Tuesday, July 07, 2009
20 minutes encouraging “winter” sabbath
So you have been given 20 minutes in a standard morning service. The Bible text is about encouraging sabbath and the “worship” aim is to give people some time and space to “worship by sabbathing”, ie to provide a range of options/stations which a diverse, inter-generational group of people could enjoy. All ideas need to be easy, to ensure that those running the service are not stressed at the expense of those who are enjoying.
(For example, hot chocolates would be great, but a lot of work for 140 people when you don’t have a kitchen in the building).
What would you put into the time/space?
Posted by steve at 04:30 PM
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Hi Steve,
Looking forward to seeing you in Adelaide.
Why not try crock pots (no kitchen needed), and have some different types of soup available.
Soup is a wonderful winter warming comfort food/drink and works for most people. We have it at Aldgate and it is much better than the usual hot drinks. We get people to dress according to the occasion, so for an outside service we would encourage gardening clothes. Why not try the tracky dacks and ugg boots, with small groups gathered around a small heater (something visual like an artificial flame etc is good). Bringing something to give away to a needy cold person can add to the atmosphere of ‘feeling’ warm.
It’s cold in Aldgate too!
Ron
Comment by Ron Roberts — July 7, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
Steve, I reckon at least one option has to involve food – and this might be the one everyone chooses. So chocolate brownies for everyone with some seating in circles to promote conversation?
Isaiah 58 seems to say that the sabbath is a day for righteous acts, so why not have a craft table where people can make a greeting card, a word of encouragement or blessing, to place inside a pre-prepared food hamper for a family in need, pamper basket for the local women’s refuge, or aid parcel for some local need to be distributed later by the church
Another option, a couple of circles of, say 6, chairs, with bowls of warm water and bath salts for foot soaking, provide some nice fluffy towels and watch as people soak a while (allow people to take the full 20 mins if they’d like) and chill and chat.
A game of twister set up for those who like action.
A sand pit for toddlers to play in, and a magnet for the olds to play with them too.
A table with clay / playdough / plasticine for more playful interaction that draws generations.
I guess my keywords here are Eat, Play, Relax, Do Good
Grace and peace
Jonathan
Comment by Jonathan — July 7, 2009 @ 10:11 pm