Our Lent theme has been all about how God values us as we are.  As we approach the final week of term we are going to thing about the Easter story.  Here is a reminder of the story:

The story of Jesus is a great example of how much God loves us.  Jesus was treated like a criminal when he had done nothing wrong.  He was hurt and punished in a terrible way but did not retaliate and shout back – even though it wasn’t fair at all!

Life is not fair!  Lots of things may have happened to you in the past that are not fair.  Can you think of an example?  Discuss it with the person next to you.

How did you respond?

The Easter story teaches us that even if life is unfair, God still loves us.  You cannot change what has happened in the past and that might be hard to deal with.  But God still loves you and has a plan for you.

How can you help those around you when life hasn’t been fair to them?  What can you do to show them God’s love?   

Equity vs Equality flickr photo by MN Pollution Control Agency shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Easter Story.  Thank you for your willingness to take a punishment that you didn’t deserve for us.  Help us to understand the true meaning of going the extra mile to help others who need it.  Help us to notice those around us who need more support.  Help us to ask for help if we are finding things difficult and trust that those around us will be there to stand up for us and help us find a way.  Amen

It is a joy to be hidden and a disaster not to be found.

How many of you have ever played hide & seek? The rules are:

1. You must have at least two players.
2. You have to agree on a countdown to shout with the seeker’s eyes covered.
3. The seeker tries to find the player(s) hiding.
4. The first player found becomes the seeker in the next game.
5. The last player found is the winner.

In hide & seek, you eventually want to be found.

In life, we sometimes hide as a way of protecting ourselves. We don’t speak up in class, we don’t share our opinions among friends, we distance ourselves from people around us so we don’t have to face rejection. But deep down we all long for connection.

This is how it was with a Samaritan woman in the bible that Jesus spoke to. People judged her and gossiped about her, so she’d go to collect water from the well when no one else was around. It felt easier to hide herself than to face the rejection of others. But Jesus wanted to find her in this game of hide & seek. He spoke openly to her, asked her for water, and told her secrets about himself, and things that he knew about her. This led to the woman running back to her village and openly telling everyone she saw about Jesus and the things he said. She was no longer afraid to show herself, because for once, someone saw her for who she was and didn’t judge her.

Our theme for Lent this year is, ‘we are all unique and God loves us as we are’. How often have you felt judged, misunderstood, or looked down upon? This lent, remember Jesus knows everything about you and still wants to be your friend. Not everyone will like you or accept you. And that’s okay! We all have a voice that matters and something to contribute. So let yourself be found!

Dear Lord
Thank you that you understand us. Sometimes we allow fear to hold us back from being our true selves around people. Help us to know that we are always loved and accepted by you. May this set us free to be who you made us to be without shame or fear. Amen

Think about these 3 scenarios, how does each one make you feel? Would any of them make you feel a bit anxious or worried?

A spider runs across your desk

A teacher comes in and tells you to go and see the Headteacher.

Your friend tells you that you have a test in your next lesson.

We all get anxious and nervous about different things – what do you do when you feel anxious or worried? How might other people know that you are feeling anxious?

Our story this week is all about someone called, ‘Martha’ – an amazing woman and worth celebrating as we thought about International Women’s Day last week. She was very anxious and worried when she invited Jesus to her house. She found it all very stressful and needed a strategy to help her relax. Here is her story:

Our Lent series this year is all about how God loves us as we are (unique and special). If you are someone who feels anxious a lot, God loves you and wants you to feel peaceful.

What strategies could you use to help you ‘find peace’ when you have anxious thoughts?

How can you help others when they are anxious or worried?

Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you that you love me as I am and that I am unique and special. Please help me when I have anxious thoughts about things that are worrying me. Help me to find a place of peace in my mind. Show me who to talk to and where to go if I need support. Help me to notice those around me and offer a place of peace to anyone who is feeling anxious. Amen

Our theme for Lent this year is, ‘we are all unique and God loves us as we are’.

Mephibosheth (pronounced me-fib'-o-sheth) was a character from the bible who went through a lot of difficulties from a young age. We’ll call him M for short.

M’s life began as a story of pain, in which things happened to him that were out of his control. He was an orphan and disabled, two labels the society at the time would’ve looked down on him for. But King David saw him as worthy, as a friend to eat with, and someone to give responsibility to.

Who do you overlook without meaning to? How do you think God views this person, or people? Ask God to help you to see value in people that you may not regard as much as others. If we all saw the value that God sees in people, how different would the world be?

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2

Dear Lord,

Thank you that you value us all. There’s room at your table for everyone to eat. You don’t turn us away because of our differences, but welcome us in light of our differences. This is called grace. Help us to give this same grace to others as you open our eyes to see how valuable we all are. Amen

Our theme for Lent this year is, ‘we are all unique and God loves us as we are’.

Sometimes what makes us unique can make us feel weak. Moses was a man in the bible that God wanted to use to speak to powerful people, but Moses refused for multiple reasons. He didn’t feel worthy, he wasn’t a confident public speaker, he stuttered, he was afraid people wouldn’t listen to him, and he felt like somebody else would do a better job than him.

How many of you have felt the way Moses did? Maybe you were asked to read something in class, or in an assembly, and had the same thoughts. The truth is, we all have times where we lack confidence.

However, God made no mistake in choosing Moses. And he makes no mistake in choosing us. God promised to be with Moses and to help him speak, and he offers us the same promises.

In times where you’ve felt like you weren’t up to the task, who helped you?

Is there someone you can think of that needs a confidence boost right now?

The story goes that Moses’ brother Aaron was assigned to help Moses speak, but eventually Moses did all the talking as his confidence grew. How can you be an Aaron to someone during this season of lent? 

Dear Lord,
Thank you that although we lack confidence sometimes, you always see the best in us. Thank you for the times you’ve put people around us to encourage and support us to do things that we felt were impossible. Help us to do the same for those who need it. Amen