God loves bodies
To communicate that God rejoices in our physicality.
by Guy Donegan-Cross
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To communicate that God rejoices in our physicality.
Preparation and materials
- Dance music.
- Prizes: such as a Mars bar and some smaller sweets. Or you might like to use a more healthy option. Ensure they are allergy safe.
- The theme music from the film Chariots of Fire by Vangelis to play as the children enter and leave the assembly.
- A biography of Eric Liddell can be found at www.ericliddell.org/eric-liddell/.
Assembly
- Start with a ‘Mexican wave’ exercise – from side to side, front to back. If you are confident you may like to do it a second time having children stand and sit.
- Ask the children what their favourite sports are. Do you think God likes sport? Why?
Say that God likes us to enjoy the bodies he has given us – he likes sport, food, drink, and dance. He thinks it is ‘very good’. - Ask ten children to come up. Say that one of them will receive a prize: the most enthusiastic dancer will win.
Play the music. As the children dance, gradually disqualify nine, by tapping them on the shoulder and asking them to sit down – give them a sweet as a consolation prize. Do this fairly quickly. The final, most enthusiastic dancer gets the main prize. - Encourage the children to enjoy the body God has given them. We need to look after our bodies and to thank him for all the activities they can do.
- Tell the (true) story of Eric Liddell from the film Chariots of Fire. An athlete and a Christian, Liddell saw that God loved his running. He told his wife, ‘God made me fast, and when I run, I feel his pleasure.’
Time for reflection
When we have fun, God is pleased. We may need to think about that for a few moments. If you believe in God, is that how you imagine God to be?
We can also use our bodies to pray:
Invite the children to raise their hands in the air, and say quietly in their hearts:
Thank you, God.
Invite the children to cup their hands in front of them and say quietly in their hearts:
Help me, God.
Invite the children to cross their arms over their chests and say quietly in their hearts:
Teach me to love you, God.
Song/music
‘The wise may bring their learning’ (Come and Praise, 64)
Publication date: June 2010 (Vol.12 No.6) Published by SPCK, London, UK.