Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Mark

  • Children’s Sermon July 8, 2012, Mark 6:1-13 – 6th Sunday after Pentecost

    Scripture Focus: Mark 6:1-13

    Preparation: A backpack or suitcase full of travel gear. For example, if available, pack a backpacking backpack with the gear you might need for several days (tent, sleeping bag, clothes, etc). Or put together carry-on size bag for a weekend trip. Bring a walking stick and a Bible with the reading from Mark ready to read.

    Faith+Open: Enter from a place that allows you to walk a distance with your gear and call the children to follow you as you walk to your regular meeting place.

    Faith+Share: I bet your wondering what all this stuff is for, aren’t you? Well, I heard that Jesus was about to send us on a journey to go heal people, so I thought that I should pack. Have any of you ever packed for a trip? What kind of stuff did you bring? (Let them answer for a minute or two.) Well I have a bunch of stuff, too. Let’s see what I have with me. (Now go through your bag a little. You may just need to give highlights if you have a bunch of gear!)

    Pretty good, don’t you think? I should be ready for just about anything! Now, I also heard that Jesus had some instructions and a packing list for me. It should be right here in the reading. (read verses 7-9.) Uh Oh, I think I may have over-packed! All I really need is my shoes, a couple of shirts and good walking stick. It may not seem like much to take on a long journey, but I think that Jesus had a plan. I think that he wanted the disciples to have faith that everything would fine, but even more, I think that Jesus wanted the disciples to get to know the people they were going to help and heal. He wanted to create trust between the disciples and the communities they entered. He was teaching them and us that it is okay, and even good to rely on each other for the things that we need, and to be ready to share we have more than we need.

    Faith+Prayer: Gracious God, you give us good gifts. Sometimes more than we need or know how to use. Teach us to share with others when we have too much, and teach us to ask for help for others when we need it. Amen

    Faith+Blessing: May your eyes be opened to see all the amazing works of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    -GB

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  • Children’s Sermon July 1, 2012, Mark 5:21-43 – 5th Sunday after Pentecost

    Scripture Focus: Mark 5:21-43

    Preparation: Get an alb or robe sized for a child. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit, the child will just stand in one place.

    Faith+Open: Invite the children to gather together and ask for a volunteer to wear the robe. Once they have it on have them turn and face the other children and away from you. Ask the child to tell you when you touch robe.

    Faith+Share: That was pretty tricky, wasn’t it? In the gospel story that we hear today, Jesus does something even more amazing! But first, let’s finish talking about the robe. Jesus is surrounded by a crowd of people, all of them are trying to touch him because they believe that Jesus can heal them and make them feel better. Jesus notices when one woman touches him, and he stops to look for her. Pretty amazing, but not as amazing as what happens next.

    You see, Jesus was walking through the crowd to get to someone’s house, his name is Jairus. Jairus’ daughter was dying and Jairus knew that if he could get Jesus to come to his house that Jesus would save his daughter. He had faith in Jesus. Well, at the same time, a woman who had been very sick for years and years knew that Jesus was going to be walking through the town. She knew that if she could just touch Jesus’ robe that she would be healed. She had faith in Jesus, too. She pushed her way through the crowd and touched his robe, and Jesus stopped, not because he felt her touch the robe, but because he felt power go out of him. He felt the woman get healed! She was very scared to talk to Jesus, because she thought that she had done something wrong, but Jesus was kind and blessed her. But, in the time that Jesus stopped to talk to the woman, Jairus’ daughter died. Jesus continued to the house anyway and brought her back to life.

    Now, all that sounds pretty amazing, and it is amazing, but there is still something even better in the story. It doesn’t matter how we come to Jesus, he still takes time to listen to us and care for us! Jairus was afraid for his daughter, but was not afraid to ask Jesus for help. He went right up to Jesus and asked . . . well, maybe he more pleaded and begged, but he was not afraid to talk to Jesus. The woman, on the other hand, thought that she was not worth Jesus’ time, and thought she would just sneak up without being noticed. Then she was afraid when Jesus turned to find her. Jesus cares for each of us in the same way. He listens when we pray and ask for help. He looks for us when we need help and don’t know how to ask.

    Faith+Prayer: Loving God, thank you for listening when we pray, and thank you for loving and caring for us even when we don’t know how to pray. Give us faith like Jairus and the woman so that we are never afraid to come to you when we need help. Amen

    Faith+Blessing: May your eyes be opened to see all the amazing works of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    – GB