Tag Archives: Mark 1

Children’s Sermon Genesis 9: 8-17 Mark 1: 9-15 February 22nd

February 19, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Ask the children (and the congregation!) “Have you ever had a bad day? A day when just nothing went right, or something bad happened that day and you were very sad and even mad? We all have those days, it’s part of our lives. Some days are really happy and joyful and some days make us cry or mad. When you are having a good day, how do you act or who do you talk to? What kind of words do you use to tell people you are having a good day? How about when you have a bad day? Who do you talk to, how do you act? Do bad days make you feel more alone? Maybe you have a harder time talking to people when you’re sad? I know that I do! When I’m happy, I tell people about my good day, the fun stuff I’m doing I usually have a fun Facebook or Twitter post, but when I’m sad or angry, I don’t want to talk to people, I kinda sit in my house on my couch all by myself and feel all alone. But sometimes when I’m sad people reach out to me and tell me that they love me and remind me that I am not alone.

The Bible is full of stories about people having both good and bad days, easy days and hard days. Today we read the end of the Noah’s ark story about many hard days of Noah and his family being cooped up on a boat with lots of stinky animals and the world being flooded. God knows that those were hard days for Noah and his family (and the animals!) and God was with Noah and his family even if Noah didn’t see God directly. But God said that God would put a rainbow in the clouds to show Noah and all of us that even if days look rainy, sad and hard, God is with us always, especially when it’s hard. And it’s not just in the Noah’s Ark story, we read it in the story about Jesus this morning too! Jesus is baptized, that’s a good day, right? But then Jesus goes out into the wilderness for 40 hard days. BUT we read that God’s Holy Spirit is with Jesus-when it’s a joyful time, such as at his baptism, or a hard time like being in the wilderness. Jesus was not alone, not ever. God even sent messengers, angels, to be with Jesus. God also puts messengers in our lives to tell us about God’s love for us and we can also be messengers to tell people whether they are happy or sad, that God loves them and is with them, even if they don’t know it or see it. How can we be messengers for God? What can we tell people about God’s love for all people, even if they are sad or had something hard happen to them? (Accept all answers)

God, we are grateful that you are with us always; when we’re happy or sad, feeling joyful or feeling alone. We want all of you people to know that they are never alone and are loved by you. Give us words to be your messengers of love always. Amen.

We are all messengers of God’s love wherever we go. For this worship station have small cards (preferably with rainbows on them!), pens, markers and rainbow stickers available. During your open space or worship station time, invite all gathered to write a message of God’s presence and love to someone who needs to hear it that day. Encourage them to take as many as they need to distribute them to their friends, or neighbors. Young children can take stickers to give to friends and to remind themselves as well. Throughout the week encourage emails, cards, social media posts to remind people of God’s presence in all of lives and in the world.

+The good news is the God is always near you+

Children's Sermons

Mark 1: 29-39 Children’s Message Year B Feb. 8th, 2015

February 3, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Preparation: You will need: A large map of your town or neighborhood. Small (about 2×2 inches) paper hands and tape.

“Sometimes we don’t feel well. When we have a cold or have a broken bone, we can’t do all of the things that we want. We don’t feel like ourselves. And as we get older, we don’t feel the same way and can’t do the same physical things as when we were younger. Not many grandmas and grandpas take gymnastics or play soccer. Some do, don’t they but not too many. Have you ever been sick? It’s not fun is it? How do you feel when you are better though? Woo hoo! Right?! You run and jump and play again. When you feel sick, you don’t go to school, do your homework, or your chores (or at least not all of them) but when you are better you actually look forward to going to school, doing your work and your chores don’t you? Doing work and feeling well is better than not doing any work because you can’t.”

“Today in our Bible story, Jesus went to his friend Simon’s house and found that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. She wasn’t able to do anything at all but lay around and not feel good. But Jesus made her feel better, it says he “lifted her up.” Now when you don’t feel good and someone lifts you by the hand does that make you feel better? (“Lift” a child by the hand, with permission) Does that change how you feel? No, not necessarily, but when Jesus did it, held her hand, this woman felt much better! So much better that she was able to do things again, things that she wanted to do. Jesus lifted her back to her whole self who could praise God.”

“Now, we know that there are some sicknesses that are not like a cold or a fever and people feel bad for a long time like, months or years.* And we know that sometimes people die from that that kind of long and hard sickness. But God promises that even if we die, Jesus lifts us to be with him forever! (Lift a child by the hand again.) When Jesus lifted the woman and lifts us, he is holding us close to him so that we can be in God’s love and healing forever. This love, kind of sets us free (because Jesus is holding our hand always!) to use our hands to take care of others and let them know that Jesus is holding their hand too.”

Jesus, you promise to hold our hands and lift us to be beside you forever. May we use our hands to show your love for you whole world. Amen.

Have a map of your town enlarged so that street names are readable and there is lots of room to put notes on it. Have small pieces of paper cut into hand shapes for people to write a prayer for the town, neighborhood, event, street, family, etc. Read these out loud during your corporate prayer time or for the sending.

+Jesus takes you by the hand and lifts you+

*Be sure to be aware of any children experiencing death or serious disease in their lives. Young children do not have the distinction between a cold and cancer. Sick is sick. Perhaps spend some time talking about the difference and reassuring them that colds, flu, broken bones, will heal and they will be fine. Be aware too, that young children will not understand that God doesn’t always “heal” in the way that we think God should. We are ultimately healed by Jesus in the kingdom of God, but that is abstract for adults let alone children. Use language that is as concrete as possible. You cannot be too clear!

Faith + Home Connection

Faith + Home Connection February 2015 Mark 1: 29-39

January 21, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Gather your household and share these questions together: What troubles you today? What brings you joy today? Pray together for all of your troubles and joys. God is with us in every part of our day!

Read Mark 1: 29-39 or read from a children’s Bible. In the Spark Storybook Bible read pages 256-257.

For adults and young children alike, it’s easy to think that all we have to do is pray and Jesus will heal us of everything that ails us: the flu, a cold, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, loneliness, etc. Reality is that we live in a world where bodies still get sick and die but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t hear our prayers and isn’t with us! The good news is that God’s promise is for life for us forever with God and God is with us in the pain and sorrow of the reality of disease and broken bodies in this life. As a community we also support, love and pray for each other as well as point out where God is at work when we can’t recognize it ourselves. Be sure with young children to emphasize God’s presence with them.

For children: What do you pray or talk to God about? Do you ever pray by yourself? God wants us to talk to God always! There is not anything that God isn’t ready to hear! How can you show God’s love to others? Do you think when we help someone, give a hug, offer nice words or draw a picture for them that we can make someone feel better if they are sad, sick or hurt?

For youth/adults: Where/when do you most often pray? Do you have a standard prayer, do you simply speak to God or do you sit in silence with God? People in our world are searching for something. We are all searching for happiness, joy, love, security, belonging, self-worth and the list goes on and on. In the Mark 1 story the disciples tell Jesus when he goes to a deserted place to pray that people are searching for him. The good news is that Jesus comes to us and searches for us. Jesus is always there. How can we reveal Jesus’ presence of love, hope, forgiveness and mercy in the world that is so desperately searching for those things? How do we use shopping, food, alcohol and other ways to fill our searching with what only God can offer us?

Pray for one another’s troubles and joys today. Offer prayers for all people to know that Jesus is with them and loves them. Pray to be filled with the love and compassion of Jesus for those who do not have enough to eat, adequate shelter, are lonely or are in need of healing in any way today.

In our Growing In Faith Together-Sunday School for All on February 15^th we will be putting together Blessing Bags to keep in your car to hand out to those in need that you may come across in your day. We are collecting the following items: gallon size zip lock bags, juice pouches, band-aids, antiseptic wipes, non-perishable snacks, feminine hygiene products, tissues. We will also be making note cards with an encouraging message to go into the bags. As a household collect those items and make a few notes for the bags.

+Jesus is with you always+

Children's Sermons

Caught in God’s love! Children’s Sermon Mark 1: 14-20 Year B January 25, 2015

January 21, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Preparation: Have some netting from fruit or other sources cut into hearts, one for each child at least. Have a large fishing or butterfly net handy.

Today go through the worship space and personally invite all of the children (or anyone else you want!) to follow you. Bring a fishing (or even butterfly net) with you and pretend to “catch” the children in your net. Be a little quick about it and if the children are in the “middle of doing something” tell them to immediately drop what they are doing and come with you. By the time you arrive at the spot where you normally hold children’s time, some of the children will have been following you for a while.

Ask: “Why did you come with me when I asked you to? (If some child refused and it’s possible ask them why not?)” Accept all answers but hopefully someone will say something around that they knew you, they kind of knew that it was children’s time and wanted to go, etc. “It’s easy to follow someone when you might know where they are going or what they are doing isn’t it? Have you ever had your mom or dad tell you that you were going somewhere that you had never been before? What was that like? Was it a little scary or strange?” Accept all answers. But you know that your mom and dad love you and so you knew it would be ok.

In our story about Jesus today, Jesus is walking around, sort of like I was walking around the worship space this morning, and was calling people to come and follow him. The people he called in this story were fishermen. They caught fish for a living. But Jesus wanted them to come and catch people for God. Did Simon, Andrew, James or John have any training in telling people about God? No. We don’t even really know if they knew Jesus that well, or had even heard of him! They didn’t really know where Jesus was going but they sensed that Jesus was safe and loved all people. They were caught by Jesus’ love for us all! So they followed knowing that somehow it would be ok.

We, too, are caught in Jesus’ love and Jesus calls us all to share God’s love wherever we are and wherever we go. No matter what else you are doing, even when you’re older and have a job like your mom or dad, your first job in your life to tell others about Jesus! Jesus’ love is like this net that catches us all and connects us all to each other and God. We can catch people with Jesus in the net God’s love! (Have hearts cut out of netting to hand to each child and even adults!)

God of love, we are grateful to follow you. We are thankful that we are caught up in your love each and every day. May we be nets of you love in the world. In Jesus name, amen.

Have a large net on a cross for a prayer station. Have 4 x2 (or so) fish or hearts cut out for people to write prayers of thanksgiving for all of the ways that we are caught in Jesus’ love!

+You are caught in Jesus’ love+

Let us walk with you on the journey of faith. Whether your feet are big or small, fresh or worn, running or crawling, God's love goes with you and you stand on holy ground.