What Can we Throw away?

Short Talk (SHT062) What can we throw away? © Jane Hulme 2017 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To encourage people not to “throw away” their relationships when they are broken, but to work for reconciliation. 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. Reconciliation, forgiveness Matthew 18:15-20 Year A – Proper 18, CW Trinity 13 Front page of a newspaper with a large rip down the middle of it, an old tea towel with a rip down the middle of it, a £20 note with a rip down the middle of rip, sellotape and scissors, small bin. SHORT TALK: “WHAT CAN WE THROW AWAY?” ........................................................................................................................ I wonder how quick you are to throw things away. Here is the front page of my newspaper that has got a great big rip down the middle of it. (Show the piece of ripped newspaper)  It is a bit useless now isn’t it?  It won’t be easy to read anymore so would you throw it away? (Receive answers from the congregation) I would throw it away as it has lost its value now that I can’t read it. (Screw up the paper and put it into a bin) What about this old tea towel that has got a great big rip down the middle of it. (Show the ripped tea towel)  It is a bit useless now isn’t it?  If it had a very small rip, I would have been able to have mended it, but it would be very hard to dry dishes now that it is ripped like this.  Would you throw it away? (Receive answers from the congregation) I would throw it away as it has lost its value now that I can’t use it to dry my dishes. (Screw up the tea towel and put it into a bin) What about this £20 note that has got a big rip down the middle of it. (Show the £20 note)  It is a bit useless now isn’t it?  Do you think I could still buy a pizza with it?  So would you throw it away? (Receive answers from the congregation) I wouldn’t throw this ripped £20 note away because even though it is ripped, it is still worth £20.  Let’s see if we can fix it. We’ll need to be careful so that it isn’t completely destroyed. (Get out your sellotape and carefully cut off the right length and stick the ripped parts together) © Jane Hulme 2017 2 There we are.....good as new. (Hold up mended £20 note) When some things get ripped, like our newspaper or an old tea towel, it is right to throw them away,  whereas when other things get ripped, like our £20 note, it wouldn’t be right to throw them away. Sometimes things can go wrong in your relationships,  perhaps between you and one of your friends,  or between you and another member of the church. Maybe they said something unkind to you,  or bullied you,  or overlooked you,  or took something precious from you,  or something else that hurt you. It is like there is a rip now in your relationship. So what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to avoid the person who has hurt you and ignore them?  Are you going to pretend that they don’t exist? If you choose to do that, the small rip in your relationship will get bigger and bigger and before you know it, you will no longer be friends anymore.  It’s like you have thrown away that relationship. Or perhaps instead of avoiding the person, you pretend that what they did doesn’t matter.  On the outside you try and behave normally, but inside, you are angry, very angry and you begin to hate that person. If you choose to do that, the small rip in your relationship will get bigger and bigger and before you know it, you will no longer be friends anymore.  It’s like you have thrown away that relationship. Jesus doesn’t want us to throw away our relationships.  They aren’t like newspapers and tea towels, that when ripped can be thrown away.  They are more like £20 notes that are valuable and are worth mending. Jesus says: “If your brother or sister sins go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” (Matthew 18:15) So if one of your friends, or a member of your family or a member of your church hurts you, Jesus encourages you to go to them;  explain how they have hurt you, just between the two of you,  in the hope that the relationship can be mended. Then, instead of throwing away your relationships, you have worked to keep what is most precious in life. © Jane Hulme 2017 3