Assembly:
The two sides of parents’ love
Aim:
To explore how being a parent has joys and costs, for human beings, and
for God.
Equipment:
Two dolls, tissue, two nappies, OHP acetate and pen.
Done at two schools in Swindon.
1. Explain
that you are going to have a great baby competition between either two
teachers/two pupils/teacher and pupil, to see who has the most natural
parenting abilities. Get two volunteers
(excellent if headteacher!) Give each a
doll and give them various tasks e.g.
Have to wipe the baby’s nose
cuddle the baby
put a nappy on baby (hilarious!)
After each round, pupils vote on who did it
best. Give round of applause to both
“parents”. Say parenting not always
easy!
2.
Ask: What is great about being a parent? Write down responses (or get scribe to do so) on half of OHP
acetate.
Ask:
What is difficult about being a parent? Write down responses (or get
scribe to do so) on half of OHP acetate.
3.
Say: Parents can show us what
love is. Tell this story in your own
words.
Years ago, a young mother was making her
way across the hills of South Wales, carrying her tiny baby in her arms, when
she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination and
when the blizzard had subsided her body was found by searchers beneath a mound
of snow. But they discovered that before her death, she had taken off all her
outer clothing and wrapped it about her baby. When they unwrapped the child, to
their great surprise and joy, they found he was alive and well. She had mounded
her body over his and given her life for her child, proving the depths of her
mother love. Years later that child, David Lloyd George, grown to manhood,
became prime minister of Great Britain, and, without doubt, one of England’s greatest
statesman.
4. Explain how being a parent has two sides
to it – the joy and the difficulty and pain.
Tell how Mary was overjoyed at Jesus’ birth, but also warning of sword
piercing her own heart. Two sides to
being a mother. God’s love for us is
like that – he is overjoyed at us, but also willing to take the pain that
involves.
5.
Pray. Thank God for his love,
and for our own parents’ willingness to take the joy and the pain of having
children.