Welcome
Thank you for joining us on this Come and See for Families adventure. Throughout Lent we’ll be exploring together the big theme of God’s love: how we can experience God’s love for ourselves and how we can grow in sharing God’s love with others.
This week we are concentrating on “To love with all our heart, soul, mind and strength”. Known as the Greatest Commandment, this saying of Jesus calls us to live the love with everything we are.
Chat together/Activity
Have you ever run a race so fast you can feel your heart beat really hard?
Or had to carry something so heavy your arms and legs feel wobbly?
Can you think of a time when you have put everything you are into something or felt like you have “given your all”? Share, write or draw the stories.
Have a chat together about what you think it means to love God with everything you are.
Share the story today using the Space Makers Dwelling practice
Dwelling is about rooting life, relationships and experiences in scripture, allowing God’s word to dwell in us as we dwell in it. This is a wonderful practice that enables us to “Let the word of Christ dwell [in you] richly” (Colossians 3:16). Experience shows us that the more we dwell in God’s word, the deeper it dwells in us and enables us to grow as “noticers” of God’s activity for good in the world.
This is an opportunity to “dwell” in God’s story and let God’s story dwell in us. Dwelling is another word for living or inhabiting. You could create a place for the group to dwell in, such as a den, a pop-up tent, or use a parachute to create a tent-like space.
How to dwell
Before you start, brief the children (and adults present) about what will happen:
We are going to listen to a Bible story/passage together.
As you listen, notice the part that catches your attention, or you like the best.
The passage will be read again.
Invite two volunteer readers and encourage them to read the passage slowly.
Read the passage through twice.
If it’s helpful, print out the reading.
Invite each person to share what they noticed. Encourage careful listening.
Notice what you are noticing about the passage! It’s interesting when several people like a particular verse or phrase. Wonder: is this God speaking to your household?
Reminder, the invitation is to notice what part grabbed your attention, you liked the best, or feels important (even if you’re not sure why).
Mark 12: 41–44
Jesus sat near the Temple money box where people put their gifts. He watched the people put in their money. Many rich people gave large sums of money. Then a poor widow came and gave two very small copper coins. These coins were not worth even a penny.
Jesus called his followers to him. He said, “I tell you the truth. This poor widow gave only two small coins. But she really gave more than all those rich people. The rich have plenty; they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor. But she gave all she had. And she needed that money to help her live.”
Notice what your attention was drawn to, or what question you have.
I wonder if there was a part you liked best?
I wonder which part feels most important?
Does this story add to or help you with something you are wondering about? Was anything confusing or distracting? Were you reminded of any other story, song, psalm or prayer?
When something is shared, receive the contribution with thanks and a smile. Don’t leap to correct a comment you feel is “wrong” but follow up with a further question like, “I hadn’t thought of it like that; tell me more.” or “I wonder if we can find out more about that?”
Dwelling with under-5s
Read together “The Ten Silver Coins” in Stories Jesus Told by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen.
I wonder which part of the story you liked the best?
Prayer
Dear God,
I love you, you love me,
I am in your family.
You love me, I love you,
Help me love more like you.
Amen
Weekly film and questions
Watch this film, pausing when prompted to think and talk about the questions.
Watch the film | Audio-only version | Download the transcript
Now wonder together
- What did you used to love?
- Have you ever thought “if only…”? How did that make you feel?
- Do you believe in God? What do you know about Jesus?