Our ALIVE theme this week is, ‘We are Forgiving’. 

Forgiveness is ‘an intentional decision to let go of resentment or anger towards another person who has done/said something to hurt you’.

Why is it important to forgive?  Have a short class discussion about this.

Is it easy to forgive?  Can you think of examples where you have found it difficult to forgive?

One of the reasons why we should forgive is because it stops us feeling angry and hurt all the time.

Watch this short film that explains why forgiveness is good for your mental health and wellbeing.

Just imagine what our school community would be like if we all could forgive each other when they say or do things that hurt or upset us! 

Here is a reading from Ephesians,

‘Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.’  Ephesians 4:32

Forgiving someone who has hurt you can be really hard to do!  But as Christians, we are encouraged to forgive others just as we experience forgiveness from God ourselves. 

As you watch this, think about either someone you need to forgive or someone who you need to ask for forgiveness…

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for forgiving us every time we make mistakes and get things wrong.  No-one is perfect and we recognise that we all need to be forgiven!  Help us to forgive those who have hurt us and be quick to say sorry when we hurt others.  Forgiveness is hard so we need your help to do this.  Help us to be more like you and forgive without holding a grudge.  In your name, Amen.

* Main image: Jack Kornfield Forgiveness is fundamentally for our own sake, for our own mental health. It is a way to let go of the pain we carry. flickr photo by symphony of love shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license