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DON'T WORRY!

By Tessa Mann

Suitable for Whole School

Aim

To think about the things that worry us and to consider the idea of 'God's peace'.

Preparation and materials

You will need a pair of binoculars, a magnifying glass, if possible a small live spider in a jar/bug bottle, and (optional) a larger toy spider.
Look at the suggested reading in advance (Philippians 4.6-7).

Assembly

Hold up the binoculars and ask the children what they might use them for. Make the point that they help us see things that are a long way off more clearly, e.g. birdwatching.
Hold up the magnifying glass. Discuss its uses, e.g. detectives looking for clues, helping people to read small print, etc. It can make small things bigger and help us see them in detail.
If you have managed to catch a small spider, get some of the children to look at it through the magnifying glass. Talk about how much bigger it seems when magnified. If you have a toy spider, show it to the children. (If you have neither of these things, make the same points by talking through them.)
Ask if anyone is frightened of spiders. Ask the children to think about how small the spider is. It will be much more worried about you, than you are of it.
Reflect on how our minds can make things that worry us seem a lot bigger and more frightening than they really are, rather like the magnifying glass. Think about what things or situations we sometimes make much bigger in our minds and so become frightened of, e.g. shadows in the dark. Give your own examples and ask the children for suggestions.

Point out that worry can blow small things up into big things.

Time for reflection

God's peace can help us when we get nervous or frightened. God's peace is a bit like what happens when you turn the binoculars around and look through the wrong end! Ask a child to look through the wrong end, and describe what happens. It makes things seem smaller. It brings them down to size.

Read Philippians 4.6-7: 'Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.'

Song

'Peace is flowing like a river' (Come and Praise, 144)

Scriptures quoted from the Good News Bible published by The Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd UK © American Bible Society, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.