This is one of those
embarrassment of riches weeks. There are
at least two and possibly three call stories, encouragement from Paul to
respond to our own calls to discipleship and a psalm about trusting God when
daring to be disciples. All of them can
be meaningfully presented to children!
Jonah 3:1-5
>
If you read only the verses
suggested, you have the story of the Ninevites,
the people Jonah despised and the national enemy of the Jews of that day. They
heard God’s message, repented, and were saved by God. No one, especially Jonah, expected that – or
even wanted it. The clear message is
that God loves and calls people we do not like, the people we label as
THEM. To explore that message:
> Brainstorm
lists of THEMS for your congregation
today: national enemies, the opposite political party, rival sports teams,
certain people in your class/office/neighborhood who are just so out of it,
even certain ethnic groups. Involve
worshipers by giving them small sheets of paper on which to write or draw
pictures of some of their THEMS. When
lists are complete, remind them that God loves each of those people. Instruct them to remind themselves of this by
drawing a heart around each name or picture.
Just as Jonah would have had trouble drawing that heart around the
Ninevites, worshipers may struggle to draw hearts around their THEMS. That is good discipleship work. Doing this with the whole congregation rather
than just with the children, helps children see that such discipleship work is
a life-time challenge.
No
Name Calling Week
> January
19-23, 2015 is the annual No Name Calling
Week in many schools. Its goal is raising
awareness about the damage done by ostracizing others, calling them names and
bullying them. In other words it aims to
help children not label anyone as “them” and to stand up to those who do. Go to No Name Calling Week for a wealth of interesting
resources.
>
But there
are actually two call stories in the book of Jonah - God’s call
to the Ninevites and God’s call to Jonah.
Since readings from Jonah appear only twice in the lectionary (today and
Year A – Proper 20), this might a good Sunday to look at the entire book and
compare the responses of Jonah and the Ninevites.
> Go
to Year A - Proper 20 to find detailed directions for three ways to present
the whole book in worship.
1.
Read it all from
the Bible with the congregation reading the psalm in the whale.
2.
Have three
readers work from Jonah and the Whale (and the Worm), by Jean Marzolla.
3.
Have one reader
read Ralph Milton’s 2 page version of the story
 |
| I got these figures at a store such as Ten Thousand Village |
> After
presenting the whole story, compare Jonah’s
response to God with that of the Ninevites using several people figures
(borrow figures or small dolls from the preschool toy box or a young
worshiper). Set one off to one side of
the pulpit, identifying it as Jonah. Set
two or three others off to the other side, identifying them as the people of
Nineveh. Point to the figures or pick
them up as you recall what God said to each and how each responded. Be amazed that Jonah who was a Hebrew and a
prophet didn’t do nearly as well as those Ninevites he and all Jews
despised. Use the Ninevite figures to
identify the THEMS in our world. (This
could be done in a children’s sermon, but could also be done within the real
sermon giving it structure and a visual element while suggesting to children
that the real sermon might be for them as well as for the adults.)
> Jonah’s
story laughs at Jonah, but it also reassures us that God
doesn’t punish Jonah as he deserves. God doesn’t let Jonah drown in the sea and
when he is spit up on the beach, God gives him a second chance. God even provides the vine in an attempt to get
through to Jonah who still doesn’t get it.
This story provides a good balance to the Ninevites and the fishing disciples who
respond promptly and correctly. We can
hope that God will give us second chances when we need them too.
Psalm 62:5-12
>
In just the first three verses
God is rock,
fortress, and refuge. Help
children list ways God is like a rock, a fortress, and a refuge by displaying
pictures of each and discussing their function.
After identifying the function of each one, ask or tell how God works in
the same way. Conclude “God is like a….
when God…..”
> If
this discussion of rocks leads you to sing either “Rock of Ages” or “A Mighty
Fortress Is Our God” notice that the words are not all child friendly. (Particularly “Rock of Ages” has been
omitted from many recent hymnals because the language is difficult even for
adults.) So before singing, point to one
or two key phrases saying what it means to sing them while answering God’s
call.
>
For another way to look at
what it means to say “God is my rock!” check out Frances Woodruff’s explanation
at On the Chancel Steps.
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
>
While adults need to hear
about the world view that underlies Paul’s message, it won’t make much sense to
children. What is important to all
worshipers is Paul’s insistence that NOW
is the time to act. NOW
is the time to live like God’s people.
We can’t wait until we grow up or until we feel like it or until don’t
have something else to do or until we are braver.
>
Paul gave his readers specific
examples of ways they could act.
Children need specific
examples of ways they can be God’s people today, e.g. being kind
to all – even those they don’t particularly like, refusing to join in doing things
they know are wrong, standing up against name-calling and bullying, etc.
>
Especially for children a bell
is a call to do something – go to school, change classes, go home. Emphasize the urgency of responding to God’s
call by interspersing the phrases of the familiar hymn “Lord
I Want to be a Christian” with a ringing bell. (The bell needs to be piercing and insistent
rather than mellow.) Before singing the
hymn, tell the congregation what will happen and suggest that each time the
bell rings they think the word NOW!
Lord,
I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.
Lord,
I want to be a Christian in my heart.
In
my heart BELL
In
my heart BELL
Lord,
I want to be a Christian in my heart. BELL
Repeat
with Lord, I want to be more loving, like Jesus,….
Mark 1:14-20
 |
| He, Qi. Calling Disciples, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46099 [retrieved December 26, 2014]. Original source: heqigallery.com. |
>
Display this picture of Jesus calling the four fishing
disciples. In an informal setting ask
who knows the story that goes with this painting, then work with listeners to
identify all the characters and what is going on. Note Jesus’ hands welcoming the disciples and
the disciple who is waving to his father in the boat. In a more formal setting simply display the
painting and point out the figures. In
either case, then invite worshipers to listen to Mark’s story from the Bible.
>
The first 2 verses connect to
the call to act NOW in the 1 Corinthians text.
The suggestions there apply here also.
>
The story of the call of the
fishing disciples appears in Matthew, Mark and Luke and appears during Epiphany
each year of the lectionary cycle. Go to Year A - Epiphany 3 for suggestions that work with all the accounts.
>
Today it is amusing and
worthwhile to note that the fishing disciples
get up and follow in six verses. Jonah
takes four chapters and then
we are not sure he has really got it yet.
>
Clarify the focus of this
service with a matching call to worship and closing.
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Call to Worship
Leader: For just this hour,
People: Follow me
Leader: Listen to my word
People: Follow me
Leader: Think about your life as my disciple
every day
People: Follow me
Leader: Pray
People: Follow me
Leader: Sing
People: Follow me
Leader: Come, let us worship God!
Closing
Leader: As you go out into the world
People: Follow me
Leader: At home
People: Follow me
Leader: At school and work
People: Follow me
Leader: In everything you do this week
People: Follow me
Leader: And as you do,
remember that I am with
you always,
even to the end of the world.
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