Here is the Weekly devotion for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – April 28, 2013
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Children’s Sermon Psalm 23 April 21, 2013 Fourth Sunday of Easter
Preparation: You will need several small bowls that you can dip into the font to fill with water. The more children you have the more bowls you will need.I would make sure that the font is very full this Sunday!
Gather the children around the baptismal font.
Say: Today one of our stories from the Bible is called a Psalm or a poem or song. We have 150 of these songs or poems in our Bible and they talk about all kinds of things from being sad or mad at God, worrying about the future, praise and saying thank you to God. Today’s poem is about life with God and how much God loves us. The writer of this song says that God’s love and goodness pursue us-chase us down everyday of our lives! God is chasing you with love! Have you ever played tag? What if when we played a game of tag we were giving hugs! We might have to be careful so that we don’t knock anyone over-that wouldn’t necessarily be loving, but would you maybe want to be caught if you were getting a hug or a high five instead of getting “out” of the game? (Accept all answers-maybe they don’t want to be caught even for a hug!) Just as God chases us with love God wants us to show love too! Maybe we don’t really run after people to attack them with a hug or a high five, but anytime we talk to someone, or are with someone it’s a time to catch them with God’s love. In Psalm 23, God catches the writer by being with them when it is scary, giving them food when they need it and by putting oil on their head which a long time ago was a way to show someone that they were very special. When we baptize some one we pour water on their head to show that they are very special to God and to tell the whole world that they are a child of God.
We have water in this baptismal font and it is where we tell people how God has caught them in God’s love forever. I am gong to make the sign of the cross on each of you with water to remind you that you have been caught. Do you know what else? All people have have been caught in God’s love! We can’t sprinkle water on all the people of the world but we can sprinkle the people sitting here today! Should we gently sprinkle water on all of these people to remind them that just like the writer of Psalm 23, God chases them with God’s love and catches them always? Yes!
(Have some small bowls that you can dip in the font to fill with water. The kids can dip their finger in the water and “splash” people in the congregation.)
Dear God, thank you for chasing us with your love! Help us to show everyone we meet that we are all caught by your love and forgiveness. Amen!
As the children and youth sprinkle with water have them say, “You are caught in God’s love.”
May 2013 Faith + Home Connection Acts 2: 1-21
Begin by gathering together as a household and lighting a candle. Open your time by sharing the day’s highs and lows and praying for one another.
Read Acts 2:1-21. For households with younger children I would recommend a children’s Bible such as the Jesus Storybook Bible or the Spark Storybook Bible. If someone speaks or reads in a language other than the one spoken in the home, have them tell the story (or parts of the story) in that different language. Or look up a translation on-line.
This story is often referred to as the “birthday” of the Church. But it is more than that. It is also about how the good news of God’s unconditional and eternal love for all people IS FOR all people.
For children: When you meet a new person do you always understand everything that they say? Maybe they are from another country or even a different part of this country-each place has special phrases and words that have unique meanings. We sometimes have a difficult time understanding someone from a different place but God brings all people together and wants us to listen to each other. Each person, no matter where they are from, has a special gift given from God to share with us and other people. AND we have special gifts to share with people too! What is something that you do that maybe someone else in your family doesn’t? How can you use that gift to show other people God’s love? We don’t always have to use words to share God’s love-our actions of kindness and caring for people are important too!
For youth/adults: Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we are filled with the Holy Spirit each and every day of our lives. But God fills us with God’s Spirit that moves us to live as followers of Christ. God fills us and sends us out to be the Church in the world and not just in a building. What are some ways that your family (or congregation) lives out faith in the world? How do people in your neighborhood know that you are there to serve and be in relationship with them? It’s not just about “helping” people but truly living with them and listening to them and letting other people different from us break us open to pour out God’s love and grace on all people that we meet. Tell about a time when someone completely different from you impacted you in a life changing way. How did that person share God’s Spirit with you?
God of all nations, continue to pour out your Holy Spirit onto all of your people. Show us how to love one another despite differences and confusion. Open us up to see all people as your people; send us to share radical love and grace; move us call on you every day of our lives. In Jesus name, amen.
Two parts: 1) Notice when someone new moves into your neighborhood or comes to your church. Not only greet them and introduce yourself but bring them a simple meal as they settle in, or offer to help with younger children or another need. 2) Print off a map of a foreign country (any one will do) and learn about the people, language, culture, etc. Pray for the people in that country this month and see how you can support your global brothers and sisters.
Make the sign of the cross on one another and say: Child of God you are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Weekly Devotions for April 21, 2013
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 21, 2013
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Weekly Devotions for April 14, 2013
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Third Sunday of Easter – March 14, 2013
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Children’s Sermon Third Sunday of Easter, John 21:1-19 – April 14, 2013
Prepare: Bring some food to share. Something simple would be best, to mirror the breakfast of bread and fish on the shore. I would suggest rice crackers or wheat thins (think about food allergies in your own setting!)
Faith+Open: Greet the children with, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” If they do not know the response, teach them to say, “Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!”
Faith+Share: I love all these stories after Easter! This one is really fun because it makes me think of a couple other great stories about Jesus. The disciples were out fishing at the beginning of this story, and Jesus appeared on the beach, kind of like the first time that some of them met Jesus. Something very similar happens, they had not caught any fish and Jesus told them to try the other side of the boat and the net fills with fish! Then, on the beach, they share a meal of bread and fish, like when Jesus feed all those thousands of people from just a few fish and rolls. It’s like Jesus is trying to remind them of the amazing things that they have seen and been part of, and I think I know why.
After breakfast, Jesus talks to Peter and asks him, “Do you love me?” Peter says, “Yes, of course I do!” Then Jesus tells him to, “feed my lambs,” and “tend my sheep” and “feed my sheep.” What do you think Jesus is trying to say to Peter? (wait for some answers) Yeah, those are good answers! Jesus isn’t just talking about sheep, is he? He is talking about how we care for each other. How we feed each other, how we love each other, and how we take care of each other. Because we love Jesus, we also should love those around us because we are all part of God’s family, we are all God’s sheep!
So, before you go, we are going to share a simple meal with each other. Each of you take one cracker and then we will pray together. Don’t eat until we pray, just hold it.
Faith+Prayer: Loving Jesus, we thank you for all the people who care for us in our lives. We thank you for the food that you give to us and for the love that you show us. Teach us to love others as you love us. Amen
OK, bless each other and you can eat your cracker!
Faith+Blessing: Say, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” – Let then respond, “Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”
~GB
Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.
Children’s Sermon Second Sunday of Easter, John 20:19-31 – April 7, 2013
Prepare: Bring something REALLY sticky, like a piece of duct tape or packaging tape (or you could go messy if you want, like honey). You want it to be something that will stick to your hand as you try to get rid of it. Styrofoam peanuts that have a good static charge going would work, too. The main thing is that you need to be able to get it off your hand when you want to, but it needs to stick up to that point.
Faith+Open: Greet the children with, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” If they do not know the response, teach them to say, “Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!”
Faith+Share: Hello! Today is we hear this amazing story about Jesus appearing to his disciples. They were afraid after Jesus was arrested and killed, so they were hiding in a locked room. Do you think that stopped Jesus from finding them? No, he appeared with them and said, “Peace be with you.” That by itself is pretty amazing. And then there is the whole story about Thomas and Jesus. Thomas wasn’t there the first time, and didn’t believe Jesus came, so then . . . wait, that’s not the part of the story that I wanted to tell you about. Man, I really got sidetracked! Do you forgive me? (Wait for an answer)
Oh, good, because that was what I wanted to talk about! Jesus said something else to the disciples when he first came to them, he said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Think about it this way, if you forgive a person for something then the sin goes away, but if you don’t forgive the sin sticks around. It’s kind of like this tape (or whatever sticky thing you brought). If I don’t do something about this it will just stick to my hand and get it my way, and stick to other things. It might even switch hands on me and it just won’t go away. Here’s the crazy thing. This tape on my hand isn’t really my sin, it’s the sin that I don’t want to forgive, it’s someone else’s sin, but it’s stuck on me!
To get this tape off my hands I have to pay attention to it and make sure that I don’t grab a stick part and fold it up and get rid of it (Do this while you talk, or wipe off the honey, or . . . ) Part of forgiving someone is getting their sin out of your life and out of your way. If you let that sin stick around it just keeps getting in a way. Sometimes we call this holding a grudge, and it usually makes people grumpy and sad. When we hold grudges we spend a lot of time and effort staying mad at someone. When we forgive and let go of any grudges we can be happier and spend more time loving and caring for people and less time being grumpy.
Faith+Prayer: Loving Jesus, help us to forgive people when they do things that hurt us or make us mad. Help us to learn to forgive like you forgive us. Amen
Faith+Blessing: Say, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” – Let then respond, “Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”
~GB
Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.
Weekly Devotions – April 7, 2013 – Second Sunday of Easter
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Second Sunday of Easter – April 7, 2013
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Children’s Sermon Easter Sunday, Luke 24:1-12 – March 31, 2013
Faith+Open: Greet the children with, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” If they do not know the response, teach them to say, “Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!” This will be important at the end.
Faith+Share: Have you ever lost something important? Or even worse, have you ever had anything important stolen from you? (While this is a real story from my life, it can serve as a generic story for anyone to tell. It would be even better if you had your own story!) I remember one time when I had something stolen from me. I was at work and when I came out after work and walked to my car I noticed a pile of broken glass. Someone had broken the window on my car! I ran to the car and looked inside, and they had stolen my radio! That was a terrible feeling. I was mad, I was nervous, I was sad, I was worried, and I felt completely helpless. Now, let’s be honest about this, it was just a car radio, and I needed to get a new window. Overall it was not a big deal, but it still made me feel all those bad emotions. I never did get the radio back, but I had insurance that helped me replace the window and get a different radio, so I guess it turned out ok.
Well, in today’s Gospel story we hear about something that starts out kind of the same way, but is much worse at the beginning and unimaginably better by the end! This is day that we remember when some of Jesus’ friends went to see his body, remember he had died on the cross a few days before. They were planning to clean and prepare his body the way that they always did when someone they loved died. Well, when they got to tomb where the body was supposed to be it was not there! They thought that someone had stolen Jesus’ body! This isn’t a thing, like my car radio, it was the body of their friend, of their teacher, it was the body of Jesus. Can you imagine how upset they must have been? How scared they must have been?
But then, two angels appeared and gave them amazing news! Do you know what they said? (Give a little time for answers.) That’s right, they said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but had risen.” WOW! Isn’t that exciting! Sometimes it is hard for us to really be excited about it because we have heard this story before and we know the ending, but try to imagine how they must have felt then. Amazed, confused, excited, maybe even more scared? Let’s share the excitement of the story. I want you to greet people today with Easter greeting that we used at the beginning. We will practice again at the end, but let’s pray first.
Faith+Prayer: Risen and Living God, Alleluia! We praise you for the miracle of the resurrection. Help us to live in the excitement of the risen Christ today and every day. Amen
Faith+Blessing: Say, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” – Let then respond, “Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!”
~GB
Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.
Weekly Devotions – March 31, 2013 – Easter Sunday
Here is the Weekly devotion for Easter Sunday – March 31, 2013
Note – Clicking on the picture will download the insert to your computer or device in PDF format
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!