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Prayer / Worship Activity
Option 1
10 mins
Invite everyone to make a small windmill using the prepared squares of thin card, or with butterfly pins and straws, using instructions from this video.
Wind is very often associated with God in the Bible. Invite the congregation to think of the windmill as representing them, and ask them to gently blow onto the front of the windmill as they reflect on how they have responded to the breath of God this week. Finish with the following prayer: ‘Lord God, we long to be the people you have created us to be. Come and breathe your breath of life into us once again so that we may spin into being your servants. May we begin to see your kingdom coming into being around us and through us. Amen.’
Option 2
10 mins
Using whichever construction materials you have available (Lego, wooden blocks, playdough, marshmallows and toothpicks) invite everyone to build a tower (on cardboard plates or Lego boards as available) that is likely to survive a good earthquake.
Once they are built, invite everyone to use their towers to reflect on how they have constructed the different parts of their lives. Are there parts of our lives that get placed haphazardly or upside down? Would parts of our lives survive an earthquake? Finish with the following prayer: ‘Lord God, we long to become the people you have created us to be. Change us, grow us, transform us into the people you want us to be. May we begin to see your kingdom through the people that we are becoming. Amen.’
Story : 1 Kings 19:9-14
15 mins
Elijah and the small voice
Tell the story using the script below and use the following demonstrations of the elements as you tell the story. For wind, assemble and turn on as many fans as you can. For the earthquake, get the congregation to stamp their feet, make noise and create general havoc. For fire (this all depends on your ambition and health and safety requirements) you could use sparklers, candles or videos of fire. For a more ambitious option you could create a homemade volcano.
Add a suitable, dramatic backing track (‘Ride of the Valkyries’ or the Superman theme) and be prepared to switch it all off for a sudden, unexpected silence.
Elijah was a prophet. Among all the Israelites who were supposed to be doing things God’s way, Elijah was the only one who heard God speaking. And God wasn’t happy with the people who had started to choose a different way.
Elijah heard God and told the people to turn back toward God’s way, but the leaders ignored him because God’s way wouldn’t keep them rich and powerful. They decided to get rid of Elijah. Elijah fled.
He ended up in the wilderness and stopped to rest, exhausted. He wanted to give up. He fell asleep under a tree thinking that he just wanted it all to end. When he woke there was food and drink next to his head and a voice said, ‘Get up and eat!’ Once he had finished eating, he set off for the mountain of God, a place called Horeb. It took him 40 days and 40 nights to make the journey, so when he arrived he crawled, exhausted into a cave.
Then he heard a voice again, ‘Elijah, what are you doing here?’
Elijah replied: ‘I have been working my heart out for you, God. But your people ignore me. They’ve turned from doing things God’s way, they’ve destroyed all the places of worship and they have killed all the prophets – all except me. I’m the last one left and now they are trying to get me too!’
Elijah was told to go onto the mountain to wait for God, who would be passing that way. (Start the music as background to the next part of the script; make sure to practise to get the correct levels and also to use the rhythm and timing of the music to best effect!) On the mountain Elijah waited for God.
Before long a strong wind began to blow (start fans). Soon it was like a hurricane blowing over the mountain. It was a loud, raucous, destructive wind, the kind of wind that blows houses over and flattens trees. (Pause before saying…) But God wasn’t in the wind. (Let fans die down)
Soon there was an earthquake. (Get the whole audience to move and shake - shaking their boards if you used worship activity two.) The very mountain shook, the rocks creaked and boulders crashed, and the ground rumbled as the earthquake seemed to shake the very world. (Pause before saying…) But God wasn’t in the earthquake.
And then there was fire. I wonder what caused the fire? Perhaps it was a great, roaring forest fire. Perhaps fire like Moses’ burning bush. Or maybe it was a volcano (Pour the final solution into your volcano and stand back). It was loud, and scary, and hot. The fire roared and blazed and consumed everything.
(Pause before saying…) But God wasn’t in the fire.
All the noise and drama that Elijah expected to declare the presence of God had presented nothing. Then suddenly (stop the music and whisper) there was just silence. In the silence Elijah heard a gentle and quiet whisper. A voice asked him again, ‘Elijah, tell me: what are you doing here?’
Elijah replied: ‘I have been working my heart out for you, God. But your people ignore me. They’ve turned from doing things God’s way, they’ve destroyed all the places of worship and they have killed all the prophets - all except me. I’m the last one left and now they are trying to get me too!’ (Pause for dramatic effect.) Then God spoke.
Reflective response to the story
Option 1
5mins
Allow a second or two of silence once the story has ended, then with a little dramatic flair, light a few candles at the front of the church – as many as are needed for everyone to have good sight of a flame. If necessary have a few helpers pre-arranged to light candles around the room. Then say: ‘candles are often used to represent the presence of God, Jesus the light of the world or the spirit with us. There is something attractive about a burning wick, and yet it is largely silent. Let’s take a moment to think about the silence that brought the small, still voice to Elijah. Could we experience the seemingly fragile, flickering yet real presence of God in this moment of silence? Wait as long as you dare, then end with a simple ‘Amen’.
Option 2
5 mins
This reflection activity follows on from the ‘windmill’ opening worship activity. Have large blobs of play-dough or sticky tack stuck onto a table or counter in front of the fans. Once the story has ended, turn the fans on at a slow speed and invite everyone to stick their windmills into the play-dough. Explain that we often use the idea of breath to think about the work of the Spirit in connecting us with God. These windmills coming toward the fans might represent our desire to draw near to God to hear the still, small voice.
Group discussion questions
10 mins
Isn’t it interesting that we still rely on the elements (wind, water, fire, earth) to symbolise God’s action and presence? Wonder together about the various symbols we use. Perhaps you might go as far as thinking about how effective they are in helping us find God’s presence. Where would / could you find silence? Encourage each other to share any stories of each person’s own experience of hearing / not hearing God.
