Gather the children in a circle. Ask them if they know the “Hokey Pokey” song. Maybe sing a couple of verses and have them do it with you. For the last verse sing the “put your whole self in put your whole self out.”

 After you sing that have the kids sit down if you would like. Tell them that today’s Bible story from Luke is kind of a hard one. Jesus says some harsh words about how following Jesus and loving Jesus is not easy and that you may have to give up everything you have to follow Jesus. Say, “Just like the song the “Hokey Pokey” that we just sang, Jesus tells us that the only way to follow him is to put our whole selves in. What does it mean to follow Jesus? How do we act, what do we say, if we are following Jesus? (Accept all answers) So when we are at school do we follow Jesus? Yes. When we are at soccer, baseball, football practice or dance class do we follow Jesus? What if following Jesus, which means loving everyone, even those that other people ignore, means that we get made fun of for being nice to kids that other kids are not nice to? What if following Jesus means that you share the ball in soccer practice or don’t need to be the one who makes the goal? What if following Jesus means giving away part of your allowance to buy food for someone or clothes for someone? Those can all be tough things but Jesus wants our whole selves to follow him not just on Sundays or at church but Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and everywhere! Is that easy or hard? Well the good news is that Jesus promises to be with us on all of those days and at every time of our day! We will mess up and not get it right but we get to try again every single day and God says that is ok and God loves us! And that is “what’s it’s all about!”

 God love is what you offer us every day and is what our lives are all about. Help us to put our whole selves into following and loving you. Amen.

 Jesus is with you always. (Make the sign of the cross on one another’s forehead.)