
Earlier in the summer I helped with the first two of our Summer Sunday services, which brought our 3 largest congregations together at the reasonable hour of 10am, and enabled us to minister in a unified way through all the ‘absences’ caused by Christian Conferences and the holiday season.
We used the theme of “Amazing things that Jesus did” looking specifically in an “All Age” way, at those told in John’s Gospel. One week I was leading a service focussing on the Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:1-38) and wanted to make our “confession” and absolution visual in a way that the kids could watch up close.
I came up with the idea of using dirty and clean water: we started with a pint glass of ‘dirty water’ (I used a mixture of cold tea and coffee, so that it didn’t leave a residue in the glass), and talked about the need to get rid of the wrong things that we do, that make us “dirty”.
I then poured this dirty water into a bucket to go down the drain later – leaving an empty glass. As I did so we prayed the following prayer together:
Dear GodWe know we are a dirty people,We mess up, get things wrong,Dishonour you, and hurt each other.We are sorry.
Dear GodWe know that you sent Jesus,To die on the cross for us,And rise to life to wash us clean.That we might be filled with theLiving water of your love and Holy Spirit.Thank you.Amen
There must be something symbolic about the fact that I do actually drink tea and coffee combined…
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