What an Adventure!
An assembly from the Culham St Gabriel archive
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To see that life is an adventure and full of opportunities.
Preparation and materials
-
Have available the following images and the means to display them during the assembly:
- different life stages, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yd6nn8nf
- various occupations, available at: https://tinyurl.com/ybxwo9ob
- people showing different emotions, available at: https://tinyurl.com/ychwkp8t
- an open door, available at: https://tinyurl.com/lntb5ps
- a door left ajar, available at: https://tinyurl.com/yab42ntw
- a closed door, available at: https://tinyurl.com/ctg3yj9
Assembly
- Show the image of different life stages.
Draw attention to the unknown nature of life. Point out that as babies, we don’t know what the future holds for us. - Show the image of various occupations.
Point out that there are people in the room who have no idea what they will do in the future. - Show the image of people showing different emotions.
Point out that none of us knows what will happen in the future, but we will probably all have sad, happy, exciting and worrying times. No doubt we will all sometimes feel cross, angry, jealous or full of laughter, too. - Ask the students to reflect on their lives so far and identify times when things have happened to them that have been unexpected. Ask them how they felt in these situations. Did they complain? Did they ask why such a thing should have happened to them?
- Point out that whether their journey through life so far has been good, bad or indifferent, they are here now, and forwards is the only way to go.
- Show the images of the three doors.
We will all face doors like this during our lives. Sometimes, we can see where the door will lead. At other times, we catch a glimpse of what is ahead. There are even some times when the door ahead seems firmly closed and we cannot see the way ahead at all. However, if we want to make the most of our lives, sometimes, we need to step ahead, through the door and into new and exciting things on the other side. - Read the following passage, adapted from Philosophy of Religion by John Hick.
Two people are travelling together along a road. One of them believes that it leads to the Celestial City; the other thinks that it leads nowhere. However, this is the only road there is, so both must travel along it. Neither of them have been this way before, so neither can say what they will find around each corner. During their journey, they meet with moments of pleasure and delight, and with moments of hardship and sorrow. One is prepared to put up with the bad times, sure in their mind that the goal to be achieved is worth it. The other grumbles and complains. As they turn the last corner, one of them will be proved right and the other wrong. Yet they will both have made the same journey.
Time for reflection
Challenge the students to think about their outlook on life. Do they see problems or difficulties as opportunities, or do they grumble and complain?
God does not promise an easy journey through life. However, he does promise that he will be there beside the travellers.
Christians, and other believers, do not expect an easier life than anyone else. What they do expect and find is that God is there walking with them through life. He will advise, help and encourage people to make the most of all that comes their way.
Song/music
‘Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia’ from Spartacus by Khachaturian
This piece conveys the idea of movement through life with periods of adventure, noise, storm and calm.
