Hope

To explore the idea that God is a true hope

by The Revd Guy Donegan-Cross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To explore the idea that God is a true hope.

Preparation and materials

• You will need a football, a picture of a popstar (optional) and the following words on an OHP or board: 'Hope is believing that good things will happen.'

Assembly

1. Introduce the theme of the assembly: hope. Explain that the Bible says there are three important things in life: love, trust (faith) and hope.
   
   
2. Display the sentence: 'Hope is believing that good things will happen.' Get the children to repeat the phrase.
   
   
3. Take out a football. Say that when you were young you hoped you would be a fantastic footballer. Ask someone to come to the front to try to tackle you. Allow them to do it easily. Say that you had that hope but it obviously wasn't a true hope.
   
   
4. Take out the picture of a popstar. Say that when you were young you wanted to be able to sing and be famous. That was your hope. Say you are going to sing a song now. Sing it terribly. Ask if they think you can be famous. When they say no, say that is not a true hope.
   
   
5. Ask if anyone has heard the phrase, 'Put your hope in God.' What does this mean? Your hope to be famous or rich or sporty may or may not come true, but God is always there and will never let you down. He is a true hope.
   
   
6. Tell this story. One night, a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, 'Jump! I'll catch you.' He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. But his father kept yelling: 'Jump! I will catch you.' But the boy protested, 'Daddy, I can't see you.' His father replied, 'But I can see you, and that's all that matters.'
   
   
7. God can see us. Someone once said, 'I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.' God holds each of our futures, and so we can put our hope in him.

Time for reflection

Dear God,
Help us to have true hopes,
and help us to hope in you.
Amen.

Song/music

'Give us hope, Lord' (Come and Praise, 87)