20/5/12 EASTER 7 -

Theme: - I like to be liked

Bible reading

John chapter 17 verses 6-19 especially verses 14-17

Preparation

You could have some moral questions ready on OHTs or posters if you wished (see Introduction)

Introduction

Begin by asking pupils to vote by show of hands what they would do in a number of moral situations e.g.

• If you found a pound coin in the playground would you hand it in or keep it?
• If you saw a younger child being bullied by your best friend would you stop them, join in, or report them?
• If your sister said she didn’t want anyone to read her secret diary, would you leave it alone, or read it on purpose?

Here’s a story about someone who had a difficult moral decision to make:

The Message

Craig was having a difficult time at his new school – he really hadn’t made any proper friends yet, and he was feeling very lonely, especially at break times and lunchtimes when he went out into the playground and nobody seemed to want to play with him.

Craig’s teacher, Mr Howard, decided to try and help him out. He had a quiet word with Jamie, who sat next to Craig in class, and asked him to invite Craig to play with him and his friends.

“He’s not settled down yet” said Mr Howard, “just think how difficult it must be to move hundreds of miles from your old home, and start all over again in a strange new school.”

Jamie agreed to help, and the next lunch time Craig was delighted to be asked to join in the game of football that was going on on the field.

Craig soon found out that Jamie and his new friends played a very tough game of football.

“Kick him in the ankle”, hissed Rocky, as Craig went to tackle the other team’s striker.

“Why didn’t you trip him up?” screamed Jack, when Craig let a player outrun him.

And then Craig watched in horror as Jamie and Rocky squashed the other team’s goalie between them while the ball trickled over the goal line. The goalie sat on the ground groaning and massaging his bruised shin.

That evening Craig was still wondering what he should do tomorrow lunch time when another football game had been planned.

“I wish it would pour with rain tomorrow” he told his dog Crackers, then I could get out of the game.”

Crackers growled at the thought of rain.

“It’s not that I’m afraid of getting hurt” said Craig, “or maybe just a bit, but I don’t think it’s right to be so nasty when you are playing football. It’s against all the rules. Proper football shouldn’t be like that!”

The next day was just as bad; and whenever Craig got near the ball his team mates were screeching at him to hurt his opponent: “trip him”, “belt him one”, “thump him you idiot” came the calls. Craig tried to play his best and he tried to play properly, but it was hard to ignore all the yelling and screaming that was coming his way.

At the end of the game Jamie came up to Craig.

“Listen, stupid” he said “I only asked you to play with us because Mr Howard told me to. But we don’t want you on our side unless you play properly.”

Craig drew a deep breath.

“I think I am playing properly” he said “I’m playing exactly as I was taught at my old school. I’m playing fairly and I’m playing safely. I don’t think it’s right to be so mean and vicious, it’s not sportsmanlike.”

“Suit yourself” snapped Jamie “just don’t expect to play with us again.”

That evening Craig took Crackers for his walk in the park. He stopped to watch a few boys kicking a ball around. Craig recognised them as neighbours, although they didn’t go to his school. Crackers barked with excitement as he saw the football and set off on a wild chase, dragging Craig off his feet. The footballers laughed as Craig picked himself out of the mud.

“Do you want to join us?” one of them called “We’re just having fun, the dog can play as well!”

“That’s more like it” Craig thought “This is where I belong”

Ask the assembly what they would have done in Craig’s place. Would they have played properly as he had done, or do they think they might have joined in with all their new friends and adopted unfair tactics? The key question here, is whether they would have stuck to their beliefs of what was right, even if it made them unpopular.

Although this was a story about football it reminds us of what it is like to be a Christian. Sometimes Christians will be put in situations where they are expected to do something which they believe to be wrong, and they may have to decide between following God, or being popular with their friends. Ask the pupils if they can think of occasions when this might be the case.

Sometimes Christians have had to make very serious choices indeed, and have ended up being killed for following their beliefs in God instead of doing what powerful people have ordered them to do. Some of these people were later called saints.

Prayer

Pray that we may have the courage to always do what we know to be right, even if it is difficult.

Also this week: look at some other stories of bravery: Daniel in the lion's den; the three men in the fiery furnace (also in Daniel); Paul and Silas in prison - Acts chp 16