Submitted by
S. Daly

Age Group
5-11

Aim
Waiting for Easter
To show the children the need to be still, be patient and wait

Faith Group
Christian

Resources
Fish, fishing-rod, upside-down P.E. box top to use as a boat, long piece of blue/green material/paper to move like water

Time of Year
Lent
Holy Week

Script
1. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Good morning everybody.
Our assembly today is about being still and waiting.

2. We are now in the season of Lent. Lent seems like a very long time.
From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, there are six and a half weeks.
During this time, we are waiting for Easter, but the waiting seems to go on for ever.

3. Of course, we are supposed to do something with these six and a half weeks. We are supposed to prepare ourselves for Easter. We do this by thinking about our behaviour and trying to improve. Then, when Easter comes, we will enjoy it more. We will feel like we have something to celebrate.

4. The waiting is still difficult though.
We have a play today about a boy who had to wait for something. Eventually, he learned that he just had to be patient - and eventually the waiting was over.

________

NARRATOR 1: One day, a young boy called Peter went fishing with his friend Jack.
He got into his boat and paddled off down the river. Every now and then, Peter could see big fish swimming around the rocks below him.

PETER: Today I am going to catch a huge fish and give it to my father.

NARRATOR 2: The small boy loved his father.
His father was a clever man, who knew many things.

NARRATOR 3: Father had told Peter where to find fish. The boys paddled away until they came to a narrow part of the river.
There was a big white rock in the rushing water. This was where Peter's father always stood to catch fish.

NARRATOR 4: The boys paddled over to the rock. Peter climbed onto it, with his fishing-rod. This was the first time he had tried to fish without his father.
He thought back to what his father had said.

FATHER: Be as still as the rock itself and wait for the fish to come to you.

NARRATOR 5: Peter was still. He waited and watched for the fish.
Time passed, but no fish came. Again Peter thought about what his father had said.

FATHER: Be still. Wait and watch - and the fish will come to you.

NARRATOR 6: The sun was beginning to sink, but there was no fish. Peter was tired, but, still as a rock, he continued to wait and watch.

NARRATOR 7: Then suddenly, something moved in the water. There were the fish. Peter knew exactly what to do. He cast his line into the rushing water.

NARRATOR 8: That evening, Father and the boys ate a delicious meal.
Father was pleased with Peter.

________

5. Peter had learned an important lesson about waiting and being patient.
He also learned that sometimes it is best to be still. We live in a busy, hectic world, but sometimes it is good to stand back from it.

6. The Bible tells us of a time when Jesus was still. He had just been baptised by John the Baptist. He heard God's voice from Heaven, saying,
"This is my Son."
Jesus decided that he wanted to be alone to talk to God his Father. He went into the desert for forty days. There he could be still and pray to God, without being distracted by other people.

7. Let us now try to be still, so that we too can pray...

8. We will now say the prayer that Jesus taught us. Our Father...

9. We will now sing "Be still".

(N.B. There are a number of hymns of this name. They are all appropriate.)