness and reflect on what we can learn from them: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22 Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 You could explore when they have been forgiven – have they been forgiven by a friend, someone at home, someone at school? What difference did it make to themselves and the other person? You could explore forgiving others – have they forgiven a friend, someone at home, someone at school? What difference did it make to themselves and the other person? You could explore why this line is included in the Lord’s Prayer? You could explore what it teaches Christians about the importance of being forgiven and forgiving others?
Introduce the reflection area you have set up for this half term (using the ideas in our reflection area section under the Prepare tab) Encourage pupils to reflect on forgiveness using the activity. You may want to display the line of the Lord’s prayer for this half term in the reflection area as a reminder
You could use this action prayer from Barnabas in Schools and invite pupils to join in if they wish to
You could read the story in the Lion Storyteller Bible – The Runaway
You could look at William Blake’s artwork as you explore the story
You could use this video to share the story
Overview for the teacher This story follows on from our exploration of Jacob and Esau in the journey through the Bible last year and you could make connections http://archive.bible-calendar.net/october-2020
When somebody takes something special that was supposed to be ours, we can feel angry and upset. When they do it by lying and being sneaky, we can feel betrayed by the injustice. Jacob stole Esau’s blessing (like an inheritance) by dressing up as him and making his blind Dad his favourite meal. When Esau discovered what he had done he was furious and Jacob ran away. Years later, Jacob knew it was time to return to his homeland and make amends for what he had done. He was very frightened and asked God for his protection, knowing he didn’t really deserve it. As Esau and his men approached Jacob and his family, Jacob bowed seven times, hoping for forgiveness. Esau ran towards him, and hugged and kissed him. Jacob said that seeing the forgiveness and love in his brother’s face was like seeing the face of God.
Make connections with the line from the Lord’s Prayer ‘Forgive us our sins and reflections last week about forgiving and being forgiven
Respond
You could ask some I wonder questions:
Send Dear God Thank you that we can make our own choices. Help us to remember that our choices have consequences. Help us to make decisions wisely and think about the words we use and the actions we take. Help us to show forgiveness and mercy this week. Amen You could invite pupils to say the Lord’s Prayer together and do the sign language together You could invite pupils to sing the Lord’s Prayer using the song resource shared in the introduction
This week you could include:Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Hand and heart symbol to represent forgiveness and mercy Artwork of the story Some coins
Read You could read The Lion Storyteller Bible The Big Spender or Every Last Son from the Rhyming Bible You could use this script for pupil participation in the story here You could use this video to explore the story You could use some artwork to explore the story: Image of Cody F Miller’s Prodigal Son IV
Overview for the teacher Jesus loved to tell stories that showed people just how much God loves them. In this story he tells us of two sons – one who is good and stays and helps his father with his work, and the other who goes away and wastes all money. When a famine hits the wasteful son finds himself starving. He decides to go home and say sorry, hoping to be treated like the servants. Instead, when his father sees him a long way off on the road, he runs towards him. The son says sorry to his father for messing up, but full of forgiveness the father calls for a great party to celebrate the homecoming. When the faithful son discovers what is going on, he is very disgruntled – it doesn’t seem fair. But the father wants him to share in the joy that his brother is now restored to the family.
You could invite pupils to create a teaspoon (thank you, sorry, please) prayer on the theme of forgiveness You could invite pupils to say the Lord’s Prayer together and do the sign language together You could invite pupils to sing the Lord’s Prayer using the song resource shared in the introduction
This week you could include: Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Hand and heart symbol to represent forgiveness & mercy Image of Desmond Tutu and a quote
Overview for the teacher If you have Roots and Fruits 2 there is an overview of Desmond Tutu on page 261 You could use these videos to support your understanding of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his teaching on Forgiveness Video 1 (03.02 – esp from 02.00) and/or Video 2 you can find an overview of his life here You can find out more about the Forgiveness Project here There are some resources you could use if you want to explore it further here You could display this quote from Desmond Tutu and explore what it means - Without forgiveness, there’s no future You could explore the word reconciliation You could make connections with the line in the Lord’s Prayer and also link back to these Bible quotes from week 1: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22 Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 Explore how Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s faith led him to do what he does
You could do this reflection activity together and explore how Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s work brings about forgiveness and reconciliation using Reconciliation Zips (full details in downloadable zipped file here When people argue and fight, they get separated from each other. They’re not together anymore. Have you argued with someone recently? Do you know people who don’t get on well together? Zips are clever - zipsbring two sides togetherReconciliation means bringing two sides together Pick up a zip and think about the people that you want to bring back togetherIf you want to, you can say a quiet prayer for the people you’re thinking of as you do up the zipThis is a reconciliation prayer
You could read these words to the class and encourage everyone to live it out this week Go in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast that which is good. Render to no one evil for evil. Strengthen the fainthearted. Support the weak. Help the afflicted. Show love to everyone. Love and serve the Lord (1 Thessalonians5:13-22)
