Opening: King Tirian is so desperate for help that he calls out to Aslan, and in answer, Jill and Eustace, the children from The Silver Chair, arrive in Narnia to help him. After the three of them sort out who’s who and what’s up, they disguise themselves as Calormenes and rescue the stupid donkey who was being forced to play Aslan. They meet a group of dwarfs and try to show them that Puzzle, the donkey, really isn't Aslan at all.
Hymn: My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
Read The Last Battle pages 70-71 (adapted):
“Don’t they understand?” said Jill impatiently. “What’s wrong with all you Dwarfs? Don’t you hear what the King says? It’s all over. The Ape isn’t going to rule Narnia any longer. Everyone can go back to ordinary life. You can have fun again. Aren’t you glad?”
After a pause of nearly a minute a not-very-nice-looking Dwarf with hair and beard as black as soot said: “And who might you be, Missie?”
“I’m Jill,” she said. “The same Jill who rescued King Rilian from the enchantment—and this is Eustace who did it too—and we’ve come back from another world after hundreds of years. Aslan sent us.”
“Well,” said the Black Dwarf, “I’ve heard as much about Aslan as I want to for the rest of my life. We’ve been fooled once and we’re not going to be fooled again. We’re going to look after ourselves from now on and touch our caps to nobody. See?”
How can you make somebody listen when they don’t want to believe?
Loud rock music blasts from the headphones, and George wakes up and nearly panics when he sees Marty.
“Who--who are you?” he gasps.
“My name is Darth Vader [insert heavy breathing] I‘m from the Planet Vulcan,” Marty announces, holding his hand up in a Vulcan salute.
In the next scene, George’s clothes and hair are disheveled, and he’s gasping. Marty asks him where he was. “You weren’t at school today.”
“Last night, Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan came down and said he’d melt my brains if I didn’t ask Lorraine to the dance,” George tells him.
“Okay, but let’s keep all of this brain-melting stuff to ourselves, okay?” Marty asks." [From this Michael J. Fox website]
Short discussion--can you convince someone of something when they've decided they don't want to believe you?
Read The Last Battle pp. 73-74 (adapted)
(They finally give up trying to get the dwarfs to believe.)
Tirian had felt quite sure that the Dwarfs would rally to his side the moment he showed them how they had been deceived. And then next night he would have led them to Stable Hill and shown Puzzle to all the creatures, and everyone would have turned against the Ape….But now, it seemed, he could count on nothing. How many other Narnians might turn the same way as the Dwarfs?
“Somebody’s coming after us, I think,” said Puzzle suddenly.
They stopped and listened. Sure enough, there was a thump-thump of small feet behind them.
“Who goes there!” shouted the King.
“Only me, Sire,” came a voice. [Crayons read Poggin's part for us.] “Me, Poggin the Dwarf. I’ve only just managed to get away from the others. I’m on your side, Sire; and on Aslan’s. If you can put a Dwarfish sword in my fist, I’d gladly strike a blow on the right side before all’s done.”
A quote found on InterVarsity.org: “Jesus tells the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. And he concludes each story with a statement about the intensity of God's feelings for those who have been lost: "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. " "... there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:7,10,32). What arouses joy in the heart of God is every person who returns to God's family. Searching for the lost, and lavishing his love and grace on the repentant, is at the core of God's character.”
Closing Hymn: Come, Let Us Sing of a Wonderful Love
Come, let us sing of a wonderful love,
Tender and true, tender and true,
Out of the heart of the Father above,
Streaming to me and to you:
Wonderful love, wonderful love,
Dwells in the heart of the Father above.
Jesus the Saviour this gospel to tell
Joyfully came, joyfully came,
Came with the helpless and hopeless to dwell,
Sharing their sorrow and shame:
Seeking the lost, seeking the lost,
Saving, redeeming at measureless cost.
Jesus is seeking the wanderers yet;
Why do they roam? why do they roam?
Love only waits to forgive and forget;
Home, weary wanderers, home!
Wonderful love, wonderful love,
Dwells in the heart of the Father above.
Come to my heart, O thou wonderful Love!
Come and abide, come and abide,
Lifting my life till it rises above
Envy and falsehood and pride:
Seeking to be, seeking to be,
Lowly and humble, a learner of thee.
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