Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, you we thank you for giving us Jesus to be our Light. Help us to follow Him and be thankful that His light shines on us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sorry Song (to the tune of If you’re happy and you know it)
When we say that you are sorry, God forgives.
When we say that you are sorry, God forgives.
If our sins are large or small,
God will still forgive them all.
When we say that we are sorry, God forgives.
Then sing the Gloria (tune of Row, Row, Row your Boat)
Praise, praise, praise the Lord, Praise our Father dear.
As we listen to his word, feel his spirit near.
Gospel –John 14:1-12
The Lord be with you. All: And with your spirit. (teach them this)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John. All: Glory to you, O Lord. (teach them this)
“Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told the disciples. “Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. You know the way that leads to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?”
Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I have spoken to you,” Jesus said to his disciples, “do not come from me. The Father, who remains in me, does his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the me. Now that you have known me,” he said to them, “you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need.”
Jesus answered, “For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever Father is in me. If not, believe because of the things I do. I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do — yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father.
After Gospel - All: “Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ”
Suggestions for the Discussion
There was a time when a person going on a trip wouldn't think of beginning their journey without a road map. The map helped the traveller in finding the way to where they were going. Today we hardly ever use a road map. Do you know why? What do many of us who own a car have in our car to help us find our way to places? That's right - a GPS.
Does anyone know how the GPS works? When you are ready to go somewhere, you type in the address that you want to go to and the GPS connects to a satellite up above the earth and works out the path to your destination. As soon as you start driving, a map appears on the screen and a voice from the GPS gives you turn by turn directions. "Turn right on Main Street in one mile, turn right in one half mile, turn right in 150 feet, arriving at destination." What happens if you miss your turn? The GPS says, "Recalculating" and immediately calculates a new route to get you back on the right path to your destination.
Imagine we had a GPS to lead us in the right direction when we are trying to follow Jesus in our daily lives. It would be nice to have something to keep us on the right path and keep us from getting lost...something that would help us get back on the right track when we made a wrong decision.
In our Bible story today, Jesus told His disciples " Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show you the Father? Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Anyone who believes in me will do the same things I have done."
That was all they needed to know to get them on the right path to the Father. What can we use to guide us on our way to the place where Jesus has gone to be with the Father? The Bible - God's Word.
As we follow Jesus, what are some of the things we should remember to follow Him? Be kind, thoughtful, truthful, and more sharing . We should pray every day, ask for forgiveness for our mistakes and listen to our parents, carers etc. Pray for the essential workers, emergency response workers and all who are affected by Covid-19. We can also encourage our friends to come to church or follow the lessons online as we do, to learn about God and Jesus.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son to guide us to eternal life. Thank you for your Holy Word that will guide us on the right path on our life journey. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Gospel passage taken from Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)
© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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