Through our worship today, let us join the band of disciples and allow Jesus to send us out into the world to proclaim his message.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, we're not always willing to completely trust you with our lives.
Lord, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes we need to repent and turn again to you.
Christ, have mercy.Jesus, sometimes it feels scary going out into the world with no tools or expertise.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Mark 6:1-13
He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. [2] On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! [3] Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. [4] Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." [5] And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. [6] And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. [7] He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. [8] He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; [9] but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. [10] He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. [11] If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." [12] So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. [13] They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Story:
Just like prophets, some children are without honour in their own home. This is a story about Maisie, who was ridiculed by her family and made to feel as though she couldn't do anything, but who conquered in the end.
Maisie's Game
"I'm going in for a singing competition at school," announced Maisie, happily.
"You?" scoffed her brother Tim. "You can't sing a note!"
Maisie glanced at her mother for support, but her mother merely said, "Don't be silly, Maisie."
Maisie pouted and flounced off to her bedroom. It wasn't fair! Her mother automatically said, "Don't be silly, Maisie" whenever Maisie suggested anything. Maisie wasn't sure whether she was being silly or not, but she suddenly found she'd gone off the idea of the singing competition. She'd only make herself look even more stupid than she was. But she felt angry with her family. None of them thought she could do anything, and Maisie was determined to prove them wrong.
When the school came up with a competition to design and write the best holiday postcard, Maisie hesitated. She knew she wasn't very good at art, but she did like creative writing. Would her drawing let her down and make her look silly? She wanted to ask advice, but was determined not to let her family know what she was doing as they'd only laugh at her. Maisie decided to talk to the teacher who was organising the competition. Mr Phillips was the art teacher so knew about Maisie's art work, but he was really nice.
"What we're looking for, Maisie," he said, "is originality. I don't care about the standard of your drawing, but it does need to be all your own work and all your own idea. I think you should have a go. Even if you don't win, I think you'll enjoy taking part and just being part of the competition will give you confidence."
"You won't laugh if it's hopeless?" asked Maisie, nervously.
"Of course not!" declared Mr Phillips. "The judges will take every entry seriously and I'm quite sure you will be somewhere near the top. You have a go."
So Maisie did. She thought and thought about a design for the postcard, and in the end made a little model of the school out of paper which she stuck onto the card. On the other side she wrote about her school. She enjoyed doing that, and put in a special bit about how silly she felt most of the time, but that no-one at school ever made her feel silly.
Nobody else had made a model, and Maisie waited for the jeering comments she was sure would come. But to her surprise, all the other children seemed really impressed by what she'd done.
That night, Maisie said to her family, "There's a postcard competition at school. I may go in for it."
Her brother Tim laughed. "You! You can't draw!" Her father didn't look up from the paper. Her mother was glued to the television and without listening properly said, "Don't be silly, Maisie."
This time, Maisie didn't pout. She'd done the competition and nobody had laughed, but she wasn't going to tell her family that.
At the end of term after Sports Day (in which Maisie did predictably badly because her parents were watching) the Head Teacher announced the results of all the year's competitions. To her amazement, Maisie discovered she had won the postcard competition because of the originality and flare of her entry. Her parents looked astonished as she went up onto the platform to receive her prize, although they said afterwards, "We don't know how you did it!"
When Maisie grew up she became a well known architect. But she never designed anything for her own family, for none of them could see her talent.
Activity:
You need:
A blindfold
Obstacles - chairs, blocks,
whatever.
Jesus' family and friends were unable to fully trust him, because they thought they knew all about him. This meant that Jesus was unable to work to his full capacity. When he sent the disciples out in pairs, he refused to allow them to take anything for the journey. They had no safety net if things should go wrong, and so were forced to rely on God and trust in him.
Today's activity is a couple of exercises in trust. Start by putting the children into groups of three. One should stand in the middle, between the other two. The middle child just relaxes, and allows him/herself to be gently pushed from one child to the other. Make sure the children are fully responsible for each other's safety. Some children will find this exercise difficult because they will remain stiff, unable to relinquish control to their friends.
Next, blindfold a child and invite the child to move around the church, guided by your commands (eg. "Take two steps forward. Turn right. Take one step forward. Etc.) This should be relatively easy. Then put some obstacles in the way. Allow the children to watch you do this, then blindfold another child and guide the child round the obstacle course by following your instructions. Finally, blindfold a child first, then explain that you're moving the obstacles so that the child has no idea where they are. Again, guide the child by issuing instructions. Ask the children what it felt like, and which exercise required the most trust. Explain that life is something of an obstacle course. We can't usually see the obstacles, and must trust God to guide us through them. The more we're able to relax and let God have charge of our lives, the better able God is to guide us.
Diary Time: For details, click here.
Ask the children if they have ever been laughed at or ridiculed by a member of their family or a close friend, and what it felt like. Was it more difficult to do their best when they were laughed at? Ask them how they think Jesus might have felt when his family and friends laughed at him, because they'd known him all his life. Ask them why they think Jesus was unable to perform any miracles in his own town. Invite the children to write down or draw any occasion when they might have been able to do more if they had been treated more considerately by a family member or friend.
Intercession:
Jesus, you send us out from the comfort of our church into the inhospitable world. Disregard our excuses and give us the courage to work for you and testify to you, no matter what the response.
Jesus, you send us out from the comfort of our homes into the inhospitable world. Open our eyes to see the suffering which is going on all around us. If it insulates us from that which is wrong in the world, destroy our cocoon of comfort and so make us sensitive to other people's needs.
Jesus, you send us out to heal the sick and comfort the broken hearted. May we take those commands seriously and not hide our faces from those who have physical or emotional or mental needs. Help us to give of ourselves so that other people may be healed by your love flowing through us.
Jesus, you send us out in your name, but our families and friends only see us as the children we once were. May we be prepared to strive in your name, even when we are ridiculed and despised. Give us the strength to endure isolation, especially if it should come from those who are closest to us.
Blessing:
As you walk into the coming week
may you walk with Jesus,
trusting fully in him,
relying fully on him
and responding fully to him.
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.
