Ideas for a sermon or interactive talk
See also ‘Thought for the week’ to read out in place of a sermon; and 'The week in focus', linking the readings to the news.
- One of the crucial questions for interpreting Scripture is to ask: What time is it? What time is it in my life, and how does that tie in with what I’m reading? Ecclesiastes encourages us to see that there are many different times ‘under heaven’, some of them very dark indeed. What time are we in right now? How might we identify or name it? Ecclesiastes is also about actions. Can we identify a wise action for this moment? How can we look beyond the endlessly positive and optimistic, or at least the desire for it to be so, and to notice that the wise action is sometimes to throw something away or to let it go?
- The Gospel reading and the passage from Revelation encourage us to ‘read the story from the end’ – that is, to see a vision of the end of time and draw something from it for our lives now. God is declared to be ‘the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end’, the whole story. The idea that death will, one day, be no more can be a tremendous comfort and can give us a fixed point on our inner horizon. The parable in Matthew, however, folds the story back on itself in a surprising way: what happens at the end turns out to be dependent on the low-key moments in the middle of the story.
- We all have different experiences of the various times and seasons of life. The list in Ecclesiastes may seem more relevant when we look back on difficult times. For example, experience with Covid means that we can all relate to a time for not embracing, no matter how much we might have wanted to! We can all find examples of both positive and negative ‘times’ in our lives over the years, and they may be short-lived or enduring. But, because our experiences are different, there is a message here for understanding and empathy, knowing that others are in a different time and place from us right now. In short, not everyone feels like celebrating at New Year. Do we need to be better at supporting people in their current season, especially when it is not where we are? Do we need to build resilience in our (church) community to help us cope with different seasons?
- There is challenge within the words ‘a time to build and a time to tear down’. And the new year seems a good opportunity to consider prayerfully where we are as a church community. Are there things we do that need to stop because they are not or no longer fruitful? Are there things that have been started but could and should grow, that need to be built up?
Thought for the week
Read out in place of a sermon if you wish
Everyone has different thoughts and emotions about the four seasons. Is winter darkness a time for misery or rest? Is summer sunshine a time for joy or merely heat and pressure? And what about spring and autumn? In some parts of the world the seasons are less marked than in the UK. Would you enjoy living in a place where all-year round everything remained more or less the same?
The passage from Ecclesiastes suggests that our lives have seasons as well. And, like seasonal weather, these human seasons can be unpredictable. We may find ourselves in a ‘time of building’ where we are productive and fruitful, only to find that a sudden and unexpected time of mourning has come upon us. The challenge is to accept each season and seek God within it. It is tempting to assume that when we are in a season of despair or pain we have been abandoned by God. It is also tempting, when life is full of joy and good things, to forget that God is there at all.
So, the discipline of seeking God in every season – and not ever giving up – is surely an opportunity for growth. Sometimes we can rejoice that God is easily to be found; we shouldn’t let such moments pass us by. To borrow Ecclesiastes’ style: a time to pause and wonder, and a time to praise and rejoice; a time to dance and a time to laugh; a time to tell others about it, perhaps. There will be other times when we need a lot of perseverance to find God. But that steely determination to keep looking, whatever life throws at us, can bring unimagined blessings that may have passed us by if we had given up on God.
Remember, whatever season we are in, God is faithful. Whatever we may be feeling in a particular moment, God is here and God does care. In this new year, whatever time or season we find ourselves in right now, let us commit to walking with each other through those seasons never doubting that God is faithful, and with us, and waiting to be sought out.
Active worship
Blob trees
Thinking about how we feel.
You will need: a Blob Tree. These can be bought individually (£5) or in books, including biblical collections; the authors offer one free version, Blob Football, if this is appropriate in your context.
- If you are not familiar with Blob Tree, read a simple introduction.
- Display a Blob image, asking everyone to decide which blob they most feel like – they do not have to share or justify their response, and there are no right or wrong answers. The point is to be in touch with one’s own feelings. However, if some wish to share, encourage them to form small groups to do so.
- Ask them to consider further questions, such as: Which blob do they not understand? Which blob would they like to meet? Which blob seems most like God to them? Which one seems least like God? Which blob do you think God might be calling you to be or do right now?
E
Lifeline meditation
Reflecting on our life journey.
You will need: sheets of paper; a range of art materials such as pens, pencils, string, eco-friendly glitter, scissors, glue, sand trays, whiteboards, marker pens.
- Invite everyone to make a timeline of the past year, showing the ups and downs of their life. They can use whatever resources they like from those available to them to mark whatever they consider to be important.
- Reflect on the entirety of the timeline. Are there more ups than downs, or vice versa? Where did they feel close to God? Where was God in the ups and downs? Where is God now? If appropriate, they could share some of their thoughts with someone else.
W E S
Sheep collage
A small group activity exploring the Gospel reading.
Each group will need: a large piece of paper, scissors, glue sticks, pens and a newspaper (a mixture of local and national). Display Matthew 25.34-36. Invite the groups to use ideas from the newspaper to make a collage, reflecting the people in the verses.
Ask them to consider how your church community can support these people practically. Write these ideas on the collage. Share ideas around the congregation and try and commit to at least one idea in 2023. You could follow this by singing ‘A Touching Place’ and holding up the collages as you sing.
W E S A
A time to choose
Two contrasting activities – you may wish to choose just one.
1. Keep or throw away?
- Do you have collections of (random) items in a cupboard and corner that no one has a use for? If you have several, you split into groups. Hold up each item and ask: Keep or throw? Take a vote by show of hands. If the vote is ‘keep’, ask people to say what it is to be used for – ‘don’t know’ is not an option! If ‘throw’, then ask people to suggest how it might be appropriately disposed of – e.g. can someone else make use of it. Encourage the congregation to do the same this week at home.
W E A
2. Plant and build up
You will need: A4 coloured card, decorating materials, small plant pots, compost, bulbs. (soap/water/towel)
- Invite people to think of someone in the local community who they know and who might appreciate some TLC. Make that person a card and/or decorate a pot and plant a bulb as a gift. Deliver during the card/gift during coming week.
W E A
A simple worship activity
Changing scenes.
- Use selected verses of the hymn ‘Through all the Changing Scenes of Life’ to make a worship ‘dance’. Invite suggestions for different movements for each line (that can be performed from where people are, seated or standing) or use the suggestions below. It would be helpful to practise before singing this as an act of worship.
W E
Movement suggestions
Through all the changing scenes of life,
(move arms round in circles)
in trouble and in joy,
(sad face then smile)
the praises of my God shall still
(raise hands high)
my heart and tongue employ.
(hand over heart then touch lips)
O magnify the Lord with me,
(raise one arm)
with me exalt his name;
(raise the other arm)
when in distress to him I called,
(as if weeping)
he to my rescue came.
(pull on chain or rope)
Fear him, ye saints, and you will then
(bow head and/or kneel)
have nothing else to fear;
make you his service your delight,
(stand upright and smile)
your wants shall be his care.
(rock the baby)
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
(arms raised throughout)
the God whom we adore,
be glory, as it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
A prayer for all ages together
When life is hard,
it’s time to trust God.
When life is full of joy and fun,
it’s time to thank God.
When God seems far away,
it’s time to look for God.
When God is close,
it’s time to sing to God.
In all our lives
it’s time to praise God.
Amen.
Activity sheet
| Spiritual styles abbreviations W Word E Emotion S Symbol A Action Read our Spiritual Styles articles |