Praxis And The Mushrooms
Children's Liturgy and Story
Call to worship:
Jesus said, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." Let us rejoice today as we worship the Lord our God and serve him.
Invitation to confession:
Jesus, sometimes it's difficult to recognise temptation. May we clearly spot temptation.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes it's difficult to withstand temptation. May we firmly resist temptation.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes it's difficult to see beyond our own needs. May we keep our eyes fixed on you.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, [2] where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. [3] The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." [4] Jesus answered him, 'It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.' "
[5] Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. [6] And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. [7] If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." [8] Jesus answered him, 'It is written,
'Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.' "
[9] Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, [10] for it is written,
'He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,' [11] and
'On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' "
[12] Jesus answered him, 'It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " [13] When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Story:
Sometimes it's difficult to spot temptation and by the time we begin to realise what's happening, we're deep in sin.
This is a cautionary tale about Praxis, the pixie who changes colour according to his moods. He succumbs to temptation without really being aware of what he's doing, and puts other people in danger. But despite his sinfulness, the Wise Old Pixie goes on loving him.
Praxis And The Mushrooms
There were mushrooms growing in the forest, although Praxis, the little pixie whose skin changed colour according to his moods, didn't know where. He did know that mushrooms were quite his favourite food and that he'd stuff himself with them if nobody stopped him. His mother would occasionally allow him one or two as a special treat, but never any more.
"You'll be sick if you eat any more," she'd say, and became deaf to all Praxis' pleadings.
One day a goblin strolled into the outskirts of the pixie village. Praxis knew he should welcome even goblins, although he had been taught not to speak to strangers. But he conveniently forgot that part.
"Hello," he began politely. "Can I help you?"
A sly smile spread across the goblin's face. "Well, see here, little pixie. I might be able to help you!" He opened his sack. "Do you like these?"
Praxis turned bright pink in his joy and excitement, for the sack was full of his favourite mushrooms. He reached out a hand and popped a mushroom into his mouth. It was delicious and it made him feel full of life and energy. He took another. And another. And another. The goblin watched and grinned. He made no move to stop Praxis, who quite forgot that his mother wouldn't like it.
Then the goblin said, "Would you like to know where these mushrooms grow, so that you can pick some whenever you choose?"
Praxis mouth was bulging too much to speak, but his eyes shone. He nodded vigorously, although an observant onlooker might have noticed that by now his bright pink colour was tinged with a little green. Praxis himself didn't notice anything. He was too full of mushroom.
Without another thought he followed the goblin out of the village, along the winding forest track and deep into the forest. Praxis had never been quite so far into the forest in his life and he couldn't help feeling a little afraid. But the goblin noticed him turning yellow and said reassuringly, "Not far now. You do trust me, don't you?"
Praxis nodded again, although not quite so certainly this time. But when the goblin led him to a huge patch of mushrooms, he forgot everything in his joy. As he fell onto his hands and knees and began to desperately pluck the mushrooms, he was the brightest pink he had ever been. He filled a sack with mushrooms to share with all his friends.
Then the goblin led him back to the village, but it was such a long way and so complicated that Praxis had no idea where he'd been.
"Tell you what," said the goblin. "You give your friends two mushrooms each, then sell them the rest for a penny a time. I'll come again next month and with the money you make, you can buy mushrooms from me for a halfpenny each. Or if you like, for a small fee I'll lead you to the patch again and you can pick your own. There! Can't say fairer than that, can I? What do you reckon?"
Praxis thought it was a brilliant plan. All his friends would be happy and he'd make a profit. It was perfect. Bright pink, he bounced into the village with his sack of mushrooms and began to share them out just as the goblin had suggested.
All the pixie children were thrilled. They ate their fill of the mushrooms and Praxis made a lot of money. None of the children were very attentive in class that day and their heads seemed to be full of weird ideas and strange sights, but nobody was actually sick.
The following month, Praxis waited eagerly for the goblin. This time, Praxis had brought two sacks, one for each hand. Again he ate his fill and again he filled the sacks, but again, he was unable to remember the route to the mushroom patch. Again the pixie children wolfed down the mushrooms and again they were unable to concentrate in class. But this time, one of them was quite sick.
"Perhaps it's the mushrooms," suggested a pixie child, but Praxis flushed an angry red.
"Don't be stupid," he retorted, "there's a bug going round." He felt a little queasy himself, but was determined not to admit it.
Over the coming months, Praxis continued to trade in mushrooms. By now the adult pixies had become aware that their children were behaving strangely and were beginning to become rude and aggressive, but they didn't know why. Praxis was so hooked on the mushrooms that he refused to even consider the possibility that they might be harming the pixie children.
Then one day a pixie child became so ill that the Wise Old Pixie was called. He took one look at the child and immediately recognised the symptoms. He also had a good idea of the probable source of the mushrooms.
"Praxis!" he thundered.
As Praxis stood quaking before the Wise Old Pixie, he was a delicate shade of blue. Deep down in his heart he knew he had done wrong. He remembered his mother's warnings about the mushrooms and he knew they were responsible for some ugly scenes amongst the pixie children. He also knew he had made a lot of money from his friends and he felt very guilty.
Praxis was unable to look the Wise Old Pixie in the eye. He turned bluer and bluer and muttered, "I'm sorry," as he stared at the floor.
"Do you realise that you might have killed this little pixie child?" asked the Wise Old Pixie. Praxis gazed at him with frightened eyes. He turned very green and felt very sick. Without a word he handed over all the money he had collected and promised never to eat or to sell another mushroom. Then, with his head hanging, he turned to go, certain that he would never again be allowed into the presence of the Wise Old Pixie.
"You must go to every pixie child and every pixie adult in this village and tell them how sorry you are," ordered the Wise Old Pixie. But then, as Praxis glumly nodded, he added, "I'll always love you, Praxis. Never forget that." And a little healthy pink began to creep back into that naughty skin.
As for that wicked goblin, no-one from the pixie village ever saw him again. He went to peddle his nasty wares somewhere else.
Activity:
You need:
A copy of the multichoice quiz for each child
Pencils or pens
A flip chart and pens
Prepare the flipchart in advance. Draw a chart, with all the quiz questions listed down the left hand side, and columns headed a, b, c, d, across the top.
Give out the quiz and encourage the children to answer it individually, helping them where necessary. Stress that there are no right or wrong answers, it's all a matter of choice. When the children have finished, collect in all the papers and chart the results on the flip chart, taking care not to identify any individual. Then return the papers and look at the results together. Note where the majority of answers lie and where the least answers lie. Encourage discussion on the results of each question, making sure that all the children feel heard and asking their reasons for their choices.
Finally, talk about Jesus' temptations in the wilderness and compare his answers to the devil with the children's answers in the quiz.
Quiz
1. Your best friend's dog is sick and your friend is worried about it. Would you a) Listen to your friend and tell him/her the name of a good vet? b) Suggest you both bunk off school for a couple of hours to see how the dog is? c) Offer the use of your mobile phone so that your friend can ring home? d) Something else?
2. You've been in an internet chatroom, pretending to be five years older than you really are. When a friend you've met in the chatroom suggests you should meet, do you a) Agree at once and rush off, keeping it all a secret? b) Confess your real age and tell your Mum what's happened? c) Get offline as quickly as you can and vow never to go back? d) Something else?
3. You spot a £10 note lying on the floor. There is nobody around, so you don't know who's dropped it. Do you a) Pick it up and hand it in at the nearest police station? b) Pick it up and put it in a charity box? c) Pick it up and spend it on a present for your Gran, who is sick in hospital? d) Something else?
4. When you get to school you discover to your horror that you've forgotten a crucial piece of homework and you know the teacher will be furious. Do you a) Go to the teacher and apologise? b) Try to get it done in break and the lunch hour? c) Copy your friend's? d) Something else?
5. There's a bully at your school who scares you rigid and has threatened to beat you up on the way home. Do you a) Ask your Dad to meet you from school? b) Tell a teacher? c) Get a gang of your friends together to beat up the bully? d) Something else?
6. Your best friend has no fashion sense and always looks like an anorak. Do you a) Boost your friend's confidence by saying how nice they look? b) Take your friend quietly on one side and point out his/her mistakes in a friendly way? c) Laugh? d) Something else?
7. There's a dirty joke which you don't much like, going round the school. Everyone else thinks it's hilarious. Do you a) Laugh along with all your mates? b) Tell them you don't like dirty jokes? c) Pretend you haven't heard? d) Something else?
8. It's a freezing cold day and you're due on the school field in shorts and a T shirt for sports, which you hate. Do you a) Tell the teacher you've twisted your ankle and can't do any sports for at least a month? b) Forge a letter from your mother, getting you off sports for good? c) Moan and groan but go out anyway? d) Something else?
9. You're at a disco where someone has smuggled in alcohol. Do you a) Hold out your half-empty bottle of coke and ask for a slug? b) Tell the organisers? c) Pretend you haven't noticed? d) Something else?
10. You're the only one at school without a mobile phone, because your Mum thinks they're dangerous. Do you a) Shout and bawl and keep on at your Mum until she lets you have one? b) Check out the scientific evidence and promise you won't be on it for hours if only you can have one? c) Save up and buy one whatever your Mum says? d) Something else?
Prayers:
Loving God, help our church to be so focussed on you that we identify temptation whenever it occurs. Help us to avoid falling into sin or running into danger, but to always do what is right in your eyes.
Loving God, the world is constantly tempted by money, especially by the thought of making money without working hard for it. Help us all to put money into its proper place and use it responsibly.
Loving God, when temptations are too strong or too subtle for us and we sin, remind us that you still love us and that you always forgive those who are truly sorry.
Loving God, we ask you to touch those of our friends who are sick so that they might become well and strong again. We name them before you...
Blessing:
May God give you the wisdom
to spot temptation,
the strength to withstand it
and the endurance to
steadfastly reject it.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit,
be with you now
and remain with you always.
Amen.
Jesus said, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." Let us rejoice today as we worship the Lord our God and serve him.
Invitation to confession:
Jesus, sometimes it's difficult to recognise temptation. May we clearly spot temptation.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes it's difficult to withstand temptation. May we firmly resist temptation.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes it's difficult to see beyond our own needs. May we keep our eyes fixed on you.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, [2] where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. [3] The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." [4] Jesus answered him, 'It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.' "
[5] Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. [6] And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. [7] If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." [8] Jesus answered him, 'It is written,
'Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.' "
[9] Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, [10] for it is written,
'He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,' [11] and
'On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' "
[12] Jesus answered him, 'It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " [13] When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Story:
Sometimes it's difficult to spot temptation and by the time we begin to realise what's happening, we're deep in sin.
This is a cautionary tale about Praxis, the pixie who changes colour according to his moods. He succumbs to temptation without really being aware of what he's doing, and puts other people in danger. But despite his sinfulness, the Wise Old Pixie goes on loving him.
Praxis And The Mushrooms
There were mushrooms growing in the forest, although Praxis, the little pixie whose skin changed colour according to his moods, didn't know where. He did know that mushrooms were quite his favourite food and that he'd stuff himself with them if nobody stopped him. His mother would occasionally allow him one or two as a special treat, but never any more.
"You'll be sick if you eat any more," she'd say, and became deaf to all Praxis' pleadings.
One day a goblin strolled into the outskirts of the pixie village. Praxis knew he should welcome even goblins, although he had been taught not to speak to strangers. But he conveniently forgot that part.
"Hello," he began politely. "Can I help you?"
A sly smile spread across the goblin's face. "Well, see here, little pixie. I might be able to help you!" He opened his sack. "Do you like these?"
Praxis turned bright pink in his joy and excitement, for the sack was full of his favourite mushrooms. He reached out a hand and popped a mushroom into his mouth. It was delicious and it made him feel full of life and energy. He took another. And another. And another. The goblin watched and grinned. He made no move to stop Praxis, who quite forgot that his mother wouldn't like it.
Then the goblin said, "Would you like to know where these mushrooms grow, so that you can pick some whenever you choose?"
Praxis mouth was bulging too much to speak, but his eyes shone. He nodded vigorously, although an observant onlooker might have noticed that by now his bright pink colour was tinged with a little green. Praxis himself didn't notice anything. He was too full of mushroom.
Without another thought he followed the goblin out of the village, along the winding forest track and deep into the forest. Praxis had never been quite so far into the forest in his life and he couldn't help feeling a little afraid. But the goblin noticed him turning yellow and said reassuringly, "Not far now. You do trust me, don't you?"
Praxis nodded again, although not quite so certainly this time. But when the goblin led him to a huge patch of mushrooms, he forgot everything in his joy. As he fell onto his hands and knees and began to desperately pluck the mushrooms, he was the brightest pink he had ever been. He filled a sack with mushrooms to share with all his friends.
Then the goblin led him back to the village, but it was such a long way and so complicated that Praxis had no idea where he'd been.
"Tell you what," said the goblin. "You give your friends two mushrooms each, then sell them the rest for a penny a time. I'll come again next month and with the money you make, you can buy mushrooms from me for a halfpenny each. Or if you like, for a small fee I'll lead you to the patch again and you can pick your own. There! Can't say fairer than that, can I? What do you reckon?"
Praxis thought it was a brilliant plan. All his friends would be happy and he'd make a profit. It was perfect. Bright pink, he bounced into the village with his sack of mushrooms and began to share them out just as the goblin had suggested.
All the pixie children were thrilled. They ate their fill of the mushrooms and Praxis made a lot of money. None of the children were very attentive in class that day and their heads seemed to be full of weird ideas and strange sights, but nobody was actually sick.
The following month, Praxis waited eagerly for the goblin. This time, Praxis had brought two sacks, one for each hand. Again he ate his fill and again he filled the sacks, but again, he was unable to remember the route to the mushroom patch. Again the pixie children wolfed down the mushrooms and again they were unable to concentrate in class. But this time, one of them was quite sick.
"Perhaps it's the mushrooms," suggested a pixie child, but Praxis flushed an angry red.
"Don't be stupid," he retorted, "there's a bug going round." He felt a little queasy himself, but was determined not to admit it.
Over the coming months, Praxis continued to trade in mushrooms. By now the adult pixies had become aware that their children were behaving strangely and were beginning to become rude and aggressive, but they didn't know why. Praxis was so hooked on the mushrooms that he refused to even consider the possibility that they might be harming the pixie children.
Then one day a pixie child became so ill that the Wise Old Pixie was called. He took one look at the child and immediately recognised the symptoms. He also had a good idea of the probable source of the mushrooms.
"Praxis!" he thundered.
As Praxis stood quaking before the Wise Old Pixie, he was a delicate shade of blue. Deep down in his heart he knew he had done wrong. He remembered his mother's warnings about the mushrooms and he knew they were responsible for some ugly scenes amongst the pixie children. He also knew he had made a lot of money from his friends and he felt very guilty.
Praxis was unable to look the Wise Old Pixie in the eye. He turned bluer and bluer and muttered, "I'm sorry," as he stared at the floor.
"Do you realise that you might have killed this little pixie child?" asked the Wise Old Pixie. Praxis gazed at him with frightened eyes. He turned very green and felt very sick. Without a word he handed over all the money he had collected and promised never to eat or to sell another mushroom. Then, with his head hanging, he turned to go, certain that he would never again be allowed into the presence of the Wise Old Pixie.
"You must go to every pixie child and every pixie adult in this village and tell them how sorry you are," ordered the Wise Old Pixie. But then, as Praxis glumly nodded, he added, "I'll always love you, Praxis. Never forget that." And a little healthy pink began to creep back into that naughty skin.
As for that wicked goblin, no-one from the pixie village ever saw him again. He went to peddle his nasty wares somewhere else.
Activity:
You need:
A copy of the multichoice quiz for each child
Pencils or pens
A flip chart and pens
Prepare the flipchart in advance. Draw a chart, with all the quiz questions listed down the left hand side, and columns headed a, b, c, d, across the top.
Give out the quiz and encourage the children to answer it individually, helping them where necessary. Stress that there are no right or wrong answers, it's all a matter of choice. When the children have finished, collect in all the papers and chart the results on the flip chart, taking care not to identify any individual. Then return the papers and look at the results together. Note where the majority of answers lie and where the least answers lie. Encourage discussion on the results of each question, making sure that all the children feel heard and asking their reasons for their choices.
Finally, talk about Jesus' temptations in the wilderness and compare his answers to the devil with the children's answers in the quiz.
Quiz
1. Your best friend's dog is sick and your friend is worried about it. Would you a) Listen to your friend and tell him/her the name of a good vet? b) Suggest you both bunk off school for a couple of hours to see how the dog is? c) Offer the use of your mobile phone so that your friend can ring home? d) Something else?
2. You've been in an internet chatroom, pretending to be five years older than you really are. When a friend you've met in the chatroom suggests you should meet, do you a) Agree at once and rush off, keeping it all a secret? b) Confess your real age and tell your Mum what's happened? c) Get offline as quickly as you can and vow never to go back? d) Something else?
3. You spot a £10 note lying on the floor. There is nobody around, so you don't know who's dropped it. Do you a) Pick it up and hand it in at the nearest police station? b) Pick it up and put it in a charity box? c) Pick it up and spend it on a present for your Gran, who is sick in hospital? d) Something else?
4. When you get to school you discover to your horror that you've forgotten a crucial piece of homework and you know the teacher will be furious. Do you a) Go to the teacher and apologise? b) Try to get it done in break and the lunch hour? c) Copy your friend's? d) Something else?
5. There's a bully at your school who scares you rigid and has threatened to beat you up on the way home. Do you a) Ask your Dad to meet you from school? b) Tell a teacher? c) Get a gang of your friends together to beat up the bully? d) Something else?
6. Your best friend has no fashion sense and always looks like an anorak. Do you a) Boost your friend's confidence by saying how nice they look? b) Take your friend quietly on one side and point out his/her mistakes in a friendly way? c) Laugh? d) Something else?
7. There's a dirty joke which you don't much like, going round the school. Everyone else thinks it's hilarious. Do you a) Laugh along with all your mates? b) Tell them you don't like dirty jokes? c) Pretend you haven't heard? d) Something else?
8. It's a freezing cold day and you're due on the school field in shorts and a T shirt for sports, which you hate. Do you a) Tell the teacher you've twisted your ankle and can't do any sports for at least a month? b) Forge a letter from your mother, getting you off sports for good? c) Moan and groan but go out anyway? d) Something else?
9. You're at a disco where someone has smuggled in alcohol. Do you a) Hold out your half-empty bottle of coke and ask for a slug? b) Tell the organisers? c) Pretend you haven't noticed? d) Something else?
10. You're the only one at school without a mobile phone, because your Mum thinks they're dangerous. Do you a) Shout and bawl and keep on at your Mum until she lets you have one? b) Check out the scientific evidence and promise you won't be on it for hours if only you can have one? c) Save up and buy one whatever your Mum says? d) Something else?
Prayers:
Loving God, help our church to be so focussed on you that we identify temptation whenever it occurs. Help us to avoid falling into sin or running into danger, but to always do what is right in your eyes.
Loving God, the world is constantly tempted by money, especially by the thought of making money without working hard for it. Help us all to put money into its proper place and use it responsibly.
Loving God, when temptations are too strong or too subtle for us and we sin, remind us that you still love us and that you always forgive those who are truly sorry.
Loving God, we ask you to touch those of our friends who are sick so that they might become well and strong again. We name them before you...
Blessing:
May God give you the wisdom
to spot temptation,
the strength to withstand it
and the endurance to
steadfastly reject it.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit,
be with you now
and remain with you always.
Amen.
