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Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – Transfiguration Sunday, Feb 7, 2016 (Luke 9:28-43)

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Prepare: You will need a sleeping bag, or a blanket and pillow – or just something that makes it look like you are prepared to just camp out in the worship space. Even better if you can coordinate with someone to interrupt you. If you are going to use the worship station, you will need a large piece of banner paper and a variety of colored markers.

20130822-223520.jpg  Invite the children to gather as you start to set up your sleeping bag.  See if they ask about it, but if they do not then find a way to prompt them to ask

20130822-223633.jpg  Well, I started reading today’s Gospel story and I got to the part where the disciples think that it would be a good idea to just stay on the top of the mountain with Jesus because it is such a great place to be, and I was so excited that I stopped reading and decided to just camp out in the sanctuary because this is a place where I feel close to God!

This is where an interruption would be good – have someone tell you that there is more to the story!  They can finish the story, about how Jesus told the disciples that being on the mountain was great, but that they have to go back down into the valley and spread the good news. If you don’t have a partner – have a Bible handy to show the children the story and then read on to hear Jesus’ words and then continue.

Oh, so maybe I shouldn’t just stay here? Maybe I should come here to be recharged, to find the stronger pieces of my faith in God and go out and share them! Being here, where I feel God most strongly is wonderful, but if I don’t go out and share the gift of God’s love then I’m not really doing what Jesus is asking us to do. I should come here to get charged up, to remember God’s great love, and then go out and tell the story!

20130822-224425.jpg Good and loving God, it is truly good to be here with you! We rejoice in the time that we spend here in this safe place, bathed in your love and mercy. Now send us out to be your lights in the world! Send us out to share your great mercy and love. Amen.

20130822-223908.jpg God’s love fills and surrounds you!

FaithCross_Worship Find a place to set out the banner and invite everyone to write the place, or time, or people who recharge their faith. Then hang that banner up through the season of Lent as a reminder that God is with us even when we feel like we are far away from the mountain tops that fill us with hope and joy.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, year C – Luke 4:14-21 (and Isaiah 61:1-2)

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Prepare: You will need a bandage of some kind, like an ACE bandage, for the children’s sermon.  And bring a Bible with Isaiah 61:1-2 marked.

For the worship station you will need the mission statement of your congregation.  If you do not have one you can use the mission statement of your wider church organization.  Here is a link the ELCA Mission Statement page.

20130822-223520.jpg Gather the children and show them the bandage, asking them if they know what it is for. Once they answer ask if any of them have ever had to have a bandage?

20130822-223633.jpg  We will get back to the bandage in just a minute, but first I wanted to talk a little about what Jesus says in the Gospel story we hear today. Jesus is in his hometown synagogue (you might want to take a minute to explain that word – for most the children, equating it to a church will be enough!) and he decides that he is going to read from the scriptures. He chooses a couple of passages from a book called Isaiah and reads them. My favorite of the two passages he reads is Isaiah 61:1-2, which says this – (read)

Then he does a crazy thing, he says, “That person that Isaiah is describing? That’s me!”

Well, this makes the people who are there a little uncomfortable and upset, but we are going to save that part for next week! This week we are going to look at what Jesus said – remember that bandage?

One of the things that is in Isaiah, but not in the Gospel reading is that Jesus will, “Bind up the brokenhearted.” I love that phrase! It’s such a wonderful image of comfort and care. If i hurt my wrist I can use a bandage to bind it up and support it until it heals and is strong again. If I cut my finger I can bind it up with a bandage until the skin grows back and it can protect me again. But if my heart is broken what can I do? Jesus says that He is here to bind up our broken hearts so that they can heal and be strong again. He wraps them up and protects and comforts our hearts when we are brokenhearted! I love it!

20130822-223908.jpg Jesus comforts and protects your heart.

20130822-223749.jpg Loving God, bind up our brokenness with you love and care. Help our hearts to heal and be strong so that we can help bind up other hearts that are broken. Amen.

FaithCross_Worship Sometimes this passage in John is called “Jesus’ Mission Statement.” Invite your congregation to read it again, and then read your church’s mission statement. Open up a little time for interactive discussion about what is important in each statement. How is your church’s mission similar or different from Jesus? Should they be the same? Should they be different?

If your congregation is using the Weekly Devotion Inserts (here is a link to the one for this week!) ask them to get them out and work through the exercise on the back – make a mission statement for the week and post it somewhere it will be seen!