Here is the Weekly devotion for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2013
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Preparation: a chalice filled with stickers or small candies or something that the kids can have.
Gather the children together and welcome them. Hold up the chalice and say: Anyone know what I have here? (take answers) Yes, this is called a chalice, it’s the cup that we can hold wine or grape juice in for communion.
So I was thinking about this cup and what we usually put in it. And our gospel story today tells about a master, a rich man with people working for him, who rewarded a manager who was not really honest with this money. **Use the Spark Storybook Bible to tell the story in a simple fashion. “Well, it’s an interesting story because it does not seem like the master should reward the manager; it seems like he should punish him instead. But he offers him what we would call grace instead. It certainly seems like a strange way to show grace–would you show grace if your brother or sister gave a way part of your allowance? No probably not, so that is where the chalice comes in.”
“See in this story it’s like God is saying grace is everywhere, really and truly everywhere even when it has no business being there. And this chalice is something that shows us grace every week by being here and being full”–now act like you are going to spill the wine and make show of it and let it start to spill out the stickers or small candies. “Uh-oh, if the wine spills it has no business being on the carpet, what will do, I will be in trouble with… (name janitor or pastor or whoever)”. Then let the other things spill and say, “What, these stickers/candies aren’t supposed to be in the chalice! Well, I guess I am glad that they were instead of wine! Grace shows up in all kinds of ways, even where we think that maybe it should not be and for that we can be grateful because God’s grace shows up for us.”
God, thank you for your grace that is surprising and present and for us in all ways. Amen
God in your head, God in your heart, God on your left, God on your right +
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 22, 2013
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Preparation: create a memory game or use one that you have. Either put some simple pictures on index cards or get small boxes you can hid objects under. Have one object missing purposely without a match. You will want to only have 3-5 object sets for time constraints.
Gather children up front with you. Have the memory game ready and welcome them. Say, I have this game with me today–anyone every played ‘memory’ before? Let’s try it.
Have one child help you with the turning the cards or lifting the boxes. If you have a small number of kids they can take turns, a large number you will want them to just point while you or one child turns items over. Play until you have the matches all but one.
Hmm, where is the match for this one? Anyone able to find it? I wonder where it went? Should we look for it? Start looking in places close to you. You can make this as long or as short as you want. Find the match in your pocket or someplace near you. Oh, there it is! I wonder how it got there? I am so glad we found this match! We can finish the game! Phew, the game would have been ruined if we didn’t find the match! I do not like it when things are lost.. do you? Have you every been lost? (take answers briefly).
Jesus tells us a story today about a lost sheep and a lost coin. The people who lost them, looked everywhere until they were able to find them. And the ones that were lost, well they couldn’t do much of anything to be found just like our card (or whichever object you had lost) could make a noise or cry out or move to be found, could it? Well that is what this story is about–that God loves you SO MUCH that even if you are lost or even if you aren’t sure about God or have questions about your faith, God will find you. God promises you are always one of her children and that you are found because you belong to God. And I was pretty happy I found that piece, so I could finish the game. Well God is so happy to have you as a child that God throws a party and rejoices and does a happy dance and promises to never leave you.
Jesus, you are always looking for us and we thank you for your love that finds us. Amen
God rejoices over you!
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 15, 2013
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Preparation: Have some party items available: balloons (use with caution as they can be choking hazards), party hats, streamers, maybe even noise makers, etc.
Gather the children to where you have children’s time. As they come up have someone help you divide them into two groups. Doesn’t matter how-randomly is best! Invite one group of children to come and sit with you just off to the side and tell the other children to just to sit on the opposite side of the area.
Say to the group with you: “Yay! You are all invited to my party this morning! Here have a balloon, a hat, etc. We are going to have fun!” If a child from the other group tries to come over or even looks over tell them, “I am sorry this party is for this group only over here. Just go and sit back over there.” Don’t spend too long with this one group but then say, “You know, I kind of feel bad about that group over there. Should we invite them to come over here?” Hopefully, they will say yes!
Say to the group who was not at the party, “How did it feel to not be part of the fun? (Accept all answers) Say to the other group: How did it feel to be part of the group having fun? Did you think that it wasn’t fair to the other children? Why? Today, Jesus tells us that God invites everyone to God’s party and to be a part of God’s people. Even the people we may not like or even know, God loves and knows. God wants us to remember that God not only loves us and cares for us but cares for all people no matter who they are, what they look like, or how they act. That can be hard for us as we like to hang out with friends who are just like us. Have you ever gone to school on the first day and not known anyone in the classroom? Well, did someone talk to you? Accept all answers and if it’s no talk about how that felt and if they would remember that and talk to a new child at school or in the neighborhood. It can be hard but God tells us that even we might feel on the outside of friends or groups God is there and if we think we are the inside of friends or groups God is there. We can work to not have separate groups like we did here this morning but try to make just one big group which is more fun anyway!
Dear God, you love us all and want us all to be part of your party. Help us to remember that you are with us when we feel alone and when we don’t. Show us how to invite our friends to be a part of you. In Jesus name, amen.
God is with you always. (Make the sign of the cross on one another.)
Here is the Weekly devotion for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2013
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Here is the Weekly devotion for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 25, 2013
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Prepare: Bring a mixed up Rubik’s Cube, or other similar puzzle, and a Bible with a bookmark on the Hebrews passage.
Be working on the puzzle that you brought as the children gather and talk about how difficult it is (make a good show of this, even if you do know how to solve it!) Ask the children if they have ever had to do something that was hard or scary as you continue to work a little. After a few answers . . .
Well, I give up on this! Let’s look at the Bible story for today instead. I think that we should look at this story from the book of Hebrews. (Grab your Bible – you may want to be ready with slightly more gentle language for all the horrible things that happen to the people – and read or paraphrase the text through 11:38.) Wow! I thought I had trouble in my life! Can you imagine what these people went through? Not having enough food, people who wanted to hurt them because of what they believed, no place to sleep or keep safe and warm? There’s more, listen to this, (Read or paraphrase 12:1-2).
So all these people who had to endure horrible things are encouraging us so that we should be strong in our faith in God and work to do all those difficult and scary things that we need to do. Some of you are probably starting school soon, and that can be scary. A new teacher, or a new school, or maybe even school for the first time! Sometimes when we get ready for the first day of school we have to go to the Doctor for shots, that can be difficult and scary, too, no matter how nice the doctors, nurses and assistants are. This Bible story tells us that we should face these scary things with confidence because there is a whole bunch of people who are cheering us on and who are ready to celebrate with us in success or console us when we fail. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and by the love of God in Christ Jesus. Well, with all that in mind, I think that I’ll give this puzzle another try, but let’s pray first!
Jesus, help us to face our fears with the faith that all the heroes in the Hebrew Bible did. Help us to celebrate your victory over death and to keep our trust in your guidance. Amen
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit you are loved by God. (have children repeat this)
~GB
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Here is the Weekly devotion for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 18, 2013
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