Open your mouth and taste; open your eyes and see

To encourage gratitude for the things we can taste and see.

by Guy Donegan-Cross

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To encourage gratitude for the things we can taste and see.

Preparation and materials

• The ten lepers
  ‘As he entered a village, ten lepersapproached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”’ (Luke 17.12–19)
• For the Bible teaching about opening our eyes and our mouths, see Psalm 34.8.
• You will need grapes (see section 2).
• You will need music (see section 3 and ‘Time for reflection’).
• You will also need a whiteboard and pens (see sections 2 and 3).
  Please take care with the grapes – there is a possible choking hazard.

Assembly

1. Tell the pupils that this assembly is about the most important thing of all. The Bible says that we are to open our mouths and taste and open our eyes and see how good God is. So let’s do some tasting, and let’s do some seeing.
2. Get two volunteers. Give both a few grapes. See how many they can catch (preferably in their hands, although some might try their mouths) by throwing the grapes in the air and catching them. If you can demonstrate first, that helps! Obviously, if they drop them they mustn’t eat them!
   
   Ask:  What things do people like to eat? (Write them on the board.)
3. Ask for two volunteers who can keep their eyes open a long time without blinking. While playing music, see how long they can manage.
   
   Ask pupils: What can you see inside this hall/classroom that is a gift from God? (Make a list on the whiteboard.)
   
   What can you see outside? (Make a second list.)
4. Tell the story of the ten lepers from Luke 17.12–19 (see ‘Preparation and materials’ for the story).
   
   Emphasize how the story shows that the one who was grateful was the one truly healed.

Time for reflection

Prayer

Using the lists on the board, lead pupils in a prayer of thanksgiving with this format:

Leader  For . . .

Pupils  Thank you, God.

Leader  For . . .

Pupils  Thank you, God.

(You may like to have a music background.)
Final prayer
Open our mouths to taste,
open our eyes to see,
how many gifts you give us, Lord.
Amen.

Song/music

‘When God made the garden of creation’ (Come and Praise, 16)