This half term we are in Ordinary time and the liturgical colour is green 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 a 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 dove symbol to represent peace and hope - download A4 version. You can then select items relevant for each week’s story.
Blessed are the Peacemakers – a prayer station from Prayer Spaces in Schools You will need: Hand-shaped paper cut outs, world map, pens, Blu-tac, string or wall where you can stick the paper hands. Set upLay the hand cut outs, pens and Blu-tac next to the world map on a table or other flat surface. You may want to stick a few examples on the world map and string/wall to begin with. War and conflict are common in today’s news. This activity encourages pupils to be aware, but not overwhelmed. This activity can be interpreted how the pupils like. They might want to think about a personal situation where there has been disagreement or argument, perhaps between themselves and a parent or friend. It might be they’ve observed it with others. Or they might want to focus on a more global issue of war and conflict. InstructionsChoose a hand-shape. As you hold your hand think about a situation where there might be disagreement, upset, war, conflict or argument. You might want to think of something in your own life, or something from another nation? When you’ve thought of your situation, if you want to you can write or draw your thoughts or prayers onto the hand – please don’t write people’s names. How might you help this situation? How could you help bring peace and reconciliation? You might want to put your hand on the world or hang it with the others.
This week you could include Bible, cross, candle, liturgical cloth A symbol for prayer Dove symbol for peace and hope
Overview for the teacher As our series on the Lord ’s Prayer comes to an end we finish where we started with a reminder that the Lord’s Prayer helps Christians to understand who God is - All powerful - but offering peace and hope to everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Christians believe his kingdom is full of love, justice, forgiveness, peace and hope, now and forever. Amen is a way of saying ‘I agree’ with everything that’s been said. It closes the prayer. You could explore what stands out for the pupils from our exploration of the Lord’s Prayer? What do they remember? Introduce this half term’s theme of peace You could use this video with older pupils to explore the meaning of the word peace in the bible You could explore together: What is peace? What does peace mean to you? What does peace mean in the world? What does peace mean for countries and people living there? You could explore this set of Bible verses about peace At the end of many church services the following words are said ‘ Go in peace to love and serve the Lord’ you could explore together what you think this means
You could use the slides from the CAFOD Peace Liturgy here Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no feet but yoursYours are the eyes - through which his love looks out to the worldYours are the feet - with which he goes about doing good Yours are the hands - with which he blesses people now In this quiet moment we pause to ask ourselves these questions: Slide 6: How can my eyes, the way I look at people, bring peace and love? Slide 7: How can I use my feet to do good and bring happiness and peace? Slide 8: How can I use my hands to bless and help and bring peace to those around me? (re-read the prayer) Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no feet but yours Yours are the eyes - through which his love looks out to the world Yours are the feet - with which he goes about doing good Yours are the hands - with which he blesses people now
You could share this CAFOD prayer: God of peace, We pray for peace around the world. Where there is hatred, sow seeds of calm. Where there is destruction, help us to rebuild. Where children are crying, bring an end to tears. Shelter your peoples and protect them. Guide them and keep them from harm. 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
Read: Matthew 19:13-14 You could read Jesus and the Children from the Lion Storyteller Bible You could use this video to tell the story Overview for the teacher The gospel accounts often suggest that Jesus turned the accepted standards of society upside down. He criticised hypocrisy, and often challenged his own followers about their behaviour and attitudes. Understandably the twelve disciples were very protective of Jesus, knowing how the constant demands for healing and stories wore him down. When mothers came with their children seeking a blessing the disciple discouraged them, probably perceiving children as a low priority with little potential as followers. They reflected the values of society at the time, where both women and children were seen as having little significance outside of the home. However, Jesus, very publicly, told them off, making the point that Kingdom of Heaven was for children too. In fact he went further suggesting that being child-like was the basic qualification for belonging to his extended family.
You could ask some I wonder questions
You could explore with pupils what important things they contribute to their family, school, community and what they can teach other people. You could connect this to how they can be peacemakers where they are.
Dear Godthank you that you welcomed all sorts of people to be your friendsHelp us to remember that you saw what they were like on the inside Please help us to see other people through your eyes 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
You could use this act of collective worship from Guildford Diocese on Blessed are the Peacemakers It includes this PowerPoint Presentation
Respond You could use this reflection area from the session
Dear God Thank you for the story of Jesus calming the storm. Thank you for what it teaches us about Jesus being present through good times and through bad. Please help us as we try to follow his example, and be peacemakers in our troubled world. Amen
Overview for the teacher The Corrymeela Community (www. www.corrymeela.org .org) was started over 55 years ago by Ray Davey who was a chaplain at Queens University. During World War II he was captured and put in a prisoner of war camp in Dresden. He was deeply affected by the futility and destructiveness of all conflict. So, when he returned to Northern Ireland, he established Corrymeela - a place where all people of good will could come together and learn to live in community. From its first days, Corrymeela has been a place of gathering, work, faith and discussion; bringing people of different backgrounds, different political and religious beliefs and different identities together. They believe that ‘there is strength in gathering, and that, when we can be with each other in commitment, no difference is great enough to break us’.
You can find out more about Corrymeela in this video:
Reflection area - Peace Garden ( from Prayer Spaces in Schools) EquipmentPaper flowers or foam flowers, lollipop sticks, tray of soil, pens, table. The sticks/flowers will need enough space for completing one of these sentences: - I feel at peace when . . . - I wish there was more peace in . . . - Peace happens when . . . Set upThis activity encourages pupils to think about what peace means to them, and what helps them to feel at peace. Pupils can either add their flower to a garden or hang their flowers up depending which flower method you decide to use. InstructionsSometimes in life we don’t feel very peaceful. It could be a problem with a friendship, a feeling inside or something that’s happening in the world. It can make us feel unsettled, confused or sad. What makes you feel peaceful? How can you find peace? Take a flower and write on it to complete one or all of the following: - I feel at peace when . . . - I wish there was more peace in . . . - Peace happens when . . .
You could say this peace prayer of Saint Francis: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
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
