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Give and it shall be given

To demonstrate the principle of ‘Give and it will be given to you’ as outlined in Luke 6.38.

by Janice Ross

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To demonstrate the principle of ‘Give and it will be given to you’ as outlined in Luke 6.38.

Preparation and materials

  • You will need a sheet of newspaper, a tube of Smarties, two boxes of Smarties, a small tub.

  • Identify a child or member of staff who has ‘given’ something this week, whether it be help to another person or as an ambassador for the school in some way. Try to make what happens here a surprise to the person concerned.

Assembly

  1. How many children do we think we can fit on a piece of newspaper? Choose some volunteers and have fun watching how many can manage to stand on the newspaper.

    Talk about how they had to all squash together tightly, until there was not a single space for anyone else’s toe on the paper. Explain that this reminds you of a Bible verse about giving.

    Read Luke 6.38: ‘Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.’
  2. Demonstrate with the Smarties. Ask the chosen child/staff member to come out. Tell the assembly what he/she has given that is special this week. You hope that the person likes Smarties. Explain that you want to demonstrate what the Bible says about giving. Give this person the small tube of Smarties and ask them to empty these into the tub.

    Then say: well, we might call that a good measure, but it certainly can’t be called ‘pressed down, shaken together’, can it?

    Give the person the boxes of Smarties to be emptied into the tub. Make a point of shaking and knocking down the tub for them to get the maximum number of Smarties fitted in.

    When the person is satisfied, say: but wait a minute, the Bible says, ‘a good measure, pressed down, shaken together … and running over’.

    Pour in more Smarties so that they are running over on to the table.

    Repeat the verse: ‘Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap.’
  3. Explain to the children that there is a second part to this verse. Read it out: ‘For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’

    In other words, if you give a stingy amount you will get a stingy amount back. If you are generous with your giving (pour out some Smarties at this point) you will receive a generous amount.

    This does not mean that you will always get rewarded with sweeties! Nor is it just meaning the giving of money, but the giving of our time, our effort, our friendship.

Time for reflection

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above
Then thank the Lord
O thank the Lord
For all his love.

Take a minute to think about all the good gifts you have received today.

Prayer
Dear God
Thank you that you are so generous in all your ways.
Your kindness, your wisdom, your love and your mercies to us cannot be measured.
Teach us to enjoy giving and giving again.

Amen.

Song/music

‘Thank you, Lord’ (Come and Praise, 32)

Publication date: March 2009   (Vol.11 No.3)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
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