Even storms calm down when we ask Jesus to help. In our worship today, let us ask him to quieten our hearts and to increase our faith.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we are the cause of storms in our life.
Lord, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes we forget to ask your help.
Christ, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes the storms are overwhelming and scary.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." [36] And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. [37] A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. [38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" [39] He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. [40] He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" [41] And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Story:
The Bible story of the storm is a wonderful story in its own right, but this story of Clarice the Cuckoo is help the children see deeper layers in the Bible story and to apply the principles to their own lives.
Clarice Faces The Storm
Clarice Cuckoo couldn't remember her own mother. When Clarice was just an egg, her mother had laid her in a sparrow's nest then flown away forever. When Clarice hatched, all she had seen was Mother Sparrow. Happily, Mother Sparrow had adopted Clarice as her very own, and brought her up along with all the baby Sparrow chicks.
It hadn't been easy. Because she was so much bigger than the Sparrow chicks, Clarice needed much more food. Mother Sparrow was often exhausted, flying back and forth, trying to find enough food to satisfy Clarice's voracious appetite. And sometimes, the Sparrow chicks complained noisily because Clarice was given so much more food than they were.
Soon, the Sparrow chicks were ready to fly. One by one they sat on the edge of the nest and launched themselves happily onto the breeze and disappeared. But poor Clarice was nowhere near ready to fly. She was too big and too clumsy to dare risk taking to the air, and her feathers hadn't properly grown yet. Mother Sparrow continued to fly back and forth, back and forth, always searching for titbits for Clarice.
Soon after this there was a terrible storm. The wind shrieked and howled and the rain lashed viciously against the nest and the tree swayed alarmingly in the wind. Clarice was terrified, and glad she could curl up comfortably in the nest, keeping relatively dry. Mother Sparrow eyed her anxiously.
"You need food, Clarice," she twittered.
"Don't go out in this storm, please Mother," begged Clarice. "I'll be OK for a while without food. Stay here with me."
But she was speaking to the air, for Mother Sparrow had already flown off, into the teeth of the gale.
Clarice never saw her again, for Mother Sparrow failed to return. Clarice was on her own.
Eventually the storm died away, but Clarice's own storm was just beginning, for she had no idea what to do and no-one to help her. None of her adopted Sparrow brothers or sisters returned to the nest. Clarice had no means of getting food, and she began to grow weaker and weaker. She was badly frightened too, for she didn't want to die and it was so lonely without anyone around.
"Please help me, God," whispered Clarice with her fading breath. Then a miracle happened. When she looked down, Clarice realised that within the last couple of days, when she had been on her own, her feathers had grown. She struggled to the edge of the nest, took a deep breath and launched herself on the air just as the Sparrow chicks had done. To her amazement, Clarice discovered she could fly. She quickly found food to revive herself and after that never looked back.
When the time came for Clarice to lay her own eggs, she knew exactly where to lay them - in a sparrow's nest, for Mother Sparrow had been such a wonderful mother to her.
"Thank you, Mother Sparrow," said Clarice quietly. And she added, "Thank you, God," too.
Activity:
You need:
A square sheet of paper for each child
A large
bowl of water
Plastic sheeting
Help the children to fold paper boats:
Sail the boats on the water in the bowl, not forgetting to cover the floor or table with plastic sheeting, as this can get messy! Then get the children to make a "storm" in the water and see what happens to the boats. Unless they're exceptionally strong, they should sink!
Talk about our lives and ask the children what the "boat" of their lives might be. They might suggest home and family, or school, or church - something which feels strong and supportive to them. Point out that when storms occur, we sometimes need more than just a boat to help us. Elicit from them that help comes from Jesus and that they can always ask him for help in any situation.
Diary Time:
Ask the children about storms in their lives. They might have had a huge and terrifying storm, like parents splitting up or somebody dying, or a lesser storm like getting into trouble. Ask them whether they sought help from Jesus, and if they did, ask them how the storm was resolved. Invite them to write about their experiences, or to draw a picture of a storm.
Intercession:
Jesus who calms storms, help us to remember that our Church is like a boat. Sometimes, when we're sailing on the sea of life, storms occur. Help us to remember that you are always willing to help us and to calm the storm for us.
Jesus who calms storms, we pray for people whose lives have been damaged by storms. We pray too for all who risk their lives to help others during storms, remembering particularly lifeboat men, who go out in all weathers to rescue those who are stranded because of storms.
Jesus who calms storms, we invite you to share the boat of our lives and ask you to help us during storms. When life seems overwhelming and scary, be there with us and help us to cope with stormy weather.
Jesus who calms storms, be with those whose lives are facing huge storms at the moment because of illness or bereavement. May they know that you will bring them safely to land and that their lives will get better.
Blessing:
May Jesus whom even the winds and the waves obey,
be present in your life
and especially near during turbulent times.
And the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you now,
be in your homes and in your families
and with all those whom you love
and for whom you pray,
now and always.
Amen.
