order of service:

1. intro [sue]

about this being a difficult passage - nobody behaves well

2. reading

genesis 16 - sarai gives hagar to abram and the consequences
plus poem - part of section 5 of 'the waste land' by TS eliot
[sarah to invite readers from the congregation]

3. what would you take for the journey?

three large rucksacks, paper and pens beside each one
write the one item you would take, put into the rucksack

then go to the water jug
drink some water and read the holocaust story

[sarah][sarah/steve/sue to each bring a large rucksack]

4. reading

genesis 17 17-21 isaac is chosen
plus poem - part of section 5 of 'the waste land' by TS eliot
[sarah to invite readers from the congregation]

5. chosen and not chosen [sue]

get people into small groups
hand out envelopes - inside each is a note to say 'chosen' or 'not chosen'
also questions:
how do you feel about being chosen/not chosen?
why do you think god dealt with humanity this way?
what's the downside of being chosen?
discuss

[ishmael and isaac - with and without the promise
the psychology - feeling good if chosen, angry if not chosen - like ishmael
but the one who isn't 'chosen' doesn't get nothing
chosen for what?
the responsibility of being chosen]

6. reading

genesis 21 1-21 the birth of isaac, hagar and ishmael are sent away
plus poem - part of section 5 of 'the waste land' by TS eliot
[sarah to invite readers from the congregation]

7. god's provision and the kingdom [steve]

pages from magazines on the floor
bibles marked with post-its to read the passages:
matt 6 25-34 [do not worry about clothes etc] and 7 -12 [ask and it will be given to you...]
john 2 1-11 [the wedding at cana]
exodus 16 [manna]
1 Kings 19 [elijah flees to the desert]

cross, bread and wine among the magazines

printed questions among the magazines:

god provides for the 'mistake'
god looks after something that wasn't meant to happen
god provides material needs and a path for the future
what has god provided for you?
has god ever given you water or a path in the desert?
what would you like god to provide that god isn't providing?
is god saying wait or no?
how do you deal with the absence?

god's provision is a sign of the kingdom, of the values of god
how much of what we have comes to us through kingdom ways?
which of these things are in god's kingdom?
what are we providing for ourselves,
that is not in god's kingdom?

8. the god who sees us [steve]

[despite choice/not choice, despite provision or lack, despite the moral mess, hagar is one of the few people who sees god!]
blessing