The Gift for Everyone

Short Talk (SHT063) The gift for everyone © Jane Hulme 2017 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: Staging: To encourage people to forgive those who have hurt them. 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. Forgiveness Matthew 18:21-35 Year A – Proper 19, CW Trinity 14 Two boxes wrapped up to look like gifts as follows: 1. Very small box. Inside the box is the word, “FORGIVENESS” typed onto a small piece of paper. 2. The largest cardboard box you have. Inside the box is the word “FORGIVENESS” typed onto an A3 piece of paper. Place the small box on a table in full sight of the congregation. SHORT TALK: “THE GIFT FOR EVERYONE” Place the large box out of sight until needed. ..................................................................................................................... How many of you here struggle to find just the right gift to give a friend for their birthday?  It isn’t easy is it? If we know somebody really well, we can find something that we know that they really need, or want;  but if we don’t know them so well it is much harder Today I have a gift that I can give to every one of you here and it is inside this small box. (Show the small box wrapped up as a gift)  This gift is something that every one of you here will need at some point in your lives.  I wonder if you can guess what it is. (Receive guesses) (At this point you could choose to either: 1) Adlibasyoureceiveguessesfrompeople,or 2) Prime 6 members of the congregation to shout out the following ideas. I have included a response to each idea.) SOCKS: No it isn’t socks as not everyone wears socks and this is a gift that everyone needs. SWEETS / CHOCOLATE: No it isn’t sweets or chocolate as many people can’t eat sugary things. MONEY: No it isn’t money as I could give it to someone who doesn’t use money.....like someone living in the South American rain forest for example, and this is a gift that everyone needs. WATER: No it isn’t water although we do all need water to survive......great thought! © Jane Hulme 2017 2 BIBLE: No it isn’t a Bible, as I could give this to someone very young who can’t yet read. SALVATION: No it isn’t salvation as that gift isn’t mine to give. LOVE: No it isn’t love, although you are getting closer.....it is actually an aspect of love. Who would like to open the box and find out what my gift is? (Invite a child to come and open up the small gift box and pull out the word “FORGIVENESS”)  The gift that I can give to every one of you here and that every one of you will need at some point in your lives is the gift of Forgiveness. When I give you the gift of forgiveness, I am choosing to give you a most precious and costly gift.  You see I only need to give you this gift if you have done or said something horrible to me.  I only need to give you this gift if you have hurt me so much that I don’t ever want to speak to you again, or see you again.  I only need to give you this gift if you have damaged my life in some way. But when I give you this gift,  I am choosing to not pay you back for what you have done to me.  I am choosing to not badmouth you or punch you.  I am choosing to not hate you. Instead I am choosing to wipe the slate clean between us, as I hand you over to Father God,  trusting that He will put things right one day. It maybe that we can be friends again if you are truly sorry and I can learn to trust you again,  or it may be in some situations that it isn’t safe to be friends again,  but that doesn’t stop me from giving you the gift of forgiveness so that my heart can be free again. It seems back to front doesn’t it to give someone a gift when they have hurt you, or wronged you in some way,  but Father God wants us to give this gift so that we can stay close to Him. It isn’t easy to give someone who has hurt us the gift of forgiveness is it?  Our natural reaction is to want to hurt them back as much as they have hurt us. It is only really possible to give the gift of forgiveness when we have received a much bigger gift ourselves from Father God.  Who would like to come and open my big gift? (Bring out the large wrapped box) What’s inside the box?  Wow look at that...it is an even bigger gift of forgiveness and it is from Father God. None of us will know how much Father God has needed to forgive us for our bad thoughts, attitudes and deeds,  but He chooses to forgive us as we ask Him to. © Jane Hulme 2017 3 Once we have received his great big gift of forgiveness, He wants us to be willing to give the smaller gift of forgiveness to the people who have hurt us.  That is the way of the Kingdom of God.  We receive so that we can give.  See how many gifts of forgiveness you can give away this week! © Jane Hulme 2017 4