Starting today for the next 7
weeks you will find suggestions for highlighting one phrase from the Lord’s
Prayer each week. The phrases are not in
the order of the prayer, but could become a bit of a series. Go to Lord's Prayer Series to explore the possibility of such
a series in more detail.
Exodus 3:1-15
> Before
reading this story remind
worshipers of last week’s story about the baby Moses. Briefly note that Moses grew up in the
palace, got a great education, but knew all the time he was a Hebrew. One day when he had grown up he killed a
guard who was beating a Hebrew slave and so had to run away into the desert. That is where Moses had been for years when
today’s story happened.
> This
text is mainly a conversation between God and Moses. It can easily be turned into a script for two
people to read, but the result lacks the needed sense of awe and mystery. The animated film “Moses,
Prince of Egypt” adds that in a
way that worshipers of all ages appreciate. So, read the biblical account, then show the
film version. Take time to identify what
the artists got right in your opinion and what you would have done
differently. In informal settings,
invite worshipers of all ages to share their ideas about this.
> After
reading the story and maybe viewing the animated version above, challenge young
worshipers to draw their own pictures of God speaking to
Moses from the burning bush.
Ask to see them as children leave the sanctuary or invite them to post
them on a bulletin board or tape them to the rail at the front. You could even publish a burning bush gallery
of their art on a page in the newsletter or on the church’s website.
> In
response to Moses’ encounter with God in a burning bush, highlight
some of the flames used by the church to remind us of God’s presence.
> After exploring the story, light a
short pillar candle or a candle in a clear container on the Moses display
(see Moses Display) Light this candle every
Sunday during the Exodus readings either as the other candles in the sanctuary
are lit at the beginning of the service or just before the Exodus reading for
the day.
> Bring out all the candles used in worship during the year – the Advent wreath, the Christ candle, the table
candles , baptismal candles, even a little candle in a holder from annual
candle lighting service. Light each one
as you talk about what it means summarizing that we use all these candles to
remind us of God’s presence with us.
Then connect the candles to the bush that burned but did not burn
up. This could be done as the call to
worship or just before the reading of the Exodus text.
> If a flame appears in your congregation’s or denomination’s logo, point it out and explain its significance as a
statement about God’s presence with you.
Print it in your worship handout for all to see close up. Point out the logo anywhere it appears around
your building.
> There
are several ways to explore the name of God – I AM WHO I AM, I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE. At the heart of all of them is the fact that
God is always more than we understand or know.
>Children enjoy telling things they know about God and
adding “and more” to each description,
e.g. God was here before anything else and will be here after everything – and
more. With encouragement they can also collect
used-to-thinks about God. For example, “I used to think God was an old
man. Now I think God is both man and
woman – and more.”
>Read only the first part of Old
Turtle, by Douglas Wood.
This is an argument between all the animals about what God is like. Old Turtle finally speaks up to tell them
they are all correct. It ends “God
IS.” (This part of the book can be read
dramatically with or without the pictures in about 4 minutes.)
>This is a good opportunity to enjoy all the bigger-than-we-can-understand
words describing God in “Immortal,
Invisible, God Only Wise.”
Before singing it put one or two phrases into your own words and point
out the beginning of the first verse “Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In
light inaccessible hid from our eyes” and the last phrase of the last verse,
“’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!”
“Hallowed
be Thy name…”
>After exploring God’s name I AM, remind people of the
line “Hallowed be Thy name” in the Lord’s
Prayer. List other words that mean the
same thing as “hallowed” – holy, awesome, blessed. Then share a litany
praising God who is the great IAM with a leader stating a series
awesome things about God and the congregation responding to each one, “Hallowed
be Thy name.” The lines below might get
you started.
God,
before anything existed, you existed.
You
created the whole universe from the largest stars to the smallest bugs.
You
created each one of us and know us by name.
When
we mess up (as we often do) you still love us.
You call us back to right ways.
You forgive us.
You
came to live among us as Jesus of Nazareth showing us what we were meant to be
and forgiving us when we crucified you.
You
raised Jesus from death and proved that your power is greater than any other
power in the world.
Read or tell parts of The First
Thing My Mama Told Me, by Susan Marie Swanson. The first thing her mother told Lucy was her
name. The book is simply a collection of
ways she celebrated her name at different ages of her childhood. Share some of them as a way of talking about
how important names are to us. From
there talk about God’s name and the phrase “Hallowed be Thy name” in the Lord’s
Prayer.
> Children
need adult help to explore Moses’ response to
God’s call. Retell the
story to highlight the fact that Moses said no at first, to identify his
excuses, to hear how God stuck with him until Moses finally said yes. Point out that God had been preparing Moses
for this job since Moses was born. He
was born into a family that worked hard to save him from pharaoh, he got a
great education in the palace school, and learned how the pharaoh did things. Suggest to the children that God is preparing
each of them for tasks too. Urge them to
stick with their work and to pay attention.
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b
This reading includes opening
praises followed by an account of God’s people in Egypt and a final call to
praise God for this activity. The
praises can be read responsively by either the choir or a liturgist and the
congregation or by two halves of the congregation. It will set the story verses off if they are
read by a new voice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Psalm 105: 1-6, 23-26, 45b
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
All: Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
Leader: Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord
rejoice.
All: Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
Leader: Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles,
and the judgments he has uttered,
All: O offspring of his servant Abraham,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Reader: Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of
Ham.
And the Lord made his people very fruitful,
and made them stronger than their foes,
whose hearts he then turned to hate
his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
All: Praise the Lord!
New Revised Standard
Version
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremiah 15:15-21 and Psalm 26:1-8
As I have worked through the
lectionary texts a second time, I really have tried to offer something about
each one. But there are a few that I
simply don’t see reading with children.
These are among them. They carry
an abstract message in complex vocabulary and ideas. Even with the adults they are most likely to
be read as support for the gospel or epistle.
So, I would focus on the primary texts with the children. They may hear a meaningful phrase here and
there in these texts.
Romans 12:9-21
> The
items on Paul’s to do list for Christians are appropriate for children but the
list is too long and wordy to keep their attention. They need a streamlined child’s version. Below is my attempt at it in short phrases
and in single words on a poster. Give
each child a small poster (maybe with magnetic tape on the back so it can be
put on the refrigerator door?). Walk
through it using the phrases to embellish the single words. Admit that doing all these things is not
easy. The reason doing them is so hard
is that they require us to think about other people and their wants and needs
rather than just our own wants and needs.
That is why they are on a cross – because when we pay attention to
others we are being like Jesus. Give the
posters out just before the reading of the text. Encourage children to decorate their poster
while they listen to the sermon and to find a place to hang it or stuff it
where they will see it often.
Love one another.
Do not think you are way smart and way
better than others.
Forget about getting even.
Treat with respect everyone you meet.
Be kind - even to those who are not
kind to you.
Pay attention to the feelings of
others. Care about them.
Matthew 16:21-28
> If
school has been in session for even a few days, ask
children to raise their hand if they got even one answer wrong this week. It may take a little humor to tease this
out. Ask the adults how many of them got
something wrong during the last week.
After affirming that in spite of our best efforts and intentions we all
mess up, recall Peter’s conversation with Jesus from last week. Celebrate how well he had answered Jesus’
question. Then with a hint that Peter
will not continue to be a superstar, read today’s gospel.
> Peter
messed up by refusing to believe that Jesus would have to suffer. He wanted
Jesus (and all God’s people) to always be the winner and the great good
king. He did not want to think about
anything bad happening to him. Children
do well to simply hear that Peter did not realize that there would be suffering
for Jesus. That was his mistake. The larger questions about Jesus’ suffering
that adults want to explore are way beyond the children.
For
children, Jesus’ call to take up our crosses connects more easily to either
Paul’s To Do list for Christians or Moses answering his call from God than to
Jeremiah’s insistence that God’s people will have to endure suffering.
> It’s
a good time to highlight frequently-used phrases from a traditional prayer of confession.
Almighty
and merciful God,
We
have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep.
We
have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We
have offended against you holy laws.
We
have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
And
we have done those things which we ought not to have done.
I’d skip over the sheep image
and go straight to the list of ways we mess up.
Put each one in your own words.
This could be done with the whole congregation or as a children’s time
just before the Prayers of Confession.
Conclude your conversation with reference to the assurance of pardon to
emphasize that God forgives no matter how many ways we mess up.
> Jesus
told Peter that not only would Jesus have to do some hard suffering things, but
that Peter should expect the same for himself.
We as disciples should also expect to have to do some hard suffering
things in order to live like Jesus.
There is no cute way to say this to children. But, we can and should talk with them about
that reality. They need to hear that being a follower of Jesus is not always fun. God’s people are called to be brave and
strong and to “take it” or “suck it up” when needed.
> Point out that when Jesus
says “take up your cross” he is not telling us not
to whine and complain about the hard stuff and bad stuff that happens to
us. He is telling us to look around us,
see the needs of others and work to take care of them. Give children a large cross shape to color or
a wooden cross to polish with a small piece of cloth that has been dipped in
linseed oil during the sermon. Urge them
to put that cross where it will remind them to take up their cross and follow
Jesus taking care of others.
> If
school will begin this week, go
to Back to School - 2013 for more general ideas about including this important event in worship.
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