Reflection Activity Week 5

Reflection Activity Week 5

Step 1: Remember these key tips for your reflection time.

Look / Reflect / ActLook at what is happening.

Reflect on the situation.Act to make a difference.

Read the prayers on the next page.

Take time to reflect by yourself.

Speak to others.Speak to your family.Share any concerns with trusted adults.

Think of ways that:Something great can keep on going.Something troublesome can come

to an end.

God of compassion,be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation.

In their loneliness, be their consolation;in their anxiety, be their hope;in their darkness, be their light;through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory,Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Let us pray to God,

For the health and well-being of our nation, that all who are fearful and anxiousmay be at peace and free from worry:Lord, hear us, Amen

Step 2: Read these prayers about giving hope and help to others.

Think a bit about your hopes and plans for your future.

Find someone in your family and talk about what you, and they (if they are also a child), would like

to be when they grow up. If the other person is an adult, ask them what they would like to be

one day.

If needed, ask them if they remember what they wanted to

be when they were younger.

Step 3: Encouraging ourselves to have hopes and dreams for the future.

Think a bit about your hopes and plans for your future.

It would be very interesting to ask the same question in 10, or 15

years’ time, and see if you ended up doing what you thought you

would like to do.

Even if it isn’t exactly the same, how similar could it be?

If it is quite similar, have you still achieved your dreams?

Step 3: Encouraging ourselves to have hopes and dreams for the future.

The story can be listened to using either of these links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5qRzTOpOnkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_89k1aXvbhwIf you don’t have access to YouTube, the story is written out over the next 7 pages.

The Three Trees

Once upon a time, there were three trees growing side by side in the forest. They were friends and they used to spend their time chatting together. Even though they were more or less the same height and they were all growing in the same place, they were very different.

The first tree loved beauty.The second tree loved adventure.

The third tree loved God.

One day, the trees were talking about what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

‘When I grow up, I want to be a carved treasure chest, filled with sparkling jewels’, said the first tree.

‘When I grow up, I want to be a strong ship and my captain will be a great explorer who will discover new lands’, said the second tree.

‘I don’t want to be made into anything. I want to stay right here, growing taller every year until I am the tallest tree in the forest. Then, when people look at me, they will see that I’m pointing them to God’, said the third tree.

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

The years went by and, one day, three woodcutters arrived in the forest and cut the three trees down.

‘At last! My dream of becoming a treasure chest is about to come true’, shouted the first tree.

‘Brilliant! My dream of becoming a sailing boat is about to come true’, yelled the second tree.

‘Oh no! Now I won’t be able to point people to God!’ whispered the third tree.

The woodcutters carried the three trees away and, for two of them, the future

looked bright, but, before long, all three had said goodbye to their earlier plans.

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

Instead of being made into a beautiful treasure chest, the first tree was made into an ugly animal feeding box and put in a stable.

Rather than being made into a fine sailing ship, the second tree was made into a simple fishing boat.

The third tree wasn’t made into anything at all. It was just cut up into planks and left stacked in the builder’s yard.

The years went by and gradually the three trees learned to live with their broken dreams.

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

Then, one cold winter’s night, everything changed for the first tree. A baby was born –clearly no ordinary child. Angels sang. Shepherds and kings came to visit him. Guess which animal feeding box his mother used as a cradle?

When the first tree realized what had happened, its heart filled with joy.

‘My dreams have come true after all. I may not have been filled with gold and jewels, but I have

held the greatest treasure on Earth.’

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

About 30 more years passed by before everything changed for the second tree.

When it was out in the middle of the lake, a terrible storm blew up and the little tree was sure it was going to sink. Then something incredible happened. One of the men on board stood up.

‘Peace! Be still!’ he said to the wind and the waves and they obeyed him.

When the second tree realized what had happened, its heart filled with joy.

‘My dreams have come true after all. I may not have carried a great explorer, but I have carried the maker of heaven and Earth.’

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

Not long after that, things changed for the third tree, too. A carpenter came and took it away, but, to the tree’s dismay, he did not make it into anything beautiful or even useful. Instead, he made it into a coarse wooden cross.

‘Oh no! This is the sort of cross soldiers use to put criminals to death!’ thought the third tree.

It should have been the worst day of the tree’s life – except for one thing. The man hanging there in agony was no ordinary criminal paying for his crime. He was Jesus – the man Christians now believe to be the Son of God – and he was dying.

When the third tree realized what was happening, its heart thrilled with joy.

‘My dreams have come true after all. I may not be the tallest tree in the forest, but, from this day on, as the cross of Christ, I shall always point people towards God.’

Step 4: Read this story. It is a traditional folk tale about three trees that had plans and dreams about their future.

Draw, from the point of view of each tree, a storyboard summarising their journey.A storyboard is when you plan or show a story using drawings and images.

Each storyboard could be as many images as you like, and could include a caption about what is happening. Within your storyboard, incorporate the idea of hope and taking pride in all achievements, no matter their size.

An example of what it could be like is shown below:

Step 5a: Reflect on the story. Reflection task 1

The tree dreams of becoming a beautiful treasure chest.

The tree is happy to be cut down as he thinks his dream will come true.

The tree is unhappy when he realises he is just a simple feeding box for animals.

The tree’s heart is filled with joy – he holds the greatest treasure on earth. His hopes and dreams have come true.

Now create a storyboard of your own journey. It can include as many images or captions as you like.

Adult? Think about what your dreams were. Show what happened on your journey (peaks and troughs, achievements and challenges etc.) and consider where it is now and how your hopes have been fulfilled, even if not in the most obvious way.It may be pleasant to consider how some dreams could, and will, still be met.

Child? Think about what your dreams are. In your storyboard, show what could happen on your journey. What challenges will you face on the way? What mini steps to success do you need to take? What could it look like at the end?(Remember, it doesn't always look exactly like you thought it might, and that's still great)

As with the tree story, incorporate the idea of hope and taking pride in your achievements.

Step 5b: Reflect on your own story. Reflection task 2

In the story, each tree had a plan for its future, but it seemed that God had a different plan for them. Initially, God’s plan did not seem as exciting as their original plans, but, eventually, God used each one of them to play an important part in the life of Jesus, from his birth to his death.

We all have hopes and dreams for our futures and that is a good thing, but these can change. Our hopes can be fulfilled but not always in the most obvious way.

Christians believe that God chooses our path and will fulfil our hopes if we live

the way he expects, and the way Jesus taught us to live.

Step 6: Personal reflection / worship

These are the words of an old blessing. I invite you to find a place of silence and read it to yourself:

In your journeys to and froGod direct you;in your happiness and pleasureGod bless you;in care, anxiety or troubleGod sustain you;in peril and dangerGod protect you.Amen.

Step 6: Personal reflection / worship

As you listen to the lyrics, consider how both songs relate to achieving

goals and having dreams.

Take time to listen to the following songs about hopes and dreams. They are:

‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs

‘Believe’ by Justin Bieber:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j97bd6Cjp2U

If you are a family that like to share in prayer and collective worship at home, you may be interested in ’engage worship’. They are providing daily prayer and worship activities on their website:https://engageworship.org/engage-at-home-daily-

family-prayer-and-worship-activitiesand on their social media accounts for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram(use the hashtag #EngageAtHome).

Families can engage in these activities together, using movement, interaction, craft, play and more. They will be varying the themes and types of engagement with God, and we hope that you’ll be able to adapt the ideas to suit your family. They believe that in the midst of isolation and struggle, God will be at work in and through his people. The ideas are released daily with dates on them, but feel free to use them whenever suits.

If you have younger children at home, then check out

‘Diddy Disciples’. They do worship and bible

storytelling for toddlers and young children and during this difficult

time, they are also offering Bedtime Prayers at 6:45pm on

their Facebook page.

Feeling musical? Check out Rend Co. Kids, whose mission is to bring

joy and music to adults, kids, and everyone in between.

Their website https://www.worshiptogether.com/worship-

leaders/rend-co-kids/

provides some songs that might help you to have a moment of reflection if you are currently finding it

difficult to find the time, place, or even motivation, to reflect by yourself.

Find your own space away from others, put your headphones in, relax, and listen to the words.

After listening to them all, and watching some, we would recommend ‘Fun’ and ‘Feels Good’, which

both have videos to go with the songs.

The songs are filled with positivity and certainly put us in a better mood. Find a song you like and

share it with your family.