Act of Worship
Key Stage 1
“Building Bridges”
Gathering
Together
Focal Point: Bible (open at Luke 17: 3-4 or Matthew 18: 21-22)
Model of bridge (e.g. Lego, cardboard attached to desk frame, etc)
“Circle of Friends” candlestick (can be made by linking clay, cardboard
or plasticine figures)
Pictures from CD-ROMs of “God’s Story”2 (P64-65; 66-67; 72-73)
or “Church’s Story”2 (p 44, 45, 47, 48, 49) or other pictures of
friendship reconciliation can be projected
Children’s pictures / readings showing incidents when they fell out.
Flash cards saying “Sorry” and “I forgive you”
Reader: As we meet together to celebrate what we have learned in our “Building Bridges” topic, let’s
begin by lighting our “Circle of Friends” candle (s). Here we can see a good example of just how we
should all behave to each other.
Reader: Now let’s remind ourselves of how we can all join together in friendship by singing “Patching
Up a Quarrel” – Rejoice 1(51) [or song with a similar theme.]
Reader: Although I’m sure that we all like to be good friends with all the members of our family and
our other friends, I’m certain that sometimes we fall out and break friendships. Let’s listen to some
people telling us of times when they fell out. (Children can display pictures / retell events)
Reader: Falling out is something that nearly everyone does at some time or another. In the Bible we
even hear of the friends of Jesus falling out with each other over which of them was the best, or the
greatest among them.
Reader: Jesus wasn’t really very happy to hear them speaking like this and told them that they should
be thinking about putting other people first and themselves last.
(Illustrate from “God’s Story” 2 - p66-67).
Reader: But the important thing that we must remember is that we need to try to make up with each
other as soon as possible after we fall out. We do this when we have hurt or offended someone and
then say that we are sorry for what we have done wrong – and really mean what we say.
Reader: We also need to remember that if we are the one who has been hurt, it is then up to us to
forgive the person who has said “Sorry” – or we will still not be back to being friends.
Reader: Jesus was always reminding his friends about this – as we can hear in these readings from the
Bible. Luke 17: 3-4 and Matthew 18: 21-22.
The Word
Of God
Reader: The friends of Jesus were asking them how often they must forgive people
who hurt them Peter thought that it would be very kind of him if he made
friends again seven times. He thought that would be quite hard to do. What
a shock he got when Jesus said “You must keep on forgiving seven times, every day if necessary.” But
Jesus did say that the person who had done you wrong should say that he or she was really sorry for
what they had done in the first place.
Jesus said, “If your friend hurts you, let her or him know that you are hurt. If your friend is sorry,
forgive them for what they have done. Even if he or she hurts you seven times in one day, and says
“Sorry” each time, you must forgive them.”
So Peter came to Jesus and said “If my friend keeps hurting me, how many times do I have to forgive
Him or her? …………..Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven.”… which is a way of saying… “Always”.
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Response to
the Word
Reader: Jesus has given us a very clear message there about how he wanted all his
friends – even those who are alive today – to behave towards each other. He
did this because he wanted all of us to show love and care for each other.
Reader: Now, let’s take a minute to think quietly about a time when we did not say “Sorry” to someone
– even when we knew that we had done, or said, something to hurt them. How did you feel, knowing
that you were in the wrong and not trying to make things alright again? Did you fell unhappy or uneasy
about your bad behaviour, knowing that you were responsible for the falling out? How do you think the
other person felt about what had happened? Do you think that they would have felt sad, or perhaps
angry with you? None of these are good feelings to have. Imagine that you had done the right thing
and said ”Sorry” at that time. Or perhaps you did say “Sorry” and the other person didn’t forgive you.
How much better would both of you have felt, if one of you had only done the right thing.
Reader: To build a bridge of friendship we need to be ready to say sorry and to forgive.
(Children label both ends of the model bridge with the “Sorry” and “I forgive you” cards)
Reader: We know that there is someone who always forgives the wrong things that we do, and that is
God. How do we know? Because Jesus told us so. So we are now going to ask God to forgive us for any
times when we have not said “Sorry” or haven’t forgiven other people for having done wrong to us.
Our response to each part of the prayer is: “Forgive me God”.
Reader: Before we say the prayers, I want you to take the hands of the people nearest to you, to
show that you want to build bridges of friendship between each other (be part of our circle of
friends).
Reader: For the times I did not say “Sorry” when I know I was in the wrong. Forgive me God.
Reader: For the times I made others feel sad or unhappy.
Forgive me God.
Reader: For the times I would not forgive others.
Forgive me God.
Reader: For the times I was too stubborn to admit I was doing wrong.
Forgive me God.
Going
Forth
Reader: Let’s finish with a song about someone we know will always be our friend –
”We’ve a Friend”- Rejoice 1 (52)
Reader: When we go back we will make a special “Building Bridges” card that we can then give to
someone whom we have hurt or offended in some way, either to say “Sorry” or “I forgive you”. We
could use it at home or in school to help us build a bridge between friends and show that we mean what
we say.
Act of Worship
Key Stage 2
“Building Bridges”
Gathering
Together
Focal Point: Bible (open at Luke 15: 3-7)
“Circle of Friends” candle (can be made by linking clay, plasticine or
cardboard figures)
Model bridge (or illustration)
Flash cards - “Contrition”, “Absolution”, “Reconciliation”
Illustrations can be projected from “Church’s Story” 3 – p64-67
Reader: Welcome to our celebration of the topic “Building Bridges”. As we light our candle, showing
our “Circle of Friends”, let’s remember that God wants all of us to be reconciled as friends of God, and
of each other.
Reader: The concept of “Building Bridges” - or making or renewing friendships - is very important to
all Christians. As believers in the teachings of Jesus, we sometimes have to accept the responsibility
of making new friendships, or of re-establishing old ones, and always we have the wish to be in a close
friendship with God. Let’s celebrate this teaching of Jesus as we sing “Seven Times Seven-O” –
Rejoice 2 (55).
Reader; For any bridge to be stable, work has to be done from both sides. This is as true in the
building of real bridges, as it is in building good relationships.
Reader: In Jesus we can see the perfect example of a “Bridge Builder”. All of the gospels give many
examples of how he reached out to and welcomed those people who were seen by others as outcasts whether because of their afflictions or illnesses, or their way of life. His accepting and forgiving
attitude to others is a model for us all to follow.
Reader: Those to whom he reached out were then so inspired by his acceptance of them (with all their
faults) and his willingness to forgive their past misdeeds, that they became reformed characters.
Reader: In his words and actions, Jesus showed us what is required of us all in establishing and
restoring friendship with others. Sometimes he taught his followers what was expected of them, by
the way in which he openly forgave those who were sorry for the actions of their past lives – people
like Zaccheus and the woman who was about to be stoned to death.
Reader: At other times, depending on his audience, he told stories which they could relate to and
which reflected the situations and problems of their own lives.
Reader: When he tried to show people the extent of God’s willingness to forgive their wrongdoings,
the key elements, on all of these occasions, showed people recognising what they had done wrong,
feeling remorse and asking for forgiveness. When forgiveness was given then the last part of the
“bridge-building” to take place was the joining together of both sides in an act of reconciliation.
(Children place flash-cards in front of, or in a bridge shape)
The Word
of God
Reader: Jesus wanted everyone to know that God’s capacity to love and forgive was
never-ending, and no matter what they did wrong, they would always be forgiven.
This reading, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 15: 3-7 was intended to show this.
Reader: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. What do you do?
You leave the other ninety-nine sheep grazing on the hillside and go looking for the one
that got lost until you find it. When you do find it, you are so happy that you put it on your
shoulders and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbours together.
“I am so happy,” you say, “because I have found my lost sheep. Let’s celebrate!”
“It’s like that with people,” Jesus told them. “If ninety-nine people stay close to God,
that’s good. But if one who has turned away from God and done something wrong says sorry
and comes back to God, then that is a reason to celebrate. God is like the good shepherd, always
searching for the lost sheep, the person who has turned away.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reader: We need to build bridges to God when we have broken his rules, by not
showing love to God or to others. God is always ready to play his part and forgive
what we have done wrong, but we must always take time to remember to feel sorry
for having offended God and ask for his forgiveness. If we do not ask, how can forgiveness be given.
Response to
The Word
Reader: We are given many opportunities to do this -in the Penitential Rites of the Mass, through the
Sacrament of Reconciliation and in our own daily prayers. Let’s take a few moments now to do just that.
(Quiet music could be played)
Think back over the events of the day and see if you can recall a time when your thoughts, words or
actions would have broken God’s law of love; or perhaps you offended God by not doing something that
you should have done. Now admit to yourself and to God that you were wrong to have behaved in this
way; and lastly ask God’s forgiveness, promising that, with God’s help, you will try not to do the same
thing again. If you were truly sorry for what you have done then, as Jesus told us it would be, your sins
have been forgiven by God.
Reader: To show that we really mean what we have already confessed to God, let’s say together one
of the prayers known as an Act of Contrition, or Sorrow. (The words could be projected)
All: O my God, because you are so good, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, and by
the help of your grace, I will not sin again. Amen. (Or whichever version is used in school).
Reader: As a symbol of the bridge building that we have done with God, let’s do what we would do in
Mass, extend a hand to the person standing next to us, leaving your hand in theirs to make a bridge of
friendship, as we make the Sign of Peace and say “Peace be with you” and reply “And also with you”.
Reader: Before we finish, let’s make a promise to God that we will try to build a bridge
of friendship towards someone every day, as well as take time at the end of each day to
build our bridge to God by saying sorry for having done wrong. To help to remind us of this
promise, we are going to make, and wear, a badge which declares “Bridge Builder”.
Going
Forth
Reader: Perhaps you could also act as a peacemaker, and help others to build bridges of friendship
towards each other and God.
Reader: Now let’s celebrate God’s love and forgiveness of us all as we sing “Be Glad!” – Rejoice 2
(54) –or hymn with a similar theme.