Do Whatever He Tells You

Short Talk (SHT134a) Do whatever He tells you © Jane Hulme 2018 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props and prep: To encourage people to do whatever Jesus tells them to do because when we do, things change. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Obedience, Miracle, Transformation John 2:1-11 Year C 2021 – The Second Sunday of Epiphany You will need the following props laid out on a table at the front of church: • 1 microwave plugged in and ready to operate • 1 large mug, • 1 smaller mug in which you have previously added and mixed together: o 2 tablespoons of self-raising flour o 2 tablespoons of caster sugar o 1 tablespoon of cocoa • 1 smaller mug in which you have previously added and mixed together: o 1 tablespoon of milk o 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil o Few drops of vanilla essence • 1 medium sized egg • 1 small plate • 1 desert spoon • 1 apron © Jane Hulme 2018 SHORT TALK: “Do whatever He tells you” Recommendation: .................................................................................................................. Put your hand up if you have never ever made a cake in your life. (Choose someone to be your volunteer to make a cake – someone whom the congregation might think is a very unlikely candidate for baking! If no one volunteers, ask for someone who is not good at making cakes.) Would N (name of volunteer you have chosen) like to come and join me. (Volunteer joins you) • Today if you do whatever I tell you to do, you will turn the ingredients in these mugs into a small chocolate cake in just 3-4 minutes. • Are you up for that? • Here’s an apron for you to put on. (Hand over apron which volunteer puts on) I suggest that you practice making this microwave cake in a mug before the service to ensure that it works on the day! 2 OK so you are going to make your cake in this large mug. (Hand over mug to the volunteer) • The first thing to do is pour the dry ingredients from this mug (of flour, sugar and cocoa) into your mug. (Hand over mug with dry ingredients to the volunteer) • Do you think you can do that? (Volunteer pours dry ingredients into the empty mug) • This cake making business isn’t so difficult is it? Now the next step is to crack this egg into your mug. (Hand over egg to volunteer) • This is a little bit harder especially if you are not going to get any shell in your cake! • OK so have a go. (Volunteer cracks egg into mug and you take the empty shell from them) Great. • Now with this spoon, I want you to mix the egg into the dry ingredients. (Hand over desert spoon to volunteer who begins to mix the egg into the dry mixture) • Make sure that none of the dry ingredients are stuck to the sides of your mug. • Keep mixing until you have a smooth batter. We will make a chef out of N yet! The next step is to pour the wet ingredients from this mug (of milk, oil and vanilla essence) into your mug. (Hand over mug with wet ingredients to the volunteer) • Do you think you can do that? (Volunteer pours wet ingredients into the empty mug) • Gently mix it all together until we have a really smooth batter. (Volunteer mixes the contents of the mug together until you have checked that you are happy with the result) Well done....that is looking great. • Now the final step is to place the mug in the very centre of the microwave. (Volunteer places the mug into the centre of the microwave) • Set the timer for 901 seconds like this. (Show the volunteer how to set the timer) Now we sit back and wait for your cake to cook. • While we wait, let’s get our plate ready to receive the cake. (Pull out a plate and put it on the table) • Let’s also be good cooks and clear away the mess (Clear away the mugs, spoon etc and wipe down the table) and you can remove your apron now. (Volunteer removes apron) So today N, if I had shown you the ingredients we used to bake the cake, and told you to make a cake with them, you wouldn’t have had a clue what to do would you? • But because you listened to me and did whatever I told you to do, hopefully in a few seconds time you will be the proud baker of your first mini microwave cake! (When microwave pings) I think that your cake is ready. Would you like to get it out and turn it onto this plate? (N removes mug cake and turns it onto a plate) • That looks great.....now let’s have a taste. (Try the cake with your volunteer) • That tastes wonderful. Well done. Thanks for being our star baker today! 1 My mug cake took 90 seconds to cook in an 800W microwave. You may need to add a few seconds to the cooking time or remove a few seconds depending upon the power of your microwave. © Jane Hulme 2018 3 Because N listened to me and did what I told them to do, flour, sugar, cocoa, egg, milk, oil and vanilla essence were changed into an edible cake. Over two thousand years ago Jesus was at a wedding and the wine ran out. • When Mary, Jesus’ mother noticed this situation, she had a word with the servants and said: “Do whatever Jesus tells you.” (John 2:5) Jesus then told the servants to fill up 6 very large stone washing jars with water. • Even though it didn’t make sense the servants did what Jesus had told them to do and filled up the jars with 20-30 gallons of water. Jesus then said to them: “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” (John 2:8) • Even though the servants knew that they had put water into those jars, they did what Jesus had told them to do. • They drew some water out of the jar and gave it to the master of the banquet to taste. To everyone’s amazement when the master of the banquet tasted what he had been given to drink, the water had been turned into wine. What the servants discovered that day is when you do what Jesus tells you to do, things change and we catch a glimpse of how wonderful Jesus is. That is a lesson that we can all learn today, for Jesus is alive and is with us through the power of His Spirit. • If we listen to Jesus, and do what He tells us to do, things change. • People’s lives can change when we do what Jesus tells us to do. So are you willing to listen to Jesus and do what He tells you to do? • If you do then life can become very exciting, even more exciting than baking a cake! © Jane Hulme 2018 4