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Worship Suggestions
3V: Extraordinary Old Testament People
At the end of each of the seven studies is a section called "View U." The
instructions in the books are for individual reflection and response. However,
they easily lend themselves to creating a special worship time, providing
closure to the specific study for the whole group. Here are some suggestions of
ways to turn the "View U" portion of each study into a memorable time of
worship.
Please feel free to adapt these ideas and add ones of your own to make this time
especially meaningful for your particular group. For additional ideas, check
out: Worship
Feast Ideas: 100 Awesome Ideas for Postmodern Youth and
Worship Feast Services: 50 Complete Multisensory Services for Youth,
and Worship
Feast Taizé. Song suggestions can be found in a number of
hymnals and songbooks. These came specifically from
The United Methodist Hymnal (UMH).
Extraordinary Old Testament People brings to light the rich stories of some of
the lesser-known people whose lives and witness are part of our faith legacy.
Extraordinary Old Testament People
The Reluctant Judge (Gideon—Judges 6:11-17)
Audio:
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Any kind of trumpet voluntary would be good.
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Consider having students shout a liturgical response with all the volume they
can muster.
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When reading a Scripture, you could read it twice: once with a lot of noise in
the background and once with complete silence.
Visual:
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A candlelight service would be cool, particularly if you can use multiple
candles per person so that it makes the group look bigger than it is.
Tactile:
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Ask students to hold their Bibles in one hand and their hymnals in the other
(or anything else you want them to “keep ready”). Then serve Communion. Plant
two or three that will take Communion without letting go of what they’re to
keep ready and then ask how everyone would feel if only those few young people
were allowed to stay for the rest of the service.
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Smashing pots at some point during the service would significantly enhance your
cool factor, for sure.
Movies:
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Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): Especially good would be
the scene in which Frodo is afraid and wishes he’d never been chosen to destroy
the ring, to which Gandalf replies, "We cannot choose the time we live in. We
can only choose what we do with the time we are given."
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Patch Adams (1998): This doctor is ridiculed for choosing to focus on the
person rather than just the disease
Songs:
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"Lead On, O King Eternal" (580 UMH)
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"God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand" (698 UMH)
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"Onward, Christian Soldiers" (575 UMH)
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"Lift High the Cross" (159 UMH
Redeeming Qualities (Naomi—Ruth 1:6-18)
Audio:
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Play just a few moments of extremely diverse styles of music, asking students
to imagine themselves listening to nothing but a particular style for the rest
of their lives (country, rap, thrash metal, punk, bluegrass, ’50s, bubble-gum
pop, for example). Ask them if there’s anyone they love enough to become
immersed in a music style they hate—then ask them to consider how much more
difficult would it be if you also added clothing, food, language, religion, and
other things that are particular to an area or culture.
Visual:
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Use slides of stereotyped groups of kids (skaters, band geeks, computer nerds,
jocks, for example), or have one youth dress like each group. Ask students to
reflect on what it would be like for them to leave their own comfortable
cultures and be fully immersed in another culture. You could also punctuate
images with overseas images, homeless folks, people with disabilities, and so
on.
Tactile:
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Divide the group into “field workers” and “poor people.” Have the field workers
gather some sort of “harvest”—it can be anything from picking up trash to
passing out Bibles. Make sure they don’t do it all themselves, though; they
need to leave some for the "poor."
Movies:
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Shrek (2001): Shrek and Fiona are both willing to sacrifice for the other
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A Beautiful Mind (2001): The life of mathematical genius and Nobel Laureate
John Nash
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John Q (2002): Denzel Washington plays a dad willing to lay down his life for
his son.
Songs:
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"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" (133 UMH) Spice this up by having half your
group sing the chorus of "Lean on Me" as a counter-melody to this chorus)
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"Trust and Obey" (467 UMH)
Prayer Makes the Ordinary Extraordinary (Hannah—1 Samuel 1:3-11)
Audio:
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Have a student stand up and tell everyone else, "You are all pretty stupid."
Then let it just sink in a moment. Then have another say, "I think this is the
worst youth group I’ve ever been to." After some silence, one can say, "You are
precious children of a loving God," and then another say, "I’m so glad to be
your friend." Then have the leader say something like, "Sticks and stones may
break our bones, but words can…cut right to the heart." What we say to one
another really is important.
Visual:
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Pictures of male and female teenage models; have students meditate on the
destructive influence of these images becoming icons of envy.
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Print advertisements for cars, makeup, iPods, music, or anything that suggests
"everyone who’s cool has one." Why do we allow such images to shape how we see
ourselves?.
Tactile:
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In some cases, the Old Testament notion of "worship" was as much a physical
posture as it was a mental or emotional one. Ask students to "rise and present
themselves to the Lord" as Hannah did in verse 9.
Movies:
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Jakob the Liar (1999): Robin Williams plays a Jew living in the Warsaw ghetto
where they have hope that deliverance is at hand. The movie ends with the
smashing of that hope, but with an alternative possibility in which all the
hope was fulfilled. Great quote from the movie: "Sometimes hope is more
important than food."
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The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Morgan Freeman’s character discusses his hope
for a life after prison: "I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see
my friend. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it is in my dreams. I
hope..........."
Songs:
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"My Soul Gives Glory to My God" (198 UMH)
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"We Shall Overcome" (533 UMH)
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"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" (14 UMH)
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"Take Time to Be Holy" (395 UMH)
Being King Has Its Ups and Downs (Saul—1 Samuel 10:20-27a)
Audio:
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Have all of the students shout, "Long live the King!" several times, either as
a call to worship, or as you read the passage.
Visual:
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During the entire worship service, have someone lie prostrate before the cross,
Communion table, or other holy symbol. Afterward, ask students what it was like
to see someone in that posture the whole time
Tactile:
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Anoint each of the students as they leave the service, placing the sign of the
cross on their foreheads with olive oil. Remind them that if God is the King of
Kings and we are joint heirs with Christ, then we are princes and princesses of
the Kingdom of Heaven.
Movies:
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Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Use the scene where the peasant asks
Arthur how he became king. Great quote "Strange women lying about in ponds
distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."
Songs:
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"O Worship the King, All Glorious Above" (73 UMH)
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"Majesty, Worship His Majesty" (176 UMH)
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"Crown Him with Many Crowns" (327 UMH)
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"Jesus Shall Reign" (157 UMH)
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"Rejoice, the Lord Is King" (715 UMH)
Convicted by the Spirit (Josiah—2 Kings 23:21-25)
Audio/Tactile:
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Without saying a word, have a leader "make rain" with the group; this will work
with four or more people, though it’s best with ten or more. The leader begins
by rubbing her hands together slowly and by using only body language encourages
one student (or several if it’s a large group) to mimic her. Slowly, she moves
across the room (doing a "wave" effect like at a ball game) so that everyone is
eventually rubbing their hands together slowly. As they continue, she starts
back with the first one and increases the speed. Then she begins to snap
lightly. Then pat her legs lightly, then heavily, then clapping. The idea is
that the increase in tempo and volume occurs incrementally, like the beginning
of a rainfall. Once everyone is clapping, go in reverse and hear the rain
slowly die down. The effect can be mesmerizing when done well, and can set a
great atmosphere for a message..
Movies:
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Oh, God! (1977), George Burns plays God who visits John Denver; they have all
sorts of great dialogue that could be used.
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The Legend of Baggar Vance (2000): In some ways, Will Smith’s character
personifies the Holy Spirit as a guide and teacher.
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Chocolat (2000): The wind blows where it wills all throughout the movie, in
much the same way Jesus describes the Holy Spirit.
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• Apocalypse Now (1979): Great quote from Kurtz: "I’ve seen the horrors,
horrors that you’ve seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have
a right to kill me, you have a right to do that, but you have no right to judge
me."
Songs:
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"Spirit of the Living God" (393 UMH)
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"Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song" (544 UMH)
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"O Spirit of the Living God" (539 UMH)
Miss Courageous (Esther—Esther 4:12-17)
Audio:
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Play "For Such a Time as This" from Wayne Watson’s Way Home CD (1998)
Visual:
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Get a huge piece of butcher paper and some markers. Have students trace each
other’s hands and feet on the paper and color them, label them with their
names, or otherwise personalize them. Then have them all get quiet and wait
patiently while you label the top of the paper "God’s Hands and Feet." Don’t
say anything for about a minute, just allowing it to sink in that we are how
God primarily chooses to work in the world.
Tactile:
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Consider having students eat a meal before or after the service where they
can’t feed themselves, only each other. And/or after the elements have been
blessed have the participants serve each other Communion.
Movies:
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The Sixth Sense (1999): Cole stops running from the ghosts and turns to face
them. He pulls a sheet off and fearfully talks to one. He finds what they want
and helps them, and they become less frightening.
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The Truman Show (1998): Truman finally confronts his fear of water to escape
the bubble he’s in.
Songs:
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"God of Grace and God of Glory" (577 UMH)
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"My Faith Looks up to Thee" (452 UMH)
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"Standing on the Promises" (374 UMH)
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"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (349 UMH)
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"Be Still, My Soul" (534 UMH)
VIPs for God (Daniel and Friends—Daniel 1:8-21)
Visual:
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Have a small number of students sitting in a roped-off VIP section during the
worship service. Perhaps even give them some refreshments and/or have other
youth fan them or otherwise wait on them. Big, comfy bean bags or stuffed
chairs would also enhance this effect.
Tactile:
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Consider having a Communion-like ceremony, but to commemorate Daniel’s refusal
to defile himself with the royal rations. So instead of bread and wine, use
carrots and water.
Movies:
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Shadrach (1998): An elderly former slave walks more than 600 miles to the place
of his birth in Virginia, a former plantation where he collapses in the front
yard of a poor white bootlegger and his family. They take him in and nurse him
as he begins to die.
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Amistad (1997): A magnificent story about freedom from slavery.
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The Postman (1997): Particularly good would be scenes from Kevin Costner’s time
as a prisoner when the others are fighting over the food.
Songs:
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"One Bread, One Body" (620 UMH)
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"Whom Shall I Send" (582 UMH)
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"Come, We That Love the Lord" (732 UMH)
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