Monthly Archives: August 2013

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Luke 14: 1,7-14, Sept. 1, 2013 Pentecost 15 year C

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Preparation: Have some party items available: balloons (use with caution as they can be choking hazards), party hats, streamers, maybe even noise makers, etc.

20130822-222604.jpg Gather the children to where you have children’s time. As they come up have someone help you divide them into two groups. Doesn’t matter how-randomly is best! Invite one group of children to come and sit with you just off to the side and tell the other children to just to sit on the opposite side of the area.

Say to the group with you: “Yay! You are all invited to my party this morning! Here have a balloon, a hat, etc. We are going to have fun!” If a child from the other group tries to come over or even looks over tell them, “I am sorry this party is for this group only over here. Just go and sit back over there.” Don’t spend too long with this one group but then say, “You know, I kind of feel bad about that group over there. Should we invite them to come over here?” Hopefully, they will say yes!

20130822-223633.jpg Say to the group who was not at the party, “How did it feel to not be part of the fun? (Accept all answers) Say to the other group:  How did it feel to be part of the group having fun? Did you think that it wasn’t fair to the other children? Why? Today, Jesus tells us that God invites everyone to God’s party and to be a part of God’s people.  Even the people we may not like or even know, God loves and knows. God wants us to remember that God not only loves us and cares for us but cares for all people no matter who they are, what they look like, or how they act. That can be hard for us as we like to hang out with friends who are just like us. Have you ever gone to school on the first day and not known anyone in the classroom? Well, did someone talk to you? Accept all answers and if it’s no talk about how that felt and if they would remember that and talk to a new child at school or in the neighborhood. It can be hard but God tells us that even we might feel on the outside of friends or groups God is there and if we think we are the inside of friends or groups God is there. We can work to not have separate groups like we did here this morning but try to make just one big group which is more fun anyway!

20130822-224425.jpg Dear God, you love us all and want us all to be part of your party. Help us to remember that you are with us when we feel alone and when we don’t. Show us how to invite our friends to be a part of you. In Jesus name, amen.

20130822-223908.jpg God is with you always. (Make the sign of the cross on one another.)

Children's Sermons

Children’s sermon Luke 13: 10-17, Pentecost 14, August 25th, 2013

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Preparation: Have a “Hello my name is…” name tag for each child as well as some markers for them to write.

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Gather the children and ask a couple of them if you can call them “hey you” or something silly like “male child” or “female child.” Hopefully you will get some giggles and some children insisting that you call them by their real names! You could also just decide to call all the children Joe or Fred…unless one of them has that name! Say: “Does your mom, dad, grandma or grandpa, etc. call you by a fun nickname? Why do they call you that? Is is because they know you really well and love you? Yes! More than likely your parents picked out your name because it means something special to them and because YOU are special to them. Our names and nicknames are ours and the people who know us and love us call us by them.”

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Tell the children the story from Luke about the woman who was bent over for 18 years and how no one really saw her, talked to her or took notice of her at all. She was just an old woman in a crowd and no one even knew her name. But Jesus saw her. He called to her by saying “woman, come over to me.” Even Jesus just used a plain name for her. But then Jesus did something wonderful-but not what you think. Yes, Jesus healed her back and she could stand up and see all the people around her but Jesus did something even better than that! He gave her a name: “daughter of Abraham.” Now that name may not seem like much to you or me-but it would be like when your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or someone you love calls you sweetie, or love, or a nick name that shows how much that person loves you. Jesus was calling her a name that meant that God loved this woman very much and knows who this woman is and will be with her always.
God loves each of us and calls us “children of God” that means that we belong to God first and foremost. In the water of baptism God says that our name that people on earth call us may be Ella, or Brigette or John but God calls us God’s child now and forever.

Have the blank “Hello my name is…” name tags for the children. Have markers for them to write their names on their name tags. Have the children put them on to remember that they are loved by their family, friends and God.

20130822-224425.jpg“Dear God, thank you for calling us yours. Let us see all the people in our lives as your children too. Thank you for being with us always. Amen”

20130822-223908.jpgMake the sign of the cross and say: “You are called a child of God.”

Faith + Home Connection

Faith + Home Connection September 2013, Luke 15: 1-10, Pentecost 17, Year C

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FaithCross_BibleALT This passage is found in many children’s Bibles. You can find it on page 374 of the Spark Story Book Bible. As you read this with younger children, this might be a good story to have them act out. If reading with adults, switch off readers at verse 8 just for transition.

FaithCross_ConversationALTFor children: What is your most favorite toy or thing? Have you ever lost it? If you did, how long did you look for it? Or if you haven’t lost it, what would you do find it? Have you ever been separated from mom or dad in the store? What was that like? How did you feel when your mom or dad found you? It can be sad to lose something that we really like or frightening to be lost from our family in a big place. These two stories that Jesus tells about a shepherd who lost a sheep and a woman who lost a coin remind us that there is no where we can go or hide that God won’t find us and be with us. God wants to be with all people always and gets so excited about being with us that God wants to have a party to show how happy God is! God also wants us to tell everyone how much God also loves them too!

For youth/adults: Sometimes in groups of people we get concerned about “who’s in and who’s out.” This parable reminds us that God wants all people “in” and invites everyone to the celebration. Repent in the Greek is not about confessing wrong doing but literally means “to turn around.” We get all turned around in this world and sometimes don’t know which way is up! But God searches for us always and there is nowhere that we can go that God can’t find us and “turn us back around” to what is important. Has there been a time in your life when you were given the opportunity to “turn around”? How did that feel? Have you ever rejoiced with a friend or a family member who was able to have another chance-maybe from drug or alcohol abuse, bad relationships, bad career choices, etc. How can we as a community affirm that God lets us “turn around” as many times as we need to and celebrates with us each and every time that we do? God wants us to see that all people need “turned around” and all people are included in God’s love and grace. We are called to not worry about who’s in or out but to see everyone as God does-worthy of being rejoiced over.

Faith + Prayer: God, you rejoice over us despite our shortcomings and faults. You promise to be with us always and to find us over and over again, each and every day of our lives. We thank you for this gift and for the community of all your people. In the name of your son who is this promise made real, Jesus, amen.

FaithCross_BlessALTGod rejoices over you. (Make the sign of the cross on one another.)

FaithCross_ConnectALT The heart of this gospel lesson is that God sees all people as valuable, lovable and worthy. Many times those not seen in our society are young children. Call a local hospital and ask what supplies for newborns they could use to be donated. Often families without many resources can use layettes, blankets, diapers, and other supplies. Add a note of blessing or prayer to the donations.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon 13th Sunday After Pentecost (Lec 20), Hebrews 11:29-12:2 – August 18, 2013

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Prepare:  Bring a mixed up Rubik’s Cube, or other similar puzzle, and a Bible with a bookmark on the Hebrews passage.

20130715-114218.jpg  Be working on the puzzle that you brought as the children gather and talk about how difficult it is (make a good show of this, even if you do know how to solve it!)  Ask the children if they have ever had to do something that was hard or scary as you continue to work a little.  After a few answers . . .

FaithCross  Well, I give up on this!  Let’s look at the Bible story for today instead.  I think that we should look at this story from the book of Hebrews.  (Grab your Bible – you may want to be ready with slightly more gentle language for all the horrible things that happen to the people – and read or paraphrase the text through 11:38.)  Wow!  I thought I had trouble in my life!  Can you imagine what these people went through?  Not having enough food, people who wanted to hurt them because of what they believed, no place to sleep or keep safe and warm?  There’s more, listen to this, (Read or paraphrase 12:1-2).

So all these people who had to endure horrible things are encouraging us so that we should be strong in our faith in God and work to do all those difficult and scary things that we need to do.  Some of you are probably starting school soon, and that can be scary.  A new teacher, or a new school, or maybe even school for the first time!  Sometimes when we get ready for the first day of school we have to go to the Doctor for shots, that can be difficult and scary, too, no matter how nice the doctors, nurses and assistants are.  This Bible story tells us that we should face these scary things with confidence because there is a whole bunch of people who are cheering us on and who are ready to celebrate with us in success or console us when we fail.  We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and by the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Well, with all that in mind, I think that I’ll give this puzzle another try, but let’s pray first!

FaithCross_PrayALT  Jesus, help us to face our fears with the faith that all the heroes in the Hebrew Bible did.  Help us to celebrate your victory over death and to keep our trust in your guidance.  Amen

FaithCross_BlessALT  In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit you are loved by God. (have children repeat this)

~GB

Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon 12th Sunday After Pentecost (Lec. 19), Genesis 15:1-6 and Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, August 11, 2013

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Prepare:  Bring a tent.  It does not need to be set up, it can just be a tent in a bag.

20130715-114218.jpg  Talk a little about your tent as the children gather, when you got it, why you got it, how often you use it (this is the important one).  Ask them if they have tents at home.

FaithCross  Today we hear about Abraham and Sarah in two different readings.  Abraham and Sarah lived in a tent!  It wasn’t just a fun thing to do on the weekend, it was their house.  Actually, they probably had several tents, because they had a big household.  There were two of them, then they had many servants to help them, because Abraham and Sarah had a whole bunch of animals.  It was kind of like a moving farm.

So, they had tents, they had servants, they even had animals, but do you know what they didn’t have?  They didn’t have any children!  This was a problem because Abraham had all these things, he was really kind of rich for when and where he lived, but there would be no one to take over his herds and tents when he died.  What made Abraham even more upset was that God had promised that he would have a son to take over the herds, but now Abraham was old, much too old to have children, and so was his wife Sarah.  So, he complained to God about it.  Do any of you do that sometimes?  I know that I do.  I usually don’t get very far when I complain to God, but for Abraham God showed up and said, “Don’t you remember what I promised?”  God promised Abraham again that he would have a son, and that his descendants would be as many as the stars in heaven!

Abraham and Sarah kept their faith in God’s promise and God gave them a son!  Abraham had to wait a long time for God’s promise.  We, too, should keep our faith in God, and hold on to God’s promise of love and grace and mercy for us in our lives.

FaithCross_PrayALT  Gracious God, we rejoice in your promise of love, mercy and grace.  Help us to stay faithful to you like Abraham and Sarah did, and keep your faith in us like you kept your faith in Abraham. Amen.

FaithCross_BlessALT  In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit you are loved by God. (have children repeat this)

~GB

Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.