Christmas – prayer

Get set

It’s a very simple idea: take the passage or story that is your theme, work out what object or picture (here, a film clip) is directly relevant to that theme and devise a way of praying using that object. The image helps bring the spiritual reality to life.

Go!

Jesus’ name means ‘God saves’
you will name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins Matthew 1:21

1  Play the sequence from Shrek where Shrek rescues Fiona and Donkey from Dragon.

2  Spend some time discussing it:
What made Dragon so frightening? How could she have harmed Shrek, Donkey or Fiona?

Fiona is trapped in the tallest tower: have you ever felt trapped by people or things? (For older children: We find out later that her parents put her there: how might our family make us feel trapped?)

Donkey teeters on an ever-decreasing pillar of rock: when have you felt as if everything is crumbling away around you?

The rope bridge falls away but Shrek grabs Donkey by the tail just in time: what does it feel like to face certain disaster, then be rescued?
Is anyone like Jesus in this film clip? How?

3  Close your eyes and remember the moment where Shrek picks Fiona and Donkey under his arms and runs for the door. Picture yourself under Jesus’ arm. I wonder what you’re escaping from? Is he strong enough to rescue you?
What would you like to say to him?