Contents

1. Bible Readings

Bible Passage and Notes p.2Dramatic Bible Reading p.3Alternative Bible Passages p.4

2. Teaching & Learning

Sermon Outline p.5All-Age Talk Outline p.7Discussion Questions p.8

3. Prayer Ideas

Christian Blind Mission Sunday Prayer p.9Intercession Ideas p.9Multi-Sensory Prayer Ideas p.10

4. Hymns & Songs p.12

Welcome to our selection of Out of Sight, Out of Mind worship resources for Christian Blind Mission Sunday. Please choose, use and adapt the elements from these resources that will best serve your context and style of worship service.

Indicates a printed resource found elsewhere in the Resource Pack

Indicates a Digital Resource you can download from www.cbmuk.org.uk/sunday-resources

Indicates ideas particularly appropriate in an All-Age Context

Living out Jesus’ inclusivity in our churchesChristian Blind Mission Sunday is a great opportunity to have a conversation about how your church can include and welcome everyone, particularly those with visual impairments. How can we meet people’s individual needs? Are there particular challenges for inclusion? How is language around blindness and disability used, for example in hymns and sermons? How can we make sure those in our own churches with disabilities are not out of sight and out of mind?

Christian Blind Mission Sunday

Worship Resources

The real-life stories of three

children from Uganda (Allen, Mathias &

Shalom) can be found in the Leader’s

Guide pp.4-5.

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1. Bible Readings

Bible Passage: John 9:1-9

Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind 1As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7“Go,” he told him, “Wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8His neighbours and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

Bible NotesJesus had been celebrating Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles in the Temple (Chapter 7). The next day Jesus was walking out of the Temple when he saw a man who was blind sitting outside the Temple gate (8:59). The man did not approach Jesus, it was Jesus who saw him and singled him out (v1).

In Biblical times, people believed blindness was a result of sin (v2) but Jesus taught his disciples that the man’s blindness was not due to his own personal sin or the sin of his parents (v2-3). Jesus told the disciples that through his “works” God would be glorified (v3), and in v5 refers to himself as “The Light of the World”, echoing John 8:12.

Jesus put mud and saliva in the man’s eyes, which was a recognised remedy (v6). Jesus healing the man (v7) caused controversy as he was healing on the Sabbath (9:16). Jesus then sent the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam (v7). Jesus had previously described himself as the source of living water (7:37-38).

The man was begging (v8). People with disabilities often had to beg in order to survive. Jesus restored the man to being a full member of society, economically and spiritually. Jesus also restored the man’s sense of self and personhood, “I am the man” (v9).

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Dramatised Bible Reading: John 9:1-9

Narrator: As Jesus went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.

The person acting the man who is blind mimes begging. Jesus walks up to the man.

Narrator: His disciples asked, “Why is this man blind? Who sinned, was it the man or his parents?”

Disciples stand with one hand on hip, point accusingly at the man.

Narrator: Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. This happened so that the mighty works of God might be seen.

Jesus raises hand to heaven and sweeps it round in an arc.

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.

Look up. Hands either side of head pointing palms skywards.

Night is coming, when no one can work.

Close hands over face.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Raisehandwithonefingerpointingupwards.

Narrator: Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

Mime spitting on the ground, mixing in mud, putting on the man’s eyes.

Narrator: Jesus said, to the man, “Go,” and wash in the Pool of Siloam.

Jesus points away from himself and beckons for the man to go.

Narrator: So the man went and washed in the pool.

Man mimes washing his face.

Narrator: And he came back able to see

Man runs back joyfully to Jesus.

Narrator: His neighbours asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “No, he only looks like him.”

Disciples / Neighbours point at the man and shake their heads.

Narrator: But the man said, “I am the man.”

Standconfidentlycentralstagepointingtohimself.

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Alternative Bible Passage: Lectionary for 13th OctoberSome churches may prefer to use the lectionary reading for 13th October where Jesus heals men with leprosy (Luke 17:11-19). Jesus sees and engages with people with leprosy who were out of sight, out of mind and on the edge of society. Jesus spoke to and healed them, breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination towards people with disabilities. They were given the chance to re-enter society and to make their own living.

Alternative Bible Passage: Harvest ThemeThese resources primarily focus on John 9, however Christian Blind Mission Sunday may coincide with Harvest for some churches and you may wish to combine the two themes.

Harvest is a celebration of giving thanks to God for all the gifts he has provided, and also a chance to reflect on community and stewardship. It is a time when we can focus on sharing our ‘harvest’ of the gifts God has given us with people who are less fortunate. The Christian celebration of Harvest often coincides with the Jewish Harvest Festival of Sukkot.

Sukkot: Harvest

The healing of the man who was blind (John 9:1-9) happened at the end of the Jewish festival of Sukkot. Sukkot is the Jewish Festival of ḥag ha-asif, the Feast of “gathering” or “in-gathering.” (Exodus 34:22)

“Then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in [ve’asafta] your grain, new wine and oil.”

Deuteronomy 11:14

The main harvesting of crops in the Jewish calendar happens earlier in the year. However the crops need to be threshed, winnowed, dried, ground and processed by early October, when the rains come. Sukkot is the festival celebrating the final safe gathering in of the crops before the winter. Sukkot is also the Feast of Tabernacles which is the celebration of God’s provision of shelter and safe keeping for the people of God during their wandering in the desert. People build and live in shelters to remember the people of God in the desert.

There is a strong biblical basis for sharing what we have with others, particularly people who are in need of help. Harvest is a time when we think particularly of sharing what we have with other people.

‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor

and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’ Leviticus 23:22

Christian Blind Mission Sunday is a celebration of God’s provision of sight, healing and new opportunities for the people whom it serves. Christian Blind Mission shares its expertise and skills with the world’s poorest people, restoring sight so that they can provide for themselves and gather their own harvest.

Churches combining Christian Blind Mission Sunday with Harvest may like to reflect on the idea that the world’s forgotten people should not be out of sight, out of mind.

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However, to Jesus, this man was not “out of sight, out of mind”. Jesus saw him as a person, for who he was on the inside, rather than focusing on his disability. Jesus taught his disciples that the man’s blindness was not due to the man’s own personal sin or the sin of his parents. To Jesus, this man was just as worthy of love and attention as anyone else. Jesus challenges us to see people through God’s eyes, as made and loved by God.

How might we see people through God’s eyes?

The disciples saw the man as a sinner and his blindness as a result of sin. (Exodus 20:5b) At that time disability was seen as a curse, caused by having done something wrong. The man would have been discriminated against in that society, economically and socially because he was blind. He was “out of sight” because he physically couldn’t see and so was not worthy of consideration. The man was blind, but the biggest barrier to him taking his equal place in society was other people’s stigma and discrimination towards his blindness.

How do we view people with disabilities in our communities?

You can imagine the scene around the Temple gate with worshippers leaving the Temple. And there, sitting on the ground is a man who is blind, begging. We cannot assume he was the only beggar at the gate that day. People with disabilities had to beg in order to survive. Everyone was walking past, their robes swishing in his face, ignoring the outstretched hand begging for coins or bread. He may have been knocked, kicked, shouted at and ignored. But Jesus saw the man. Jesus singled him out, chose him in the chaos. Jesus went up to the man, he saw him as a person and saw him as being the person he was.

Who are the people we do not see when we walk in our streets?

Jesus was radical in his care for people on the edge of society. He was counter-cultural. He broke public and religious norms. He angered the religious authorities. Jesus healed a man who was blind on the Sabbath.

How is following Jesus counter-cultural today?

2. Teaching & Learning

Sermon OutlineThe open-ended questions are provided for you to use as you would like – either in writing your sermon, or for your congregation to think about.

You may like to show the Christian Blind Mission filmwhichtellsthestoriesofShalomandMathias,or use the PowerPoint to tell Allen’s story.

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Jesus helped the man practically. He met his physical need for sight. Jesus put mud and saliva on the man’s eyes – this was a recognised remedy. Making mud on the Sabbath was work and therefore against Jewish Sabbath laws. Jesus then sent the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam. Jesus had previously described himself as being the source of living water (John 7:37-38). So in sending the man to the Pool of Siloam, Jesus was making subtle reference to who he was. John comments that “Siloam” is derived from the Hebrew word meaning “sent”, alluding to Jesus as the one who is “sent”.

How do we meet people’s physical needs in our communities?

The man trusted Jesus, did as Jesus asked and washed in the pool. The man came back with his sight healed. He came back with his sense of self healed, “I am the man.” Jesus enabled the man to take his place as a full and equal member of society, economically and spiritually.

Where do we see Jesus bringing healing in our world today?

In many places in the world people are still mistreated, discriminated against, abused and excluded from society and unable to fulfil their full potential. Often living in poverty and with disabilities means you have very few life chances and opportunities for education and employment.

We heard in the stories of Mathias, Allen and Shalom how they have been teased, left out of games and unable to do basic daily living tasks because they are visually impaired. Their schooling is affected as they find it harder to learn as well as the other children, and some of them stopped going to school altogether. Living in poverty with cataracts, their life chances are severely curtailed.

What curtails people’s life chances in our communities?

Christian Blind Mission transforms the lives of people like Allen, Mathias and Shalom. With partners across the world, Christian Blind Mission helps to restore sight, enabling individuals to take their full place in the community once more, and giving children back the chance of education, enabling them to fulfil their dreams and potential.

How can we support Christian Blind Mission through prayer and giving?

Christian Blind Mission works to change attitudes, to remove the stigma of being blind, and to educate people to eradicate discrimination and prejudice.

How do we eradicate discrimination and stand alongside people with disabilities?

How can we change hearts and minds so people are not out of sight and out of mind?

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All-Age Talk OutlineWelcome to our special Christian Blind Mission Sunday. Christian Blind Mission helps children who are needlessly blind who, with the right medical treatment, can be helped to see again. Christian Blind Mission helps children whose families cannot afford a sight-saving operation and who live in some of the poorest parts of the world. We are going to hear the story of Allen, a girl who lives in Uganda.

Read Allen’s Story which can be found in the Children’s Resources pp.3-4.Shorten the story according to time available.

Use the Allen PowerPoint as a visual aid whilst you tell the story.

During or after the story you may like to use some of these “wondering questions”:

I wonder what was most important in that story?

I wonder how Allen felt about being blind?

I wonder if you have ever felt different and left out and how it felt?

I wonder how Allen felt about going to hospital for her operation?

I wonder how Allen felt as she waited for her bandages to come off?

I wonder how Allen felt when she could see?

I wonder what she saw?

Today’s Bible reading from St. John’s Gospel talks about man who was blind and who Jesus heals. The man was a beggar, with no job, no family to look after him, no home, sitting begging for money and food. He was unable to see anything going on around him. Jesus came along and saw the man. Unlike everyone else who just pushed by, he stopped, talked to the man, and healed his eyes. The man did as Jesus asked and washed in the Pool of Siloam nearby, and when he did, he could see for the first time in his life.

I wonder how the man felt before meeting Jesus?

I wonder how the man’s life changed after meeting Jesus?

Christian Blind Mission brings the love of Jesus to people who are forgotten and alone in some of the poorest places in the world. Like Jesus and the blind man, Christian Blind Mission gives people who are blind their sight. They can work, they can go to school, they can help in the house and they can play games with other children. They can follow their dreams and live a full life.

I wonder how we can pray for Allen and the work of Christian Blind Mission?

I wonder how we can raise money to help more children like Allen?

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Discussion Questions

Bible Passage and Christian Blind Mission Stories

• How do John, chapter 9 and the Christian Blind Mission stories resonate with you?

• What has inspired you today? How will it change how you see the world? How will it change how you think? How will it change how you act?

• How might you/your church support the work of Christian Blind Mission?

• Who are the “out of sight, out of mind” in our locality, country, world?

Poverty, Discrimination and Stigma

• How do we respond to poverty across the world?

• How can we help relieve poverty?

• What experience do you have of stigma, prejudice, exclusion, bullying and discrimination? Be aware that pastoral care needs may arise.

• How might we best respond and act when we encounter prejudice, exclusion, bullying and discrimination?

Disability

• What perceptions of people with disabilities do we encounter in ourselves or others?

• What are your experiences of blindness and low vision?

• How can we best understand and support people with visual impairments?

• What organisations could help us explore these issues as a church?

• How inclusive of people with disabilities is our church? How could it improve further?

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3. Prayer Ideas

A Prayer for Christian Blind Mission Sunday

Loving God, give new life and hope for the future to people living in the darkness of needless blindness and poverty.

We thank you for the work of the Christian Blind Mission as they restore sight and give hope to people who are out of sight and out of mind.

Open our hearts and minds, so we see the difference we can make when we share your gifts. Loving God we ask this in Jesus name. Amen

Intercession Ideas You may like to use the Christian Blind Mission Image Gallery to make a prayer PowerPointtoreflectonduringtheintercessions.

Thank God for the work of Christian Blind Mission in restoring sight and for giving new opportunities to people who are needlessly blind.

Thank God for successful operations and restored sight for Matthias and Allen.

Pray for them and their families and for their schooling and well-being.

Pray for Shalom and children like her who need surgery. Pray for successful outcomes.

Pray for all the medical staff who work with Christian Blind Mission.

Pray for all the teachers who work with children and families with visual impairment.

Pray for the office staff and local partners working for Christian Blind Mission.

Pray for the churches that support Christian Blind Mission and pray for more churches and people to get involved in their work.

Pray that we may welcome visually impaired people in our communities and churches.

Pray that we may work to eliminate poverty, discrimination and injustice both in our own country and around the world.

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Multi-Sensory Prayer Ideas

Action Prayer

The person leading the prayers stands so that people can see and hear.Invite everyone to join in with the actions as you pray together.

This prayer can also be used without actions by using this response.Leader: Loving God who opens our eyes and minds; All: Hear Our Prayer

Leader: Cover your eyes with your hands

Loving God, we pray for the many people who are partially or fully blind, who live in the world’s poorest places and who are often out of sight and out of mind.

We thank you that there are people who support them.

Give guidance and strength to Christian Blind Mission and everyone who is working to restore sight to people who are needlessly blind.

Leader: Makeyourthumbsandforefingersintocircles,andholdthemlikeapairof glasses over your eyes

Loving God, we thank you for opticians and surgeons. Thank you that doctors can restore sight to people who would otherwise remain blind.

We thank you for glasses and for contact lenses, which help to improve low vision.

We thank you for inventions like braille and all the aids that help people with visual impairment and blindness.

Bless everyone who works in the poorest communities to help restore sight to the forgotten people of the world who are out of sight and out of mind.

Leader: Cover your heart with your hands

Loving God, we know that we need to change how we see and think.

Help us all to open our eyes to see your world as you do

To open our minds to understand what is important to you;

Help us to love and help people who find life difficult because they are blind.

Help us to help them through giving money and support to Christian Blind Mission.

Leader: Open your hands in front of you

Generous God, use us and Christian Blind Mission to carry your love and healing to more people like Allen, Shalom and Mathias.

We thank you that Allen and Mathias have been helped to see again.

We pray for Shalom, that she will see and have a brighter future.

Take these prayers, and open our eyes and minds, so that we may find ways to help Christian Blind Mission restore sight and hope to more people with preventable blindness. Amen

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Candle Prayers

Give everyone in the congregation a tea light as they come in to church. Cut out a number of foil shaped eyes and place them on a fire proof surface e.g. metal baking trays or a large shallow sand tray.

Invite people to remember Jesus sharing his love with the man born blind. Invite people place a candle on the foil eyes and pray for Christian Blind Mission and the people it helps. Whilst people pray sing together the Taizé chant “The Lord is my light.” Continue singing until everyone has finished praying.

Eye Prayers

Draw two eyes on a large piece of paper and write ideas for intercessions from the Intercession Ideas (p.9) around the eyes. Have a box of eye stickers and sticky “googly eyes”.

During the prayers invite people to come up to the board and to pray, silently or aloud. Invite people to put stickers and googly eyes on the eyes as they pray.

As people leave, offer everyone two googly eyes to take home and to stick up somewhere at home as a reminder to

pray for Christian Blind Mission.

Picture Prayers

Download and print a selection of Christian Blind Mission images for the congregation and prepare a large sheet of paper with the words “Pray for CBM.”

Introduce the Intercession Ideas to the congregation (p.9). Invite the congregation to choose a picture and stick it on to a large piece of paper. As they do so, invite them to pray either out loud or silently for Christian Blind Mission. During the prayers sing the Taizé chant “The Lord is my Light.” When the prayers have finished, share the collage with the congregation. After the service, put the collage up in church as a reminder to pray for Christian Blind Mission.

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Be thou my vision Irish Traditional Brother, sister let me serve you Richard GillardChrist be our light Bernadette FarrellChrist has no body on earth but yours The Porters Gate Worship Project Colours of day dawn into the mind Sue McClellanCome let us sing of a wonderful love Robert WalmsleyCry freedom Michael ForesterFrom heaven you came (Servant king) Graham KendrickGod of Justice Tim HughesGod’s Spirit is in my heart (Go tell everyone) Alan Dale & Hubert J RichardsGreat is thy faithfulness Thomas O ChisholmHealer of the sick Francis LeftleyHow great thou art Stuart K HineIndescribable Laura StoreyI the Lord of sea and sky Dan Schutte Let there be love David BilboroughLight of the world (Here I am to worship) Tim HughesLord you have my heart Martin SmithMake me a channel of your peace Sebastian Temple & St Francis One Bread, One Body John B FoleyOpen my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus Paul BalocheSent by the Lord am I José AguiarTell out my Soul Timothy Dudley Smith The kingdom of God is justice and peace TaizéThe Lord hears the cry of the poor John Michael TalbotThe Lord is my light TaizéWill you come and follow me? John L BellThy Word is a lamp unto my feet Amy Grant & Michael W SmithWater you turned into wine Chris TomlinWe have nothing to give Matt RedmanWhen I needed a neighbour Sydney Carter

4. Hymns & Songs

For songs for younger children see Children’s Resources p.2

CBM UK, Oakington Business Park, Dry Drayton Road, Oakington, Cambridge CB24 3DQ

www.cbmuk.org.uk • Tel 0800 567 7000

Registered with

Registered charity no. 1058162 (England and Wales); SC041101 (Scotland)

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