This half term we are in Eastertide (which ends on 4th June 2022) and the liturgical colour is white/gold 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 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 person taking an oath symbol to represent truth and wisdom. 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. Thinking about wisdom Consider putting Bible verses and quotes about wisdom up around your reflection area and encouraging pupils over the next few weeks to respond to the following question: If you could choose one wise saying to pass on to the next generation, what would it be? Here are some quotes and bible verses you could use Verses and Quotes about Wisdom
This half term we are in Eastertide (which ends on 4th June 2022) and the liturgical colour is white/gold Set up your worship table or centre of the class circle with the 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 Symbol for truth and wisdom Quotes and Bible verses
Overview for the teacher Every day we make hundreds of choices, from little ones like what colour cup to drink from, to big ones like which secondary school to go to. Christians believe that sometimes what we want and what God knows is best for us and those around us are different. Christians believe we can think of it like a choice between two paths. One, that is our way, which could lead us into darkness and all sorts of trouble. The other, God’s way, which leads us into light and love. Being wise and choosing God’s way is not always easy, especially if friends and others want us to go their way, but this line of Jesus’ prayer reminds Christians that God can help us to make wise choices based on truth. Explore the concept of wisdom with pupils You could use these ideas from Barnabas in Schools:
Display the Bible verses and quotes about wisdom up around your reflection area and encouraging pupils over the next few weeks to respond to the following question: If you could choose one wise saying to pass on to the next generation, what would it be? Pupils could add their first response based on their learning and thinking from today’s collective worship
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
Engage Read 1 Samuel 24 You could use this video to tell the story Overview for the teacher Saul started out as a good king but soon he was choosing his way, not God’s, and things were going wrong for him. God chose David as his successor because he knew that David loved him and tried to follow his ways. Saul inevitably became jealous and tried to hunt David down. I like this story because it is a little bit rude, but the point of it is that David chose God’s way over the way that would give him immediate power. He trusted God and held on to the truth that God had shared with him, enabling him to make a wise choice. Saul recognises David’s wisdom when he realised that he had to chance to kill him but didn’t, saying ‘David, you’re a better person than I am. You treated me with kindness, even though I’ve been cruel to you’. Make connections with what pupils remember about David from the autumn term when we explored the story of David and Goliath Make connections with ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’ and what we learned about being wise last week
You could ask some I wonder questions
Reflection activity You could use this reflection activity from Prayer Spaces in Schools and connect it to the story of David and Saul: https://prayerspacesinschools.com/resources/the-beatitudes-wisdom/
Use the EXAMEN prayer to reflect on wisdom It has 5 steps, so you might like to count them on your fingers: 1. GIVE THANKS for something that was good today2. ASK FOR HELP with something you need to do or an action you need to take that needs wisdom3. REFLECT on your day and think about the people around you who show wisdom and help you make the right choices4. SAY SORRY for the times you have made the wrong choices5. DECIDE how you will practice wisdom tomorrow
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Symbol for truth and wisdom
You could read The Boy in the Temple from the Lion Storyteller Bible You could use this video to tell the story Overview for the teacher It is likely that much of the information Luke used in his account of Jesus’ early life came from Mary. Each year at Passover time Jesus’ family would travel from Nazareth to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival in company with other families from the area. When Jesus was around twelve years old he went missing on the return journey. He could not be found amongst their relatives and friends and so Mary and Joseph retraced their steps. Eventually they found Jesus sitting amongst the religious scholars, asking searching questions and listening to their answers. When challenged by his mum Jesus responded by suggesting the Temple church in Jerusalem was just where they would expect to find him, calling it his father’s house. Although Mary did not quite understand, it was one of those family memories that she treasured. Luke points out that Jesus was an obedient child who although God still grew in height and wisdom just like us. Make connection with ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’ and what we have learned so far about wisdom I wonder what this story and Jesus example teaches us about wisdom? I wonder who we learn from? I wonder who we listen to, to help us make wise choices?
You could use the following reflection questions as pupils sit quietly
Dear God Thank you for today’s story and thank you for the people who help us to make wise choicesHelp us to make wise choices this week and listen to the guidance of others Amen
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer A symbol for truth and wisdom Some Lego bricks, a solid surface and a tray of sand (to use as props when telling the story)
Read Matthew 7:24-27 You could read The Two Houses from the Lion Storyteller Bible You could use this video to share the story You could use ideas from this collective worship plan The Gospel writers tell us that Jesus applied the traditional laws given to Moses in a new way, cutting through the traditions which focus on what things looked like, and emphasising the importance of changes in the attitude and behaviour of each individual. He told the story of two housebuilders to show the importance of acting on what he had to say. One builder ignored the need to build on proper foundations with the consequence that a sudden storm undermined the structure and the building collapsed. In contrast, Jesus said, those who not only heard his teaching, but applied it were like sensible builders putting down a firm foundation to ensure the building would survive the fiercest of storms. In this way Jesus encouraged individuals to engage with the God-given rules for living practically and actively.
Give each pupil an outline of a brick Talk and reflect together about solid and wise foundations we can build on. You might want to start by exploring your school vision and any school values you have, for example trust, compassion, justice and explore together why they are ‘solid’ and ‘wise’. Encourage pupils to write some of their responses on a brick and display them in the reflection area.
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer A symbol for truth and wisdom An ammonite Some photos from the St Hilda of Whitby – Schools & Churches Resource Pack on our Resources Centre website To download the photos click on a photo in the gallery to open the slider then right-mouse click on a photo and select "Save image as . . ." and select the place you want to store it on your device.
You could use this resource pack to share the story of St Hilda. You could use this to plan a series of collective worship or even plan a curriculum day or class project. If using for one collective worship you may want to focus in on day 4 on wise leadership. There are photos of the St Hilda's Pilgrimage on our Diocesan Youth & Children's Resources website here
As St Hilda lay dying, looked after by her community, these were her last words :“Preserve the peace of the Gospel among yourselves and also with ALL others.” So many things Hilda had learned herself during her lifetime had come through very difficult experiences in life – she never had it easy. Kings and wars had come and gone, she often had to hide or escape from them, family killed or lost, starting new communities from scratch, religious leaders arguing over church matters. Yet her very last words tell you what her whole life was about :“Preserve the peace of the Gospel among yourselves and also with ALL others.” Hilda was known for being a great, wise leader and teacher of both women and of men. She helped each one she met to live well and to serve God as fully as they could, whoever they were. And through it all, she called on God for wisdom, courage and strength to continually live out the good news, the ‘godspel’ of peace and share it with all others.“Preserve the peace of the Gospel among yourselves and also with ALL others I wonder what words would tell others what my life was about . . . and yours . . . ? Encourage pupils to put some of these words on a cut-out of an ammonite image and display in the reflection area
You could use one of the prayers or responses from the resource pack
