As some of you might have seen from our new Twitter feed, I have been using “Apples” as my theme for the First School Worship I have been leading. There is a lot to learn from them so I thought I’d share some of my Assembly “plan” with you.

I start by talking about Autumn and the fruit we come to expect. Apples is usually one of the answers that comes up, even in the less rural schools. I then produce my Apples – one lovely “Pink Lady”, one Green “Granny Smith”, one rather small one and a rather bashed cooking apple. As you can expect the children don’t really like the look of the bruised, brown apple and usual greet it with “Urghhh!”

This opens up the topic of appearances – we all look different on the outside, some of us are beautiful and very sweet – like the pink lady. Maybe we are a little more straight forward – like the Granny Smith, slightly sharp to the taste but good for us all the same. Maybe we are “Smaller” than our peers, in the children’s case it is usually a physical size we talk about. I don’t suppose any of them think they are like the Cooking apple – brown and bruised to look at and not fit for consumption until cooked.

I believe that we are all a bit like the “Cooker” – we are carry bruises from our past, grievances we can’t quite forget, hurts we can usually hide. Some people are very battered and it usually shows, some people look great on the outside but as you get under the skin they are bruised. The Bible teaches we have all sinned – we are all bruised – but the reason we can stand looking perfect in front of a just God is because we have been renewed by Jesus. Maybe that is part of the cooking process, the moving from our old, sinful self to showing those Biblical fruits: Love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

So back to the Assembly –inside the apple there is a star! In every apple the pips form a star shape if you cut it through the middle. God has hidden that secret inside each apple – and in each one of us. It doesn’t matter what we look like on the outside we all have a “star” within, the Holy Spirit living out His purpose.

So next time you eat an apple…. Remember to look for the star inside.