Year A - The Baptism of the Lord (January 12, 2014)

Because it is “Baptism of the Lord” Sunday the first obvious worship theme is baptism, both that of Jesus and our own.  (If you are going this way, jump to the Matthew text below.)  But the texts also call for a review of Jesus life.  And, they introduce the Epiphany emphasis on Jesus being for all people everywhere rather than just those like us.  So there are lots of choices here.

For a totally different take on these texts:  Laura Dykstra at Voices of Truth insists that today’s texts are all about voices and using them to tell what we know.  So before the call to worship urge listeners of all ages to listen for voices in today’s readings, songs and prayers.  Even distribute lists of voice references to listen for and check off as they are heard – sort of a worship treasure hunt.  Gather the children near the end of worship to discuss what they have heard, restate the basic message, and encourage them to use their voices well during the coming week.

The Texts

Isaiah 42:1-9

> The Roman Catholic lectionary omits verses 5, 8, and 9.  The result is a shorter more focused reading.  If you are willing to make a totally Christian interpretation of this Old Testament text, read it immediately after the gospel story introducing it is as God’s “proud parent speech” about Jesus.

from Wikipedia Commons

> Use these verses to explore God’s amazing approach to bringing justice.  God does not stomp on the “bad guys” or those who make life difficult for everyone else.  God works gently with them to change them.  Celebrate this about God AND insist that God wants us to use the same plan when we deal with “bad guys” or unfair situations.  (As I write this, the news is full of remembrances of Nelson Mandela.  Certainly, he was a man who exemplified this approach.  His story makes immediate sense to children.)

> Isaiah’s description of the Suffering Servant of God can be seen as a either a description of or a job description for Jesus.  Walk through it verse by verse with children helping them understand some of the poetic images and connecting those images to stories about Jesus.  Point out that these were verses Jesus knew and may have thought about as he decided to be baptized and begin the work God asked him to do.

 

Psalm 29

Like many psalms this one needs to be experienced rather than explained.  So, try one of the reading plans that have been posted as this psalm appeared in the lectionary to date.  (It is popular with the lectionary creators!)

> Go to Baptism of the Lord (Year B) for a script that emphasizes the question “How strong is the Lord?”

> Go to Baptism of the Lord (Year A) for suggestions that explore this storm.  There are directions for creating a stormy coloring sheet and suggestions for accompanying the reading with small percussion instruments or people using their hands to make a sequence of storm sounds.  (If you sit on wooden backed pews, the second produces a truly awesome sound!) 

> Or use the script below to include the whole congregation in following the coming of the storm, its full power and its receding into the distance.  Before reading it, remind people of scary storms and the quiet afterward when we can reflect on God’s power that is even greater than the power of a storm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Psalm 29

A Very Stormy Psalm

ALL GROUPS

¹     Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

²     Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

worship the Lord in holy splendor.

GROUP 1

³     The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord, over mighty waters.

⁴     The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

GROUPS 1 and 2

⁵     The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶     He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

and Sirion like a young wild ox.

GROUPS 1, 2, and 3

⁷     The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

⁸     The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

GROUPS 1, 2, and 3 even louder

⁹     The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,

and strips the forest bare;

and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

PAUSE

ALL GROUPS VERY QUIETLY

¹⁰   The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

¹¹   May the Lord give strength to his people!

May the Lord bless his people with peace!

                                                        NRSV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Acts 10:34-43

> A couple of answers to the “how much do I read” question:

The Roman Catholic lectionary calls for only verses 35-38 which makes the reading shorter for children and more focused on Jesus’ concern for whole world.

Both these readings stop before Peter baptizes Cornelius and his household.  Add verses 44-48 to provide a second baptism story to the day.

> This sermon was preached as Peter met, ate with, and baptized the gentile Cornelius.  The whole story is more concisely presented in Acts 11:1-18.  Go to Fifth Sunday in Easter (Year C) for lots of ideas about presenting and exploring the whole story with its emphasis on Jesus being for all people of all races and cultures.

> The context of Peter’s summary of the gospel is preaching to the gentiles for the first time.  Peter prefaces his summary with “I realize that God has no partiality” or “I know now that God treats everyone the same” or “God doesn’t play favorites.”  There are better texts to explore this truth with children.  But, if that partiality is to be the focus of worship, explore it with children as follows:

Ask who God loves more

- students with good grades or those with not-so-
   good grades
- rich people or poor people
- people who wear cool clothes or people who always
  look weird
- athletes or nerds

Conclude that God made and loves all these people equally.  These people are God’s loved children.  We are to treat every person we meet as God’s loved child and we are to remember that we are God’s loved child.  (This could be developed into a low key anti-bullying pitch and/or “remember who you are when you are being bullied” pitch.)

> Dr. Seuss tells the story of a silly division between the star bellied sneetches and the plain bellied sneetches.  Both kinds of sneetches, like Peter, had to learn that they were all valuable.  Find this tale at the public library in Sneetches: And Other Stories, by Dr. Seuss.

> For children, today is the hinge between all the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany of Jesus the Baby and the stories of Jesus the adult that will dominate worship from now until Easter.  They both enjoy and need help stringing the stories together so that they feel they know all of Jesus.  Peter’s sermon offers a good summary.  If you did not do this on the First Sunday After Christmas, today present a series of pictures of Jesus including birth, baptism, teaching, healing, calling fishermen or Zacchaeus, the cross, and resurrection.  Pictures may come from the church school teaching picture file, enlarged pictures from Bible story books or projected images collections.  As you present each picture ask who is in it and what they are doing.  This is both a chance to rehearse the whole story of Jesus and an opportunity for a little worship education about the seasons of worship.  Note how you celebrated birth at Christmas, will celebrate resurrection on Easter and will be telling stories about Jesus every Sunday between Christmas and Easter.  (If you do this, look ahead to Jesus stories during the next few months to include in your summary story this morning.)

> “O Sing A Song of Bethlehem” and “I Danced in the Morning” are songs that trace Jesus' life and celebrate all of Jesus' life on the day of his baptism.  Before singing one of them, point out the connection to Peter’s sermon and invite worshipers to follow the story of Jesus’ life in the verses.

> If you use the Apostle’s Creed in worship, this is a good day to highlight the section on Jesus.  Walk through the words adding brief comments about each phrase as you go.  Then, invite worshipers to claim the phrases with a litany.  A worship leader reads each phrase with the congregation responding, “I believe in Jesus.”

Matthew 3:13-17

Reading about Jesus’ baptism often leads to exploring baptism in general.  There are lots of interesting ways to do that with children in the sanctuary.

> One minister emailed the entire congregation asking them to talk about the baptism of each person in their household before coming to church on this Sunday.  Those stories formed a personal context for each worshiper as they explored baptism together during worship.

 

> If you hang curtains of blue ribbons in the doors to the sanctuary on baptismal Sundays, hang them today in honor of Jesus’ baptism.  At the very least they provide an introduction to the story of Jesus’ baptism that connects his baptism to that of each worshiper.  It is also a chance to suggest to worshipers that as they pass through those curtains every time they appear people can remember and thank God for their own baptism.  In the charge and benediction, remind worshipers to do so as they leave the sanctuary today.  If you have a children’s time, explain the practice and lead the children out the doors and back through the curtains. 

> During the sermon walk through and comment on your congregation’s baptismal rite.  Even use a doll and adult volunteers to take the various roles in both infant and adult baptisms.  Show several baptismal certificates for members of the congregation.

> Sing a baptismal hymn for Jesus today.  If your congregation regularly sings one at baptisms, talk about its meaning and then sing if for Jesus today.  Two baptism hymns that are child accessible:

“Child of Blessing, Child of Promise” - Read verse 1 noting how it is true for Jesus and for every person baptized.  Then read verse 4 noting the same is true.  Jesus had to learn to listen for God’s call and to love and laugh and trust God more than all.  So do we.  (I’d skip verses 2 and 3 to focus everyone’s attention and for the sake of brevity.)

 

Feel free to copy this.

“Christ When For Us You Were Baptized” – To point out the connection of the first three verses to the story of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew, give each child a sheet of paper with the hymn words printed in the middle.  Point to the highlighted words and phrases promising that they will hear them in the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Read (or reread) the biblical story challenging them to raise a hand each time they hear one of the phrases each time they hear it.  Point out that the first three verses are about Jesus’ baptism and the fourth is about ours.  Repeat the highlighted phrase in the fourth verse and briefly discuss what that means.  Then challenge the children to illustrate all those words about Jesus’ baptism around the edges of the sheet.  Invite them to post their sheets at an agreed upon place (baptismal font, altar rail, door to sanctuary, even your office door) at the end of the service.  This could be done as a children’s time or could be tied to the reading of the gospel for the day.  In either case the congregation should sing the song shortly thereafter.

 

 

from Wikipedia Commons

> What is different and the same with Jesus’ baptism and ours.  Meet at the font, show a photo of Jordan River.  Note all the differences in where Jesus was baptized and where most of us are baptised.  Then read “You are my beloved Son” and note the sameness of what God said to Jesus and says to us at our baptisms.

> Invite worshipers to dip their fingers into the water of the font saying “I am the beloved child of God.”  Or, place a mirror in the baptismal font and have children (or all worshipers) look into it saying the phrase.

> Challenge children to do as Martin Luther did - when they wash their face each morning, say “I am God’s loved child.” You might demonstrate with a bowl of water for a children’s time, and invite one or two children to do the same.  (Remember to provide towels.)

> Water Came Down: the Day You Were Baptized, by Walter Wangerin, Jr. describes how sun, cloud, rain, wind, and water are involved in a child’s baptism.  The idea is lovely, but a little over the top.  The whole universe seems to revolve about the child rather than the child taking his or her place among God’s people and the universe.  One way to use it in worship would be to read only the end of the book beginning with “Your family was there that holy day…”after walking through your congregation’s infant baptism rite.  Can anyone point us to other good baptism books to read in worship to children?

> If your congregation practices infant baptism and most baptisms are infant baptisms, this story introduces the idea that older folks can be baptized, too.  Tell the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Then, tell about an adult being baptized.  Note that when babies are baptized they do not understand what is going on.  Everyone else remembers that God loves us even before we can know it.  When youth and adults are baptized, they know what they are doing.  They decide to become followers of Jesus.  Be sure to point out that people who were baptized as babies, get their chance to say publicly that they want to follow Jesus when they are older and explain when that happens, e.g. in the Presbyterian church it is at confirmation .  (Do this for idealistic older children who are looking for a chance to take a public stand.  Be sure these children know that their parents have not robbed them of that opportunity and tell them when it will come.)

> In this story God gives Jesus a new name – Son.  Explore the importance of this and all names by listing “bad names” you have been called.  Invite worshipers to add to the list silently or aloud.  Describe the power of those names to make us “less.”  Then insist that God says the same thing to each of us that God says to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son/Daughter/Child.”  In prayer a worship leader might leave silence for people to recall bad names they have been called and bad names they have heard hurled at others.  Then, thank God for giving us the good name and pray for help in finding good names for everyone we meet.

> In many congregations, new officers are installed in early January.  In this case, Jesus’ baptism links to their installation (maybe ordination too).  Jesus in being baptized is telling God and the people around him that he is ready to undertake God’s mission.  Officers are agreeing to undertake missions to which the church is calling them. 

Year C – Proper 20, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 18th Sunday after Pentecost (September 22, 2013)

Jeremiah 8:18 – 9:1

_ Before reading this psalm help the children understand that Jeremiah is really, really sad after his town Jerusalem was destroyed in war and many people were killed or carried off as prisoners.  Read 9:1 first to introduce Jeremiah’s prayer.  Note that it is a prayer that many of the people in Egypt and Syria might pray today. 

_ Children will hear BOMB instead of BALM.  Laugh about the difference noting that nobody needs any more BOMBS.  Then display a tube of balm.  If children are close, give each one a squeeze of balm to rub into their hands as they listen to Jeremiah’s prayer for his hurting people.

This is a good opportunity to connect Jeremiah’s prayer to the spiritual “There is A Balm in Gilead” that was first sung by slaves wishing for balm for all the hardships of their lives.  Talk about it. Then sing it.

This could lead to collecting names of hurting people who need God’s loving care today.  More on this in the section on 1 Timothy today.

Psalm 79:1-9

This is not a great psalm for children.  If you do read it, start by reading verses 1-4 in the TEV to answer the questions “how bad was it?” and/or “why was Jeremiah so sad.”

Amos 8:4-7

_ The ephahs, shekels, and selling the needy for a pair of sandals of Old Testament commerce make it almost impossible for children to understand this text as it is read.  Furthermore, they lose interest before we can explain all these details.  They depend on worship leaders to give them the theme in terms they can understand.  The bottom line is that God is not happy when some people are very rich and have more of everything they want and need while other people go without basic needs of life.  God thinks that is not fair.

Read either the TEV or CEV version to get past some of the particulars and to Amos’ message

 

Unidentified Flemish painter. Rich and Poor, or, War and Peace,

from Art in the Christian Tradition,

a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55707

[retrieved August 21, 2013]. Original source:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arm_und_Reich_(fl%C3%A4misch_17_Jh).jpg.

 

_ Display this over the top comparison of rich and poor.  Identify the differences in the two men in the painting.  Then note that God does not like this painting.  God thinks it is unfair that one man should have everything and the other man have nothing.  With this conversation as background, read the Amos text (preferably for TEV or CEV).  Children will get the message.

Psalm 113

The psalmist praises the high God who leans over to lift the poor.  Either point this out verbally by going through the psalm finding all the high, low, and lifting words before reading it.  Or, line out the psalm with hand motions.  The latter is best done with the whole congregation but could be presented by a rehearsed children’s class who have been invited to be worship leaders by acting it out as you read it.

 

 

I I I I I I I I I I I I I

 

Psalm 113 with Motions

Praise the Lord!

      Arms outstretched palms turned up

You servants of the Lord, praise his name!
      Arms reaching out to the congregation
 
May his name be praised now and for ever.
      Repeat outstretched arms with palms turned up.

From the east to the west praise the name of the Lord!

      Point to the east, then arc arm to the west

The Lord rules over all nations; his glory is above the heavens.

      Bent arms out to the sides in an expression of power

There is no one like the Lord our God.
      Pointing up with one hand as in a teaching position

He lives in the heights above,

      Look up and reach your arms overhead

            but he bends down to see the heavens and the earth.

                  Lean over to look down moving your arms out to the
                  side

He raises the poor from the dust;

      Still leaning over cup your hands as if scooping up people
      below. 

he lifts the needy from their misery
  raise your cupped hands a little

      and makes them companions of princes,

                  raise your cupped hands to shoulder height

the princes of his people. 

      Open cupped hands and reach out to your sides as if holding hands

      He honours the childless wife in her home;

                  Hold arms down at your sides

he makes her happy by giving her children. 

     Rock a baby in your arms

Praise the Lord!

            Raise hands in traditional praise position

TEV

 

I I I I I I I I I I I I I

 

1 Timothy 2:1-7

These seven verses offer a rather amazing variety of worship themes, some more relevant for children than others.

_ The great Christological hymn describing Christ as a mediator between God and people is hard for children.  Much of our talk with them about God focuses on God as their loving friend who is always available to them.  A mediator is only needed when there are conflicts to be settled and gaps to be bridged.  So, before children can see Christ as a welcome mediator, they need to identify the estrangement with God.  Some older children will begin to pick up on some of the preacher’s comments, but Christ as mediator is not a great concept for children.

_ Ransom is also a difficult concept for children to grasp as a description of Christ’s work.  To them ransom is money paid to kidnappers who have stolen a child or loved family member in order to get the kidnapped one back.  Since it is the bad guys who demand ransom, it is hard to understand how a loving God could demand a ransom.  Many adults never really resonate with the ransom image, but those who do will not get it until their teenage years or later.

_ The theme in this hymn that does speak to children is that God loves all people and Jesus died for all people.  Paul’s point was God loves all people not just the Jewish ones.  Today the point is God loves all people, not just the ones like me. 

_ Present the gathered children with portraits of people. (Old “National Geographic” magazines are good sources.)  Present two very different looking people at a time with the question, “Does God love one of these people more than the other?”  After discussing several pairs, conclude that God loves and cares for all the people in the world.

_ Before singing “In Christ There Is No East or West” introduce the geographical directions in the first verse by illustrating them with hand motions.  Point to your right for “east,” to your left for “west,” up for “north,” and down for “south.”  Then form a huge circle with your arms for “one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.”  As you do, summarize the message of the verse.  This could be a brief introduction before the singing of the hymn with encouragement to children to sing with the congregation.   Or, it could become a children’s time done just before singing the hymn.

_ ”He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” is another good choice for this theme.

_ Paul’s call for prayer for all people is an opportunity to explore the congregation’s practice of intercessory prayer.  Before that prayer time, pause to describe what you are going to do and why.  If you collect public prayer concerns explain why and how you do that.  If you do this with the children on the steps, gather some of their prayer concerns, then mention them at the beginning of the prayer that follows.

This is a good time to encourage children to speak up at this time and to show them how to raise their hand for a turn to speak.  You may also want to point out that it is appropriate to pray for any person for whom you are truly concerned or happy, but that you need to think before you speak about whether that person would be embarrassed by what you say.

_ Using a globe take a prayer trip around the world.  Before leaving/praying together identify people in different parts of the world for whom to pray.  Then pray your way around the world from one continent to the next.  This could be an eyes open prayer pointing to each prayer stop as you move. 

THINK AHEAD:  World Communion Sunday is the first week in October.  You may want to save this prayer form for that day.

_ Encourage children to pray for other people with a prayer calendar.  Give them a blank calendar for one week.  Invite them to write one person’s or group of people’s name in each day’s block then to decorate that block with designs or words about that person.  Encourage them to post the calendar will they will see it this week and to pray for each person on their day.

Luke 16:1-13

_ For starters realize that children hear MAMMON as maybe some kind of MAMMAL.  Laugh about this old word and define it as money or wealth (a more current, but still not very familiar to many children word).  Remember that children think literally.  Loving “wealth” means loving the cash and coins.  I can clearly remember feeling safe about this as a child.  I did not love quarters or even paper bills.  It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I caught that the problem wasn’t the cash, it was what you could buy with the cash.  Talk about a preacher who had left off preaching and gone to meddling!  The text took on a whole new meaning for me.  To help children get the real meaning of the text, talk about “stuff” rather than “wealth.”  Cite examples like smart phones, “in” shoes, double stuffed Oreos, computer games, even the money to register to be on a sports team or see a show…  It is not that any of this stuff is bad, lots of it is really cool.  What Jesus tells us is that how we use our stuff is important.  We can be selfish with our stuff, not sharing with others.  We can spend all our time thinking about and messing with our stuff, never taking time to see what people around us may want and need from us.  We can forget that who we are is more important than what we wear and what we have.  The child’s version of Jesus saying is “who you are and what you do are more important than what you have.”

Straight conversations like this can be worked into the main sermon mixing examples from adulthood and childhood.  When they hear such conversations, children (1) conclude that the sermon is for them too and (2) they begin to realize that the adults around them struggle with some of the same problems they do.

_ Bring a cool electronic gadget (maybe a fancy smart phone) to the gathering of children.  Show them what it will do and let them know how much you enjoy having it.  Then, tell them you think Jesus cares about how you use your whatever-it-is.  Point out that you could say “It’s mine!  Don’t touch it!”  Or, you could say, “Look how it works?  You want to try it?”  You could spend so much time seeing what you can make it do, that you ignore everything and everyone else.  Note that you know you’ve done this when people say, “Earth to NAME – are you there?”   Or, you could enjoy it some, but not all the time.  Etc.   Conclude that Jesus said we are to learn to use are stuff well.  We are to enjoy stuff, but not make it the only thing we think about.  Jesus made it very clear that people are always more important than things.  

_ Especially if you are thinking about this text in preparation for stewardship season, remember that children have money too.  They do not have as much as their parents but they do money from allowances, gifts, and wages from small jobs they do.  They can learn to contribute from these sources early in life.  When parents provide all the money children give to the church, they deny them the joy and practice of giving their very own money to buy a heifer animal or support the church.  Go to  Children, Money and the Sanctuary for more ideas about this.

_ Being faithful in small things:  Read verse 10 aloud from the big Bible.  Then, admit that we would all like to do “big” things - important things, things that get reported on TV and make people admire us.  But most of the time most of us don’t.  Instead we do regular every day, “little” things that don’t get much attention or seem to make much difference at all.  Jesus has two things to tell us about these “little” things.  First, being faithful in little things does make a difference.  Being kind to the kid no one else talks to, forgiving the person who called you a mean name, saying “thank you” and really meaning it, all those little things often make a bigger difference to people than we ever know.  The second thing about being faithful in little things is that it is important practice.  Shooting hoops over and over again is practice for making the important shot in the big game.  In the same way being kind, forgiving, loving people on the normal days is practice for being God’s loving, forgiving people when it is REALLY, REALLY hard to do.  In both basketball and being disciples, practice on the small things is very important.

Year C - Second Sunday in Lent (February 24, 2013)

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

U There are important nuanced differences between covenants and promises, but children will not grasp them.  For children this is a story about a promise God made to Abram.  Children do have experiences with promises.  They make promises about being at practices and sportsmanship when they join a sports team, learn and say the scout promise if they are a scout, and hear people make promises to God when babies are baptized and couples are married.  These examples can serve as points of reference with which to explore the importance making and keeping promises.

I found this by searching "starry night images."

U Point out that Abram had trouble believing God’s promise that he, who was almost 100 years old, would have a son.  Tell the story about the stars.  Since many urban and suburban children do not often see star-filled skies, describe night skies you have seen or show pictures of starry night skies.  Note the impossibility of counting that many stars and the fact that there are even more stars that we cannot see.  Then put a star sticker on the back of the hand of each child (if the children are close to you) or pass baskets of star stickers through the pews for all worshipers to claim a star to stick on the back of their hand.  As you do, note that we are the proof that God kept the promise to Abram.  We are Abram's family living thousands of years later and on the other side of the globe from Abram and there are lots of us.  Name other churches in your town.  Recall groups of God’s faithful children in different parts of the world.  And, conclude we are here and there are LOTS OF US.  We are as many as the stars in the sky.  Then return to Abram’s trouble believing God could keep the promise and note that if God could keep that promise, we can count on God to keep other promises.   

U OK, the animal sacrifice sounds gross to adults  and offends animal loving children.  But the children are also fascinated by it.  Remember this is the age of blood brother pacts and secret club rituals.  To express a solemn commitment children say, “cross my heart and hope to die.”  (I even saw the phrase “poke a needle in my eye” included in this oath according to one author.  That is new to me, but it fits the meaning.)  The bottom line is that with this elaborate ceremony God was proving to Abram that God was totally serious about and committed to this promise.

 

Psalm 27

U This psalm includes praise, lamentation, prayers for help and beneath them all a deep trust of God.  To emphasize all these different life situations in which people continue to trust God, have readers of many ages read different sections of the psalm concluding by reading the last verse together.  Rehearse with the readers to help them show the feelings underlying their verses. 

I have chosen the TEV because it uses the word trust instead of words and phrases that make less sense to children.  Trust is also a key word for Jesus who trusts God and God’s plan as he goes to Jerusalem and for Paul who encourages the Philippians to trust God.

ghghghghghghghghghghghghg

Psalm 27

Reader 1:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

I will fear no one. The Lord protects me from all danger;

I will never be afraid.

When evil people attack me and try to kill me,

they stumble and fall.

Even if a whole army surrounds me,

I will not be afraid;

even if enemies attack me,

I will still trust God.

Reader 2:

I have asked the Lord for one thing;

one thing only do I want: to live in the Lord’s house all my life,

to marvel there at his goodness,

and to ask for his guidance.  

Reader 3:

In times of trouble he will shelter me;

he will keep me safe in his Temple

and make me secure on a high rock.

So I will triumph over my enemies around me.

With shouts of joy I will offer sacrifices in his Temple;

I will sing, I will praise the Lord.  

Reader 4:

Hear me, Lord, when I call to you!

Be merciful and answer me!

When you said, “Come and worship me,”

I answered, “I will come, Lord;

            don’t hide yourself from me!”

 

Reader 5:

Don’t be angry with me;

don’t turn your servant away.

You have been my help;

don’t leave me, don’t abandon me,

O God, my saviour.

My father and mother may abandon me,

but the Lord will take care of me.  

Reader 6:

Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do,

and lead me along a safe path,

because I have many enemies.

Don’t abandon me to my enemies,

who attack me with lies and threats.

I know that I will live to see

the Lord’s goodness in this present life. 

All:

Trust in the Lord.

Have faith, do not despair.

Trust in the Lord.  

                                              From TEV

ghghghghghghghghghghghghg

U This week’s phrase from the Lord’s Prayer is “Deliver us from evil.”  To help children claim this phrase of the prayer, define “evil” as bad stuff.  List together all the bad stuff from which we might want to be saved, e.g. bullies, disease, war, getting lost, anger, being greedy.  Bring pictures from papers and magazines to trigger ideas.  When the list is complete restate the phrase with the particular evils listed, “God save us from diseases and wars…..”

Remember that for most children pizza is what is “delivered.”  Explain that here “delivered” means “saved.”   The best child’s translation of this prayer is “Lord, save us from all the bad stuff that happens.” 

If you are devoting time to the mother hen image in the gospel, a psalm with a reference to that image might be a good alternate choice.  Psalm 57 is my favorite among them for today.  Use the whole psalm to explore trust or just the first verse to feature the care of the mother hen. 

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,

because I come to you for safety.

In the shadow of your wings I find protection

until the raging storms are over.

                                TEV

  

 Philippians 3:17- 4:1 

U The bottom line message here is “stand firm” for Jesus.  Our allegiance is to God and we trust God’s power.  Give children small red paper hearts to put in their shoes as a reminder to stand firm for Jesus.  Encourage them to put the heart in their shoes each day this week.

 

Put a heart on a sandal as you talk about Jesus standing firm for God when he went bravely to Jerusalem.  Laughingly note that it would be harder to keep a heart in a sandal than in a tennis shoe.  Also, note that it was probably harder for Jesus to walk bravely in his sandals into Jerusalem than it will be for any of us to stand for Jesus in our tennies this week.  If you have an ongoing heart display during Lent, add a shoe with a heart on it to the display. 

U Standing firm for Jesus leads to singing “Lord, I Want to Be A Christian” which many children know and which is simple enough for young readers to follow if they do not already know the song. 

U If it also leads to singing “Be Thou My Vision,” walk through the first verse before singing it.  Point to all the “thou”s and “thy”s noting that they were old ways of speaking to and about God.   “Be thou my vision” means “Be my idea of what is best and what I want most for my life.”  Translate “naught” as “nothing” and rephrase the line “may nothing be more important to me than loving you, God.”  The last two lines claim God is my best thought and God is my light whether I am awake or asleep (in other words, God is my light all the time).  One verse is enough for most children.  Older ones who get this verse are often able to puzzle out the others.  But, you might also plan to work through them another Sunday.

 

Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)  

U The second reading is the transfiguration story that was the main reading the week before Lent in many congregations. Go to Year C - Transfiguration of the Lord for ideas for this story.

U The first reading features Jesus’ confrontation with Pharisees who are warning him there is trouble ahead.  There are references to two animals in this story.  First Jesus compares King Herod to a fox.  Then, he compares himself to a mother hen.  The hen has more to offer children.  Jesus says that he loves each of God’s children as much as a mother hen loves her chicks.  To explore the mother hen’s care of her chicks, read Five Little Chicks, a picture book by Nancy Tafuri.  It tells of a mother hen directing her chicks to appropriate food and pulling them under her wings to snuggle and sleep.  The book can be read in 2 minutes maximum.  To help children get the message, discuss the problems with some of the “food” the chicks first want and the corn to which the hen directs them.  Ask how it felt to sleep snuggled under their mother’s wings and why the mother kept them so close to her at night.  Then reread Jesus’ claim that he loved the people of Jerusalem as much as a mother hen loved her chicks.

U Or, explore Jesus’ courage in going to Jerusalem where he knew there was going to be trouble.  Point out that Jesus did not need any magical powers to see that he was making some very powerful people very angry.  It was easy to see that if he went to Jerusalem there was going to be trouble.  But, Jesus also knew that was what God wanted him to do.  So, he did it.  Remembering how often Jesus is portrayed as gentle and kind and is therefore often taken as a wimp especially by young boys, ponder the bravery it took for him to walk into Jerusalem facing death threats.

U Connect Jesus to the heart theme using the phrase “his heart is not in it.”  Explain what it means when applied to an athlete not giving his or her all to a game.  Then go to this story.  Jesus says his heart is in it.  He is going to Jerusalem because he loves the people there as much as a mother hen loves her chicks.  His heart is so in it that a king with an army threatening to kill him will not stop him.  He is willing to face danger, to be hurt, even to die.  In other words, his heart is in it.  The heart on the sandal is a good prop for this.