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Tag Archives: Fear
My Peace I Give To You, John 14: 23-29, May 1, 2016 Easter 6C
As the children come forward give them a handshake or a high-five and say “I give you peace.” They might think that’s a bit strange but that’s ok!
Once you’ve greeted everyone say, “Did I tell each of you “I give you peace”? Good! Why do you think I did that? (Accept all answers) Yes, those are all good reasons! In our Bible story this morning Jesus says that he gives his peace to the disciples. Do you think that they were confused by that too? I think so! It’s a strange thing to give someone peace…it’s not the same as giving a sandwich, a toy or a sticker…Jesus knew that he would not always be with the disciples or with us. He would be going to be with God in heaven. Jesus also knew that sometimes the disciples might get scared because there are scary things in the world.
Do you ever get scared? What scares you? (Share something that scares you.) Those things can scare us! When you get scared what do you do? Who do you run to? (Hopefully they will answer, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or some family/close friend.) Yes! We run to someone who loves us and will help us! Does that make us feel better? It does me! I don’t like to be scared and alone…I think that’s what Jesus means by giving us peace, Jesus reminds us that we have each other to help us remember that we are never truly alone. If we’re scared and our mom, dad, etc. are not around, Jesus is! This makes us feel better! Did you know in church we offer each other peace in our worship service? We call it the passing of the peace and we shake hands or give hugs and say, “Peace be with you.” We do this to remind ourselves that we are not alone! We have this whole community around us! Praise God!
Have strips of cloth cut out from one piece of fabric so that everyone receives the same color. Invite the congregation to write with a fine tip permanent marker the words “I give you the peace of Jesus.” Have them take the strip of cloth with them to their seats. If your congregation has as part of you liturgy the “Passing of the Peace,” invite them to tie this strip of cloth around the wrist of someone as they offer a sign of peace. If not, choose a time to do this in your worship.
God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, you are one and we are also connected as one. May we share your peace and love with everyone that we meet. Remind us when we are scared that you are with us and will never leave us. We pray for your peace to reign in our hearts and our world. Amen.
+The Peace of Christ be with you always+
In the Shelter of God’s Love Feb. 21st, 2016 Lent 2, Year C
Have a tent or a make shift canopy where you can gather the children under. Ask them if they remember what prayer we talked about last week (or last time you worshiped). Yes, the Lord’s Prayer! The Lord’s Prayer is important not just because Jesus taught his disciples to pray it but because it reminds us that we can talk to God about everything in our lives, even hard, sad or scary stuff, not just happy things. Have you ever been sad or afraid? *Share a time that you were afraid.
You just heard a Psalm (or a song) that is all about God being with us when life is sad or scary. We will have times when we are afraid or sad and that’s ok. Life is not always happy but do you know what? The person who wrote this song wants you to know something: God is with you always and forever. Forever! No matter what! Jesus wants you to know that too! There is one sentence in the Lord’s Prayer that says: “Deliver us from evil.” Evil sounds very scary but Jesus says don’t forget that you are never alone no matter how afraid you are. It might sound as if we are asking God to deliver us-as if God didn’t know that we are afraid but Jesus is saying that God knows and will cover you like a tent with God’s love! We are always under God’s shelter no matter what. Even if we can’t feel it or see it. It’s hard to understand that but it’s true! We gather here at church, in a special space to remind us that God is our shelter. We can bring all of our fears, questions and worries here to church and know that God is with us and that all of these people are with us too!
Have a table with a large piece of canvas (tenting type material) and have some permanent markers available. Invite people to write their fears on the canvas and hang it in the worship space in Lent as a reminder that God shelters us in our fear.
God you are our shelter and safety. Thank you for delivering us from evil and for your son Jesus who shows us your love. May all people feel your love, presence and shelter. Amen.
+God is your shelter+
Let’s Go! Jesus is with us always! Children’s sermon on Mark 4: 35-41
Gather the children in a different spot than you normally do maybe at the font, or just on a different side of the worship space. Then ask them if they have ever had to go to a new school or daycare place. Or maybe they joined a new soccer team, dance team, swim team, etc. What was that like? Was it a bit scary to go somewhere new? Did you have to learn new things and new people? Yes! But probably your parents stayed with you for a little while anyway to get you settled, or maybe your brother or sister was with you or a friend. When we go new places we like to someone we know with us don’t we!
In our story from Mark this morning, Jesus invites his disciples to go somewhere new. Jesus simply says to the disciples, “Let’s go to the other side!” The “other side” of the sea of Galilee was a place where the disciples had never been before but they knew that there would be different people, different food and stuff they couldn’t even imagine! But Jesus said “Let’s Go!” and they got in the boat and went. Now when they were on their way a storm came up and they woke Jesus up for help. Jesus told the storm and the disciples “Peace! Be Still!” and the storm stopped! The disciples were amazed! But they learned that even when stuff is hard Jesus is there and will be with us, when we are afraid, somewhere new, and with new people. It’s kind of weird having children’s sermon here isn’t it? But you know what? Jesus is here!!!
You know what? God gives us all kinds of people in our lives to be with us and to remind us of God’s love. Today, we are celebrating all of the men in our community who care for us. Doesn’t matter if they are actually your dad, grandpa, or uncle, God calls all men to be caring adults for you and in this community! How can we tell other people about how Jesus is with them when they are scared, worried or alone?
(Have a carnation or a daisy for the children to give to each man (18 and up) in the congregation this morning.)
Create on a large piece of paper a simple boat. Have post-it notes available. Invite people to write or draw on the post-it notes prayers for where they are experiencing change in their lives. Offer these prayers during your community prayers during worship. Invite people to take a post-it note that is not their own home to pray for someone else during the week.
Have cards and pens available to write cards with words of encouragement for people to take to give to those they encounter this week in need of knowing that God is with them always. You can use the blessing below as a prompt.
We are all in the boat with Jesus together!
Dear Jesus, you tell us to get in the boat and follow you. We are sometimes afraid of new places, people and situations but you promise to always be with us with a word of peace. In the name of the one who stilled the storm, Jesus Christ, amen.
+Do not be afraid, Jesus gives you peace+
The Peace of the Lord Faith + Home Connection April 2015 John 20: 19-31
Trace your hands on paper. Write or draw who was the hands of Christ to you today and who you shared Christ with today. Save these for your closing prayer time.
Read John 20: 19-31 from a Bible or page 492-495. Have people read the different voices in the story.
For children: When was a time that you were afraid? Who was with you? Did having someone with you make you feel better? If you were alone, who did you wish was with you? Did you know that God is with you always? Even if we’re afraid, alone, worried or feeling bad. Jesus promises to be with us always just like he came to be with Thomas and to tell Thomas that he would never leave him!
For youth/adults: What does it mean to be at peace? When have you felt at peace? How can we share this peace that comes from God with others? Is it words, actions, attitudes?
Doubt is not the opposite of faith. Jesus met Thomas in his “doubt,” his wondering, his questions so that Thomas could grow in faith. Our faith is like that too-a journey. When we wonder or question, we explore God in our lives, define and articulate more clearly what we do believe and are able to share that with others. Doubt is how we deepen our faith! What do you wonder about God?
Write a note to someone telling and thanking them for the ways that they showed Christ to you in your life. Think of one way to show the love and peace of Christ to someone at work, school or other places.
You give us your peace to spread that peace all through your world. You reveal Christ to us in so many ways and we know that we are called to be part of that revelation. Be with those who are in distress, who are lonely, who are worried or afraid. May we be your peace to them. In the name of you son Jesus, who is with us always, amen.
+Receive the Peace of the Lord+
Children’s sermon November 17th, 2013 26th Sunday after Pentecost Year C Luke 21:5-19
Preparation: This children’s time is loosely based off of the Gospel reading and is also an opportunity to talk to children about complex and frightening topics such as super typhoon Haiyan. Have a large cross available for the children to put sticky notes on. Have several stacks of sticky notes, pencils, pens and markers. You will also need either a cross sticker or some sort of simple cross to give everyone in your congregation. Invite the adults to participate with the children.
Have the children gather around the cross. Ask the children if they know why the cross is important to us. (Accept all answers.) Tell the children that yes, Jesus died on the cross and it is how we know that God understands our fear, our hurting and is always with us. Jesus on the cross reveals that God is with us even in some pretty scary times and places. We have all had scary experiences haven’t we and we worry about being alone, sick, hurt or scared. This is completely normal and we all worry. Every single person here-even adults-worry about these same things.
We heard Jesus mention some pretty scary things in the Bible this morning didn’t we? Jesus knows that we hear difficult things on the news or on the computer like storms or other stuff. BUT Jesus wants us to know that even if these scary things happen-we are not alone. We have a whole group of people here and in our neighborhoods that are with us; we have family, friends AND Jesus promises to be with us NO MATTER WHAT. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing-Jesus promises to be there. Jesus says this in the Bible: Matthew 28: 20 “I am with you until the end of the age” which means forever.
But that doesn’t mean that we still won’t worry, right? I do! I worry! Do you know what I do when I am worried? I might talk to my husband or my friend but I always pray and talk to God about what is scaring me. I have some sticky notes here for all of us (including adults!). Let’s all write or draw a picture of what is worrying us or scaring us. (This might take some time so you will need to allow for this. Have older children help younger children or adults help.)
When you are done writing/drawing, put your worry on the cross. Jesus knows what it is to be afraid and hurt and promises to listen and be with you when you are scared and hurt. The cross can remind us of that. After you put your worry on the cross come and pick up a cross sticker to take home to put in your room, on your refrigerator or another place where you will see it. The cross can remind you that when you are afraid God is there and to tell God all your worries and fears.
Dear God, sometimes we are scared. Thank you for promising to be with us and for our friends, family and neighbors who help us when we are worried or scared. We know that you love us and care for us always. In Jesus name, amen.
(Make the sign of the cross): Do not be afraid, Jesus is with you always.
Children’s Sermon for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost (Lec 12) Luke 8:26-39 – June 23, 2013
Preparation note: This lesson is a difficult one. We will not focus on the lesson per se but how we hear things that might frighten us every day and that God is present in our fear.
Gather the children. You will need to tweak the wording of this to fit your context regarding if you children’s time is before or after the gospel reading in worship.
Say: We just heard a story that has some scary things in it didn’t we. Do sometimes hear scary things on tv or at school? Yes, sometimes we hear things that we don’t understand, make us worry or are scary to us. What do you do when you hear something scary? Do you talk to mom, dad, brother, sister or other trusted adult? That can be a good idea. When I am scared ad worried I talk to my family and friends too and I talk to God. I tell God what is bothering me or what I am scared or worried about. about. What are some things that you worry about? (Accept all answers. If you don’t have too many children you can write them down to pray about them at the end of this children’s time.)
Well, God understands that there are real things in our lives that scare us and that we worry about. God wants us to talk to God about those things because then we will remember that God is with us always, God hears our worries and will not leave us when we are scared. We belong to God and God will never let us go. When a friend is scared or worried we can tell them about God, how they too belong to God and how God is with us in our fear.
God we are so glad that you are with us always. We pray today for: (pray for what the children named). We know that you love us and care for us. Thank you for all the people in our lives, our moms, dads, friends and teachers that we can talk to about all of our worries. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Do not fear, God is with you! (Make the sign of the cross on one another.)