27 October 2024
Bible readings for today
Liturgical colour: GREEN |
CollectE te Atua ka whakamoemiti mātou ki a koe,
e tīaho nei te mārama o te Karaiti i roto i tō mātou pōuritanga, te mārama e kore nei e tineia; aratakina mātou i te ara, ā, tae noa ki te rā o te oranga tonutanga; Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. Āmine. We praise you, God, that the light of Christ shines in our darkness and is never overcome; show us the way we must go to eternal day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
Today's story looks at how Jesus healed a blind man, named Bartimaeus. The gospels tell of Jesus healing two men of blindness, found in Mark 8 and Mark 10, or John 9. We have included resources and ideas for both in this day, as they may be helpful in coming up with ideas for your church.
Worship Song
See Again from Chris Cope, worship leader at St Paul's Anglican Church in Auckland |
Leaders InputEmpathy or Sympathy?
Fostering empathy in our children is so important, but when faced with someone who is different or going through a hard time, empathy can become sympathy. Sympathy just feels bad for a situation and sometimes that’s appropriate. Empathy is more complicated than sympathy, and is the ability to understand others and to put yourself in that person’s shoes. Recent studies suggest that children as young as 2-3 years old can learn empathy. We can help our children be empathetic by modelling empathy, talking openly about what other people are experiencing and achieving, and allowing our children to think about (and perhaps experience) what it might be like to have the challenges in life that others face. Feeling empathy allows us to grow as people, build solid relationships with others and it encourages us to reach out and take positive action to do good. Gospel Conversations 2024: One of the characters in the crowd who is given a name in Mark's gospel is Bartimaeus: a man who was courageous enough to keep seeking and keep following Jesus. This week Mark Wilson will bring us his unique insights into the story of a blind man, joining Damon Plimmer and Deborah Broome.
Gospel Conversations 2021: In Mark's gospel we are reaching the end of the long journey to Jerusalem, and come to the last healing Jesus performs on the road: giving sight to blind Bartimaeus. Lisa Emerson, Damon Plimmer and Anne van Gend join Michael Godfrey this week to discuss seeing Jesus, Jesus' welcome, and the times we and others might get in the way of that encounter.
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GamesObstacle Course
Mystery Objects
A Simple Blind Bart SkitWhat you need
Photocopy the skit so that each speaking part has a copy. Get into costume and go! Kids TalksBartimaeus Cries Out - short lesson plan with fun decoder glasses activity. (Lesson starts on page 4).
Let Me See Again - short lesson plan, includes blindfold drawing challenge and writing a verse in braille. Kids Sermon - Asking for Mercy, with useful wondering questions
Seeing Our Faith In ActionBrainstorm ideas of how to help people who are affected by blindness.
Think about one project that you can work together on, to fundraise or raise awareness of the cause. The Fred Hollows Foundation may be a good organisation to connect with in New Zealand, as they send repurposed glasses to end avoidable blindness in Pasifika. |
Activities
Googly Eye Finger PuppetsA word document with instructions can be downloaded here
Visio Lectio
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Media
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Some videos based on the healing of the blind man in John 9 (where Jesus uses mud)
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Jesus, A Forever Perfect Priest (Hebrews 7:23-28)
Intergenerational Worship
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Holiness and Humanness: A Forever Perfect Priest
(These resources are adapted from the material originally made available as part of the Holiness and Humanness six week series). The writer of the book of Hebrews makes a big contrast between all of the priests that had made sacrifices and prayers in the past – who eventually ran out of energy, died, and had to be replaced – compared with the forever life and love and making things right of Jesus. The people of God in the first century saw, yet again, their temple destroyed and their communities scattered. What could they depend upon? What remained? What was left? The book of Hebrews points to Jesus as the one who remains, forever, always representing us, always carrying our prayers. Unlike bread in particular and food more generally, prayers have no use-by date. We trust them to Jesus who is Permanently, Continually, Forever, Always the Lord of the cosmos, loving us all, and making things right. This week’s interactive prayer engagement uses bread clips without a use by date, and an infinity shaped clothesline, to remind us of Jesus’ never-ending love and care for all our concerns and prayers for one another and the world. [From intergen.org.au] |
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I will praise the Lord (Psalms 34:1-8, 19-22)
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(Adapted from https://deeperkidmin.com/)
Psalm 34:8 tells us to “taste and see” how good our God is. Growing up, I always thought that verse was a little silly. How do I “taste” God? Well, Psalm 34:8 encapsulates a profound truth: God’s goodness is not an abstract concept but a tangible reality that can be experienced personally. It encourages us to engage with God, to take a leap of faith, and to encounter His goodness in our everyday lives. Just as we savor and relish the flavors of food, we are called to immerse ourselves in the goodness of the Lord. When Psalm 34:8 encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good,” it means that we should pay attention to all the sweet things God gives us and remember who God is. This psalm is an invitation to trust God and experience His abundant goodness in our lives, to know God and have a relationship with Him, and to remember that He loves us. And as we create spaces for children and families to encounter Him and grow into deeper, more vibrant relationship with a good God, let us trust in His faithfulness and take refuge in His loving presence. Colouring printableColouring Printable from ministryark.com plus fun discussion questions:
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