Tag Archives: Luke 3

Children's Sermons

Celebrate God’s Promises! Luke 3: 15-22 The Baptism of Our Lord

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20130822-223520.jpgAs the children come forward have some noise makers (maybe some left over from New Years Eve) to hand out to them. Anything that makes a joyful noise will do! Ask them what these noise makers are used for? Parties! We use them to make our joy and happiness louder so that EVERYONE will hear that we are so happy! It’s hard to be sad when everyone around you is joyful and having a good time so noise makers and happy noises such as saying “Woo Hoo,” “Yippee,” or “Hallelujah” can bring people into joy even if they’re not already feeling it!

20130822-223633.jpg Today we heard the story of Jesus’ baptism. Baptism is when we splash water on someone-of any age-to tell the whole world that they belong to God and God’s family. We often say a prayer and say words of welcome as a whole group to do this in worship. Well, when Jesus was baptized, God spoke loud words that everyone heard, “You are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Now do you think those words were said sadly? (Say the verse again sadly or in a monotone voice.) NO! I think God said those words with joy! (Say the verse now with joy!!) Baptism is a celebration and each day we should CELEBRATE that we belong to God and share that joy with the whole world! God wants everyone to hear that they are loved by God and in the family of God. That is something to celebrate! When we go to school, we celebrate! When adults to go work, we celebrate! When we go to soccer, piano, baseball, ballet, choir, we celebrate that we all belong to God! Let’s practice: (Use the noise makers as you also shout Hallelujah.) We’re at school! Hallelujah! We’re at the grocery store! Hallelujah! Everywhere we go we belong to God! Hallelujah! We all belong to God together! Hallelujah!

20130822-223749.jpg Dear God, thank you for making us one family! We all belong to you and we are joyful! We bring your joy and love everywhere we go so that everyone hears the good news of Jesus. Amen.

*As the children return to their seats have them blow their noise makers and use pine boughs to have the children sprinkle the congregation with water.

FaithCross_WorshipHave simple postcards with a dove printed on one side on a table with writing utensils. Invite people to write a word of gratitude and celebration for someone in their life who share the joy of Christ with them. If they are a baptismal sponsor (god parent) for someone invite them to write a note to their sponsor child of love and joy for who they are as a child of God. Have postage available or a simple way to mail them. Be sure addresses are included!

20130822-223908.jpg+You are beloved by God+

 

Faith + Home Connection

Faith + Alive January Remembrance of Baptism

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20130822-223520.jpg Gather your household. Have a candle (or everyone’s baptismal candles if you have them) and a bowl of water on a table.  Light the candle (or all of them) and say: “Come Holy Spirit.” Open in prayer: Dear Jesus, through your baptism we too are named as God’s beloved children. May our lights shine in the darkness to glorify our Father in heaven. Amen.

20130822-223633.jpg Read Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22. Or Pages 242-245 in the Spark Storybook Bible.

For Children: What do we use water for in our day? (Bath, clean dishes, clothes, drink, cook, etc.) We use water all day long and we also need it for our bodies to be healthy. God uses water and words of love to tell the whole world that we belong to God now and forever. When you were baptized we splashed water on you three times (can you count to three?) and said, “In the name of the Father, in the Son and in the Holy Spirit.” Then we lit a candle just like we did here to remember that Jesus is the light of the world and that we reflect Jesus’ light in the world too. How can you show Jesus’ love at school? At home? At soccer/ballet/piano etc.?

For Adults/youth: Do you know the story of your baptism? Or do you remember your baptism? These stories are more than just a nice memory with family, but mark the day that you parents/sponsors proclaimed that life in and with God and the people of God is important. Not just important but vital-life and death. Water has much power in our world: it can clean, erode, give life, cause death, have beauty and be destructive. God uses water to tell the story of love between God and his people from the beginning. This story is continued with Jesus. Baptism, living water, woman at the well, thirsting on the cross and water flowing from his pierced side. Water is powerful but so is God’s word, God’s story in our lives. This story begins at birth, is proclaimed through water in baptism, is nourished at the table with bread and wine and is shared with us in community.

For All: From whom did you first hear God’s story? Or who was a primary teller of the story in your life? With whom do you tell the story of God’s love? Who would you like to tell about what God is doing in your life? What difference does this story of God’s love make in your daily life?

20130822-223749.jpgGod of living water, we find ourselves rooted in your story of love. We are part of what you are doing in the world to show everyone that they are loved, forgiven and belong to you. We pray for your kingdom to come. Amen.

20130822-223908.jpg Dipping your fingers in the bowl of water, make the sign of the cross on one another and say:  +You are God’s beloved child. Go tell the story.+

FaithCross_Worship Remembering God’s story! Have the Luke reading printed off in large print and on a large piece of butcher paper (you will want blank space around the words). Invite people to bring in a copy of their baptism picture to place on the banner with the reading and/or draw an image or a symbol of baptism that is meaningful to them. Other options: invite people to write/draw where they experience God’s story in their lives or a prayer for where they could share God’s story.

At home:  With children: Have copies (not precious originals) of baptismal pictures. Using construction paper or plain paper, make a small story book of your baptismal day.

With adults/youth: Place a picture of your baptism or a symbol of baptism (dove, candle, sea shell) on your bathroom mirror and every morning remember that you are being made new to go and share God’s love.

FaithCross_ServeALT Take an old water bottle, decorate it with symbols of baptism. Place it where people in the household can place their spare change each day. At the end of Epiphany (Feb. 7th) donate the change to the ELCA World Hunger. www.elca.org

 

 

 

Faith + Home Connection

Faith + Home Connection January 2013 Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22 (Isaiah 43: 1-7)

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FaithCross_ConnectALT Gather the household in a comfortable space. Light a candle and have everyone share a high and a low from their day or week. Then pray for those joys and those challenges.

FaithCross_ConversationALT Have someone read Luke 3:15-17 and 21-22. (Isaiah 43: 1-7 is optional but beautiful!) OR read about the baptism of Jesus from your favorite children’s Bible. My two favorites are the Spark Story Bible (page 242) or the Jesus Story Bible (200).

For children: tell them about the day that they were baptized if they have been. If not tell about your own baptism, a siblings baptism or one that you have seen. Who was there? What words were said? God loves you the same no matter what both before you are baptized and after. God’s love is forever and always. In baptism, we are publically proclaiming that God holds us our entire life and is always with us. We also publically proclaim it is God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ that saves us and nothing that we do. We are so joyful about that love though that we can’t keep it to ourselves and so often a candle is given to the family and the following words are said, “Let your light so shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” How can you let your light shine? What are ways that you can share God with friends at school or in your neighborhood?

For youth/adults: The words of Isaiah 43: 1-7 are clear reminders of what God declares about God’s relationship with us. We are called by name and loved forever. Luke 3:17 echoes verse two in Isaiah 43-the chaff will be burned and we will walk through fire and not be burned. While this imagery of being on fire is strong and seems final and frightening (who can survive being burned?), fire is also a purifier. God loves us too much to leave us alone! We all have things that we need God to purify in our lives and the good news is that through Jesus Christ all of those things God takes care of and leaves us whole! We are not consumed but restored. We were created in for God’s glory!  (Isaiah 43:7) We don’t need to fear. When was a time that you really needed to hear “do not be afraid?” When have you been that voice for someone else? How does knowing that we are not alone, God is with us and that we are created for God’s glory impact how you live every day?

FaithCross_PrayALT God, you call us each by our names and we are created just who are supposed to be by you. Let us hear those words, “Do not fear, I am with you and I love you” loud and clear in my life. May all people hear those words, those who are hurting, lonely or scared. We are grateful for your love made real to us in Jesus. Amen

FaithCross_BlessALT Make the sign of the cross on one another and say: “Receive the sign of the cross, a sign of God’s endless love and mercy for you.” ELW page 233

Faith + Serve: Serving does not have to look like a big trip or being a missionary in a foreign country. Living into our baptism means that every day we look for ways large and small to serve our neighbor-those we know and those we don’t know. As we begin the new year, let’s look for ways that we serve each other in our daily lives: shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor, helping a brother or sister with their homework, carrying groceries in for mom or dad, getting a cup of coffee for a coworker, letting someone in line ahead of you at the grocery store, etc. Bring these examples to worship-they are all ways to be the light of Christ in the world. We will write them down on candles and put them by the baptismal font.