Preparation: Have a small tree branch or seed (maybe a tulip bulb) to show the children. If you can-have a bulb or other seeds to give the children.
Bring the children together and have them sit in a circle where they can see you. Hold up the branch or the bulb. Ask the children what they see. (Accept all answers) Tell them that you see a great big green growing tree or a field of colorful tulips. You see a forest or a garden. Sometimes we have to look past what we know and try to see what God sees.
In our story today, some religious leaders were asking Jesus about what happens after we die. Do we keep all of our friends? Do we stay married to the people we were married to? Do the rules of this world matter? Jesus tells them that they are worried about the wrong things. With God, there is no death-only life. Just like this bulb might look dead to us-it is life waiting to happen. God looks to bring life out of everything-even something as scary as death. God says that because God loves us so much and that we belong to her, that we don’t have to worry about what happens when we or someone we love dies. God will bring about life with God forever. Do we completely understand that? No but that’s ok. We know it’s true because God raised Jesus from the dead and God promises this new life to us too!
Even better, God promises us new life here and now, every day! God promises to be with us when we are scared and can’t see happiness or how a dead tree branch will grow leaves. God gives us all of these people around us to help us see new life in God when it is hard for us. And we show all of these same people God’s new life too! Here is a seed/bulb to help you to remember to look for new life in God everywhere you go.
Dear God of life, help us to see life and love everywhere we go and in everyone we meet. Help us to reveal the new life you promise us all. In Jesus name, amen.
(Make the sign of the cross) Remember that you belong to the God of the living.
