Category Archives: Resources

The chocolate story of Joseph

I originally put together for use during a summer All Age Worship at Felpham Methodist Church, West Sussex, as part of the launch of a Scripture Union holiday club and mission week exploring the story of Joseph.

Please feel free to use this as a resource, and adapt it as appropriate. If you do use it, let me know, and tell me how it went!

Rev Dan – Summer 2019

© Rev Dan Balsdon 2019
https://revdanbalsdon.wordpress.com/
dan.balsdon@methodist.org.uk

Watch me performing the Chocolate Story of Joseph at Felpham Methodist Church,
4th August 2019

Some notes for use

It takes about 7-10 minutes to perform, depending how you do it.

I delivered it with a large table in front of me, and all the chocolates in a basket, bringing them out and holding them up as I referred to them (in red), the placing on the table. The times there is a chocolate in green means you’ve used it once already, so you’ve got to find it on the table – which adds to the entertainment factor!

Alternatively, you could do it with pictures on a screen, or with congregation having to shout out when they hear a chocolate reference.

Note that the script only briefly deals with some parts of the Joseph story, particularly the dreams of the baker and butler, and the toing and froing of the brothers in Egypt. You may want to develop these bits.

After using it for worship, we used it again with the young people, and divided it into parts, with one of them reading, and the other holding up the chocolates.

To leave and remain…Part 2

The Sun rose.
The world awoke.
Another day.
The past week’s event almost forgotten.
Not for his followers.

The women gathered early.
Jesus might have left, but his body remained.
So they headed out to the tomb.

When they got there, the stone had moved and the body was gone.
All that remained were the burial clothes.
Now nothing remained. All had been taken.

And then, as Mary sat weeping,
Jesus appeared.
Alive.
He didn’t leave.
Somehow he remained.

Mary ran to the others, told them Jesus lived.
They struggled to believe.

And then, then Jesus appeared.
I am alive, he declared.

“Now I must leave, I can’t be with you in person any longer.
But my Spirit will remain with you always.”

To this day, by his Spirit, Jesus remains.
Transforming lives and communities through his unconditional love,
and longing for us to remain in him and experience his love.

If you want to know more, come and explore at Felpham Methodist Church, or send us a message.

First published by Felpham Methodist Church, April 2019

To leave and remain… Part 1

The sky turned black.
The world watched…. and waited.
Jesus’ time seemed to be up.

He’d gathered with his friends, shared their final meal together.
“I will soon have to leave you” he said.
He’d gone to pray in the garden,
“Father, let this suffering leave me” he prayed.
Then he was betrayed.
handed over, put on trial.
His disciples scattered, leaving Jesus alone.

‘Crucify Him’ the crowd shouted.
So he was. Stripped. Flogged.
Marched up the hill.
And there, there he was killed.  
Hung from a cross and left to die.

Jesus had left.
His followers lost.
What to do now that Jesus no longer remained with them?

First published by Felpham Methodist Church, April 2019

As a new day dawns…

The birds break out with their dawning chorus,
The flowers awaken once again in their diverse array of colour,
Light breaks forth as morning comes,
As a new day dawns…

I breathe in the refreshing morning air,
I hear the sounds of life around,
I stay still a while as morning comes,
As a new day dawns…

What will this day bring? Busyness or rest?
Work or play? Challenge, opportunity?
Questions arrive as morning comes,
As a new day dawns…

Lord, be with me in all that comes my way today,
Be in all I do, all I think, all I say,
May I know your presence in my life as morning comes,
As a new day dawns…

© Dan Balsdon, April 2017