Week four in our journey is the story of Isaac! For some fun and laughter with your family Click Here!
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God’s big love Overflows! John 2:1-11
Preparation: Find something of yours (or make it up) that is important in your family but maybe is kept away for ‘safe keeping’ or special occasions. For example, we had my grandmother’s silver in the basement for years, never being used. And recently found it and brought it out and use it every day.
And/Or have a pottery jar (or better yet have multiple jars) or something that can represent the jars.
Gather the children with you. Show them the item you brought. I will use the silver in my example.
Good morning! I brought with me, well, it’s a fork right? But it’s a special fork, see it was my grandmothers and it is all silver, very fancy. She and my grandfather were given this at their wedding. And it was very special to her. So special that she really never wanted anyone to use it because she was afraid it would get messed up. Do you have anything like that in your house? Or a family member’s house? (take answers)
Today we read about a wedding that Jesus is at. And so I was thinking of this story as I thought about my grandmother’s silver. See Jesus was at the wedding with his mother. And something happened. The people giving the wedding ran out of wine and Jesus mother, Mary, told him to fix this problem to help the wedding couple and parents who were giving the party. There were these jars filled with water (if you have the jar or jars show them) and they were used for purification or for washing–washing hands and feet and getting things all cleansed for the wedding. (rub your hands over the jars as though washing) So this water was even pretty dirty and had been used. But it was also special water, set aside for the purpose of cleaning. And when Mary tells Jesus to help the couple, all these jars that were bigger than this and there were many more of them and have water, get turned into wine. Jesus did not let something that was set aside go to waste. He used these jars and filled them with wine as a way for people to not only see who he was, God’s son, but also to show that God’s love and grace are big and overflowing and are so big and over flowing that even things that we think we should not use or only use for special things, become a part of the gift and promise we have from God.
So this sliver from my grandma. It does not bring much joy sitting in the basement. But when I take it out and use it and allow it to be a gift that is seen and felt and held, suddenly it is something that is offering a gift of joy, of remembering my grandma, of being a part of our family that celebrates and is connected together. So even an ordinary fork gets to remind us of God’s big love for us and that we can share this love with others by bringing our gifts out in to the light to be seen and shared–that is what God’s love is. It does not need to be saved up or only used at certain times, but is for all the time.
Can we name some gifts together that we can share–take answers but be sure to include things like smiles, hugs, notes, and simple I love you as ways of sharing God’s love.
God of Big Love, Your love is so big we sometimes cannot describe it. Help us to see it overflowing in our families and friends and homes and days. Show us how to share this big love and not hold it back for special times but to let it be in the light all the time. Amen
Child of God, you are in God’s big love today and always. +
Gratitude Jar–Have a large jar for people to write ways that they have seen God’s big love in the world and in their lives. Write them down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. You can collect these just today or for the year! Have someone type them up or paste them up onto a big heart so they can be read.
Children’s Sermon December 27, 2016 Luke 2:41-52
Preparation– You need an older child and a blanket (if you have your own child that would added bonus)
Gather the kids up front. Have an older child wrapped in a blanket come up with you or be up there already. Say, “I want you all to see my (this) baby.” Unwrap the older child from the blanket. “Wow! My (this) baby grew up! But this is still my (or someone’s) baby right?”
“This seems silly, yes, but just a few days ago we were celebrating Jesus being born and now all of a sudden we are reading a Bible story where he is not a baby! Wow, he did not stay a baby very long! But what this story does show us is that Jesus grew up in the world just like you do. Jesus went to worship, Jesus traveled with his family, Jesus made his mom and dad worry. Have you ever done something mom and dad were worried about? Jesus was a part of growing up, learning, experiencing smells, and touch and sound just like us. And that is also what the word Emmanuel means. God is with us. God is with us in the silly stuff, like a big kid wrapped in a blanket, and in the difficult things, like when we worry our parents, and in the joys and the sadness of life. ”
God, help us to walk with you as we grow up. Thank you that you are with us in the big days and in the little days. Help us to know you and to keep the words of love you give in our hearts. Amen
God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right.
On pieces of paper have a drawing of a baby on one end and a stick figure person on the other end. Put a wiggly line in-between the two. Invite people to write their birth/baptism date by the baby and their current age by the stick person. Then invite them to write places along the line where they experienced God, or a new learning, or a certain moment that is memorable. Write a prayer on the bottom thanking God for the walk of life and for remaining present in it.
Children’s Sermon Advent 4C Luke 1:39-56
Preparation: paper hearts cut out of map paper, a box wrapped that you can open easily, supplies for worship station if you choose to do that.
Gather the children up front. Have a present wrapped up with you. Say, “Look! I have a present! I am so excited!” Shake the gift. “Hmmm, I really wonder what it is… do any of you know?” “Have any of you ever gotten a present? … have you ever known what was in the box??… Were you really sure exactly what it was? I think I may know what is in here… but I am not sure I totally know.. it is pretty light… does not make much noise… hmmmm..”
“You know this is like the gospel story we heard today. Mary knew she was having a baby and she went to tell Elizabeth. And when she got there Elizabeth knew she was having a baby too because her baby leaped for joy in her womb! Have any of you had a mom or an aunt or friend who was going to have a baby? And did you see how her tummy got bigger and after awhile she could feel the baby move? Elizabeth must have felt a big movement! So both these women knew that Mary would have God’s son but they also did know all of what that meant–didn’t know what he would look like or smell like, did not know how he would act or what it would mean exactly. They knew Jesus was a going to be gift for not just them but the world too, but they also did not know exactly how God would give this gift to us. Kind of like my present… I have not looked in the box, I have guess that it has something that will show me about Jesus…. but I am not sure exactly what it is…”
Open the box. “I was right! It is about Jesus!” Show the paper hearts you have in the box and tell how they are on map paper. “This present is to help us remember God’s big love in Jesus is for the whole world and it is for you and me. Even when are unsure about all that we know, we can know for sure that God loves us. I want you all to have heart and you can write your name on this heart to help you remember God’s love for you and for the world.”
Jesus, you know us by name. Thank you for your love for us. Help us to know you. Thank you for the gift of coming to our world. Help us to show your big love all over the globe. Amen
May you know the light of Christ in your heart and in your world.
Have more paper hearts cut out of map paper or the supplies for people to cut them. Have magnets with sticky back on them and have them out for people to attach to their heart. Invite people to write their names and/or a prayer on them.
Children’s Sermon All Saints Sunday John 11:32-44 Nov 1, 2015
Preparation: You will need a large mirror or several smaller ones. For the worship station you need the mirror/mirrors and markers or dry erase markers.
Gather the children with you and around a big mirror. Say “look into this mirror, what do you see?” Take answers (the will see themselves and others sitting next to them) Ask, “Ok, so have you have been told you look like someone in your family? I get told I look like my Dad because our eyes are the same. And sometimes I am told I am like my grandmother because we like many of the same things. So sometimes when I look in the mirror, I do not just see myself, I see my Dad or I see the things my grandmother and I love then I think about my grandparents who have died and the other family members that I have in my family. Sometimes I wish they were still here so I could see how much we look like and so I could talk to them again. Do you any of you have people you love that have died and you wish were still here?”
“Jesus has a friend named Lazarus and in this story today, Lazarus died and his sisters went to get Jesus. They were very sad and so was Jesus. Then Jesus did this amazing thing and he told Lazarus to come out of the tomb! And Lazarus did come out and the family had their brother back, he was raised from the dead. Now sometimes, I am sad that this does not happen with the ones I love. I would like to see them not just in the mirror when I look at myself or in a picture. So sometimes this story makes me sad. But other times this story makes me hopeful. Jesus wants us to know that one day we will be with those we love and miss and Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead not just to show his power but also so show us that God’s love and power can overcome all our fears and all our sadness and that when we feel those things God is right there with us.”
“So Let’s look in the mirror again and say a prayer together. Loving Jesus, thank you for our faces, thank you for our memories of those we love, help us to see them and you in our hearts and to know your promise of eternal life. Amen”
Have the children look at themselves in the mirror while saying these words. “God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right.”
Have mirrors at a station on a table. Either a big one or several smaller ones. Have dry erase or regular markers (test them first) around the mirrors. Post these instructions: Look in the mirror and notice what memories are there for you or what hopes you have. Notice if you remind yourself of someone you know that has died either by looks or because of the bond you shared in other ways. Write a word or a prayer or draw a memory on the mirrors. Then look in the mirror again and give yourself a blessing: Child of God, you are surrounded in memory and hope +
“Jesus Looks at You and Loves You” Children’s Sermon Pentecost 20B Mark 10:17-31
Preparation: a needle and thread–use a larger one if possible so that they can see, a sign that says Go in Peace, Serve the Lord (optional as you can do this verbally as well) Worship station supplies are a coloring page with cross–click here for a pdf of that page.
Gather the children up front with you and greet them. “Well, I heard Jesus saying some interesting things today about camels and needles and other things that sound just impossible. What are some things that you think are impossible?” (take answers, you will likely get some crazy ones like flying, etc) Yes those sound pretty impossible and some of them truly are not things we do as humans (like flying–careful not to encourage dangerous things!)
Today Jesus talks about it being more difficult for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get their own way into heaven. I brought this sewing needle with me to show you, can you see it here. This is the eye of the needle, the part where the thread goes (put the thread through or did it ahead of time.) Now, let’s use our imagination–how big is a camel? Yep this big, huge (spread out your arms) and how will a camel walk through this needle like the thread? Sounds crazy right? Well Jesus is using some big imagination there! Even exaggeration–talking about something that is not really possible. There was also this man, who asked Jesus a big question–what do I DO to have eternal life. And Jesus tells him to give away all that he has –everything and then he will know what it is to have eternal life. How do you think the man felt? Yep, he felt pretty gloomy because he just did not think he could do that-it sounded impossible. Does that sound impossible to you? What are some ways that we do give away we have and share? (talk about some things they do and any project you are working on together)
I also noticed that it says Jesus looked at the man with love–Jesus sees him and us with love! Then Jesus says, it is not possible for you to DO anything on your own but with God all things are possible. You can give things away and you can share with others even when it is difficult. And no matter what you do God’s love is there and Jesus going to the cross and rising again is what gives us eternal life, so there is nothing you can do to make it happen on your own.
Do this activity as the prayer and blessing:
What we DO matters, how we go out and share God’s love. AND God will be with us and gives us eternal life no matter we have or do not have or do or do not do. So yes we need to care for others and we need to know that Jesus is the one who saves us. We say something at the end of each service-Go in Peace and serve and the Lord. Do you know what that means? Go out of this place, knowing God is with you and do things that show God loves you and everyone else.
I have a sign here and so let’s have two people make an arch with their hands and I will hold this sign up for you. Now before we go back to our seats you will walk through this arch and sign and hear the words, Go in peace and serve the Lord and you can say thanks be to God as you go to your seat. As you hear these words remember that God goes with you no matter what you do in this world.
Option: Have two kids make these arches as people leave the sanctuary and encourage them to go through that tight space and hear the words that God loves you as you go in peace.
Have a cross coloring outline on a sheet of paper and the words Jesus looks at you and Loves you (paraphrase of verse 21)–Here is one made for you, click here! Inside the cross write the things that we struggle to give away to God and need to lay on the cross. Around the cross write or draw the ways God loves comes to you.
Ritual of Love Mark 7:1-8 Pentecost 14B August 30,2016
Gather the children with you at the baptismal font. Ask if anyone knows what this is called? Yep, it is the place we baptize, we get the person’s, often a baby, head wet and declare that they are a child of God. And YOU can remember your baptism, or remember you are a loved child of God even if you are not baptized, by putting your hand in the water and marking the sign of the cross. Let them try that briefly. Then direct to sit down.
Baptism is something that we call a ritual. It is a practice of the church to say certain prayers and blessings over a person getting baptized and it is a ritual that you have you remember and mark yourself with the water. A ritual is something we do again and again and often it reminds us of something. So let’s think a minute. Are there any rituals you do every day? (take answers and lead them to things like brushing teeth, washing hands. getting dressed, eating, sleeping) Yes! Those are rituals that are a part of every day.
So our gospel today from Mark is Jesus telling some church people that the rituals that they are doing are not totally helping them… hmmm, that is kind of confusing because they were doing what God told them, to keep wash their hands and to keep clean and staying away from certain foods. But they were also angry with Jesus and his followers because they were not doing those things. Jesus says, stop. You are using these rituals, these rules to only honor God on the outside but your heart is not focused on love and care for other people. God gave these rituals for loving and caring for others, not for being angry or hurting them.
So if we use a ritual, like baptism, to say that someone else is not ok or not loved then we are not talking about God. God opens up love to everyone. Jesus teaches us today that the ritual is good for helping us remember and that God’s love is over and above any ritual and is for all people.
Now, the ritual of remembering baptism can be a part of every day too, anytime you use water–for a bath, a shower, brush your teeth, to cook or to drink, You can remember God’s love for you and God’s love for your family and friends and even people you do not know! Pretty neat, right?
Jesus, you give love and ritual. Help us to share our rituals in love and teach others about your way. Amen
May you know God’s never ending ritual of love
Have a hand washing station with a bowl of water, a little soap and some towels. Invite people to wash their hands while remembering God’s love for them. They could pray a prayer of thankfulness or pray for another person or simply recite the Lord’s prayer as they wash.
Children’s Sermon Mark 5:21-43 5th Sunday after Pentecost Year B June 28,2015
Preparation: There are two options here.
A) fill a bag with different things to touch–a soft stuffed animal, baggie of dirt, something prickly (but not too sharp!), silly putty or something kind of slimy or sticky. You can either keep these in the bag and have them reach in and guess or you can take them out one by one to so they can see as well.
B) prepare several small bags with the same items in them, just one per bag so that kids can reach in and try to guess what they feel.
Gather the children with you. Show them the bag you have brought and prepared. “I have brought some things with me today that I want to explore what you think about how they feel.” Proceed to either have one or two children reach into the bag without peeking or bring the items out one by one and have them feel them and talk about what they feel like.
“I brought these items today because as I heard the gospel read I noticed that the word touch was used quite a lot. Do you remember what the story said about touch?” See what they recall, help them remember the places in the story that Jesus was touched or touched someone. “Touch is one of our five senses, and it’s an important one. Touch helps us know when something is too hot or too cold right? Touch also tells us what something is and helps us know our surroundings. In the Bible today we hear about Jesus and his healing touch–that he is able to heal the woman and the daughter with his touch and his words. This tells me that not only does Jesus care for us in words and by listening, but Jesus also cares for us in all the ways that we feel, either with our hands or with our hearts. You know, when I get a hug from one of my kids or a friend, that is a touch that can warm my heart and make me feel loved. Or when I get to curl up in my bed with favorite pillow that is a sense of touch that makes me feel warm and safe. And when we hold hands to pray or bless one another by putting our hands on one another’s head or shoulder that is touch that makes me feel connected to you and to God. So even though my touch may not make a disease go away or heal all their hurts, our touch of prayer and blessing and love can bring the presence of God and hope to another person.”
Let’s pray together this way–let’s hold hands but first look at your thumbs. Let’s make both our thumbs go to the left and then hold hands with the people next to us. When we do this we have one hand supporting one person next to us and another hand being supported, or held up by the other person. (show them this with the people next to you) Lets pray–Loving Jesus, you give us hands to feel and hearts to love. Help us to use kind touch to bring your healing to others. Amen
+May you know the healing touch of God today+
For a worship station you can either have the same items from your bag set up at the station and have people feel them and then write something that makes them feel and prayer on paper below each item.
OR
Go to this link from the Still Waters website and scroll down to the station on making hot chocolate as a fun way to have people make a gift for someone they love or who needs a healing prayer.
Children’s Sermon Mark 3:20-35 Pentecost 2B
Preparation: a big chart with two columns for Yes and No
Gather the children with you up front. Show them your chart and say, “So this week I was thinking about things that Jesus taught and how in our life we have lots of choices to make-lots of things and ideas and experiences and people that we can say yes or no to. Now I know that sometimes you have choices between other things too–like maybe mom or dad or grandparents ask if you want broccoli or green beans for dinner or how about this– raise your hand if you would like chocolate ice cream better and raise your foot if you would like ice cream better. So yes sometimes choices are for things but you know you are saying yes to chocolate or vanilla and not to the other even when you have these choices.
So I made this chart thinking about the things, people, ideas, ways to live that we can say yes or no to and I thought I would ask you what you thought. So let’s think deeply together, what are some things or ideas or people that we say yes or no to? I’ll go first. Yes things are things that connect us to love, to God, to other people, to helping the world. I needed help mowing my yard the other day and the neighbor boy came over to help–I said yes to accepting help. Do you have other ideas?
Knowing what we say yes to helps us know what we say no to. Like because I accepted help, I was able to say no to having a lot of pride and trying to do everything all alone. Other ideas?
Jesus today in the Gospel and throughout scripture is saying yes to people, to being in a community, to worshipping God. He is teaching to say no to separation from God, to evil, to being a part of things that do not show love. He tells us that we are all his brothers and sisters when we are saying yes to God. This reminds me of what happens in a baptism. Together we say we renounce, which is a big word for saying No. And we say no to the devil, empty promises, and anything that goes against God. (add these to the chart if they are not there or circle them) And in baptism we say Yes to remembering we are God’s children, helping other people and creation, yes to loving God and loving one another. Jesus promises to be with us everyday and all the ways we try to do this and to love us even we say yes to things that need a no.
Let us pray, Jesus-help us to say yes to living as your children. Yes to loving others. Yes to your promises. Help us to say no to all the things that separate us from you. Amen+
+May you walk in the yes with Jesus. +
Have a chart at your worship station for people to add their yes and no to. You could also have smaller pieces of paper with the same columns for people to take home. On this table also have a bowl of water with a remembrance of baptism or the blessing above. You can also put this station near the baptismal font if your space allows.
Children’s Sermon Easter 7B John 17:6-19 2015
Preparation: create a photo or picture collage of things that we do with our friends, different activities, etc. Put either a cross or praying hands in the center. OR draw a big scribble and put the name of a friend in one of the sections and then different things about him/her around it–for more details go to the blog Worshipping with With at this link. You will need to scroll down to the ideas for this text. This is to have a visual. The message can be done all orally if you choose.
Gather the children. Ask them to name some things they do with friends. Show them your poster and talk about those things (add to it if you can) or Show them your name scribble and talk about your friend in particular.
“There are many things we can do with our friends. You know Jesus had friends too. He had his disciples and the people who followed him and he did all kinds of things with them. Can you think of any? He walked with them, talked, hung out under trees, went to cities and towns, drank and ate, etc. Do you think he did any of the things we listed like play games? Well today we hear from Jesus who had done all these wonderful things with his friends and we hear that Jesus reaches out to us too and calls us friend, a loved child of God. And what he is doing is praying. Yep he’s ‘thinking about all the things his friends have done and all the things they will need to do even when he is not with them any more to teach about God’s love. He’s thinking about them and about us and he is praying. He prays that all those ways that we live and play and learn are ways that we also show love to others. He prays that we will know what to do when hard things come into our lives. He prays that we will know how to love others and that God will be with us. So Jesus prayed for the disciples and he prayed for each one of you–that you will know how to be friend and love others.”
If you have done the name scribble, tell the kids how to do this and then encourage them to do this during the sermon or at a worship station or at home. Describe how the name scribble shows things about the person that they can pray for specifically. They can make this for their friend, say the prayers for them when they give it them or before, like a blessing of the drawing.
“One of the ways I have been taught to pray is to hold hands so that both thumbs point left.”Demonstrate by holding hands of the two children on either side of you. “See one hand is underneath, so it is being supporting this person. The other hand is on top so it is being supported. Let’s hold hands in a circle so that we are being supported by our neighbor and offering support to the other neighbor as well pray. Jesus, thank you for the gift of friends. Thank you for sending us to the world to be a friend. Help us to love them and support them and show them your grace. Amen”
Jesus’ prayer today gives us a promise and blessing that we will also always be held in his love. Let’s say our blessing together while making the sign of the cross. “God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right” Amen
Worship Station: Have paper and markers and sample ‘friend scribbles’. Invite people to pray for a friend or friends by creating this name scribble and praying for each part of their friend’s lives. Another way to do this would be to write different places on the globe or different issues in the spaces of the scribble and pray over them.