Added on 11 May 2009
Aim
To show how being brave and honest can have unexpected benefits
Introduction
Really good to be with you again, I know you enjoyed ‘Experience Easter’ in school at the end of last term and… [interrupted by sound of crashing glass, one of the players races in looking worried and hides, gesturing to children to keep quiet. She is quickly followed by another player, looking annoyed, holding ball, and calling the first player over.)
The first player calls out for ‘daughter’ who emerges trying to look nonchalant.
P2: Have you been practising netball again up near Mr Hopkins’ greenhouse? You know you’ve been told to keep away – now look what you’ve done.
P1: No, I’ve been over the other side of the garden playing .. er .. hopscotch.
P2: And how do you explain that this ball’s got your name written on it?
P1: [shuffles feet and looks very embarrassed] I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean it
Narator: That was not a good situation, was it? Not only was she in trouble for breaking the glass but she made it a whole load worse by lying to cover it up – and it didn’t do her any good in the end. It would have been better to be honest.
I wonder, have any of you ever been in a situation like that? I know I have been – it was quite a time ago but I can remember how horrible it felt..
Is there anyone brave enough to admit to having done that?
I’m sure a lot of us can think how it feels when we’re making excuses, especially if we know that they’re not really true.
It’s horribly easy to tell lies, but we thought we’d look today at a story from the Bible about three people who decided that they were going to be honest, even though the consequences were probably going to be awful.
Story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Reflection
I wonder how the three friends felt when they first heard the king’s royal decree about bowing down to the statue? And then they must have heard about the punishment of being burnt alive if they didn’t obey..
They must have wondered if God was really going to save them..
They knew he could, but would he..?
We hear all about the king being amazed that they weren’t killed and that they were apparently joined by someone in the furnace but I wonder what they must have thought when they got out.
I wonder if it ever made sense to them, as they saw the king praising the true God.
Song
Be Bold