Sunday Sentiments

I sat in church this morning, mind wandering....

could we make it more "participatory"?
could it be truly intergenerational (actually interactively intergenerational - not just that people of different ages sit in the same school hall!)??
could we *respond* to what we are hearing???

I wondered if perhaps "the Sunday morning service" *needs* to be more-or-less as it is each week....but if that's the case, then I want to do some of those other things at other times. Would our small group that meets alternate Tuesday nights be a good time? We have an older couple, a bunch of 30-somethings, some 20s and a gazillion kids from baby to old-enough-to-leave-home.
Then I thought if they're not game to try some of my wild and wacky ideas, what's to stop our family from giving them a go....

Some were really simple, like "Reflections"
On a table (or the floor even) place a large bowl full of water. Give everyone time to look into the bowl (perhaps while supper is being served or while we sing some songs together).
Discuss what we saw when we looked into the bowl - even the youngest children can take part in this.
Have someone read Proverbs 27:19 "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man" *give time to digest and think*
Discuss some more. See where the conversation goes! Gee I'm postmodern ain't I!!!!!

And another that would require a bit more organisation: "John 15"
Read aloud the first seventeen verses of John 15. Yes seventeen whole verses!!!!
Then everyone gets a little terracotta pot and paints it with images from the reading that they would like to remember/think about some more (things like vines, branches, gardener, love, fruit etc)
While the pots are drying, share with each other what you painted and why.
Finally fill the plants with some potting mix and plant some seeds.

Again, the kids can be totally involved, but it's not something that an adult couldn't benefit from at the same time.

When we have one of our shared meals I thought we could all bring bread enough for our own family, but nothing spread on it.....I would provide a big pot of organic raw honey and some honeycomb too. We would slather our bread with this yummo treat and then discuss the following verses:

Proverbs 25:16
If you find honey, eat just enough - too much of it, and you will vomit.

Psalm 119:103
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.

Psalm 19:10
The ordinances of the Lord are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

Proverbs 25:27
It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

In my head, that one's called "Sweet as Honey"

Idea number 3: "One Body"
Get a hold of one of those cardboard models of a skeleton that you can put together....or a big lifesize puzzle....or even just a poster to look at (though *making* things would be much more interesting and also good to work together).....or draw around the outlines of the kids on big pieces of paper and let them fill in the bones and muscles and organs etc as we all talk.....then read either 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 or Romans 12:4-8 and let the conversation go! (for those of you blog-readers who are not Bible-readers, or who don't have a Bible, I'd be happy to type out those passages and send them your way - just leave a comment)

#4: "Blast (on the trumpets) from the Past"
Around the house, set up four music stations, probably in different rooms!
i) have musical instruments to play (or at least some craft supplies to make some shakers and bangers)
ii) have a selection of CDs and headphones (it's OK to do things individually!!!!!)
iii) have a pile of papers and pens (all sorts of different inspirational ones as well as plain ol' white!) for people to write their own song
iv) have a stack of hymn books and other music books (anyone remember "the blue book" and "the brown book" from the eighties?) for people to leaf through and find something inspirational or shocking and in need of critique!
Everyone would do their own thing for a time - either alone or in little groups or little kids going with an older person etc, and then you'd all come back together and share - worshipping God together.

"The Workers Are Few"
First of all everyone would draw a picture of someone they know who does not know and love Jesus. Then there could be a presentation (don't ask for details yet - DVD? photos? video? - there must be some promotional ones out there somewhere for various missions agencies!) of various "fields" around the world that are "ripe for harvest".
Read Matthew 9:35-38
Spend time in prayer for "the lost", for ourselves as harvesters, for other workers and as Jesus told us to, for *more* workers.
Is there anything there that the kids couldn't do? Is there anything that's too baby-ish for the adults? (OK so drawing might threaten some of us, me included, but I do like Pictionary!!!)

Are you still reading? I've got ideas for "A Running Race" and "Charades" and "You Are the Light of the World" and "Easter" too, but I think I've written enough!

BTW, I didn't think of them *all* during church; I came home and let my mind keep wandering. I asked God to help me think of ways to make the Bible memorable and ways to actively respond to Him beyond the moment-by-moment service.