journey 1 becoming wise: jesus in the temple · this is the first of five assemblies on journeys....

Journey 1

Becoming Wise: Jesus in the Temple

Preamble

This is the first of five assemblies on journeys.

The focus of this assembly is on the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem when he is twelve years old for the Passover celebrations. On the return journey his parents lose him. He is found three days later in the Temple.

The assembly explores the theme of becoming wise.

Preparation

Quiz to be prepared

Articles to be collected for rucksacks for spontaneous melodrama.

Possible game preparation for Guided Reflection.

Ken Coulter & Jen Robertson: March 2008.

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Rationale As the first of a series on journeys this assembly focuses on what we can learn on a journey and challenges older pupils to use the skills of listening, observing and thinking to learn more.

Title Becoming Wise

Aims To help the children consider that “growing up” is not just about growing physically, but we need to grow in wisdom too. Being wise is about knowing things and the meaning behind them; knowing the reason something is the way it is and knowing what is the right thing to do.

Stage P 1 - 7

Objectives 1] At the end of this pupils will have experienced sense of meaningfulness and challenge.

2] At the end of this pupils will be able to state the facts of the story of Jesus’ journey when he was twelve.

Link with ACfE Confident Individuals: secure values and beliefs.

Is this part of a series First of Five

Introduction Places quiz

Stimulus/ stimuli Christian story from Luke’s gospel about the journey of Jesus when he was twelve. Luke 2:41-52

Guided Reflection Activity and comment

Response & Possible Next Steps

Challenge to pupils to use their eyes and ears to learn as much and their minds to question as much as they can.

Evaluation (a) Discussion with pupils

Evaluation (b) RO team discussion

Evaluation (c) Observation of pupils during the event

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Introduction Have you ever gone away from home? Ask for responses on what kinds of places the pupils went and what they saw there. Quiz Part 1 (ten questions on where would we find the following) (if PowerPoint slides or pictures could be produced this could add to the quiz.) Where would we go to see?

Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Tower bridge London The Eiffel Tower Paris France The White House Washington DC, America Disney World Orlando Florida Taj Mahal Agra, India

Where would you go to learn?

German Germany Japanese Japan How cold the coldest temperature on earth was North Pole/ South Pole How it felt to be on the highest place on earth Everest.

Part 2 Where would you go to be wise? (Probably no answer) If being wise means learning and thinking about things, what would you do to learn to be wise, what parts of your body would you use? Develop North Pole/ Everest questions. The Story The story will be told and acted out as a spontaneous melodrama. Invite three children out to be Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Prime some to be teachers who will be called out later on. Have three rucksacks and tents with a pile of clothing, blankets, cooking pans, and any ridiculous things you might want to take on a journey. Get the three to pack the items into the rucksacks and be ready to go on a journey. Tell the story and encourage the children to act out what is happening. It was time for Jesus and his Mum and Dad to go on holiday. This year Jesus was twelve years old. They went to the same place every year: the big city, Jerusalem. They went there to have a party with lots of their friends and family. It was called Passover and Jewish people still celebrate it today. In the Passover the Jewish people remember how many hundreds of years ago they had been slaves in the land of Egypt and God had set them free. If you have seen the film the Prince of Egypt you may remember the name of the man who led the people: Moses. So they packed their bags and set off together. (Trio to walk round the hall once while story being told and then sit at front.) It was a long walk that took them three days. Each night they camped. As they got nearer to Jerusalem where the party was going to be they got more and more excited and forgot about being tired. They

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arrived at the big city. This was much bigger and busier than they were used to. They saw wide streets and beautiful huge buildings with coloured tiles and painted walls. Lots of people elbowed their way through big wide streets. Animals pulling carts shoved each other and people and camels and donkeys pushed back. Priests and soldiers, businessmen and office workers walked the streets. Shopkeepers sold their last food before the celebrations. New buildings were being built and builders were still busy before the holiday with the sound of hammering. As darkness came, the smell of cooking hung in the air. The voices of many people in many different languages bounced back and echoed through the streets. It was almost a holiday and people felt happy and excited. Jesus and his family met their friends. They ate food and told stories. At the special meal the question was asked as it was every year “Why is this night different from any other”. The youngest child who was able to read always asked this question. Tonight it would be one of Jesus’ younger brothers or sisters. In past years he had asked the questions. For him this night would be different. Maybe in a new way he understood the deep and long history behind the feast. Maybe as the oldest child he thought about the meaning behind the food. In the morning it was time to go back home. They packed up their bags and set off (send Joseph and Mary back to their seats, and ask Jesus to sit at the side) there were so many people going home together that Jesus’ Mum and Dad didn’t notice that he wasn’t with them. Mary thought he was with Joseph and Joseph thought he was with Mary. When everyone was getting ready to stop for the night someone said “Where’s Jesus?” The question went round the camp “Where’s Jesus?” he wasn’t there. He wasn’t hiding, he wasn’t playing a game. He wasn’t there. Maybe they should go back and look for him. They could do nothing that night. They couldn’t leave their camp in case of wild animals or muggers. Mary and Joseph anxiously huddled together. In the morning they hurried back to Jerusalem, where was he? They looked in the shops, they looked in friends houses, but they couldn’t find him anywhere, Mary started to cry. For three whole days they couldn’t find him. It was terrible and horrible and awful all rolled into one deep pain. Call out the group of “teachers” to sit round Jesus. At last they did find him in the temple which was like a very big church but with lots of other rooms in it. There he was chatting to all the religious leaders and teachers. A crowd of amazed people were listening too. These men thought a lot about God, they asked questions to find the answers and Jesus was answering their questions. Mary and Joseph said “what are you doing, we’ve been looking for you all over the place”. Jesus said, “But this is my Father’s house, it’s where I belong”. Mary and Joseph didn’t really understand what Jesus was talking about and they all went home together. Jesus stayed with his Mum and Dad and grew up. In the thinking time and the chatting time he had began to become wise; to understand the meaning behind the stories and what it meant to him. This is first story of Jesus on a journey; he learned things when he was young that would help him when he grew up. Many years later he would return to Jerusalem for a special Passover meal with his friends, but that is another story for another day.

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Guided reflection GAME – a listening game and a watching game! Ask for 2 volunteers. Give them a choice – either to play a listening game or a watching game. (They could draw the options out of the hat to make it fairer.) 1. LISTENING – Blindfold the volunteer. Then choose 5 volunteers from that person’s class. Don’t let them speak or in anyway indicate who they are. Explain to the blindfolded volunteer that 5 people from their class are going to say what their favourite food is; their task is to guess who each person is. 2. WATCHING – Show a short clip from a DVD, explaining to this volunteer that they have to watch carefully because they will be asked some questions afterwards. Show the clip, and then ask 5 “observation” type questions.

Response and Possible Next Steps

What was it the 2 volunteers had to do? Watch and listen. The story that at the start of assembly finishes by saying that Jesus went home and he grew in “wisdom” What does wisdom mean? Is it just about knowing lots of things? No, it is about knowing the right thing to do. We played those 2 games because if we want to grow in wisdom we need to listen and watch what is going on around us. Being wise is about knowing things and the meaning behind them; knowing the reason something is the way it is and knowing what is the right thing to do. It means we have to think about what we do and why we do it. Take time to think about the week ahead and what “wise” things we can learn by watching, listening and thinking.

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Journey 2

Belonging: Jesus is baptised

Preamble

This is the second of five assemblies on journeys.

The stimulus for this assembly is on the journey of Jesus to the Jordan to be baptised,

The assembly explores the theme of belonging to a community.

Preparation

Collect a variety of wristbands

Display pictures and prepare questions

Obtain copy of Fischy Music song: “Make a Difference” from “I Wonder Why” album

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Rationale The stimulus for this assembly is the story of the baptism of Jesus. In Christianity baptism is an outward sign of what Christians believe – it shows that Christians belong to their faith group. The issue of belonging will be explored in the assembly, and the pupils will consider how outward signs of belief might effect how we behave

Title Belonging

Aims To help pupils reflect on belonging and how outward signs of belief might effect how we treat others in our community

Stage P 1 - 7

Objectives 1] At the end of this pupils will have experienced sense of values and challenge.

2] Pupils will be able explain what baptism means for Christians, and describe how outward signs of various beliefs might effect our behaviour and treatment of others.

Link with ACfE Responsible citizens: respect for others and a commitment to participate responsibly in social and cultural life

Is this part of a series Second of Five

Introduction Pictures round the walls

Stimulus/ stimuli Christian story from Matthew and Luke’s gospels about the baptism of Jesus. Matthew chapter 3. Luke 3: 1- 20

Guided Reflection Fischy Music song “Make a Difference” and comment


Challenge to pupils to think about and act on how we can do good.




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Introduction 1] Have a variety of coloured wristbands handed out to some pupils as they come into the assembly. 2] Have pictures round the walls of different people who obviously belong to a certain groups e.g.:

Scotland fans, Welsh rugby player, Brownie, Scout, Masai woman, American, etc.

Ask for volunteers (same number as pictures) who belong to different groups e.g. someone who belongs to …. Primary school; someone who belongs to P3; someone who belongs to a judo club; etc. Ask each of them to go and find a picture, with P1-3’s just ask them to pick anyone, with the P4-7’s give them each a written clue to find the right photo. Once they return to the front ask them to say what or where their person belongs to….how did they know? Explain that we know what these people belong to because of what they look like, - something on the outside. We are now going to hear a story about something that happened to Jesus that showed what kind of group he belonged to. The Story Tell the story, ask pupils to make noises when different people are mentioned. John: Cheer. Jesus: Yeees! People who have done wrong things: shame Jesus had a big cousin called John. John had gone really weird. He now lived in the desert away from people spending a lot of time talking to God. He wore clothes made of camel hair and he ate big insects called locusts along with honey. But many people came out of the city to listen to John talking about God. Some parts of the desert were as high as Ben Nevis. Not very much grew there. People would leave their work and come and listen to John. This would cost them time and money but they believed what John was saying was very important. Sometimes they would have to walk for a whole day or more and camp out in the desert. Not everybody liked John. He told the religious bullies they were wrong and that they had to live differently. He also told people if they had lots of food, they should share it with people who were hungry. He told workers that they should only take money that was due to them and always give the proper change. He told soldiers not to tell lies about innocent people. Lots of people heard what he said and knew they had done wrong and bad things in their lives. With John’s help they said sorry to God. When they did this then John washed them in the River Jordan. This was a sign that that they wanted to be clean

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from all the bad deeds they had done. This washing in the river is given a special name and is called baptism. John was nicknamed John the Baptist. One day Jesus went to visit his cousin. He stopped his work working on buildings, put his tools in the house and started walking. He walked for three days and sleeping outside for three nights. There were many wild animals and many muggers. The road was dangerous. The journey was dangerous but Jesus was determined to hear what his cousin was saying. Everyone was waiting for a very special messenger from God. He had been promised for many hundreds of years. Some had started to say John was this person. When John heard them saying this He said “NO!” “I am not the one we’re all waiting for”. The Jesus arrived at the river Jordan where John was preaching. John said, “I need to be baptised by you” but Jesus said “no this is the right thing to do.” As Jesus was washed in the river, a dove came from heaven and a voice said “This is my son, I’m really proud of him” Guided reflection Play and sing: “Make a Difference” by Fischy music. Track 4 on “I Wonder Why Album” Discuss with pupils how when people wear different clothes it might make us like or dislike them. Being different is not just about what we wear but what we do. John knew people belonged to groups. People in these groups bullied others and were nasty to each other. They were like gangs. The religious bullies made life difficult for everyone who was not in their gang and told them they were bad. The workers took money from people who were not in their gang. The soldiers told lies about anyone who wasn’t a soldier. John said God wanted to people to be part of a different kind of gang. A gang which did not bully others but helped others. The sign of being in this gang was being baptised or washed in the River Jordan and then helping people. Jesus, his cousin said he wanted to be part of this John’s new gang.

We live in a big gang in the school. Some of us part of other gangs. Because we are who we are we want to be treated fairly and helped if we’re having problems. We can care for each other that belongs to this school, to our club, our church, our group but the really important thing is to care for others. We can make a difference in this world, this school, this town by caring for people who are not in our gang our group and not just caring for people who look like us or believe the same things etc.


At this point ask the pupils to come up to the front if they were given a wrist band. Explain what each means and talk about how it’s easy to wear these or even to say “yes, I believe that” but difficult to do it each day give examples how we can “do good”

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Journey 3

Who Am I?

Jesus goes to Caesarea Philippi

Preamble

This is the third of five assemblies on journeys.

The stimulus for this assembly is on the journey of Jesus to Caesarea Philippi

The assembly explores the theme of who am I?

Preparation

Appropriate clothes for telling the story

Obtain copy of Fischy Music song: “” from “I Wonder Why” album

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Rationale The stimulus for this assembly is the story of Jesus questioning his disciples at Caesarea Philippi.

Title Who am I?

Aims To help pupils reflect on whom they think they are.

Stage P 1 - 7

Objectives 1] At the end of this pupils will have experienced sense of otherness.

2] Pupils will be able state the facts of the story of Jesus and his disciples at Caesarea Philippi

Link with ACfE Confident Individuals: self respect

Is this part of a series Third of Five

Introduction Quiz

Stimulus/ stimuli Christian story from Matthew and Luke’s gospels about the Jesus at Caesarea Philippi Matthew 16: 13-20. Luke 9: 18- 20

Guided Reflection Fischy Music song “We Like We Like” and comment


Reflective words




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Introduction Quiz questions (for selected teams or individuals) Scoring: ten points for the answer on first question, five on the second, and two on the third. Who am I? I live in Buckingham Palace I was born in Greece I am married to the Queen Prince Phillip I played football in Spain I am married to someone posh I played for Manchester United and England David Beckam I drive cars very fast I was born in England I was the second fastest driver in the world in 2007. Lewis Hamilton I solve mysteries I have a pal called shaggy I eat Triple Decker sandwiches Scooby Doo I live in a police box I travel in time I fought the daleks Dr Who My name is Peter I was bitten by an insect and my life was changed I can swing from tall buildings Spiderman The Story (Requires 4 pupils willing to come to the front and able to read or repeat spoken words). Encourage the children to act out what is happening. . Prepared outfits:

A sou’wester hat and oilskin jacket A suit jacket An army style jacket and cap Dressing gown

Have the speaking words printed, or more easily simple to repeat the words after you. Jesus walked everywhere. (Dressing gown on one pupil) He had twelve really good friends who went with him. Sometimes they are called the disciples. Three of them were Peter, who used to be fisherman (dressed in oilskins) Matthew, who used to be a tax man (dressed in suit jacket) Judas, who really wanted to be a terrorist and kill Roman soldiers (dressed in army jacket)

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The twelve of them set off to a place called Caesarea Philippi. This town was a day’s walk north from Galilee of where they had been and they went there for a rest from the crowds. This was a place where grass and crops grew. It was very different from the desert which they had passed through and it was the place of a great waterfall. The water from this went to the start of the River Jordan. When they got there Jesus asked them this question. “Who do you think I am?” The friends looked at each other, and then looked at Jesus. What kind of stupid question was this? Eventually, Matthew said, “well Jesus, some folks are saying you’re John the Baptist, but we know that’s a daft thing to say because John was your cousin…and we’re really sorry that the King had him killed, but he is dead ...and you’re not him” Jesus then said “any other ideas?” The rest of the disciples chipped in with things they had heard in the shops, heard in the temple, from family members, people they’d never met and came up with: Judas said: Elijah who lived nine hundred years ago Peter said: Jeremiah who lived six hundred years ago Judas said: One of the prophets ….? Which means Jesus, some people think you’ve lived before and come back to life. Jesus said, “Ok, who do you think I am?” Was this a trick question? They had hoped that if they had given other people’s answers they wouldn’t have to answer the question. Eventually Peter said “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You’re the one that has been promised for hundreds of years. You’re the person that is going to tell us all about God.” Jesus said, “Good answer Peter, you’re right. I don’t think you worked this out for yourself. God told you, didn’t he?” Then Jesus said to Peter “You are Peter, your name means Rock. On your rock solid faith I will build new people who will do things differently. (Take the jacket off Peter) The Jesus said “Don’t tell one else this. Let them think their own answers” Take the jacket off Matthew but leave the one on Judas. Guided reflection Play and sing: “We like We like” by Fischy music. Track 3 on I Wonder Why Album” In the story, Peter was given a new special job by Jesus. Judas could have had that too but he wanted to hold on to how he thought before he met Jesus.

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Our bodies and names are very important. We are more than our bodies. We are more than our names.

Our address and phone number are very important. We are more than our address and more than our phone numbers.

We are in Primary seven or Primary one. We are a class and that is very important. But we are more than one of a group. Each of us is very important.

Sometimes we don’t like who we are. We don’ think we are very important. But each one of us is loved and is important. Sometimes we try to be somebody different and we are not true to ourselves.

Jesus asked his friends who they thought he was. Only by seeing the bigger picture did Peter at last get the right answer.

Who are we?

Many people believe each of us is important because we are created by God. Many other people think we are important just because of whom we are. Each of us is unique and special.


Reflective, prayerful type words. If you believe in God you may want to listen to these words and say amen at the end inside. If you’re not sure about God, listen to these words and think about them. If you don’t believe in God then simply listen to these words and be thankful for whom you are. Each one of us is one of a kind. None of us is the same as anybody else We are all good at something We are loved We matter Each one of us can do something special for others None of us can do it all We are all able to make a difference We can Love We can help others know that they matter Today we are thankful for who we are. Help us to make right choices because of who we really are. Amen.

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Journey 4

Part of the Crowd?

Jesus goes to Jerusalem: Palm Sunday

Preamble

This is the fourth of five assemblies on journeys.

The stimulus for this assembly is on the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday.

The assembly explores the theme of being part of the crowd?

Preparation

Selected pupils prepared for wrong date

Obtain Fischy Music song “We can make a difference”

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Rationale The stimulus for this assembly is the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Title Part of the Crowd?

Aims To help pupils reflect on being influenced by the others.

Stage P 1 - 7

Objectives 1] At the end of this pupils will have experienced sense of challenge.

2] Pupils will be able state the facts of the story of Jesus and his disciples on Palm Sunday

Link with ACfE Confident Individuals: self respect

Is this part of a series Fourth of Five

Introduction Questions

Stimulus/ stimuli Christian story from Matthew and Luke’s gospels about Palm Sunday. Matthew 21: 1 - 11. Luke 19: 28 - 44

Guided Reflection Fischy Music song “We can make a difference” and comment


Communication to elected members.




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Introduction 1] Introduction – From the front make a series of statements, and invite pupils to react as a crowd either a cheer or a boo. With the P4-7’s ask for volunteers who like speaking out front, and get them to take turns reading out a statement….

The summer holidays are going to be made longer. The sweet shop in xxxx is going to shut. Children are not going to be allowed to eat chips anymore. Helicopters are going to pick everyone up to take them to school There is going to be a new swing park built in xxxxx. School is going to close at lunchtime every day. Television is going to be banned. There is to be no more playing at play time! Everyone must have the same haircut There is going to be a cinema built in xxxx. Every time it rains we get a day off school.

Invite comments on how they felt all saying the same thing. 2] Beforehand have prepared a number of senior pupils to agree with what the date is (wrongly). Ask the question what is today’s date? Pick on several pupils who have agreed beforehand then go to some who are not in on the game. Explore pupil reactions to this game. Reassure this was only a game and if they thought the date was what it is then they were right. The Story Palm Sunday Chants Divide the pupils into grouped areas for different chants. Have a member of each group to come to the front to lead their group. The chants are: Hosanna, Blessed, Peace. Rehearse the chants. During the approach to Jerusalem section of the story quietly bring in the chants until they get louder and the whole room is filled with the chants. On a clear prearranged signal they are to be quiet Well it was my donkey. I was really pleased that my donkey had been chosen by Jesus; after all what a great honour. Jesus had asked for a loan of my donkey. The donkey was called Chamor (ch as in loch). We have a Jewish saying that donkeys are like some people, they are bad on the outside but good on the inside. This was true of Chamor. He didn’t look great on the outside and sometimes he was bad tempered, but he was also very loyal and faithful. If he was your friend he would always be your friend. Jesus didn’t actually collect Chamor himself; he sent two of his disciples on the Sunday for him. I watched from the distance. They put their coats on Chamor and Jesus sat on him. Jesus is a brilliant guy. He can do miracles. He made sick people better. He talked about God. They had never met before but it seemed like they had been friends for years. Chamor seemed to be enjoying giving Jesus a ride on his back. I followed from a distance. They came closer to the big city of Jerusalem. Wow. It was just like the

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prophet Zechariah had said would happen when he spoke three hundred years ago. The King would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Jesus had chosen Chamor to do what the prophet had said would happen. If he’d turned up on a horse, he would have been like a soldier. If he’d used a camel people would have thought he was rich. But on Chamor everyone knew he was there for peace. People pulled down palm tree branches and put them on the road. Others took of their coats and laid them before Jesus. Quietly at first the shout went up “Hosanna” until it seemed like everyone was shouting on Jesus. I watched Chamor and he wasn’t scared. Some shouted Hosanna. Some shouted Blessed. Some shouted Peace. It seemed everyone liked Jesus, everyone was singing and excited. But not everyone was pleased to see Jesus and some planned to murder him. Chamor came back later that night. He was so alive like it had been the best adventure of his life. He had a new friend. At the end of the week Chamor and I went into the city. It was very different. We heard the same crowd shouting about Jesus “kill him kill him”. Maybe they were right. Perhaps Jesus wasn’t the person who would change the world and who would set us free from the Romans. After all anyone can do miracles. I’m sure people had seen through him. As I thought these things Chamor and I looked at each other and Chamor was sad. He seemed to know I’d changed my mind about Jesus. That night I heard Chamor cry. Guided reflection

Crowds can be good things when we all agree that something needs to be done for good. As a group we can make things happen.

However, sometimes in a crowd we just join in because everyone else is. We need to stop and think – is this right or wrong? What do I believe, not what does everyone else say. Give examples from the playground.

Play and sing: “Make a Difference” by Fischy Music. Track 4 on I Wonder Why Album”


As a class choose an issue that you would like changed. Write a letter, postcard, or email to your councillor, MSP, MEP or MP about this.

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Journey 5

The sad garden and the happy garden.

Jesus goes to the cross and the tomb.

Preamble

This is the fifth of five assemblies on journeys, but can also stand alone as an Easter assembly.

The stimulus for this assembly is the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and the visit of the women to the tomb on the Sunday morning after the crucifixion.

The assembly explores different emotions, happy times and sad times.

Other appropriate Easter songs, musical pieces etc can be slotted in to this outline to create an Easter Festival Assembly.

Preparation

About 6 children to be prepared before the event to be interviewed about the events in the two gardens. This could be incorporated into a class RME topic on the Easter story with the children researching what the disciples would have thought and felt.

Source “When people are cruel” by Fischy Music from “Something Fischy” album.

Pictures for the story by Henry Martin can be found at: http://www.sermons4kids.com/hmartin.htm . These pictures are freely available for use in assemblies.


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http://www.sermons4kids.com/hmartin.htm

Rationale The stimulus for this assembly is the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and the visit of the women to the tomb on the Sunday morning after the crucifixion.

Title A sad garden and a happy garden

Aims To help pupils reflect on the emotions that the disciples experienced at the time of Jesus death and resurrection. To consider how we cope when we feel sad and to celebrate the times we are happy.

Stage P 1 - 7

Objectives 1] At the end of this pupils will have experienced sense of mystery and meaningfulness

2] Pupils will be able state the facts of the story of Jesus and his disciples on Good Friday and Easter Sunday

Link with ACfE Confident individuals: a sense of physical, mental and emotional well being

Is this part of a series Fifth of Five

Introduction Thinking about sad times

Stimulus/ stimuli Christian story from the New Testament gospels about the events of Easter. Matthew 26: 36-56, 28: 1-10, Mark 14:32-32, 16: 1-8, Luke 22: 39-62, 24: 1-12, John 18: 1-11, 20: 1- 10, 21: 1-14

Guided Reflection Fischy Music song “When people are cruel”


Circle time discussion about what we can do when people are cruel




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Introduction Ask the pupils to think of a time, just quietly in their heads, in the last week when they were sad. What made them sad? What did they do? How did they feel? It might be helpful for the leader of the assembly to share a time when they were very sad (just a simple every day thing e.g. falling out with a friend etc – nothing too emotive!) Explain that today’s story starts off in a garden where everyone is very sad, and things just seem to get worse and worse – but by the end of the story things are quite different. Encourage them to listen and watch and wonder how the people in the story are feeling at the end. The Story (Part 1) Use the pictures as suggested via powerpoint or Overhead projector. Jesus was very worried. He knew he was going to die soon and that was very scary and made him very sad. He had a meal with his friends and afterwards took them to a quiet garden outside the city. He said to his them “I’m going to pray stay here” and he said to his 3 best friends “Come with me and pray too.” Jesus lay down on the ground and said to God “Oh I don’t want to do this, it’s too much for me, but I do want to do what you want!”. He went to his 3 best friends, they were fast asleep. He said “please stay awake and pray” and he prayed again “Please Father if I have to go through all this terrible event please make it be what you want.” He came back to his friends and they were asleep. He went and prayed again and when he came back this time he said “Are you still asleep? It’s time for me to go. Here comes Judas.” Just then one of Jesus friends, Judas, arrived, with the religious leaders and a huge crowd of soldiers and other people with big sticks and weapons. Judas came up and kissed Jesus and everyone knew that was the sign for Jesus to be arrested. They tied him up and took him away to be questioned in court, all his friends were terrified and ran away, Peter, one of his best friends came with him down to the building he was taken to, but even he said “No, I don’t know this man!”. The next day Jesus was taken and nailed on a cross and he died. Go immediately into a news report when this bit of the story ends (Newsround them music or similar – could be played) where a news reporter interview 3 or 4 of the “disciples” – played by the children who have prepared this in advance. This is …. Reporting from Jerusalem where news is coming through of some very sad events. The man called Jesus seems to have been arrested and killed. Shocking news. I’m going to find some of his friends to find out what has been going on. (Friends enter, very sad and downcast))

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Questions to the Friends. (answers will have been scripted beforehand with pupils) You were all seen with Jesus in a garden just before he was arrested.

What was he doing in the garden? Did you pray with Him? Why did you fall asleep? How did the soldiers know who to arrest? How did you feel when the soldiers took him away? What did you do when the started taking him away? Why didn’t you go with Him? Where is He now? How do you feel now that he is dead? Why do you think all this has happened? Thank you for talking to us, we are very sorry that you are so sad. (Friends

exit) Oh dear, they all seem so sad, they all ran away and left Jesus to be killed. What a waste. This is… reporting from Jerusalem. Guided reflection Play the song “When people are cruel” by Fischy music, this can be sung together, or just listened to with pictures to go with it (the ones used from the story could be incorporated) The story (Part 2) Jesus friends were all very sad. Jesus was dead. On the Sunday morning, 2 days after he had died, some friends went to the tomb to look after his body, by putting special ointment on it and to say goodbye properly but when they got to the tomb where Jesus body had been put they got a terrible fright. The massive stone that covered the front of the tomb had been rolled away, the tomb was empty and the body was gone. They were terrified. Suddenly a young man in white clothes appeared, it was an angel, and he said “Don’t be afraid! Jesus isn’t here he is alive again, go and tell all his friends.” They ran away, feeling all mixed up, really happy but really afraid too! It was weird! On the way they met Jesus, he said “Don’t be afraid, go and tell everyone I’m back!”. It was amazing and they met him lots of times after that. One day some of the friends were out fishing and they say someone walking on the beach, they realised it was Jesus; Peter was so excited he jumped into the water and swam to the beach right away. Jesus had made a BBQ breakfast for them, it was great, He really was alive. Go immediately into a news report when this bit of the story ends (Newsround them music or similar – could be played) where a news reporter interview 3 or 4 of the “disciples” – played by the children who have prepared this in advance. Thank you for joining me again on Jerusalem news. Some of you heard a few weeks ago the terrible news that Jesus had been killed. But since then we’ve been hearing some very strange stories, oh here come some of his friends, they sound very

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excited and eh…happy, what can have happened? (Friends enter shouting “He’s not dead, He’s alive!”)

Excuse me, what’s happened? Wait a minute, you told me he was dead, how can he be alive? Why did you go to the tomb in the garden? What was it like when you got to the tomb? How was the stone moved, it’s massive? What did Jesus say to you? Have you just seen him once? What have you done with him when you’ve met? What was the breakfast on the beach like? What did He say about you lot all running away? How do you feel now that Jesus is alive? Did all the other friends believe you when you told them this story?

Well thank you so much, that’s incredible, you’d better go and tell more people. Amazing news. Wow, can that really be true. (Friends exit, shouting “He’s alive!”)


In classes talk about “When people are cruel” song, what does this chorus mean “It makes all the difference to know where you came from and where you’re going to”?

journey 1 becoming wise: jesus in the temple · this is the first of five assemblies on journeys....

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