God Loves Parties!

To show that God is fun-loving and life-giving.

by The Revd Guy Donegan-Cross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To show that God is fun-loving and life-giving.

Preparation and materials

• You will need two sheets of coloured paper; sticky tape; scissors; a glass with a drop of red food colouring cunningly hidden at the bottom; water.
• Some happy party background music.

Assembly

1. Ask the children, 'What does God love to do?' Say you will give them a clue. Give two children the sheets of coloured paper, sticky tape and scissors and ask which of them can make the most interesting party hat in two minutes. Play the party music and keep up a running commentary like a TV game show.
   
   
2. Wear the hats (one at a time!) and say that God loves parties. The Bible says that when people trust God, the angels have a party. The Bible says that in God's new world it will be like a huge party, with every kind of person there. Tell the following story.
   
   Tony Campolo, a Christian minister, was once on a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. Having trouble adjusting to the difference in time, he woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. He decided to get up. He went out and looked for a place to eat.
   
   All he could find was a very small, rather dirty café. He sat down on one of the bar stools at the counter and ordered a doughnut and coffee.
   
   After a little time had passed, 9 poor people who worked nights came in and sat down on either side of him. As he listened to them talking, he learned that one of them, named Agnes, was going to be 39 the following day, and she had never had a birthday party. After the workers left, Campolo conspired with the owner of the café and his wife to have a party for her the next night. He came early and decorated the place with streamers and a big banner that said 'Happy Birthday Agnes.'
   
   By the time Agnes got there the next night, the small café was crammed full of people who had heard about the party. They shouted 'Surprise!' and sang happy birthday to her. Then they brought out a cake with 39 blazing candles. Agnes was so overcome she couldn't blow them out.
   
   Then something strange happened. With tears streaming down her face, she asked if she could take the cake home and keep it. She had never had a cake before. Then she turned and walked out.
   
   The guests didn't quite know what to do, but Campolo did what any preacher would do. 'Let's pray!' he said. He prayed for Agnes. When he said 'Amen', the owner of the café said, 'Why didn't you tell me you were a preacher? What kind of church do you preach for anyway?'
   
   'I preach for a church that throws birthday parties for poor people at 3.30 in the morning,' Campolo answered.
   
   
3. Jesus loved parties. His first famous miracle was at a party. Show the children what he did, by pouring water into the glass. Watch it change into 'wine'. Briefly tell the story of the wedding at Cana. The Bible story can be found in John 2.1-11.
   
   Jesus went to a wedding party in Cana where the wine ran out. He asked for some jars to be filled with water, then he turned the water into the best wine anyone had ever tasted. He didn't want the party to stop just because the wine had run out.
   
   Conclude that God loves fun. God loves parties!

Time for reflection

Dear God,
Thank you for fun.
Thank you for parties.
Help us to celebrate with the people around us.
Amen.

Song/music

'Sing people sing' (Come and Praise, 110)