ISSUE
66
Be still and know
that I am God
‘Be still and know that I am God’ is both a Bible verse (Psalm 46:10) and a line in a favourite song from when I was a child. I love how stillness and knowing are linked together. In recent years I have found this to be true for myself, as stillness brings with it the space to connect with God. It can be a challenge for us in this busy world to find these moments. It is a challenge for our children too. As life gains speed and the noise gets louder, we can increasingly find ourselves crying out for time to stop and think. I once had a boy on our SUPAkidz camp tell me his experience of life being busy with lots of activities going on. He told me that he loved how our camp programme included time for sitting in silence, time to think and pray. In this issue of the WAY2GO Mag I want to offer you one suggestion of a way of devotionally reading the Bible with children that fosters ‘being still and knowing God’. It applies equally to adults, young people and children. We have used this approach on our camps, and both leaders and campers have found it helpful. I trust that you and your children will too.
___ Annette Osborne SUNZ Children and Families Consultant
Read until the words come to life The Irish-Belgian monk, Dom Columba Marmion wrote, ‘We read under the eye of God until the heart is touched and leaps to flame.’ What a way to describe reading the Bible! This is what we want for our children isn’t it! Dom Columba Marmion was referring to Lectio Divina, an ancient method of reading the Bible. This method involves four steps: lectio (reading), meditatio (meditatio), oratio (prayer) and contemplatio (contemplation). It’s a great way to slow down, ponder and spend time in silence. And it is as applicable for our children as it was for a 6th century Benedictine monk! Lectio Divina is a devotional approach, with the focus on listening to God through the words of the Bible. It is not a Bible study, or a way of learning more about the Bible. So, it works well sitting alongside other Bible reading practices that you might already have. I have adapted this Lectio Divina method to create a four step approach to use with children, using four words starting with R. (I gathered the idea from the internet, and adapted it for my kids). A couple of tips: - Start together as a whole group, or as a family group if doing this at home. Take your children through the process step by step, explaining it as you go. After a while they will be confident to go through the process on their own, although you may still like to do this together as a family or a small group. In this case, choose a different member of the group to lead it each time. - Choose a passage that isn’t too long. Ten verses are about right. - Make sure everyone is comfortable before you start, and has a Bible, paper and pens.
The Four R’ s 1. Read Read the Bible passage slowly. Stop at the end and pause. Read the passage again, even slower.
2. Reflect Are there any words in this passage that ‘jumped out’ to you as important words? Or are there any pictures or ideas that pop into your mind? Do you think God might be saying something to you? Stop for a moment and think about this. You could write them in a journal, or draw your thoughts on a piece of paper.
3. Respond Talk to God about this passage. You might like to ask God a question, or thank God for something. You could add your response to your journal or drawing.
4. Rest God likes to talk to us. Take a deep breath. Get comfy. Sit in silence for a minute or two and listen. Don’t worry if you don’t think God is saying anything. That’s okay too. Remember that God communicates with us through a thought that pops into our minds, an idea or an image, a line from a song, or a favourite verse. Sometimes it’s just a feeling. When you are ready you can say Amen to finish.
Bringing the generations together this Lent childrenandfamiliesnz.blogspot.com We have some great resources available on our blog. If you are looking for All Age services for Lent or during Easter weekend here are some options that are free to download:
The rocks will cry out: Use your imagination to enter into the story of Palm Sunday. This service is an interactive way to explore the story, wave palm branches and reflect on this verse from Luke 19:40: ‘I tell you, if these [disciples] were silent, the stones would shout out.’
Breakfast on the Beach: Have you ever dreamed of passing a fish around in church? Then this service is for you! (and even if you don’t wish to pass fish). This service explores the scene in John 21 where Jesus meets the disciples on the beach around a fire.
The Colours of Sunday: This service is written for Easter Sunday. It uses colours to describe each moment of Jesus’ journey; purple for the sky when Jesus died, white for the cloth that wrapped Jesus’ body, gold for the angels at the empty tomb, grey for the road to Emmaus and orange for the fire that burst to life in the hearts of those travelling along that road.
Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to discover and follow Jesus, grow as leaders, and influence the world. Contact us and let us know how we can help you.
SCRIPTURE UNION IN NEW ZEALAND
PO Box 760, Wellington 6140 way2go@sunz.org.nz 0508 423 836 sunz.org.nz