|
|
|
Education Sunday
8 February 2004 The ninth Sunday before Easter is traditionally set aside by all the Christian Churches as Education Sunday
Putting out into the Deep
God invites teachers and learners to put out into the deep. The invitation carries a challenge! We shouldn't be satisfied with paddling in the shallows of knowledge and understanding. Rather we are urged to reach out to new learning experiences. This will involve tackling more difficult concepts and issues. God encourages us to learn more of his complex world.
As learners and teachers it is not always straightforward to move from the easy to the complex. We often fail in our initial attempts. However God, through the Holy Spirit, challenges us to take risks to fulfil our God given potential and not to be discouraged by failure.
As we learn more; we realise our dependence upon God, whose transforming grace enables us to grow in understanding. We then discover the joy of learning and grow in self-confidence as we think more deeply.
Are we now ready to trust and obey God's call to put out into the deep? For well over a hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education. The theme is devised by an ecumenical steering group representing different Christian denominations.
For some years it has been celebrated on the ninth Sunday before Easter. The ideas in this leaflet are intended to be used as a springboard for a variety of events on or around Education Sunday. If you feel unable to devote a whole service to the theme on Sunday 8 February why not use some of the ideas on another occasion?
Prayers
O Jesus Be the canoe that holds me in the sea of life. Be the steer that keeps me straight. Be the outrigger that supports me in times of great temptation. Let thy spirit be my sail that carries me through each day. Keep my body strong, so that I can paddle steadfastly on, in the long voyage of life. A New Hebridean prayer
From
"The Oxford Book of Prayer" edited by George Appleton
________________
Disturbing stranger, You call and we follow. You call, and we leave behind the nets of our past lives; the things that bound and held us; our old selves and our regrets. For calling and disturbing, for surprising and making new, for nurturing us towards wholeness, we thank you, Lord.
________________
Father, we do not find it easy to retain our enthusiasm for growing and learning, for searching and discovering. Rekindle our desire to seek your truth. Father, We do not find it easy to listen for wisdom in other cultures and traditions, in the words of playwright and poet, in children's dreams, or old folk's memories. Open our minds to receive your truth
Reproduced from "The Word in the World" compiled by Donald Hilton; with the permission of Christian Education (formerly NCEC)
Education Sunday
Resources
View the following additional resources: a) An outline for a children's address written by Glenis Ruston;b) Two meditations based on the readings from Luke and Isaiah by Rupert Kaye.
Other Suggested Resources
"Pillars of the Church - supporting chaplaincy in further and higher education" published by Church House Publishing
"It’s a Challenge" from "52 easy-to-use Assemblies for middle and secondary schools" compiled by Janet King, published by Monarch
"Linking Churches and Schools" published by Churches Together in England.
"Its your move" published by Scripture Union
"Ready, steady, school" published by Scripture Union
Supplement for Education Sunday issued jointly by
The Association of Christian Teachers 94a London Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 1NX
Baptist Union of Great Britain Baptist House, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8RT
The Catholic Church Catholic Education Service, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX
The Church of England, Church House, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3NZ
Student Christian Movement, University of Birmingham, Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 6LL
The Salvation Army Schools and Colleges, Information Service, UK Territorial HQs of the Salvation Army, Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN
The Methodist Church Education Office, 25 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5JP
The United Reformed Church 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT
Suggested Hymns
Be thou my vision Will you come and follow me Be bold, be strong Be thou my vision Will you come and follow me Be bold, be strong Lead us heavenly Father lead us Will your anchor hold Wide, wide as the ocean When I feel afraid In heavenly love abiding
Lectionary Readings
Luke 5 : 1-11 1 Corinthians 15 : 1 - 11 Psalm 138 Isaiah 6 : 1-8 Luke 5 1 - 11
Seed thoughts for sermons/talks The Gospel tells of a powerful experience, an experience of Jesus as the Son of God for Peter and the other disciples – their initial fear is followed by words of assurance from Jesus and finally, after the great catch, words of commission which take them into a new world and a new way of life.
Put out into the deep is a practical invitation from Jesus to the disciples to proclaim his kingdom after they have heard his preaching and seen the fruit of his words in action/symbol.
From now on indicates a real turning point in the lives of the disciples – called in the ordinary circumstances of their daily lives, they now will cast a different kind of net and put out into a new deep. They will become the followers of Jesus.
Prayer Points
Prayer Points
Young children going to school for the first time Children moving from primary/middle schools to secondary schools Students going on to further and higher education
And next year… Education Sunday will be on 23 January 2005
|
|
