I will never leave you

To explore love and trust through a theme from the film Finding Nemo.

by The Revd Guy Donegan-Cross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To explore love and trust through a theme from the film Finding Nemo.

Preparation and materials

• You will need to know the film Finding Nemo. You may choose to play an extract if you have a copy and the correct permission.
• The words of Hebrews 13.5b, written with separate words on eight cards: 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'.

Assembly

1. Show or talk about the opening scenes of Finding Nemo, up to where Nemo's father promises to never leave him. (Note that although this is a U certificate film, the content is a little frightening!) You may choose to do this in a question-and-answer format, asking children who know the film well to establish this first part of the story.
   
   Say that life is sometimes scary, but Christians believe that God is like the father in the film, he is a fish… no, I mean he promises to never leave us!
2. Ask eight children to stand at the front and then give them the cards in the wrong order. Ask everyone else to look at the words on the cards and put their hands up when they have worked out the correct order. Read out the correct version: I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13.5b).
   
   Explain that this is part of what the Bible says about God. Say that although life is sometimes scary, God is always bigger than our fears.
3. An old story tells of a tribe in which the young boys would become men in the tradition of the tribe when they reached the age of 11. However, in order to become men, they were led blindfolded into the jungle by their fathers. Then the blindfold would be taken off, and the boys would have to stay in the jungle all night on their own – facing the darkness, the cold, the calls of wild animals and scuttling of small creatures and big insects! If they lasted through the night they would have made it and be recognized as adult. However, as the sun rose in the morning, each son would discover his father in a nearby tree. All through the night, although he is hidden, the father watches over the child. Christians believe that like these fathers, God will never leave us.

Time for reflection

Reflection

Think back over the stories you’ve heard today – one from a modern film, another from an ancient tribe and another from an old book. They all have the same message, a message of faith, trust and hope.

Prayer

Father God,

Thank you that you are bigger

than my greatest fears

and that you will never leave me.

Amen.

Song/music

'Somebody greater' (Come and Praise, 5)