Time
Note that this assembly is quite long and may be spread over two days.
Aim
To help children understand that God's love lasts for ever.
Preparation
The concept of 'time' is very hard for young children. 'For ever and ever' encountered in the Lord's Prayer is difficult, even for adults.
In this assembly, 'time' is introduced through three words: soon, now, then.
Read through Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and Genesis 1:14 (Good News Bible).
You will need:
- Large clock (with second hand)
- classroom teaching clock with movable hands
- small alarm clock (loud tick if possible)
- flip chart and blue tack
- individual cards printed with time related words (available as pdf
files for printing):
soon
now
then
not yet
once upon a time
later
eventually
long ago - a globe
- prepare a good reader
Introduction
Show all the clocks one by one. Talk about the time they show.
Set a time on the teaching clock. Ask a child to tell the time that you set and the actual time on the big clock.
Listen to the ticking as time passes.
Say that watches and clocks only measure the passing of time, and that we can't really see time.
Let's close our eyes in silence for half a minute and feel how long it seems. (Time it). Let all hear the ticking of time passing.
Development
On the flip chart put up the cards with the words soon / now / then.
Get a child to come and put the three words in order with the earliest first: then; now; soon. As you develop the idea of past, present and future ask pupils where other words would fit, for example: not yet / once upon a time / later / eventually / long ago.
Talk about their meaning.
Story - When will Soon be Now?
Harry sang to himself in the car seat while his sister Maria did a puzzle. Mum was driving through a town and there was a lot of traffic. They kept stopping at traffic lights which always seemed to go red just when they got there. Harry watched them change. "Red, orange, green... Go!" he shouted - but 'go' was slow because of so many cars in front of them.
"How much longer?" Harry asked, yet again.
"Not far now", said Mum, "Nearly there".
"Soon be there", mimicked Maria who sat next to Harry in the back.
"How long is soon?" sighed Harry
"How far is 'not far', and when is 'nearly'?" chanted Maria in a voice like Harry's, which made him cross.
"Stop it now, you two!", said Mum who was concentrating on the traffic.
Why did it always take ages to get to the caravan they booked each year for their holidays? Time seemed so long when you were on a journey, or waiting for something nice... like a birthday. And time seemed too short when you were playing and then had to stop.
Harry was fed up with time. Why couldn't everything be NOW when he wanted it?!
Time to stop playing; time for bed; time for school - what was time, he wondered?
Harry watched the tall buildings of the town pass, and then the houses, the trees, the fields - and always the grey road in front through the windscreen. He closed his eyes.
"Wake up, Harry!", Maria shook him. "You've been asleep and we're nearly there! Look - the sea!"
Harry rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. It seemed no time at all since they'd left the town and the houses, and because he'd fallen asleep - time had passed and now he was there, at last!
© Audrey Bomford
Bible Verse
And God commanded, 'Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night and to show the time when days, years and seasons begin.' (Genesis 1:14)
Let the children tell you what these 'lights' are, (sun/moon). Explain simply that they SEEM to move through the sky as time passes, but its really the earth turning in space. Turn the globe slowly to show one day.
Thinking Time
Say to the children that some times are times we have to wait... to hurry... or to stop. Some times are good times and some times are bad times. Give examples. God made ALL time and understands how we feel.
Reading (child)
Explain that in another part of the Bible a very wise king wrote these words:
There's a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to pull up;
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build up.
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time for sorrow and a time to dance;
a time to get and a time to lose;
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
(Adapted from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
Finish by saying that we can choose how we use time but we can't change the things we do, once they are done. BUT remember - God has promised to love us for ever and ever! And that never ends.
Prayer
Please God help me understand that
you have given us time to use.
Help me know that soon,
will become now,
and now will become then.
but You go on for ever and ever
Amen.
This is an appropriate place to say the Lord's Prayer together.
Song Suggestions
He's got the whole world in His hands. - Come and Praise
1 - BBC Publications
Look for signs that Summer's done - Someone's Singing Lord
No.54 - A & C Black Ltd
Time is a mystery - © Audrey
Bomford
