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

1. 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.
2. 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’.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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)