Mary annoints Jesus.
This is an illustration that will cause uproar but will be remembered for years.
You will need an expensive bottle of perfume, a large bowl and a towel.
You will also need to know the story of when Mary annoints Jesus with perfume you can find it in John 12: 1-8.
I used this to talk about true worship.
To pull this off get a volunteer and ask them to take off their shoes and socks (appropiate male or female volunteer depending on the perfume you have).
Get them to sit in front of everyone with their feet in the bowl. Then start your talk and re-tell the story. At the right point produce the bottle of perfume and ask what they think it costs? When they are near open it up and pour it over the volunteers feet (all of it) and carry on telling the story.
This will cause shock, audible gasps and unbelief, some will argue that it is a waste of money.
Now you can talk about the reponse of the day and Jesus reaction to Mary and the fact that this perfume is worth little compared to what Mary used. It is a powerful illustration.
The first time I did this it got the whole church talking for days, well worth it.
You can probably get a store to donate a bottle. If like me you use a bottle of your wifes best Channel make sure you ask first. (I did by the way).
This is not one to use often but worth it if the subject is right.
I have only seen visible shock like this one other time when a collegue set fire to a twenty pound note in a school assembly.
