A Dangerous Weapon
The power of words
by Becky May
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider that words have power.
Preparation and materials
- You will need a toy catapult; some scrunched-up paper balls; a small, filled water pistol; and a gun that fires foam bullets. These should be concealed under a blanket. You will also need a Bible.
Assembly
- Welcome the children to the assembly.
Explain that today, you have brought in something special to show the children. Tell them that you have with you the most powerful weapon of all! - Reach under the blanket, pull out the catapult and use it to fire scrunched-up paper balls over the children or towards a member of staff.
Ask the children what they think about your weapon. Is it the most powerful weapon of all?
Listen to a range of responses. - After you have allowed time for the children to react, explain that it’s OK, you have another weapon that may fit the bill.
Reach under the blanket, pull out the water pistol and squirt it as appropriate.
Again, allow time for the children to react, and then ask, ‘Is this the most powerful weapon?’
Listen to a range of responses. - Explain that you have one more weapon to show the children.
Reach under the blanket, pull out the gun that fires foam bullets and fire it in an appropriate direction.
Ask the children what they think about this one: do you have the most powerful weapon now?
Listen to a range of responses. - After you have given the children time to respond, settle them down again before explaining that there are, of course, lots of very powerful weapons that we wouldn’t want to bring to school, even if we could!
Tell the children that, despite what they’ve seen so far, you really do have the most powerful weapon of all with you, and what’s more, so do all of the children. - Stick out your tongue at the children, asking them to do the same.
Tell them that this is the most powerful weapon of all! Did they know that? - Explain that this small part of the body, which we all have, has the power to insult people, start arguments and even begin wars. It can put people down, make them feel bad and hurt them in a way that other weapons can’t.
- Give the children the opportunity to share how words can hurt, encouraging them to talk in general terms rather than sharing specific stories.
- Explain that there is good news too, though. Remind the children of the three weapons that you showed them earlier and explain how these don’t really hurt people. In fact, when we play with them, they can lead to a lot of fun and laughter.
The same can be true with our words, if we use our mouths in the right way. We can use our words to build people up, encourage them, make them feel better and even heal hurt that has been caused before.
Invite the children to share some examples of this.
Time for reflection
Invite the children to make themselves really quiet and think about a time when words have caused pain or made something better. Perhaps this was something that they said themselves, or it could be something that someone said to them.
Tell the children that there is an excellent description in the Bible of the power of words.
Ask one of the children to read James 3.5: ‘Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.’
Explain that this whole chapter of the Bible is very challenging, teaching that it is harmful when we use our words for ill.
Ask the children to think for a few moments about how this challenges them. Emphasize that we can make choices about whether we let our words be a weapon or whether we use them for good. To do this requires self-control to stop ourselves letting wrong thoughts slip out and cause hurt to others. Explain that exercising self-control in this way can be really hard sometimes.
Point out that if we do hurt others with the words that we say, we need to be ready to say sorry and make things right again.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for words that build us up, make us feel good and encourage us.
We are sorry that there are times when we don’t control our tongues and we hurt others with the words that we say.
Please help us to grow in self-control, knowing when to speak out and when to stay silent.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Build up’ by Fischy Music, available at: https://youtu.be/Wx8jkyxraAM (2.48 minutes long)
‘Harry & Larry and the fiery tongue’ by Doug Horley, available at: https://youtu.be/Sx4XeWJWIyg (2.44 minutes long)
Extension activities
- Read the story You Are Special by Max Lucado, or show a video of it. It is available at: https://youtu.be/15QuHygLwFU (8.21 minutes long)
The story shares more about the impact that we can have by building up or knocking down a person’s value. - Play some games where children are encouraged to use kind words to build each other up. For example, you could play a version of Consequences, where each child writes a compliment about another child on a piece of paper before folding it over and passing it on.
