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What is Inside?

An assembly from the Culham St Gabriel archive

Suitable for Whole School (Pri) - Church Schools

Aims

To consider the importance of what we are like on the inside.

Preparation and materials

  • You will need an egg and, if possible, a jack-in-the-box. If a jack-in-the-box is not available, use an object that the children are familiar with which is usually placed inside something else, such as a ring  in its box or a sandwich inside a lunchbox.
  • You will also need two presents. The first should be wrapped beautifully, but contain a torn, old magazine. The second should be wrapped carelessly, but contain something special.
  • You may wish to familiarize yourself with the Bible story in the passage 1 Samuel 17, which is about David and Goliath, to retell in the 'Assembly', Step 7, but this is optional.

Assembly

  1. Show the children the egg and ask them to describe what the egg will look like on the inside.
  2. Then show them the jack-in-the-box or box and ask them to tell you what is on the inside. You may wish to crack open the egg and make the ‘jack’ jump out or open the box to see if the children are correct.
  3. Show the two presents. Ask the children which they prefer the look of and if they can guess what is inside by looking at them.

    Invite two children to unwrap the presents. Ask if they were surprised by the contents of the presents and, if so, why they felt that way.
  4. Explain that sometimes we make a huge effort to look good on the outside. We might say the right things, try to smile a lot or try to look good in another way. It is what we are like on the inside, though, that really counts.

    Sometimes we look at other people and make judgements about them when, actually, we would find out that they are completely different from how we imagined them to be if we had taken the trouble to get to know them!
  5. If you wish to include the Bible story of David and Goliath, retell it at this point. Then point out that, from the outside, David didn't look capable of fighting and defeating Goliath. He had inner strength, however, and trusted in God. The result was a surprise to those around him.

Time for reflection

What are we like on the inside?

Think of five good things inside you.

Think of one thing that you would like to change.

Celebrate all the good inside you, but be courageous enough to change the things you do not like.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help me to be happy with who I am.
Please help me to be good on the inside.
Please help me to never judge others simply by how they look.
Help me to remember to smile so people will want to know me better.
Help me to be a good and happy person inside, kind and gentle, remembering you in all I do.
Amen.

Song/music

'Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning' (Come and Praise, 43)

Publication date: March 2016   (Vol.18 No.3)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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