My Dad's Bigger Than Your Dad

To celebrate Father's Day and to think about the image of God as Father

by Guy Donnegan Cross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To celebrate Father’s Day and to think about the image of God as father.

Preparation and materials

You will need:

• A copy of the poem, ‘My dad’s bigger than your dad’ by Steve Turner, from The Day I Fell down the Toilet (Lion, 1996).
• A copy of the picture by Rembrandt,‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’ (downloadable from www.christusrex.org/www2/art/rembrandt.htm).

Assembly

1. Read out the poem and then ask the children to guess who it is about.

2. Elicit the idea that it’s about God and say that a lot of people wonder what God is like.  The Bible says he is like a parent.  Our parents can be great, or sometimes they can let us down – but Jesus told a story to show that God is like a dad who will never let us down.
   
   
3. Retell the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 14.11) in your own words or use a children’s Bible. Emphasize how shocking it was that the father should have the son back.
   
   
4. Show the picture of The Return of the Prodigal Son. Point out the depth of the father’s love in the picture, and the son’s sense of safety and being accepted.  Say that Christians believe that God is like the father. Depending on how well you know the children, and your own faith position, you may want to share something of your own experience of God as father.

Time for reflection

Reflection:

Ask the children to look at the picture and think about love, forgiveness and acceptance.

Prayer:
Ask the children to look at the picture as you pray.  Invite them to echo the prayer in their hearts.

Father God,

Thank you that you love me

And accept me

Just as I am.

Amen.

Song/music

‘He’s got the whole world, in His hand’ (Come and Praise, 19)