D.A.T. #5 | Peace be With You

This Sunday is all about "Passing the Peace" and "Holy Humour Sunday"!

Jesus gave the disciples the gift of peace. We too, can share the peace of God. Usually, when we 'pass the peace' at church, we greet people with a hug or handshake, and say 'May the Peace of God be with you.' It is like a wish, or a prayer for the other person. We say it because we know God loves both of us. Then we invite people to pass the peace to our neighbours. 

Obviously, there are no handshakes or hugs happening outside of our bubbles at the moment. One of the ways people have been sharing the gift of peace (and joy!) with others, is by displaying a teddy bear in their window. I have seen the smiles this has brought to many faces as families have been out on their daily walk, getting some exercise during this lockdown period. It has helped people feel more connected.

We thought we would create our own Lockdown version of "Pass the Peace". The young people and their leaders from Christchurch North Methodist Parish and community have been working together on a very special video project. We hope you enjoy the end result. Here is our "Pass the Peace" - Lockdown Style!

PASS THE PEACE

Click here to watch the video on YouTube. Please share it with your friends, family and neighbours!

I want to thank everyone who helped make this video - you guys are awesome!

HOLY HUMOUR SUNDAY

For many churches, the Sunday after Easter is celebrated as Holy Humour Sunday. The day is filled with parties, picnics, practical jokes, songs, stories and humour. Some churches have a 'Bright Sunday' celebration and call it 'Jesus is the LIFE of the PARTY!' It sounds like lot of fun and a wonderful way to celebrate the greatest miracle ever - the resurrection of Jesus.

Laughter has the power to move our lives forward, even in the midst of difficult times. So, it seems to me like it's great timing to celebrate Holy Humour Sunday!

A JOKE

Knock knock.

   Who's there?

Lettuce. 

   Lettuce who?

Lettuce pray.

PRAYER

Loving God,

Thank you for being with us, and loving us always, no matter what. Help us to grow in love and peace, as we follow the ways of Jesus. May we know your joyful presence in all of our lives.

Amen.

CHALLENGES

Give some of these challenges a go! Email me to let me know how they went. I will post your pictures on the blog where I can.

#1 - TAKE A WALK

Next time you and your 'bubble' are out for a walk, pay particular interest to your surroundings and take note of anything surprising or interesting.

a) Make a list of all the interesting things you see on your walk. Include other senses - what do you hear / smell or:

b) Write a poem about the things you notice in your neighbourhood.

# 2 - SHARE A JOKE

Email me with a joke and I might share it on the blog. You could even video yourself saying it, if you like.

# 3 - PARTY / PICNIC

Plan a party or a backyard picnic for everyone in your bubble. Make some invitations, decorations and plan and make some party or picnic food. Write a little about it and email it to me (photos would be great too!)

# 4 - BE A JOURNALIST

Phone an elderly neighbour, relative, or friend from church and interview them about their life. Have a list of questions ready. Some ideas could be:

1. What are your favourite things to do?
2. What did you do for a job, before you retired?
3. What was the naughtiest thing you did at school?
4. What did you do for fun, as a teenager?
5. Where is the most interesting place you've travelled to?
6. Who do you most admire in the world, and why?
7. What do you do best?
8. What is your favourite word?
9. What was your favourite book when you were a child?
10. What have been the most memorable moments in your life?
11. What is the most difficult thing for you right now?
12. What lessons do you think the world can learn from the past?

Using the information you gathered from the interview, write up an article about this person.


# 5 - MAKE A PEACE WREATH
Trace around the hands of everyone in your bubble. Create a Peace Wreath like the one below.

# 6 - PEACE DOVE
A dove is a symbol of peace. Make this quick and easy dove, using your hand:

# 7 - QUIZ
Show us how observant you were while watching the Pass the Peace video. How many questions can you get right?
Click HERE to take the QUIZ


I look forward to hearing from you!

Love, peace and joy to you all.


P.S. Here is a beautiful, friendly little piwakawaka Paul met in the park on his walk today.

Photo: P Koster