Here is the Weekly devotion for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 4, 2013
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Prepare: Bring a toy of some kind. Anything will work.
Have the toy out as the children gather. Ask them about their favorite toys, and what toys they would like to have.
The story we hear from the Gospel today is about some people who really, really like things. Kind of like us and the toys that we like, or toys we wish that we had. Jesus says some things that are hard for us to understand, and maybe even harder to do!
It all gets started by a man who is mad at his brother for not sharing. He asks Jesus to make his brother share with him, and Jesus says, sorry, that isn’t really my problem, it is your problem. I’m not here to make your brother share with you. In fact, Jesus says, it isn’t really something you should worry about either. He wanted his brother to give him half of his money (Ok, it’s more complicated than this, but we are talking to children. Feel free to tell more of the story if you want) and the brother wouldn’t do it. Jesus told him that he was worrying about stuff, and he was ruining his friendship with his brother because he wanted more stuff.
I think that most of us do that sometimes. We see things that we want that belong to other people and we want those things so much that we don’t think about how upset or angry we are making other people. Jesus says that the amount of stuff that we collect doesn’t really matter, that there is more to being alive than collecting stuff! Instead of filling our lives with stuff we should fill our lives with the love of God and share that love with everyone that we can.
Loving God, fill us with your love! Fill us so full of love that it spills out of our hearts and into the hearts of the people around us. Amen
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit you are loved by God. (have children repeat this)
~GB
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Preparation: Bring with you at least 3 different phones. One with a cord, one cordless, and one cell phone. Also make a play phone with 2 cans and a string
Gather the children to you. Welcome them and let them see your play phone. Show them how you love your phone, and especially that you love to talk to your friends on it, but tell them you want to get the best phone possible. And show them the 3 phones and let them help you decide which is the best.
Say, “In today’s gospel the disciples were also trying to learn the best way to talk to God in prayer. And Jesus shared a prayer with the disciples in today’s gospel that we say in church every Sunday. Do you know what we call that prayer?” (Wait for the answer) And then say, “But Jesus is clear that it isn’t about having the best prayer. It’s about praying to God and knowing that God hears our prayers.
Point to the phones again and say, “So Jesus knows that we don’t always know how best to pray. Sometimes we think our prayers aren’t the best kind.” (Hold up the tin cans and string.) “We worry that God won’t listen, but Jesus Promises they are heard no matter what our prayers look like. (Pointing at all the phones)
Jesus hear our prayers. Help us to always come to you with our joys, and our struggles and fears. Thank you for listening. Amen
May your words be a gift to God and the world. Amen
Submitted by Pastor Michael Stadtmueller
Here is the Weekly devotion for the tenth Sunday after Pentecost – July 28, 2013
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This passage in Luke is two parables about something being lost and found. This particular text lends itself to being acted out with younger children or youth. A short game you can play with young children to introduce the concepts is to play “hide and go seek” or to hide an object for them to find and bring to you. (You could even hide a coin or two!) Then read the story or act it out.
For children: Have you ever lost something special to you? What was it and did you find it again? If you didn’t find it how did you feel? If you did find it how did you feel? Have you ever been “lost” or separated from your mom or dad in a store? It’s kind of scary isn’t it? Your parents were so happy when they found you and I bet that you were happy too! Jesus tells us that God looks for us everywhere and all the time. There is nowhere that we can go that God won’t find us! No matter what we do or what we say God will find us and love us! God
For youth/adults: Sometimes it feels like we are so hidden from God that we can never be found. The alternative rock band Evanescence asks two questions in their song Tourniquet-“Do you remember me, lost for so long?” and “Am I too lost to be saved?”* Jesus offers these parables to give a resounding “YES!” to the first question and an equally forceful “NO!” to the second question. God searches for us high and low in order to bring restoration and grace to us. There is nothing that we have to do to receive this grace. The word “repent” in verses 7 and 10 is not about confession but is from the Greek word metanoia which means to turn around or to change one’s mind. God always offers us the opportunity to turn toward God-over and over again-every single day. How will you rejoice with God about this gift? How will you share this good news with someone in your daily life?
These parables highlight the importance of ALL people to God, especially those that are vulnerable in our society or culture. Contact a local Children’s Hospital or a local hospital that delivers babies and find out if there is any need for diapers, hats, layettes or blankets. See if you neighbors will help fill the need!
Dear Jesus, you search for us in places that we think we can’t be found. We want to turn to you and rejoice with you for loving us all. Amen.
(Make the sign of the cross on one another) God rejoices over you.
*This song is found on Evanescence’s album from 2003 Fallen. The official video can be found on YouTube.
Preparation: get an assistant to either flash a light or make a small noise to distract you as you begin. Tell them to start out subtle before becoming more obvious to everyone.
Gather the children to you. Welcome them and start to tell them about the gospel story today. Prompt your assistance to start the light or noise distraction. As you start talking, fade off,lose your place, etc as you are distracted by the noise or light.
Say, “wow I really want to focus on this Bible story but it’s hard, I keep getting distracted. Anyone else distracted?” Have the kids point out to you the distraction and then invite your assistant to join you. “This is like our bible story today. Jesus’s visiting sisters Mary and Martha. Martha is making dinner and trying to get this ready to be welcoming to her guest. Well she gets distracted by her sister Mary of helping her and she gets upset and tells Jesus to help her get Mary to come help. Jesus knows Martha is distracted by her worry and frustration and tells her that Mary is focusing in on Gods word and has also chosen a good thing. Jesus wants Martha to remember what the main focus is of being welcoming and that is to show care for others in Gods name.”
“Do you ever get distracted? What kinds of things distract you?” (Take answers, be prepared to prompt… Could mention the movie “Up” where the dog is always distracted by the squirrel or electronics, etc.). “Many things that are good and things that are not so food can distract us from remembering we are to focus on Jesus words and live our life base don his words and promises, even our thoughts and feelings can get in the way. I think I need that reminder to focus on Jesus and that many of us do. What are ways we can do this?” (Take answers, mention prayer and worship and reading scripture. If you use the inserts or other daily devotional in your congregation this is a great time to show it and teach again how to use it.
Jesus, you are our God. Help us focus on you. Thank you for your words of love for us. Amen
May your heart, hands, feet, head, words, and actions be focused on Christ.
Preparation: purchase bandaids and have markers
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Gather the children and welcome them to their time with you. Show them the bandaids and ask, “Have you ever used one of these? What are they for?” Be prepared, children usually love band aides and owie stories! Say, “Yes, they are helping to protect and owie and for giving the cut or scrape time to heal.”
Our Gospel story today, the story about Jesus, is one where a man is very hurt and needs help. Two people who seemed like they would be friends and ones to help just go past him and then a third person who is someone from a place where the man doesn’t think they will help is the one to stop and give him water and take him to a place where he can get bandages. And Jesus tells this story saying that God asks us to love God and to love our neighbors and then he asks who is the neighbor? So who do you think the neighbor is? (take answers) Yes the one who helps.
Now there are all kinds of ways we can talk about our hurts and how we need help. Sometimes our hurts are those that we can see like this cut (show one you have or one that the kids have shown you) or maybe they are bigger hurts like someone having surgery or breaking a bone. And how do we help someone like that? (take answers) Yes, we can carry things for them, open doors, bring them food, make sure they have medicine. But sometimes our hurts are on the inside and we can’t see them on other people and they might not even tell us about their hurts. How do we help those kinds of hurts? (take answers) Yes, we might be able to give hugs or listen to people’s words or maybe someone has held you or given you comfort. And we can pray for them too. Jesus story can also help us to know that we can share the hurts we have on the inside and let others pray for us and care for us and help us to know God’s love and healing and we can do that for other people too.
Hand out the bandaids. On this bandaid you can write a prayer or a hurt that you have or a hurt that you know someone else has. Then put it on and let it remind you to talk to God about that hurt.
Another option: if you have an open space or time for people to go to stations in your service, have bandaids and markers there and invite the children and the rest of the assembly to participate in that station.
Jesus, you know all our hurts. Help us to let others know when we need to hear about your love and when we need their help. Also be with us when are helping others. Amen
Mark the sign of the cross and say: May you know Jesus’ healing of your hurts today and always.
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 21, 2013
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Here is the Weekly devotion for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 14, 2013
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Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 7, 2013
Note – Clicking on the picture will download the insert to your computer or device in PDF format
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
