Here is the devotion page for the Second Sunday of Easter, April 3, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Tag Archives: John
Weekly Devotion Page for March 20, 2016
Here is the devotion page for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 13, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Weekly Devotion Page – March 13, 2016
Here is the devotion page for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 13, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Children’s Sermon – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, year C – Luke 4:14-21 (and Isaiah 61:1-2)
Prepare: You will need a bandage of some kind, like an ACE bandage, for the children’s sermon. And bring a Bible with Isaiah 61:1-2 marked.
For the worship station you will need the mission statement of your congregation. If you do not have one you can use the mission statement of your wider church organization. Here is a link the ELCA Mission Statement page.
Gather the children and show them the bandage, asking them if they know what it is for. Once they answer ask if any of them have ever had to have a bandage?
We will get back to the bandage in just a minute, but first I wanted to talk a little about what Jesus says in the Gospel story we hear today. Jesus is in his hometown synagogue (you might want to take a minute to explain that word – for most the children, equating it to a church will be enough!) and he decides that he is going to read from the scriptures. He chooses a couple of passages from a book called Isaiah and reads them. My favorite of the two passages he reads is Isaiah 61:1-2, which says this – (read)
Then he does a crazy thing, he says, “That person that Isaiah is describing? That’s me!”
Well, this makes the people who are there a little uncomfortable and upset, but we are going to save that part for next week! This week we are going to look at what Jesus said – remember that bandage?
One of the things that is in Isaiah, but not in the Gospel reading is that Jesus will, “Bind up the brokenhearted.” I love that phrase! It’s such a wonderful image of comfort and care. If i hurt my wrist I can use a bandage to bind it up and support it until it heals and is strong again. If I cut my finger I can bind it up with a bandage until the skin grows back and it can protect me again. But if my heart is broken what can I do? Jesus says that He is here to bind up our broken hearts so that they can heal and be strong again. He wraps them up and protects and comforts our hearts when we are brokenhearted! I love it!
Jesus comforts and protects your heart.
Loving God, bind up our brokenness with you love and care. Help our hearts to heal and be strong so that we can help bind up other hearts that are broken. Amen.
Sometimes this passage in John is called “Jesus’ Mission Statement.” Invite your congregation to read it again, and then read your church’s mission statement. Open up a little time for interactive discussion about what is important in each statement. How is your church’s mission similar or different from Jesus? Should they be the same? Should they be different?
If your congregation is using the Weekly Devotion Inserts (here is a link to the one for this week!) ask them to get them out and work through the exercise on the back – make a mission statement for the week and post it somewhere it will be seen!
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 – 2nd Sunday of Christmas, January 3, 2016, John 1:10-18 (and a little following!)
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!
Children’s Sermon for November 22, 2015 – Christ the King Sunday
Prepare: Get a big piece of paper to make a banner and some markers.
Start with a big “Happy New Year!” Wait for a few funny looks from the children then talk about how Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year, so this is a good time to sat “Happy New Year!”
What do you know about the year? Let’s start with the seasons. If we are talking about the regular calendar, it starts in January, kind near the beginning of winter. Then we move on to spring, them summer, than autumn, and the we start all over again! It goes in a big circle, and we notice the seasons as they change, and we know what is coming
The year for the church is kind of the same, except that is starts with Advent. There are seasons in the church year, too, but more than in the regular calendar. We have Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. Just like the regular calendar, we know the church year and we know what is coming next! Next week we start Advent, which leads us to Christmas!
The regular calendar marks out the seasons of the earth going around the sun. The church year focuses on the life and the stories of Jesus. His birth and ministry. His death and resurrection, and the way that we tell the stories of Jesus. On this last Sunday of the church year we celebrate Christ as the king of all creation! By this time in the church year we have heard the stories, celebrated the miracles and mercy of Christ, and look forward to the time when he comes again.
Next week we start over! Next week we are once again waiting for Christ to be born. We are following Mary and Joseph on their journey. We are preparing to start the story of Jesus all over again, so Happy New Year!
God of renewal and hope, we celebrate your power and grace today! Hear us as we shout praises to you, and proclaim you as the ruler of all creation. Bring joy to our hearts and prepare us for life in your kingdom here with us. Amen.
In Christ you are made new!
The worship station is a time for New Year’s resolutions! Take a moment to talk about some of the standard New Year’s resolutions – save more money, go to the gym, get in shape, etc. These are not bad things to want to change, but today we are going to focus on Spiritual resolutions!
Have the banner paper and markers out in the worship space. You are welcome to decorate the banner in some way! Invite people to write a spiritual resolution on the banner. Some ideas might be to read the Bible daily or to join a Bible study group, to pray before EVERY meal, to spend one day each month volunteering at a soup kitchen, etc. Encourage people to think about doing things that help their community or enrich their spiritual life.
After worship, hand the banner somewhere in your building where people will see if throughout the season of Advent.
Weekly Devotion Page for November 22, 2015
Here is the devotion page for Christ the King Sunday, November 22, 2015. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Weekly Devotion Page for Nov. 1, 2015 – All Saints Sunday
Here is the devotion page for All Saints Sunday, November 1, 2015. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
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 +