2nd Week of Easter, Friday

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple."

(From the Psalm)

(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)

Do you remember what we have been talking about for the last few days?

We have been talking about how Jesus came, died, and is risen, and will never leave us again.

How does today's passage tie in with this? Which words talk about being with God forever?

"all the days of my life" - this is another way of saying forever. 

What does the psalmist want to do forever?

He wants to live the house of the Lord forever. 

What do you think that could mean?

What does it mean to live in someone's house? 

You live in your parents' house. How does that work? 

They look after you, don't they? And love you, and spend time with you. 

And what do you do? 

Do you think you would like to live with God in this way? 

Thank you, God, that we can live with you forever. 

(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)

(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."