Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Luke 13

  • Growing in God’s Kingdom Lent 3, Year C Feb, 28th, 2016

    20130822-222604.jpgHave a plant to show the children. Gather them around the plant and ask them what plants need to grow and flower or if a vegetable plant to grow vegetables/fruit. Accept all answers. Affirm that plants need water, sunshine, care and oxygen to grow and be healthy. Plants need people to care for them and we need God! We are continuing to learn about the Lord’s Prayer and this week we are talking about how God want us all to be healthy and grow, which is the part of the meaning of “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” God is always at work with us!

    20130822-223633.jpg Jesus tells the people a story about a tree that doesn’t seem to want to grow fruit. A man wanted to just cut it down and get rid of it since it wasn’t doing its job of growing fruit. But the gardener asked to give the tree more time, wondered if the tree needed more love, more food, water and sun. Trees want to grow and give fruit, just as plants do, just as we want to grow up taller and stronger so that we can do more and more things! But sometimes, like with the tree, that doesn’t happen exactly how we think it should. It might take longer than we want or we might need to wait, which is VERY HARD! What kinds of things do you want to do when your bigger? *Accept all answers (dangerous here I know!). Affirm that there are MANY things that as children they can do now, but some that need to wait until they are an adult.
    God wants you to do ALL of the wonderful things that God gave you talent and ability to do! To play piano, to play soccer, to read, to cure diseases, to love all people. God promises to give you all the time that you need to grow and be healthy! God wants you to grow, learn, make mistakes and try again! You will give to God’s world in so many ways! God’s kingdom and God’s will is all about all of God’s people and creation growing and working together to be healthy and whole.

    FaithCross_WorshipJesus used the current events in Jerusalem to point out that God doesn’t punish but that our world and lives are filled with hazards. Jesus reminds the people and us that in all times and circumstances to turn to God. Turn to God in prayer, in actions, in thoughts and in love. Have a table with this week’s current newspapers, weekly magazines (such as Time), scissors, tape, and pens. Have a large poster board cross available. Invite people to cut out a headline or a short article to tape to the cross. They may write a short prayer by the headline or article that offers God’s presence and love into that situation.

    20130822-223749.jpg God of life, you give us what we need to grow, learn, pray, love and bear fruit. May we offer this patience to all people that we meet. We pray for all people and places that are in sorrow and wonder why death and suffering occur. May they feel your peace and comfort. Thy kingdom come and thy will be done. In Jesus name, amen.

    20130822-223908.jpg +Grow and bear fruit!+

     

  • Children’s sermon Luke 13: 10-17, Pentecost 14, August 25th, 2013

    Preparation: Have a “Hello my name is…” name tag for each child as well as some markers for them to write.

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    Gather the children and ask a couple of them if you can call them “hey you” or something silly like “male child” or “female child.” Hopefully you will get some giggles and some children insisting that you call them by their real names! You could also just decide to call all the children Joe or Fred…unless one of them has that name! Say: “Does your mom, dad, grandma or grandpa, etc. call you by a fun nickname? Why do they call you that? Is is because they know you really well and love you? Yes! More than likely your parents picked out your name because it means something special to them and because YOU are special to them. Our names and nicknames are ours and the people who know us and love us call us by them.”

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    Tell the children the story from Luke about the woman who was bent over for 18 years and how no one really saw her, talked to her or took notice of her at all. She was just an old woman in a crowd and no one even knew her name. But Jesus saw her. He called to her by saying “woman, come over to me.” Even Jesus just used a plain name for her. But then Jesus did something wonderful-but not what you think. Yes, Jesus healed her back and she could stand up and see all the people around her but Jesus did something even better than that! He gave her a name: “daughter of Abraham.” Now that name may not seem like much to you or me-but it would be like when your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or someone you love calls you sweetie, or love, or a nick name that shows how much that person loves you. Jesus was calling her a name that meant that God loved this woman very much and knows who this woman is and will be with her always.
    God loves each of us and calls us “children of God” that means that we belong to God first and foremost. In the water of baptism God says that our name that people on earth call us may be Ella, or Brigette or John but God calls us God’s child now and forever.

    Have the blank “Hello my name is…” name tags for the children. Have markers for them to write their names on their name tags. Have the children put them on to remember that they are loved by their family, friends and God.

    20130822-224425.jpg“Dear God, thank you for calling us yours. Let us see all the people in our lives as your children too. Thank you for being with us always. Amen”

    20130822-223908.jpgMake the sign of the cross and say: “You are called a child of God.”