Wow!
Moments of wonder
by Claire Law
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To reflect upon the benefits of experiencing ‘wow’ moments.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Wow!) and the means to display them.
- Have available a YouTube video of a trailer for The Green Planet and the means to show it during the assembly. One video is 1.18 minutes long and is available at: https://youtu.be/FcnLPH11qJw
- Optional: you may wish to arrange for two students to read some short passages from the Bible during the ‘Time for reflection’ part of the assembly. The passages are Psalm 8.1 and 8.3-4, and Psalm 139.13-14.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1 and welcome the students to the assembly.
I’d like us to take a moment to look at our fingerprints. Let’s look at them right now: see the swirls and patterns that make up the pattern of our fingerprints on each finger and thumb. Each of our fingerprints is unique to us; no one has ever had the very same fingerprint that we have. Even if we have an identical twin, our twin’s fingerprint will be different! - Show Slide 2.
There’s something ‘wow’ about this! We could go about our day, using our hands to pick up things, gesture and hold items, and totally forget the wonder of our fingerprints. Yet, out of all the billions of humans who have lived, our fingerprint is a daily reminder of our uniqueness. Wow! - That sense of ‘wow’ is something that naturalist Sir David Attenborough is good at tapping into. In the various BBC documentaries that he’s made over the years, including The Blue Planet and Planet Earth, Attenborough has shown us some of the most ‘wow’ things about the world.
Using stunning footage, Attenborough’s documentaries help us to appreciate the complexity and beauty of the natural world. They make us realize the importance of looking closely at things and being inspired by what we see.
If you’ve ever watched any of the documentaries, you may have found yourself saying, ‘Wow! Look at that!’ Whether it’s the simplicity of a raindrop, the wonder of a spider weaving a web or the way a snake moves across the desert, Attenborough’s documentaries encourage us to notice the ‘wow’ of nature that we might easily overlook. - Let’s watch the trailer for one of Attenborough’s most recent projects, The Green Planet, which first aired in February 2022. Notice what images provoke a ‘wow’ reaction in you.
Show the YouTube video of a trailer for The Green Planet (1.18 minutes long).
- Hopefully, some of that will have given you a sense of ‘wow’, or awe and wonder. It’s hard to describe this feeling, and people often say that it leaves them feeling lost for words.
- Young children seem to find it easy to tap into a sense of awe and wonder. At least, they haven’t yet learnt to hide their amazement at the world. Even very young children show, through their facial expressions, something of that sense of awe and wonder.
Show Slides 3–5. - People often talk about feeling wonder when they see something majestic in nature, such as a jagged mountain range or a vast plain. Sometimes, aspects of human geography can prompt awe and wonder: a beautiful cathedral, for example, or a stunning, modern skyscraper.
As we have seen, we can also experience awe and wonder in response to smaller things, such as the shape of a tiny seashell, the markings of a butterfly and even our own fingerprints. - Research has shown that cultivating a sense of awe and wonder in our lives is good for us. Seeking the feeling of awe can improve memory, boost creativity and relieve anxious thoughts. Various studies have shown that, when people are exposed to awe-inspiring environments, they behave in a more helpful and caring way towards others.
- Seeking out awe and wonder can help with our mental well-being too. Awe forces us to broaden our perspective and turn our attention away from negative thoughts that can circle in our minds. Somehow, the negative chatter that can creep up on us becomes quieter when we can connect with that ‘wow’ feeling of awe and wonder.
- For some people, feeling awe and wonder is a religious experience that enables them to connect with a divine force that is greater than them. This can be life-enhancing to many people.
Time for reflection
Feeling awe and wonder is not a new thing. The Bible is full of passages that express wonder at God’s creation and the natural world, and at how God acts in the world. The Book of Psalms – a sacred scripture for both Jews and Christians – includes many lines that express awe at God’s creation.
Let’s hear a few verses from Psalm 8, which includes an awe-inspired reflection about the moon, the stars and the sky.
Show Slide 6 and read the passage, or ask a student to do so.
Psalm 139 includes an awe-inspired reflection on the human body.
Show Slide 7 and read the passage, or ask a student to do so.
We can read about awe and wonder in these passages, but we can also experience it first-hand. Taking time to notice, and connect with, the natural world is a great way to start cultivating more awe and wonder in our own lives.
So, as we consider awe and wonder, including the many benefits to our health and well-being when we experience them, let’s return to where we began: our own fingerprints.
Let’s take a moment to look at them again. As we do so, let’s allow any feelings to bubble up and notice any sensation of amazement. Let’s recall that our fingerprints are unique, and notice their intricate patterns and swirls.
As we’ve discussed, for many people, experiencing awe and wonder can be a form of prayer. It may prompt them to pray, and to praise and thank God for creation. With that in mind, let’s respond in prayer to what we’ve reflected on today.
Prayer
Dear God,
Today, we’ve considered some things that inspire in us a sense of ‘wow’.
As children, many of us found it easy to connect with ‘wow’ moments, and to feel wonder at the world around us.
As we grow older, it can become difficult to feel awe and wonder, especially when we are weighed down with worries and thoughts.
Help us today to find places where we can pause and feel a sense of wonder.
Give us the courage to risk looking up and around, and notice the wonder of ourselves, our world and all of nature.
Amen.
