Welcome back!
Thank you for joining us on this Come and See for Families adventure. Throughout Lent we’re exploring together the big theme of God’s love: how we can experience God’s love for ourselves and how we can grow in sharing God’s love with others.
This week we are concentrating on...
“The more we know God, the more we receive and know God’s love, the more we can love God.”
Sometimes we struggle and falter, but as we grow in our experience of God’s love, we can be increasingly sure that God’s love holds and helps us in all things.
Chat together
Have you ever read or heard the story called The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark?
In the story, a little owl called Plop decides he doesn’t want to be a night owl anymore because he is scared of the dark. Throughout the story he meets a range of animals and people who introduce him to different ways that the night is brilliant. Plop realises that it can be exciting, kind, fun, necessary, wonderful and even beautiful. He doesn’t need to be scared anymore!
The story of Plop the owl gives us clues about our theme for this week – the more we know God, the more we love God.
I wonder how we can know God more? What do you think? Chat together about this now.
- Reading different types of stories in the Bible and noticing God in them.
- Praying – talking and listening to God directly.
- Noticing where God is at work (we’ll come back to that in our Noticing practice later).
I’m sure you came up with others too.
As we journey this week, encourage each other to keep noticing God at work. Keep saying “Thank you” to God for good things and being involved in your life.
Story
Do you have a favourite story or bit of the Bible that helps you know God better? Read it together and chat about how it helps you know God. If you’re not sure, have a look at one of these:
- For pre-school children: “The Little Gate” in Stories Jesus Told by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen or
- The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson, illustrated by Paul Howard.
- John 6:1–13: The feeding of the 5,000.
John 6:1–13
After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias). Many people followed him because they saw the miracles he did to heal the sick. Jesus went up on a hill and there sat down with his followers. It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast.
Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him. He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for all these people to eat?” (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him. Jesus already knew what he planned to do.) Philip answered, “Someone would have to work almost a year to buy enough bread for each person here to have only a little piece.
Another follower there was Andrew. He was Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew said, “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish. But that is not enough for so many people.”
Jesus said, “Tell the people to sit down.” This was a very grassy place. There were about 5,000 men who sat down there. Then Jesus took the loaves of bread. He thanked God for the bread and gave it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish. He gave them as much as they wanted.
They all had enough to eat. When they had finished, Jesus said to his followers, “Gather the pieces of fish and bread that were not eaten. Don’t waste anything.” So they gathered up the pieces that were left. They filled 12 large baskets with the pieces that were left of the five barley loaves.
Space Makers practice: Noticing
By using and training our “noticing God” muscle to spot where God is active and working for good in the world, in others and in ourselves, we can get to know God better and become more connected and confident disciples.
Some lolly sticks, gardening marker sticks or strips of stiff card that can be written on (an old cereal packet, for example) and some pens or pencils.
On each stick or card write one word that demonstrates God’s best way of living, for example, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, self-control (the fruit of the Spirit). Or, from the Beatitudes: peace-making, comforted, mercy, compassion, justice.
What other words will you add as a family or household?
Stand these sticks in a cup or bowl on your table or a prominent place. Use these to notice where God’s activity has been experienced, given or received, by each person in your household. At a time when you gather, perhaps for a meal or after school, ask each person present to take one out. Invite them to think of a time that day (or week) when they’ve experienced it by giving or receiving. Ask them to share the story and thank each person for doing so. Adults and children are encouraged to join in.
Prayer
Dear God,
I know you, you know me,
That’s a great mystery.
You know me, I know you,
Thank you, God, you love me through.
Amen
Getting to know God could also mean learning to listen to God as well as talking to him. Our friends at BRF Parenting for Faith have a great prayer resource, Chat and Catch, designed to help.
Weekly film and questions
Watch this film, pausing when prompted to think and talk about the questions.
Watch the film | Audio-only version | Download the transcript
Now wonder together
- What is love? Where does it come from?
- Did listening to Westy change your thoughts at all?