On Sunday we were at the Early Birds service. It is always a delight to worship with the children and their families. The service was simple but contains many strands to consider we can take with us through this week as we meet and talk to others.
THINKING ABOUT KINDNESS.
We started with the welcome song and the opening prayer.
Father God
Make this week and every week kindness week
Fill our hearts with a new joy
Fill our minds with the stories Jesus told
Fill our worship with a new energy
Fill our activities with excitement and fun
Fill our morning with friendship and our homes and lives with kindness and love.
(Adapted from https://www.living-prayers.com/children/prayer_before_class.html)
The bible has lots to say about kindness.
Here are some of the well known Words about Kindness
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (Galatians 5:22)
Love is patient, Love is kind (1 Corinthians 13)
And there are lots of stories about Kindness in Action
Jesus and the children, Jesus and the tax collector, Jesus making ill people better
and most famously of all The Good Samaritan.
Here is a video from BBC Two
BBC Two – Pathways of Belief, Christianity: The Bible, The Good Samaritan
Time to think
What excuses do we make as we ignore those who need our kindness?
We pray for those who need our kindness every day –
for those who are ill, sad or worried,
for those whose job it is to be kind to others – doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, teachers and lollipop people
for leaders in the world that they may make better and kinder decisions so that no one is left in need
for our community, our family and our friends that we may always be ready to be Good Samaritans and be kind to others
that we may all be kinder to God’s world AMEN
(Adapted from https://christchurchlondon.org/kids-at-home-030520/)
Then at our craft tables we made leaves for a Tree of Kindn
ess which you can see on the wall of the Small Hall and stars with words of kindness to give to others and also one to keep for ourselves for we need to kind to ourselves too.
We thank you God that you teach us to be kind neighbours and friends.
We thank you for those who encourage us to show love and kindness to others.
Help us to be kind every day – not just to our friends but to everyone we meet.