Year B - Trinity Sunday (June 3, 2012)

Trinity Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays of the liturgical year.   So, as I read blogs and preacher helps I was surprised to learn that not all worship planners share this love.  In fact most seem to rather dread it or knock it as “the only festival of the church year that celebrates a doctrine.”  I suspect the reason for this is that many worship planners begin planning thinking about the sermon and so start by feeling the need to preach a sermon on the Trinity that would wow their seminary theology profs and also be meaningful to the people in the pews in front of them.  Old tapes about impossible term papers start playing … and it goes downhill from there.  Not having to preach a Trinity sermon, I begin by saying “It is God Sunday!  The call is not to explain God but to celebrate God’s mysterious, more than we can ever explain presence.  What could be better!”  Of course it is a chance to do a little worship education about the Trinity, but since even the Trinity is an inadequate definition of God, I suggest that this may be a better week to celebrate God than to explain God. 

p Having said that, I start by sending you to the post for Trinity Sunday (Year A) that begins with ideas about talking about the Trinity with children.  I also add a Trinity children’s story, a suggestion for using great art to talk about what the Trinity is not, a way to invite worshipers to write a simple poem about God, and two sacrament connections before moving on to the texts for the day.

pDavid Stoddard, the rector of Church Our Savior in Charlottesville, Virginia, told this story to a group of elementary aged children during worship last year shortly after Prince William and Kate’s royal wedding.  (This year you might have to start with a magazine picture from the wedding - there are still plenty of them around! - to help children remember the wedding a year later.)  As he talked about the wedding he recalled the use of all of Prince William’s names (William Arthur Philip Louis) in his vows.  He noted that at special times we use our full names and asked the children to share theirs.  He also shared his.  Then he asked, “I wonder if anyone knows God’s full name.”  One child offered the correct answer, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”  He then did a brief comment on each person in the Trinity and noted that just as all of our names are just different names for us, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all names for God.  

This came from the Wikipedia entry on Trinity
and claimed to be in common domain.

p Display/project this piece of art.  Identify each person of the Trinity in it.  Then point out that this is an artist’s idea about the Trinity not a photograph of the Trinity.  The Holy Spirit is not a bird.  God the Father is not an old man.  Jesus is probably as close to correct as any of the three.  Go on to explain that these three figures are not actually three separate figures that could sit around in a room near each other.  They are three parts of God or three ways we know God.  Pause before admitting that it is really hard to paint or to understand the Trinity.  It is a mystery.  The more we understand about it the more there seems to be to wonder about.  This could be a children’s time or could be folded into the sermon to entice children to listen to it – at least for a little while.

p In many congregations Communion and or Baptisms will be celebrated this Sunday.  It is an opportunity to identify Trinity connections to them.

Like the Trinity, Communion is a mystery.  No one can fully explain what happens when we celebrate communion or exactly what it always means.  Sometimes the same communion service means different things to different people sharing it.  As we grow and have more and more experiences with Communion, our understanding of it grows and changes.  Illustrate this mysteriousness with stories of several rather different communion experiences in your life or by interviewing several prepared worshipers of all ages about important communions in their lives.

If you will baptize people today, before the sacrament read the Trinitarian formula used.  Note that this is one thing shared by all Christians everywhere.  We have lots of differences but we are all baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Briefly add to that saying something like, we are baptized in the name of God who created and loves each one of us, in the name of Jesus who both shows us how to live and forgives us when we mess up, and in the name of the Holy Spirit – God with us always.  You might even want to pause for a short prayer thanking God for loving us in these three ways in baptism and every day.

p Invite children (or all worshipers) to write a poem about God during worship using a simple format.  You might offer it on a worship worksheet and then invite folks to post theirs in a set spot with or without their name or to take it home to post where they can read it and talk with God about in the coming week.

p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p

      God

2 words that describe God                              __________, __________

3 ing words that God does                              _______, ______, ______

What you want to say to God today                _____________________

A name for God                                                                ____________

By YOUR NAME                                                 by__________________

p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p

The Texts

Isaiah offers a mysterious vision of God on the heavenly throne.  Psalm 29 describes the mysterious, even frightening power of a thunderstorm storm.  Romans ponders the mysterious truth that this powerful God invites us to be in relationship, i.e. to be God’s children.  And, the gospel is the story of Nicodemus’ inability to deal with mystery.  Read together they set us up to ponder the mystery of God. 

Isaiah 6:1-8

p The seraphs call out “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Point out places the word is stitched, carved or painted into your sanctuary. 

Define holy and translate “Hallowed be thy name” in the Lord’s Prayer to “holy be your name”.  Use the phrase as a congregational response in a prayer or praise litany about God/trinity. 

Sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” as a way of joining Isaiah and the seraphs in praising God.  Have the musicians pull out all the stops between verses or on the last verse.  Non-readers with the urging of people around them can sing the three holys at the beginning of each verse.

  

p Sing “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” out of season to capture Isaiah’s feelings in the presence of God.  Since tough vocabulary make this a hard song for young readers to sing, consider having it sung by the choir or a soloist in response to the reading of the scripture or after a conversation about the mysterious, awesome presence of God. 

p Many congregations enjoy singing “Here I Am, Lord.”  Children and others with limited Biblical knowledge will miss many of the symbols in the verses.  But, even non-readers can pick up on the chorus.

I Smell the Incense :
A Child's View of the Armenian Orthodox Faith,
by Ahnoosh

p If you use incense in worship, this is a good Sunday to use it before reading this vision and to talk about its meaning.  If you do this, what about sharing what you do and say to educate those of us who generally worship without the benefits of incense?!

p If you use the great prayer of Thanksgiving in celebrating Communion, just before moving into that liturgy, point out the phrase “Therefore, with angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven, we worship and adore your glorious name, praising you forevermore:”  Explain how it fits into the prayer.  Practice the sung or spoken response your congregation uses.  Then, suggest that when we pray and sing this every time we celebrate communion, we are putting ourselves smack dab in the middle of Isaiah’s vision. 

p Display and briefly discuss a couple of great art renderings of Isaiah’s vision.  Then provide children (all worshipers?) with paper and crayons with which to draw their version of the scene.  Invite artists to post their drawings at the close of the service on a board set of for that purpose.  With their permission print some of them in the church newsletter or on the church website to encourage Sermon Art.

  

Psalm 29

p This is a psalm to experience and enjoy rather than explain in great detail.

p Before reading the psalm together, point out the big thunderstorm images - lightning like fire in the sky making everything look like it is jumping in the flashes, the noise of thunder, and the power of the wind.  Imagine being in a boat on the sea in such a storm.  Then note that that God is even more powerful and great than the most powerful thunderstorm.  Urge worshipers to listen for that power as the psalm is read.

p Before reading the psalm, make the noise of a storm.  Call on musicians (children with rhythm instruments to which organ or drum are added).  Or, invite worshipers to slap the backs of the pews in front of them with their hands.  (This works best with wooden pews and worshipers standing.)  Like an orchestra conductor signal a cut, then go directly into the reading of the psalm with whole congregation reading in exuberant, stormy unison.

p Direct the congregation’s reading of the psalm getting louder and louder with different groups reading different verses or adding groups so that each verse gets even louder.  Pause after verse 9, take a breath together, say the last two verses quietly.  (Before the reading you may want to read the last two verses, point out some of the storm images in the earlier verses, and point out the pause after verse 9.) 

p Psalm 29 shows up on Baptism of the Lord Sunday each year of the lectionary and to date I have different ideas for each year.  (Did I mention that I really enjoy this psalm?!)  So,

go to Baptism of the Lord (Year A) for directions for tracing the path of a storm in from the sea across the mountains and out into the desert and directions for coloring page activity.

go to Baptism of the Lord (Year B) for congregational reading script which adds the question “How strong is the Lord?” between verses.

Romans 8:12-17

p Find ideas about the children of God in  this text at Proper 11, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) -   if you have not exhausted being children of God reading the 1 John texts during Easter season.

p Both adoption as opposed to slavery in the Roman world and the privileges and responsibilities of heirs in that world and today are complex issues.  I’d focus elsewhere with the children today.

John 3:1-17

p Children sympathize with Nicodemus. Nicodemus came to Jesus with literal, left brained questions and Jesus answered him with poetic metaphors. They understand Jesus’ answers about a second birth and the wind no more than Nicodemus did.  For them the part that makes sense is verses 16-17.  Here Jesus says to Nicodemus and to them that God loves you and everyone.  Indeed God is more interested in loving us than in judging us. You can trust God to be like this.  (For children John may be making Paul’s point in Romans about God’s amazing love better than Paul did.)

At end of school year, there is a lot of judgment in awards and grades.  So it is a good time to stress God’s love rather than judgment.  God loves us whether we got awards or flunked.  Maybe put heart stickers on the back of hands saying “God loves you no matter what.”

JESUS MAFA. Nicodemus, from Art in the Christian Tradition,
 a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
 http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48385
[retrieved April 26, 2012].Add caption

p If this school just ended in your area, use this text to talk about the coming summer rather than to celebrate the Trinity.  Display the Jesus Mafa picture of Jesus talking with Nicodemus.  Ask how many people were there and what time of day it was.  Then note that Nicodemus wanted to know about Jesus, but he wasn’t sure he wanted other people to know it.  He came to see Jesus alone and at night.  He wasn’t very brave.  Jesus wanted Nicodemus to be braver.  We know that later Nicodemus stood up for Jesus at his trial and that he bravely helped claim Jesus’ dead body and put it in a cave tomb.  Conclude by challenging the children to be brave standing up for Jesus this summer wherever we are – at camp, the pool, etc.  

Year B - Day of Pentecost (May 27, 2012)

First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA. Pentecost art work,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54211 [retrieved April 18, 2012].

' Go to Year A - The Day of Pentecost for lots of general ideas about celebrating this holy day with children and adults together.  It includes a link to 27 ways to celebrate Pentecost.  In case that is not enough, here are a few more….

Meet with a congregation from a different ethnic background.  Share languages, choirs, and even a picnic with all kinds of foods – and the same Lord!

Give worshipers red candles to light from the Easter candle.  Notice that the light these candles make during daylight is not as impressive as the light of candles lit on Christmas Eve.  But, it is a fact that God shines through us every day.  Sometimes we don’t feel it makes a big difference, but it does.

Instead of draping worshipers with red crepe paper stoles, mark each one with a flame sticker.  An older children’s class could work with greeters to put one on each worshiper as they arrive.

Many denominational logos feature flames.  If yours is one of those, display your logo, point to those flames and connect them to the flames of Pentecost.

' In the US this year Pentecost falls on Memorial Day Weekend.  Since everyone is in a rather laid back mood, there is extra freedom to try creative things that go beyond “the way we usually do things.”  Take advantage of that.

Acts 2:1-21

' This story of course appears on Pentecost every year.  Go to Year A - The Day of Pentecost for a suggestion about using a world map or globe to add a reality factor to the long complicated list of people who were there.

' Pentecost is the birthday of the church.  Every birthday includes some wonderful birthday surprises.  The church’s birthday surprise on the first Pentecost was that though Jesus had died, been raised, and then gone to heaven, his disciples were not alone.  The Holy Spirit, the very power of God, was with them giving them the power to be the body of Christ in the world!  What was true for them on the day the church was born is also true for us today on the church’s 2,012^th birthday. 

' Wind and fire are metaphors.  Point out that Acts does not say there WAS wind and fire but that something strange and mysterious and powerful happened.  The only way people could describe what happened was to say it was LIKE wind and fire.  Note that the important thing was not the wind or the flames, but that people knew for sure that God was with them in a very powerful way.  Knowing that gave disciples (who were hiding out in fear) the courage to run into the streets and tell everyone they met about Jesus.  Knowing that gives us the courage to follow Jesus today.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

' At the end of the school year many children, teachers, and parents feel like dry bones.  They are worn out.  The temptation is to look toward summer to take a break from or just quit all the effort of the school year.  Especially, if the year has been hard and if summer doesn’t promise an inviting break, it is easy to feel hopeless – like dry bones is all that is left of you.  Ezekiel’s vision insists and the Pentecost story proves that when we feel most “dried out” and hopeless, God still has big plans for us.  The Holy Spirit still blows through all our messes.  And, we rise up to do something new. 

Before children can understand this talk of dry bones, they need help with the metaphor.  A series of questions may do the job:  Have you ever felt so happy that you felt like you could float above the ground?  Have you ever felt so excited you could almost explode?  Have you ever felt so small and so stupid that you felt like a rock and expected the next person who came by to kick you down the road?  Listen to what Ezekiel say to people who were so hopeless and lost that they felt like dry bones that were bleaching out in the hot desert sun.

' Ezekiel’s Valley of Dry Bones was an artist’s vision.  It deserves and is best claimed with an artistic presentation.  Try the following.

N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

The Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel and The Lord stand on opposite sides of the front of the sanctuary.  Between them, maybe on the steps as well as around the front, the bones sit/lay/kneel face down/ etc. on the floor.  Each “bone” will need a rattle (castanets, rattles, cans filled with dried beans, etc.).

Ezekiel:  I felt the powerful presence of the Lord, and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered with bones.  He led me all round the valley, and I could see that there were very many bones and that they were very dry.  He said to me,

The Lord: Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?

Ezekiel:  Sovereign Lord, only you can answer that!

The Lord:  Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the Lord.  Tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: I am going to put breath into you and bring you back to life.  I will give you sinews and muscles, and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you and bring you back to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel:  So I prophesied as I had been told. While I was speaking, I heard a rattling noise, and the bones began to join together.  (The bones shake their rattles and move closer together, but stay on the floor.)   While I watched, the bones were covered with sinews and muscles, and then with skin.  But there was no breath in the bodies.

The Lord:  Mortal man, prophesy to the wind. Tell the wind that the Sovereign Lord commands it to come from every direction, to breathe into these dead bodies, and to bring them back to life.

Ezekiel: So I prophesied as I had been told.  Breath entered the bodies, and they came to life and stood up.  (Make sounds of rushing wind with a recording, wisks on snare drums, people blowing into microphones, rubbing sandpaper-covered blacks together, or something else.  As the wind blows the “bones” stand up, even waving their hands over their heads.)  There were enough of them to form an army.

The Lord:  Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future.  So prophesy to my people Israel and tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to open their graves. I am going to take them out and bring them back to the land of Israel.  When I open the graves where my people are buried and bring them out, they will know that I am the Lord.  I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I have promised that I would do this—and I will. I, the Lord, have spoken.

                                                            

                                                     Ezekiel 37: 1-14 (Today’s English Version)

N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

Psalms 104:24-34,35b

' With so much else attracting the attention of children, the psalm may slide by.  To provide children with a worship worksheet, print the text in the middle of a page and frame it with empty blocks.  Invite children to illustrate a word and phrase they find in the psalm in each block.

Romans 8:22-27

' On a day with such a wonderful story to tell and a great prophetic vision to explore, I’d leave Paul’s argument for the grownups.  He is exploring abstract ideas that are beyond the experience of most children.  When trying to rephrase his ideas about hope for a new creation or the spirit praying for us for the children, I keep ending up saying things that are not true to Paul’s message.  So, I've given up the effort.  If you have ideas about how to do this, please post a comment here or on the Facebook page.

John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

' If you have already read and explored the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts, point out that in this passage “the Advocate” and “the Spirit of truth” (or whatever terms are used in the translation you read) are other names for the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is talking to his friends about what is important about the Holy Spirit coming.

' In many ways this discussion sets the stage for celebrating the Trinity next Sunday.  Jesus says that while he was alive on the earth, God was with people in him.  But, now that he has died and risen, God will be with them as the Holy Spirit.  They will feel God’s love burning in them and God’s power will enable them to do amazing things. 

Introduce two symbols for "God with us" today, then use them again adding a third next week.  Today introduce a simple cross to remind us that God is with us in Jesus and a lighted candle to remind us that God’s Holy Spirit burns within us.  Display both symbols prominently.

Year B - The Seventh Sunday of Easter (May 20, 2012)

U These are not easy texts for children.  That makes me inclined to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord which could be celebrated either on Thursday of this week or on this Sunday.  It is also a fact that the Ascension story both completes the Easter Season and sets the stage for Pentecost next Sunday.  Go to Year B - Ascension of the Lord for Ascension Day suggestions.  

U Whether you use the Seventh Sunday of Easter texts or Ascension texts, enjoy the final Sunday of Easter with lots of alleluias in songs and prayers.  “Come Christians Join to Sing” is one choice with a repeated chorus of alleluias for the young readers and verses that praise the risen, ascending Christ in simple words for the older readers.

U Schools close for the academic year anytime between mid-May and late June.  That event is intensely important to all the children and most of their parents and teachers.  Go to School Is Out!!!!! to explore ways to include the joys and trials of the end of the school year in your congregation’s worship.  I will also include some text-specific suggestions in the upcoming Sundays.

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

U The end of the school year is all about achievement.  Awards are given for academic achievements.  Grades are reported.  Even the fun stuff like the annual field day is all about winning ribbons and trophies.  Add to that the pressure to be chosen to be on the team and get off the bench to play in summer sports and to be accepted for special summer camps and May becomes a month of wanting to be chosen.  We know nothing about either Matthias or Justus except that Matthias was chosen and Justus was not.  Ouch.  Shortly thereafter there was an election of deacons and Justus didn’t make that list either.  Double ouch.  After pondering Justus’ unchosen-ness, go back to Matthias.  Point out that though he is the chosen one here, we don’t hear a single thing about what he did.  You might also run down the list of the 12 disciples pointing out how many of them we know nothing about.  Then point out that these un-famous, unknown people started the church that spread across the entire world.  God seems to use average, un-special, un-famous disciples (like us?) to do important work.   From there you can go straight to praying for everyday disciples or explore the places everyday disciples will be needed every day this summer at pools, on sports fields, in the back seat of cars, at home, etc.

Sing “Guide My Feet” with its repeated phrases to prepare to be God’s everyday disciples every day this summer.  

Psalm 1

U The over simplification of the difference between good people and bad people in this psalm appeals to children who do not yet realize that almost no one wears a totally white or black hat.  So direct the psalm to them.  The adults, who struggle with the nuanced differences between the good and evil, will listen and get the psalmist’s point too. 

U Visualize the major images in the psalm with a display that juxtaposes a lush leafy plant and a vase of dry brittle weeds/straw.  (BTW, talk in advance with the flower arranger so the weeds aren’t an elegant display!)  Point to the displays before reading the psalm or talk about them during the sermon to explore the psalmist’s message.

U Scornful, scoffers, and chaff are unfamiliar words to most children, so choose your translation carefully and point out strange words before reading if needed.  (There is no translation that includes none of these words.  So, choose the one that fits you congregation and introduce its “hard words.”)

U The psalm becomes clearer when read by two readers – one “the good” and the other “the wicked.”  They begin standing back to back.  Each one turns to face the congregation to read their verses, pivots back into place.  For maximum effect, “the good” wears white and “the wicked” wears dark colors.  Go to Year A - Proper 25, 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time and scroll down to Psalm 1 for the script.

U Alice in Wonderland is not all that familiar to children today.  But, Alice’s problems with choosing the bad advice of signs that said “EAT ME” and “DRINK ME” could be explored as examples of what happens when we follow the advice of the wicked.

1 John 5:9-13

U Discussion of John’s message about eternal life has to begin with children by exploring the possibility of being physically alive but feeling dead.  To children to be alive is to be breathing, eating, and active.  If you describe the possibility of being physically alive, but being so mean, crabby, sad, unhappy, and greedy that you might as well be dead, older children will catch the difference, but the younger ones will not. 

U To further explore eternal life, present a series of pairs of mini posters.  Each pair offers an example of being alive but dead and an example of being eternally alive.  Present each pair citing examples and comparing how it feels to live in each one.  (Younger children appreciate the clue offered if the life words are printed on bright yellow paper with a glitter pen and the death words are printed in black on gray paper.)  The conclusion of this discussion is that Jesus came to bring us real life, eternal life.

It is MINE! – Let’s share it

I hate you! – Let’s be friends

ME! (what I want and need)– You? (what do you want and need)

John 17:6-19

U Children will quickly get lost in John’s convoluted version of Jesus’ prayer.  They count on worship leaders to tell them what is going on and to summarize Jesus’ prayer.  What is going on is that when Jesus knew that he was going to be killed very soon, he prayed not for himself but for his friends.  He loved them.  He told God that he had taught them everything God sent him to explain to them.  He asked God to protect them.  The protection he wanted was not that they have easy lives, but that they not get trapped into evil.

U Invite children to pray for their friends as Jesus prayed for his. The youngest can draw pictures of their friends (maybe even of them playing with a particular friend) talking to God about that friend as they draw.  The oldest children may prefer to write prayers for friends thanking God for what is special about each one and writing out prayer wishes for that person.  For them it might be the beginning of a “praying for friends notebook.”

Another way to pray for friends is to make a large scribble on a sheet of paper, write the name (or draw a picture of) a friend in each section, then decorate each section with parking pens as you tell God about that friend.  Children could take these prayers home, drop them in the offering plate, or mount them at a designated spot after worship.

U Continue Jesus’ prayer for disciples by praying for groups or individuals in your congregation and around the world with the congregation responding to each petition with Jesus’ prayer, “Holy Father, keep them safe in your name.”  To help the children participate in this, point out the prayer response in Jesus’ prayer, note it’s meaning, and practice saying it together once before praying together.

U To introduce the phrase “in the world” list with children all the places they will go during the coming week.  Then identify those places as “the world.”  Explain that Jesus knew that it is sometimes hard to be God’s people in those everyday places so he prayed that God would be with and protect his friends “in the world.”  

To do some worship education go from this conversation to “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” in the Lord’s Prayer.  Identify this as a way we pray for God to be with us and protect us everyday “in our world.”  Conclude by simply praying the Lord’s Prayer together or by praying a responsive prayer in which you name some of the places people will be this week and ask God to be with us and protect us from evil as we work and play there.  The congregation responds to prayers about each spot by praying aloud the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer.

U Especially if you are a Methodist, this may be a day to explore the phrase “sanctify them”.  Make the word sanctify or sanctification the sponsor of the day - ala Sesame Street.  At the beginning of worship present it on a large poster which will remain displayed throughout the service.  Enjoy saying the impossibly long, complicated word together.  Briefly define it and encourage worshipers to listen for it in your songs and prayers.  Does somebody have a good, child-friendly definition of this word?  

  

Year B - The Ascension of the Lord (May 17 or 20, 2012)

Ascension, from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54351
[retrieved April 9, 2012].

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on Thursday (May 17^th this year).  Rather than simply skip over it, I’d suggest celebrating it on the last Sunday of the Easter Season at least occasionally.  The story provides two important to children opportunities. 

1.      The Ascension story answers the child’s question, “where is Jesus now?”  His life walking around on the earth is over, but he lives with God and continues to love the whole world from there.  As he left, he clearly passed the baton to his disciples – and to us. 

2.      As you complete the cycle of liturgical seasons about Jesus’ life and passion (Advent, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter), Ascension Day is a chance for worship review (How did we follow and celebrate Jesus in each season?) and a peak ahead to the rest of the liturgical year.

Since the texts for Ascension Day are the same in years A, B, and C of the RCL, go to The Sunday After the Ascension of Christ (Year A) for specific suggestions for the day.

Additional Idea

Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815. The Ascension,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
 a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=50177
[retrieved April 9, 2012].

The Vanderbilt Divinity Library great on-line art collection includes a variety of artist’s depictions of the Ascension – with directions on using them without fee for non-commercial purposes if you print their attribution.  (Go to Vanderbilt Library: Art in the Christian Tradition: Ascension for a dozen ascension works.)  The art ranges from a very simple painting of Christ with arms outstretched to a very abstract twirling tower of metal bars.  Before reading the ascension story, briefly display a variety of these noting with amazement that each one is one person’s idea about the same event.  Read the story.  Then, revisit the pictures pondering the similarities and differences.  Enjoy the mysteriousness of the event.  No one today can know exactly what it looked like.  Then, provide children (all worshipers?) with paper and colored pens or crayons with which to create their own picture of what happened. Either invite them to post their pictures at a set spot at the end of worship or speak to artists as they leave about their work.

Tonkin, Mike and Liu, Anna. Singing, Ringing Tree (Panopticons),
from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54919 [retrieved April 9, 2012].

Year B - The Sixth Sunday of Easter (May 13, 2012)

Acts10:44-48

This is the tail end of the story of Peter being called in a vision that involved lots of food to witness to Cornelius, a Gentile with whom Peter a Jew would not eat.  The whole story, which is very interesting to children, appears in the lectionary on The Fifth Sunday of Easter in Year C.  I’d either go with whole story today or save it for next year because the details are what make this important story so memorable.  Today’s text, however, is filled with generalities and summaries.

If you are going to read and talk about just this text, consider reading the rest of the story from a children’s Bible story book to set the context.  One good choice is “Cornelius Becomes A Christian” from The Family Story Bible, by Ralph Milton.  Stop just before “Peter looked at Cornelius.  He looked at the other people…”.  Then, invite everyone to listen to what happened next and read the text from the Bible. (This reads aloud in only 2-3 minutes.)

Psalm 98

U  To capture the exuberance of this psalm gather all the rhythm instruments and noise makers you can.  Invite the children forward to help the congregation read the psalm.  Pass out the instruments.  The children’s job is to make noise with the instruments and shout Alleluia! each time you point to them.  Practice once or twice.  Then read verses 1-3 without pausing.  Pause after each of the remaining verses for the children to praise with their alleluias and instruments.  The verses may be read by a liturgist or by the whole congregation. ( The latter is louder and more in keeping in the spirit of the psalm!).

To do a low key children’s choir promotion, ask the children’s choir director to be the children’s conductor while you lead the reading parts.  Include all the children, not just those in choir.  Who knows?!  This might inspire the non-choir children to try it out.

U  Print selections from the psalm in the center of a page.  Give pages to the children and invite them to illustrate the verses during worship.  At the end of the service talk with children about their illustrations as they leave the sanctuary.

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Praise the Lord!

Sing a new song to the Lord;

he has done wonderful things!

By his own power and holy strength

he has won the victory….

Sing for joy to the Lord, all the earth;

praise him with songs and shouts of joy!

Sing praises to the Lord!

Play music on the harps!

Blow trumpets and horns,

and shout for joy to the Lord, our king.

Roar, sea, and every creature in you;

sing, earth, and all who live on you!

Clap your hands, you rivers;

you hills, sing together with joy before the Lord,

          because he comes to rule the earth.

He will rule the peoples of the world

with justice and fairness.

                                                                            From Psalm 98 (TEV)

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U  After reading the first lines of the first verse of the psalm and pointing out that it is the chorus of a hymn, sing “Earth and All Stars.”  The children enjoy the repeated chorus and also enjoy all the specific, modern items that are called to praise God.

1 John 5:1-6

U  Neither this passage nor the gospel reading for today will be understood by children as they are read.  The children will count on worship leaders to explore the message for them.

U  Preschoolers obey people rather than rules.  They do what the oldest, strongest, most important person in the room tells them to do.  When they admire and love that person, they will do almost anything asked.  That person gets to make all the rules.  As they enter elementary school, children begin to understand that rules can be negotiated by the group and that they can choose to obey or disobey a rule.  But throughout their lives they (and we) tend to defer to or obey those we admire and love.  Scouts follow and obey the rules of respected adult leaders.  Young athletes emulate the training disciplines of their sports hero/ines.  Christians follow Jesus and obey his rules.

U  Young athletes aiming for the Olympics often move to live near or even live with their coaches.  Their whole lives - what they eat, where they go to school, and how they train in their sport - are directed by those coaches.  In terms of this text, they obey them in all things.  That is the kind of obedience John is calling us to as Christians.

Sing “Lord, I Want to be a Christian” to commit yourselves to this kind of obedience to Jesus.

John 15:9-17

U  Since children will not follow this as it is read, choose one or two ideas or phrases in it to highlight for them.  Verse 12 (This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you) is a key phrase.  Friendship with Jesus is a key idea that is important to children.

U  To explore verse 12,  display pictures of Jesus' ministry identifying how Jesus loved the people in that picture (healing them, befriending them, teaching them, etc) and how we can love people in similar situations today. 

U  Between the ages of 5 and 10 friendship as practiced by children grows significantly.  At five a friend is someone to play with now.  Whoever will play and work with me now is my friend.   Five year olds proclaim adamantly to be friends forever, but then move on to other friends without recognizing what they are doing.  By the time they are ten these same children have a strong sense of loyalty due friends, appreciate nuances of friendships, and experience deep pain in making and losing friends.  So, at different ages children respond to Jesus’ statements about being his friends differently.  The younger children can simply claim Jesus as their friend.  The older ones can explore what it means to be Jesus friend.  One must be loyal to Jesus, following Jesus’ rules always wherever you are.  One must spend time among the friends of Jesus learning about Jesus and remembering Jesus.  One must do what Jesus wants done. 

Partner is another good term to use to describe our friendship with Jesus.  Partners do things they both think are important together.  Jesus calls us not to be his servants, but to be his partners working with him to love the world.  Describe several ministries in which the children can participate as things we do as partners with Jesus. 

U  Ask the children to lead the congregation in praying about being friends.  If children are comfortable talking with you in front of the congregation, have them join you to get the congregation ready to pray about being friends/loving others.  Together answer the following questions and turn the answers into prayers.  (You may want a scribe with you to record the prayers while you talk with the children.)  When you are ready, read/pray through the prayers with the whole congregation.  Try these or other questions:

What is good about having and being friends?

Leads to “thank you” prayers

When do we have to ask God and our friends for forgiveness?

Leads to confessions of ways we fail to be good friends

What is hard about being good friends?

Leads to prayers for help as we try to be good friends

U  There are LOTS of children’s books about friendship.  I found Four Feet, Two Sandals, by Karen Lynn Wiliams and Khadra Mohammed, on “Children’s Literature: A Resource for Ministry” (http://storypath.wordpress.com/ ).  It tells of two little girls in a refugee camp in Peshawar who come away from a scramble for used clothes each wearing one beautiful yellow sandal with a blue flower on it.  Neither girl has other shoes.  Rather than fight over the sandals they decide to take turns wearing them one day each.  Some days when they are together they each wear one just for fun.  When one girl’s family is moved on to America, the girls decide to each keep one sandal as a memory and as hope that one day they will again share together in America.  (Read it aloud in just under 5 minutes.)

Though neither girl lays down her life physically for the other, each one at one point gives the only shoes she has to her friend.  That is a big thing to give away.  To alert children to this, imagine aloud before reading the story what it would be like to walk miles barefoot and to have no shoes at all. 

U  For older children one of the best known books about friendship is the Harry Potter series.  It is filled with the stories of a group of friends growing up together.  Though these friends happen to be young wizards, their friendship joys and problems are those every child recognizes.  In the last book, Harry does physically lay down his life for his friends.  Go to Harry Potter and the July Worship Planner for details.  Younger children may not have read or seen this rather grown up conclusion of the series, but many older children will and will appreciate hearing the preacher refer to it to make a point in the sermon.

And, yes I know it is Mother’s Day in the US.  One would think these passages about love fit the day perfectly.  But, Mother’s Day is really about mothers, not children.  Young children view all their mothers’ activity on their behalf as simply what mothers do.  They will paste the label “love” on it, if you insist, but really see that kind of love as different from the love Jesus is asking us to commit to others.  So, I don’t have any clear suggestions about how to pick up on the day.  If some of you do, please weigh in.