KOSTA at home: Sunday 5 July

Title: Learn from me

Bible notes for parents/teens: Jesus calls us in this passage to come to him and learn from him. Now more than ever we may feel the need to be self-sufficient and ‘keep going’. Take time as you worship together today to give over anxieties, concerns and ‘to-do’ lists to God and learn to rest in him.

Question for older children & teens: How do you welcome someone?

Opening Prayer: Father God, we come to you to find rest today. Help us to be ready to learn from you. Amen.

Create the story: Create a photo retelling of today’s passage

Sing: Younger Children: Great great brill brill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecxaOZ_t-Kk Adults & Teens: Love came down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEpSOcyLB14

Read the story: Younger Children: Story on page 3 Older Children & Teens: Matt 11:16-19, 25-30 from a bible

Discuss: Younger children:

• What do you want to tell Jesus today? • What do you want to do today to give you rest?

Older children and teens:

• How might we help people who carry heavy burdens? • What does ‘my yoke is easy... my burden is light’ mean to you?

Remember: Jesus reassures us that no matter how busy life is, if we ask him, he will share our burdens and give us rest.

Most resources taken from ©ROOTS for Churches Ltd (www.rootsontheweb.com) 2002-2020 and www.tath.co.uk

Do: Younger Children Take my yoke upon you (Experiencing what a burden really feels like) You will need: images of yokes (put the word ‘yoke’ into a search engine and click the images option); a garden cane (1m); a thick towel; some duct or parcel tape; two lengths of strong cord (2m each); two plastic buckets; sand or other items to place in the buckets.

• Display the images of yokes. Explain that you are going to make your own version. • Wrap the towel around the garden cane and secure with the tape. • Double the cord and attach the looped end to one of the bucket handles. Tie the other

end to the cane. Repeat for the other piece of cord. • Invite someone to try out the yoke. Can they lift the buckets? • Next, add some of the sand to the buckets. Can they still lift them? Is it easier if

someone else comes to share the yoke? • Give everyone a turn with the yoke.

Older Children: Wisdom revealed You will need

• two large sheets of paper - one headed ‘WISE’ and the other ‘UNWISE’. • marker pens • a selection of recent newspapers • scissors • glue sticks.

Invite everyone to cut out examples of wisdom and folly from the newspapers, then stick them onto the appropriate sheet. Discuss your choices. Are there any names you would like to add to the sheets?

A Prayer for others: We pray for all in authority, that they will be respectfully conscious of the weight on their shoulders, and that they will act responsibly for the people they serve. We pray for them in their personal lives, with the worries and cares that only they see. We pray for our friends, family, colleagues. We pray that as we walk alongside them, you will use us to bring them close to you, and they will learn of your love, O Lord.

We pray that we might be sensitive to the needs of those around us – the people we see every day, perhaps as fleetingly as at the shops, or in the bus queue. We have no idea what burdens they are carrying, or if they need a kind word from you that only we can give. We pray that we will see the positive in people, even when it’s hard, and reach out to encourage them. Amen. Amen

Living it out: Write a list of the wonderful things you see in a friend and send the list to them.

Extra activities: Colouring and activity sheets on pages 4 and 5

Story for Younger children:

Jesus was speaking to the crowd. ‘What are you like? You are like children playing wedding and funeral games. You sit and watch and shout to each other, “We played the flute and you did not dance.” “We were sad and wept and you did not cry with us.” ‘John the Baptist came,’ Jesus said to them. ‘He did not go around eating too much or drinking. And what did people say? They said, “He has a demon in him!” Then I came along, eating and drinking and what did they say? They said, “That man eats too much! He drinks too much! He is a friend of tax collectors and even sinners!’’ But God’s wisdom is proved by its results.’ Jesus started to pray, ‘Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from the wise and the clever and revealed them to children. This is what you want. My Father has given me everything. Only he truly knows the Son. And only the Son truly knows the Father. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father too.’ He said to the crowd, ‘Come to me, anyone who is tired and carrying a heavy load, and I will give you rest.’ Then he looked at the people around him and said, ‘Take the yoke I give you and learn from me. I am gentle – my yoke is easy and the load I give you is not too heavy. You will find rest for your souls.’ Glossary demon also described as an evil spirit; spiritual forces that trouble people – sometimes this might be interpreted as mental illness; sinners people who are not living life as God intends; yoke a curved piece of wood put across the neck of an animal pulling a plough or cart, and so a burden to be carried.

Colouring timeName Colouring Sheet

© ROOTS for Churches Ltd Weekly worship and learning resources at www.rootsontheweb.com

5-11 July 2020

When you run a three-legged race, you have to work together with your friend, otherwise you might fall over!