Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Monday, 23 March 2009
Questions about the Passover?
Check it out here : http://www.chosenpeople.com/main/page/passover_faq.html
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Easter Chant
Easter Chant
Hosanna ! Hosanna !
Hear the people cry.
Riding on a donkey
The King is passing by.
Riding to Jerusalem
Wave those palms and cheer -
Jesus the Messiah
The “Promised One” is here.
Crucify ! Crucify !
Hear the people shout !
Tell governor Pilate
To bring Jesus out.
Crucify ! Crucify !
Hear the people cry -
“He claimed to be our king,
Now he must die !”
“Forgive them ! Forgive them !
They don’t know what they do
I’m willing to die
On this cross for you.
I’m your king, Lord, Messiah.
It is finished ! I cry -
For your sins to be forgiven
God’s Son must die “
He’s risen ! He’s risen !
See the joy on Mary’s face.
She came to the tomb
And now she must race
To tell the disciples -
“We don’t need to fear,
Jesus has been raised to life .
He’s alive ! He’s here ! “
(c) Don Stott, http://eliab.com, Feb 2002
This chant could be presented by different groups with a Powerpoint backing with a slide for each verse. You may use this chant in a worship setting but please attach the copyright attribution.
See more Easter Chants, stories and Easter Puppet skits at http://eliab.com
Willing to die
A story to share at Easter
He died for another
Over two hundred years ago, the French Revolution brought fear and terror to France. Rich and powerful people - even the king and queen -were killed by the revolutionaries. Every day, hundreds of people were arrested, dragged from their homes and flung into horrible prisons. They were given hardly any chance to defend themselves, but were sent off to the guillotine to be killed.
Some of those who died probably deserved to be punished, for they had been cruelly thoughtless of the poor and hungry peasants and city workers. But in those terrible days, many good and honest people suffered, too.
Francois-Simon Liozerolles was a young man of twenty two when he and his father, General Loizerolles, were arrested.
First, young Liozerolles was tried. The case went against him and every morning he wondered if it would be his last.
One afternoon, tired and miserable, he flung himself on a couch to rest. His father sat beside him and talked calmly till he fell asleep. When he awoke he looked around for his father and excitedly asked some friends what had become of him. They told him.
While he slept, the tumbrils* had arrived and the warder entered with the list of those who were to die. The name of Francois-Simon Loizerolles was called. The General promptly stepped forward, saying, “I am Loizerolles”. He walked out and climbed in to the cart and was carried away to die.
It was then too late to correct the error. Within a week the reign of terror came to an end and young Loizerolles walked out free!
But he was a changed man and for him the world was a changed world. Everything seemed different after that awakening. He went to sleep, unwilling to die and longing to live. We awoke to love life less and understand it more, because by dying in his place, his father had shown him how to live. All his days he lives as a man for whom another gave his life.
(*Tumbrils were carts used to take prisoners to be executed.)
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Easter Explorer
This worship service is a celebration of the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection.
It provides an opportunity for people to explore what they believe
and it encourages interaction between children and older people.
Download the PDF here scroll down and click on Easter Explorer.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Looking for an Easter Family Service idea?
Worship leader begins telling a story (let’s say about a lost rabbit) only to be interrupted by two young folk offering a chocolate Easter Egg (as a thank-you or whatever).
Worship leader thanks young folk, notices that it is an Easter Egg with sweets (say, chocolate buttons) inside, and asks children (and adults) if they would like to open it in church so that the egg and the sweets inside could be shared.
Invite a child out to open the egg but youngster finds out that the egg is empty.
The shocked congregation soon grasp the surprise of the disciples who found an empty tomb. Opportunity for details to be offered by worship leader.
On a pre-arranged cue the original two young folk come forward with an apology and with the bag of chocolate buttons. They thought that they would eat them themselves and that worship leader would never notice they were missing. They didn’t think it would be opened in church!
Those in the congregation particularly the children - who had been hoping for a sweet are pleased at the discovery of the chocolates. As they are shared, the congregation is in a receptive mood to reflect on the joy of the disciples when they discovered that Jesus was alive again.
This idea is from The Church of Scotland website. Prepared by Rev Douglas Nicol .
Other Easter resources are also available to download.
Easter Talk- The Good News
Monday, 16 February 2009
Easter March
Easter March
(American military style march)
Let me tell you what Easter means. (echo)
It's more than bunnies and chocolate beans.(echo)
God's Son was born and lived on earth. (echo)
Special child, miracle birth. (echo)
He healed and taught and lived God's way.(echo)
Till he was killed on Good Friday.(echo)
Not scared. (echo)
Blood shed. (echo)
Dead. Dead! (echo)
Not scared. Blood shed. Dead. Dead! (echo)
Placed into a tomb, he lay.
But Jesus rose up Easter day.
Alive! He lives. He's conquered sin.
Calls us all to follow him.
The offer's here for me and you
To put your faith in Jesus too.
Died for-me.
Set free.
Whoopee!
Died for-me. Set free. Whoopee!
(C)Don Stott, http://eliab.com, 2005
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Easter Acrostic
Bible Reading: Matthew 28:1-10
Each letter was held up on a large card but you could use powerpoint slides as well.
E = Empty tomb. Stone rolled away.
A= Angel. "He's alive!"
S= Surprise! "He isn't here."
T= Tell. "Don't be afraid! Tell my followers to go to Galilee. They'll see me there."
E= Excitement. "Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They...worshiped him."
R= Resurrection. "God has raised him to life." v.6
Don Stott , http://eliab.com, 2009