Seizing Opportunities

An assembly from the Culham St Gabriel archive

Suitable for Whole School (Sec)

Aims

To encourage us to seize opportunities and to think positively.

Preparation and materials

• You will need a leader and two readers.

• You will also need an empty honey jar and a burst red balloon on a piece of string.

• Have available an image of Eeyore looking sad: https://tinyurl.com/mtht32kn

• Optional: you may wish to use the Bible reading about the talents, from Matthew 25.14-29.

Assembly

Reader 1: It was Eeyore’s birthday. Pooh and Piglet decided to take him a present. Pooh decided that he would take him a jar of honey from his store and Piglet took a red balloon on a string. On the way, Pooh decided to taste the honey to see if it was in good condition. He found that it was, but just to make sure, he tried it again and again and by the time they reached Eeyore’s field, the jar was empty.

Reader 2: Meanwhile, Piglet had played with the red balloon all the way to Eeyore’s house and it had finally burst. All that was left was a crumpled piece of red rubber on a string.

Show the empty honey jar and the burst balloon.

Reader 1: When Pooh and Piglet reached Eeyore’s field, he was standing in the corner, looking gloomy and eating thistles. Pooh and Piglet explained what had happened and offered him their presents. When Eeyore asked what he could do with the jar, Pooh suggested that it could be a jar to keep things in. It was not quite what Eeyore wanted, but he did have a gift, he did have something and it could be used.

Leader: Show the image of Eeyore looking sad.
We don’t always get what we want in life and we aren’t always the people we would like to be. However, we can make the most of the situation in which we find ourselves and we can do it without being as gloomy as Eeyore.

Reader 2: All of us are born with unique skills and abilities, opportunities to be taken, contributions that only we can make.

Reader 1: We can’t all be good at everything, but we can use and develop the skills that we do have, no matter how ordinary they may seem.

Leader: We are ordinary people who can bring about extraordinary things. We can all do our bit to transform the world and make it a better place for people to be.

Reader 2: We are all different. We are not failures if our gifts aren’t as spectacular as those of others.

Reader 1: However, we do need to use our gifts and that applies to the spectacular as well as the ordinary. We all have something to give. Be creative: use your gifts! Don’t just envy others.

Leader: (Optional: you may wish to use the Bible reading about the talents here, from Matthew 25.14-29.)

Time for reflection

Leader: What are your gifts? Have you ever thought about them?

Maybe a few suggestions would help:

- being a good friend
- being willing to help others
- being a good listener

Pause to allow time for thought.

Think of how you could use these gifts to help others, and then make a commitment in your mind to do that.

Think of how other people’s gifts and skills help you. Why not decide to thank these people when you get a chance?

Prayer
Dear God,
In this world, there are so many people with so many gifts.
For all of these, Lord, we thank you.
Help us to see and understand the gifts that you have given to us,
That we may enjoy them ourselves and share them with others.
Amen.