Seasonal Prayers - Remembrance

Remembrance poppies

Give everyone a red and white paper poppy. Invite people to write a prayer of remembrance on the red poppy and a prayer for peace on the white poppy. Stick the prayer poppies onto a large card cross. You could have a cross of remembrance and a cross of peace.

Petal Collage

Cut red tissue paper into lots of small petal shapes. Cover a large cardboard cross cut from white card with stuck on petals and use it as the centrepiece for a time of prayer for peace. Alternatively, each child can decorate a small cross to take home.

Poppies

Flanders' Fields Presentation
For older children

Take a look at http://www.britishlegion.org.uk especially the poem by John McCrae. Read it to the children. Ask them to close their eyes and visualise the scene. Read it again with instrumental background music. Give each child a red, white or black silk or crepe streamer. Encourage them to choreograph movement to the poem and music. The final version could be presented to the rest of the congregation.

Love starts with you and me
An action rhyme for younger children

Children stand in pairs facing one another. They will say one verse to each other, and then find someone else. Eventually everyone will have greeted everyone else. A pair of leaders could demonstrate words and actions. If it is easier, the children could stand in a circle and move on in rotation.

Tune: the farmer's in his den
Love starts with you and me point to partner and then point to self
Love starts with you and me point to partner and then point to self
Pass it on, pass it on shake hands or do "high-fives"
Love starts with you and me move on to next child.
God's peace is in our hands point to sky on peace, hold out hands
God's peace is in our hands point to sky on peace, hold out hands
Pass it on, pass it on shake hands or do "high-fives"
God’s peace is in our hands move on to next child.

Poppies

You will need a lot of poppies

Gather
Invite the children to hold up or look at a poppy. Ask if they know what a poppy symbolises and why.

Poppies covered the killing fields of the First World War as a result of the bombing and fighting. The poppy has a hard shell that needs to break to germinate. The violence and vibrations of the fighting helped to break the seeds. The red poppy is a frail flower. If picked, it quickly dies. It grows in the poorest of conditions, at roadsides and where the soil is thinnest. Yet this flower has the loudest voice. It is worn every year. It cries of PEACE!

Focus
Peace is Jesus' Easter message.

Later on, on the same day that the friends had discovered the empty tomb, they locked themselves in because they thought the soldiers might come looking for them. During the evening Jesus came into the room and said, "Peace be with you." The friends were really pleased! Jesus said again, "Peace be with you."

Celebrate
For all children troubled by war
Peace be with you (Hold poppies up)
For all children who are tormented
Peace be with you (Hold poppies up)
For all children involved in a family argument
Peace be with you (Hold poppies up)

Jesus came into the world to bring peace. He wants us as his followers to spread peace throughout the world. Let us start now by offering each other a sign of peace.

Poppy field

More Seasonal Prayers

bath & wells: services for children and young peopleschools & colleges

Seasonal Prayers - Remembrance

bath & wells: services for children and young people
schools & colleges