Flookburgh School

This morning I went to do the assembly down at Flookburgh School, it was the first visit of the new school year and it was great to see all the children and staff again.  I started by talking about new things and asked if anyone had done anything new over the summer - I got a few answers about places people had visited.  I then continued to ask about new things such as who had new shoes, new uniform, a new classroom and teacher as well as new exercise books.  This was leading up to me talking about a man who had a new start.  I didn't at first tell the children his name instead I introduced him as a thief, a lier and a cheat as well as someone who worked for the Romans and collected tax's - I did point out that the Romans occupied the land at that time like they did our country and that paying tax is a good thing as for example today it pays for education, healthcare etc.  Anyway back to the story Zacchaeus was the mans name I told the children.  One day Jesus was passing through the town where he lived and Zacchaeus really wanted to see him except the crowd wouldn't let him through as he was a thief, a lier and a cheat who worked for the Romans as a tax collector - he needed to be a the front as he was also a short man.  Zacchaeus ran ahead to climb a tree thinking from the tree I and see Jesus and no-one will see me - wrong Jesus could who asked him to come down as he wanted to eat with him at his house.  Well the crowd complained about this they didn't like the idea of Jesus eating at the house of a thief, a lier and a cheat who worked for the Romans collecting tax.  Later on at the house Zacchaeus came out with Jesus and announced that he was sorry for what he had done and was giving half his wealth away and repaying 7 times the amount he had cheated from people.  Jesus said that today Zacchaeus had made a fresh new start.  After the story I pointed out that we can all make a fresh new start in life at anytime, and at the start of a new day, new term, new year in school all that has gone before is in the past and we can do like Zacchaeus and start again.  We sang So Many Ways to Praise the Lord to finish with then I closed with a prayer.