Pleasures

To demonstrate the goodness of God and to show how pleasures must be enjoyed carefully

by The Revd Guy Donegan-Cross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To demonstrate the goodness of God. To show that pleasures must sometimes be enjoyed carefully.

Preparation and materials

• You will need: various foods that you like, such as chocolates, crisps, cheese spread, toast, baked beans, banana; and also a photo of a favourite place.
• A piece of wood.
• You will need to be prepared to get messy!

Assembly

1. Show the children your favourite things one by one. Say how marvellous each one is.
   
   
2. Then use each thing inappropriately, e.g. put crisps in your shoes and say how comfortable they are. Be surprised at the children's reaction. Ask what they would do with the crisps.
   
   Other ideas: putting toothpaste on toast and eating it. Attempting to eat the photo with some cheese spread. Using baked beans as hair gel, cheese spread as face cream. Making a hat from the banana skin.
   
   Each time, find out from the children the 'correct' way to enjoy these pleasures.
   
   
3. Point out how things give pleasure if used in the right way. Tell how God gave us a beautiful world designed to give us pleasure. But it is possible to take God's beautiful things and use them for bad purposes.
   
   
4. Take the piece of wood and explain that it could be made into a beautiful ornament, a bat to play with or be part of a useful boat. Or it could be used to attack someone. Explain that all the things in the world can be enjoyed but we must learn to use them responsibly. Give the example of over-using forest wood so that it cannot be replaced, or over-fishing the seas. Explain that the world is full of joys for us if we use them properly.

Time for reflection

Ask the children quietly to thank God for their favourite things.

Dear God,
Thank you for your beautiful world.
Help us to enjoy it,
and help others to enjoy your goodness as well.
Amen.

Song/music

'For the beauty of the earth' (Come and Praise, 11)