15/4/12  EASTER 2

Theme: Who do you believe? (Doubting Thomas)

Bible Reading

John chapter 20 verses 19-31

Preparation

You will needa volunteer (teacher, LSA, school secretary) to tell an amazing story of what they did over the holidays and a prop that they have been "given" by a "famous person".

Introduction

Welcome the children to the collective worship and invite up the adult who is going to share their "holiday story" - even if there is a kernel of truth at the centre of the story, there should be an amazing but possible element in it (along the lines of having breakfast with a pop star or a famous footballer whom the children will know, who then gave them a necklace / a football etc etc as a present).

After the story has finished, ask the children what they thought of the story and especially the "surprise element" whatever that was. Move on to ask them if they believed the entire story. Did they believe it all because they trusted the person telling it? Did they have doubts because it seemed so fanciful? Inform the children that you are sorry to report that you know that has +++++ been making things up, because you saw them buying the item in town etc. Of course, your storyteller will hotly defend the truth of their version of the story.

Appeal to the assembly - who are they going to believe?

The Message

Once the assembly has decided who is telling the truth, it's time to tell them this was all play-acting and neither of the stories is true! Make sure you give your defamed colleague a round of applause, to really impress upon the children they were acting!

Remind the children of the recent Easter holiday and how Christians throughout the world have been celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. For the very first followers of Jesus the story that Jesus had risen from the dead must have been even more amazing than the stories you have just been listening to. They had seen Jesus crucified, and were still mourning his death, how could he now be alive again?

There is one very famous story in the Bible about one of the disciples of Jesus called Thomas. After his resurrection Jesus came to a room where most of the disciples were gathered together. They were amazed to see him, but when they talked with him and looked at the terrible wounds in his hands and in his side wherehe had been crucified, they were absolutely certain that it was Jesus. But Thomas, one of the disciples, was missing from the group, and when he arrived everyone started telling him excited stories about how they had seen and met with Jesus. Thomas just could not understand it - he knew his friends well and trusted them, but the story was just so amazing he couldn't believe it. He told them he couldn't accept what they said until he saw Jesus for himself and actually touched him to make sure he was real.

Thomas had to wait eight days to find out the truth. During that time all his friends must have been talking about Jesus, and poor Thomas must have felt left out and confused. Then Jesus came back to meet his friends again - and this time Thomas was there. Jesus knew that Thomas had doubted what the others had said, and at once he invited him to come over and touch him if he wanted to. Thomas didn't need to do that, because he recognised Jesus at once - "My Lord and my God" he called out. The story says that Jesus said to Thomas: "Did you only believe in me because you have seen me? May those people be blessed who believe in me, but haven't seen me." Jesus was talking about all those Christians who haven't seen Jesus with their eyes, but know in their hearts that he is their Lord.

Prayer

Almighty God,
We thank you for the work of the Gospel writers who remembered and wrote down all the stories about Jesus, that even in the twenty first century people may have the opportunity to hear the story of his resurrection and know him in their hearts. Amen

Also this week you could think about other Bible characters who had experienced doubt or uncertainty: Moses when God called him to save his people - Exodus chp 2 vs 11 - chp 3 vs 12; Jeremiah when he was called to be a prophet - Jeremiah chp 1 vss 4-19; Jesus' disciples caught in the storm - Mark chp 4 vss 35-41; Jesus himself in the Garden of Gethsemane - Mark chp 14 vss 32-42.