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| NASA photo from Wikimedia Commons |
t Yes, this is Earth Sunday as well as the Third Sunday
of Easter. I hope to work on The Season of Creation texts
later this spring. At that time, I’ll
try to gather resources that will be useful on Earth Sunday as well. In the meantime, try some of the following:
Hymns
“All
Creatures of Our God and King” calls on all parts of the world God created to
praise God using the Easter word “Alleluia!”
“All
Things Bright and Beautiful” and “For the Beauty of the Earth” are songs about
God’s world that many children know.
“Earth
and All Stars” may be new to children, but especially older children enjoy all
the specific descriptions of ways we use God’s creation. It could be the basis of good discussion
about our partnership with God in caring for the earth.
Books
A
Prayer Book for the Earth: The Story of Naamah, Noah’s Wife, by Sandy Sasso.
This midrash gives Noah’s wife the job of gathering seeds to take on the
ark and then plant after the flood. She
sends the seed for the olive tree out with the dove instructing him to drop it
in a good place.
The
Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, describes a
single person destroying the whole environment in order to covert the puffy
tops of the tarfuffle trees into sneeds he could sell. At the end he entrusts the single remaining
tarfuffle seed to a young boy hoping he will plant, tend, and use it better
than he had.
t Easter hymns for children to sing after Easter Sunday:
“O
Sons and Daughter, Let Us Sing!”
There
are two sets of words for this. One is
meant to be sung with the story of Thomas.
Use the other set that has us sing of the women on Easter morning, the
disciples meeting Jesus in the locked room and us worshiping together
today. There are still more Easter
“Alleluias!” for the non-readers!
“Christ
is Alive!”
This
should really be titled “Christ is Alive TODAY!” Point this out. Read verse 2 emphasizing the message. Then invite all to sing it.
“Up
From the Grave He Arose!”
This
is an especially good follow up to a discussion about what Jesus’ resurrected
body was like. Children enjoy the
difference in the sad verses and loud upbeat chorus. Emphasize the difference with music.
The Third
Sunday of Easter Texts
t The gospel and epistle readings for this week are hard
to read together. In the gospel the disciples (presumably
including Peter and John) are confused and disbelieving. In the epistle Peter and John have healed a
lame man and are boldly defending Christ to the Council. What is missing, of course, is Pentecost
which comes between them. Rather than
try to explain that, I’d choose one or the other, not both for reading today.
Acts 3:12-19
t This week’s reading is what Peter said to the crowd
that gathered after he and John healed a lame man just outside the Temple. Next week’s reading is what he said before
the Council the next morning. It is
pretty much “second verse same as the first, a whole lot louder and a whole lot
worse.” Either reading will require
telling or reading the story of the healing that precedes both. So, I would tackle the whole story (Acts 3:1
- 4:22) on one Sunday. Since that is a
long complicated reading, either:
t Prepare a group to pantomime the story as it is read
from the Bible. The group could be an older children’s class,
but a youth or adult group will offer more nuanced facial expression,
especially during the Council meeting. A
good rehearsal with time to ponder how people felt and reacted at different
points in the story will help the actors more fully appreciate what was going
on and enable them to communicate that with their faces, posture, and
gestures. As a result, children in the
congregation will understand the story more fully watching them. The pantomime requires a minimum of 7 actors,
but the Temple crowd and the Council could include more as needed.
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| This book comes with several differnt covers. |
t Or, turn to The Children’s Bible in 365
Stories, by Mary Batchelor, for a concise version. “A Healing – and Trouble” (Story #340) can be
read aloud in three minutes. (If you
don’t have this particular book, check out the children’s Bible story books
already on your shelf. But, do consider
purchasing this one as an addition. It
is well worth the purchase price.)
t Or, follow the Roman Catholic lectionary to read only
verses 13-15 and 17 -19 which leaves out the references to the lame
man’s healing and lets Peter preach about repentance and forgiveness without a
back story.
t Peter and John healed the lame man “in
Jesus’ name.” They were very clear with themselves, the
crowd and the Council that they could not do that on their own. Only Jesus had the power to heal the lame
man. They acted in Jesus’ name. Explore how the phrase “in Jesus’ name” is
used today. Often we end prayers “in
Jesus’ name.” That is rather like saying
“I’m with Jesus.” We also do things that
we know Jesus would want us to do “in Jesus name.” Name some of things we do as individuals and
as congregations “in Jesus’ name.” Point
out that after the resurrection, Jesus is counting on us to act and speak for
him in the world. Sing “Take My Life and
Let it Be Consecrated” to dedicate yourselves to acting “in Jesus’ name.”
t If you read the 10 Commandments last Sunday, recall
them and connect this conversation to the commandment to use the name of God (and
Jesus) appropriately.
t Most commentators warn worship planners to take
care to avoid anti-Semitism.
Most adults will need only subtle mention of this. But, one must be almost more careful and
direct with children. Because they think
literally they can easily jump from Peter was telling off those particular
leaders to Peter is telling off all Jewish people in all times and all
places. They need to be told that Peter
was speaking directly to the people who had planned and voted for Jesus’
death. It is not about the Jews but
about people who killed Jesus. The
amazing Easter truth is that God would forgive even those people if they
repented.
Psalm 4
t In today’s Acts text, the focus is on Peter’s
sermon. The lame man is simply the set
up. But, if you are adding the story of
the healing of the lame man, this psalm becomes the prayer of that man. Read Acts 3:1-2 and 4:22, then pause to
imagine what life was like for the lame man.
Then introduce the psalm as a prayer he might have prayed. Read the first 3 verses and put them in your
own words. Promise that something
amazing is about to happen for that lame man and read Acts 3:3-10.
t Another way to explore this psalm: The psalmist feels that his honor has been
besmirched. Children will not hear that
as the psalm is read, but they know what it is like to be looked down on,
dissed, discounted, overlooked, bullied, etc.
Especially near the end of a school year, those who for a variety of
reasons, do not feel successful at school, can feel hopelessly trapped and
doomed. It is no accident that many
school shootings happen in the spring.
These children need to hear the psalmist claim that only what God thinks of
him is important. No critical teacher,
bully, snobby classmate, or disloyal friend can define him. Only God does that and God says, “I created
you and love you. You are not junk.” The pastor at the university based church I
attend, reminds all the students the Sunday before every exam week that their
worth is not determined by any grade or any teacher’s evaluation. Only God has the right to decide their worth
and God has declared that every one of them is loved and worthy. We need to get that same message to children
as well.
t Psalm 4:8 is
probably the best verse of this psalm for children. “I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O LORD, make
me lie down in safety.” Use it to
celebrate the peace with which we can settle down to sleep at night. Describe being tucked in with a story, a
prayer, and lots of hugs. Link it to
living like God’s children (1 John 3:1) or to Christ’s gift of peace (Luke
24:36).
t The Moon
Shines Down, by Margaret Brown Wise, describes children settling into
sleep all around the world. Each
description ends with “God bless the moon and God bless me, And God bless“…the
children in that country. Only a child
snuggling in bed would want to read the entire book. In worship, choose five or six countries to
read.
t If children
know the round “Dona Nobis Pacem,” ask a children’s group/class/choir to sing
it in worship or sing it as a whole congregation.
1 John 3:1-7
t This writer takes up the psalmist’s message. Who are we?
We are the children of God! God
created us and loves us. No matter how
other people treat us, we know that God loves us. Period.
End of discussion.
t If you are Presbyterian, introduce the
first questions of the Children’s Catechism. The first two questions may be enough for the
day, but the first six might help you unpack John’s whole message. After exploring them, use them as the affirmation of
faith for the day with a worship leader posing the questions and the
whole congregation answering them together.
If you are not Presbyterian, but have a children’s catechism, explore it
for similar use.
? ?
? ?
? ? ?
? ? ?
? ?
? ? ?
? ? ?
? ?
? ? ?
? ? ?
?
Question 1: Who are you?
Answer: I am a child of God.
Question 2. What
does it mean to be a child of God?
Answer: That I
belong to God, who loves me.
Question 3. What makes you a child of God?
Answer: Grace --
God's free gift of love that I do not deserve and cannot earn.
Question 4. Don’t
you have to be good for God to love
you?
Answer: No. God loves me in spite of all I do wrong.
Question 5. How
do you thank God for this gift of love?
Answer: I promise to love and trust God with all my
heart.
Question 6. How
do you love God?
Answer: By worshipping God, by loving others, and by
respecting what God has created.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
t Read Desmond Tutu’s beautifully illustrated children’s
book, God’s Dream. He
insists that all children of all races are God’s children and that God dreams
of them all getting along well. (Can be
read aloud in less than 5 minutes and is best presented with the pictures.)
t Before singing “God, Who Stretched the Spangled
Heavens” invite worshipers to
open their hymnals and look at the words with you. Read through the words, stopping to comment on
or to put a few phrases into your own words.
Pay special attention to the phrases that describe “we your
children.” Verse 3’s “serving others,
honoring You” and “Great Creator give us guidance till our goals and Yours are
one” complete this prayer about living as God’s children.
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| This ribbon with faces was cut from fabric featuring Russian dolls when I could not find ribbon with human faces on it. |
t At On the Chancel Steps Frances Woodruff shares a children’s sermon
exploring what children might be when they grow up and insisting that no matter
what else they become, they will always be “children of God.” She begins with seeds, but it would be
possible to bypass those seeds and focus more sharply on always being the
children of God throughout our entire lives.
Luke 24:36b-48
t Go to Rumors: Sermon Helps for Preachers with a Sense of Humor for a reader’s theater script for this text. Scroll down almost to the end of the post to “Scripture Story as Readers' Theater - Luke 24:36b-48." Either read the whole
script or start with the biblical conversation between Jesus and the
disciples. Only two readers are needed
to bring this conversation alive and grab the attention of the children.
t This is a great story with which to explore
what Jesus was like after the resurrection. His friends recognized him (at least in this
story they did). But he was
different. He could appear inside a
locked room. But he wasn’t a ghost. They could touch him. He could eat a piece of fish. His body was new and different. But he was also the same old Jesus they had
known. It was and is very
mysterious. No one understands it
fully. Point out the details and enjoy
the mystery.
t Stand the draped Jesus figure in a central
place and refer to what you can and cannot see of the earthly figure of Jesus
that you followed through Lent. If
possible, you might want to arrange his hands outside the drape and even draw
wounds on them.
If
you talk about resurrected bodies in general, use the figure to point out that there is a lot we
do not know about our lives after death.
God has saved some surprises for us.
But we do know it will be shiny good because we will be with God and
that we will still be us, i.e. though we will be different in ways we can’t
know now, the important parts of what makes us will still be there just as we
can still see Jesus who lived on earth in this figure.
t After Lent, the words repent
and forgive should be at least a
little familiar. Today present them as a
pair that belongs together. One way is
to do this is to write them in large letters on opposite sides of a piece of
poster board. Briefly define each
word. Repent means try to do
better. Forgive means it is OK when you
mess up. Then point out that it would be
really scary to repent if there was no forgiveness. It would be too scary to try anything we
might get wrong. Turning to the forgive
side, note that because we have God’s promise that God forgives us when we mess
up, we can try anything for God. We are
safe. We can dare anything.
PEACE SHALOM SALAAM ALOHA
t Jesus greeted his friends with “Peace.” Compare his
greeting with the greetings of many languages that also wish a person peace or
God’s presence, e.g.
Aloha
in Hawaiian means affection, peace, compassion and mercy
Shalom
(Hebrew) and Salaam (Arabic) mean peace, completeness, and prosperity.
Aloha,
Shalom, and Salaam can be used on meeting or departing.
Goodbye
started out as “God be with ye.”
In passing the peace each
week in worship, we follow Jesus’ example.
After pointing this out, pass the peace to practice.
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