Prepare: Make two signs. One should have a large circle that says “this is the way.” This sign should be sturdy enough for some small children to run into. The other should have an arrow pointing to the side and also have the words “this is the Way” on it, but note the capitalization.
If you are going to also do a worship station, then make the sign with the arrow big enough for people in the congregation to either write directly on it or to add post-it note to it.
Invite the children up and show them the sign with the circle (keep the other one hidden somewhere). Invite them to try to walk through the sign (you should probably stand behind it to keep it from falling over – and you may want to just get one or two volunteers!)
Ask them if they had any success getting through the sign that clearly says “this is the way?”
In the Bible story that we hear today there is a man named John who has some ideas about Jesus. We might know this guy better as John the Baptizer. He talks about Jesus as being greater than him, and as being before him. He even says at one point that he is not the way, but he came to point to the one who is the way!
Which brings us back to our sign here. What if instead of a circle it had an arrow that could point to Jesus? Maybe something like this! (pull out the other sign)
We can use this sign to point to all the things that remind us of, and bring us closer to Jesus! Can you find some things like that? (let them find a few symbols of Jesus in the room, maybe help them get started if they need it)
Jesus is the Way, and John points us toward him. Sometimes we do our best to act like Jesus – being kind, and loving, and forgiving – but maybe we should practice acting like John, too. We should work to point the way to Jesus!
+ You are a child of God, born of God’s will. +
Giving and loving God, you not only gave us Jesus, but you gave us people like John who point the way to Jesus! Help us to point others to you. Amen.
For a worship station, invite people to think about, and write down ways that they have pointed to God in their lives, or ways that they wish they had pointed to God. Then hang the sign up in your church for a few weeks to remind people to point to God!
