Don’t Judge on Appearance

An assembly in the ‘Hello, Scruff!’ series

by the Revd Sylvia Burgoyne

Suitable for Key Stage 1

Aims

To examine the importance of not judging people by looks alone.

Preparation and materials

• You will need a glove puppet or sock puppet of a donkey, called Scruff.
• As the assembly begins, ensure that you already have Scruff the puppet on your hand.

Assembly

1. Scruff waves to the children. Encourage them to say, 'Hello Scruff!'
   
   If this is the first time the children have met Scruff, you will need to use the following introduction.
   
   Scruff lives on a farm with Lucy Jane, her mum, Mrs B, her dad, Farmer Brown, and her baby brother, Tom. Lucy Jane loves Scruff. She looks after him. She plays with him and she talks to him – when she’s happy and when she’s sad. Scruff is her best friend!
2. Scruff looked forward to Lucy Jane coming home from school so that he could listen to all the things she had been doing. Today she looked very happy when she came running into the stable. She had lots to tell him.
   
   ‘This morning, after my teacher took the register,’ Lucy said excitedly. ‘She said she wanted someone to do an important job for her.’
   
   Ask the children, 'Do you know what that job might be?'
   
   ‘Lots of my friends put up their hands,’ Lucy continued, ‘but I didn’t think I was clever enough to do something important  . . .  Guess what, Scruff! Miss asked me to come to the staffroom at playtime. I wondered what this important job was and if I would be able to do it. Anyway, Miss introduced me to Mr and Mrs Carter and their daughter Emily. They have just moved into the village. Miss asked me to look after Emily, show her round the school and tell her everything she wanted to know. She made me blush, Scruff. She told Emily’s mum and dad that I was a kind, friendly girl and she was sure Emily would enjoy her first day in our school. I tried to be a good friend and, at hometime, Emily told me she was glad she was coming to our school. So, I must have done a good job, don’t you think, Scruff?'
   
   Scruff nodded. ‘Hee-haw, hee-haw!’ he said loudly.
   
   Take off Scruff.
3. Let’s listen to a story from the Bible about a man called Samuel. You may remember the story about Samuel listening to God when he was a little boy. When Samuel grew up, he still listened to God, who gave him many important jobs to do.
   
   Samuel and David
   
   One day, God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem to a man called Jesse’s house. God was going to choose one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel.
   
   Jesse prepared a feast and introduced his sons to Samuel. When Samuel saw the eldest, Eliab, he was certain that he would make a good king - he was strong and handsome - but God had other ideas. Samuel heard God saying, ‘No, this isn’t the one!’
   
   God didn’t just see the outside of a person. He saw right inside them. He knew if they would be good and faithful.
   
   Samuel met six more of Jesse's sons, but God didn’t choose any of them. Samuel was puzzled. He thought for a moment, then he asked Jesse, ‘Do you not have any more sons?’
   
   ‘Only the youngest, David,’ Jesse replied. ‘He’s out in the fields looking after the sheep.’
   
   I’d like to meet him,’ Samuel said. ‘We won’t start the feast until he arrives.’
   
   Ask the children, 'Do you think a shepherd boy would make a good king?' and 'Why do you think that?' Talk with the children about how David would have had to be brave when he was looking after the sheep. He needed to keep them safe from danger and always needed to watch out for wild animals.
   
   As soon as Samuel saw David, he knew that he was God’s choice. He took some oil and, to the surprise of the young boy, poured it over his head, as a sign that, one day, he would be king. David would have many adventures before he became king, but, on this special day, Jesse’s family had a great feast to celebrate.

Time for reflection

What kind of person do you think would make a good leader?

What kind of person do you think would make a good friend?

Are you a good friend to other people?

Samuel had to learn that what people look like on the outside doesn't really show what they are like on the inside. We should always get to know someone first before we decide what they are like.

Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to be a good friend to everyone.
Please help me to take the time to get to know other people.
Thank you for my friends.
Amen.