Year C – Christ the King/ Reign of Christ - Proper 29, 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 27th Sunday after Pentecost (November 24, 2013)

 

The “Reign of Christ” is generally preferred to “Christ the King” as the name for this Sunday in order to de-emphasize hierarchy.  That is a worthwhile goal.  But especially non-reading children hear “Rain of Christ” instead of “Reign of Christ” and are confused.  So if you use Reign, define it and point out with a laugh what it is not.

U Then explore Christ the King in children’s terms.  In children’s stories kings may be good or bad or simply may be people in a set role.  The king has the right and power to make all the rules and demand that people do what he wants.  When the people do not obey the king has the right to punish them.  Good kings use this power and right well.  Bad kings do not.  Jesus is the very best king ever.  Jesus has all the power and chooses to use it to take care of people.  When his people disobey him (think crucifixion), he forgives them.  In the context of today’s texts, King Jesus chooses to be a Good Shepherd and a forgiver.

U Unless you want to save this for Palm Sunday, display a crown of thorns and a king’s crown from a costume shop.  Talk about the choice Jesus made about the kind of crown he would wear and the kind of king he would be.

U If you are using white and gold paraments today, point them out, explain the significance of their color and any symbols on them.  Recall the other holy days on which they are used.

U If there is a collection of teaching pictures from the life of Jesus in a church school closet, select a series that tell the whole story of Jesus.  Display them one at the time for the children and recall the story behind each.  Then, sing “Jesus Loves Me” or a well-known song praising Jesus. 

U To put the Lord’s Prayer in the context of Christ’s kingship, use the phrase “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory” of the Lord’s Prayer as a congregational response to each of the other lines of the prayer. 

U Songs that trace the life of Christ in words children can follow:

“O Sing a Song of Bethlehem”

“Lord of the Dance”

“The King of Glory Comes the Nation Rejoices”

 

 

The Turn of the Christian Year

This Sunday and next, we are at the end and the beginning of the Christian Year.  That is a good opportunity to review and celebrate the entire year.  In the USA in 2013 reviewing the whole year might be a wonderful, relaxed way to worship on the Sunday at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  The first Advent candles could be lit, but fuller observance of the season could wait until the following week when more folks will be around.  In other countries, it might be better observed on the last Sunday of the year so that you are ready to go fully into Advent on its first Sunday.

_ The simplest way to review the Christian Year is to bring out all the stoles and/or banners for all the seasons of the year.  As a children’s time, display them for the children and recall which colors go with which seasons.  Link each season to a well-known story about Jesus.  Conclude by grouping them together and looping the white one around them noting that Jesus holds the whole year together.

_ The University Hill Church in Vancouver has created a Christian year calendar for 2013-14 with seasonal rather than monthly pages.  Each page includes art for that season and a list of ways to celebrate that season in worship.  I have not seen the calendar “in person” but based on sample pages on their web site have ordered one for myself and mention it to you.  Get the details and order it at Salt of the Earth: Christians Seasons Calendar.  Sharing this calendar with children would be a good children’s time for this day.

_ The same church shares a plan for a supper reviewing the Christian Year at Celebrating a Christian New Year's Party.  It includes directions for tables decorated for different seasons.  Congregations that are informal in their worship might use the tables as stops along a worship path set up in the sanctuary.  The University Hill list of items for each season might also be a start for a more formal procession of the seasons in other congregations.

Advent - blue with advent wreath/candle
Christmas - white & gold with nativity
Epiphany - green with star, three gifts, bowl of water
Lent - purple with bowl of ashes & crown of thorns
Holy Week - red with palm leaves, cup & plate, crucifix
Easter - white & gold with resurrection cross & figure, white candle
Pentecost - red with circle of friends

_ Another way to celebrate and review the church year in worship is to follow a lessons and carols format.  For each season read a key story or text and sing one song.  Embellish these with bringing in a banner for that season and or highlighting the color changes.  (Perhaps the worship leaders for each season wear stoles for that season.)

_ To sing through the Christian year, sing one or more verses from these songs which are more child friendly than others.

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” or “Let All Mortal Flesh”

    Children follow the feelings rather than the words in

    these songs

“Once in Royal David’s City” or “Away in the Manger”

    Simple words retell the story and our relationship to it

“We Three Kings of Orient Are”

“Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley”

    The verses tell what Jesus did and what he calls us to do

“Were You There When the Crucified My Lord?”

    Simple words tell the story

“Jesus Christ is Risen Today”

    Even non-readers can join on the Alleluias

“Breathe on Me Breath of God” or “Spirit”

    The words of the first tell the story better, but

    the chorus of the second invites early readers to sing

    along

“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” or “He is King of Kings”

    For Christ the King Sunday

Today’s Texts

Jeremiah 23:1-6

U Especially in the United States this fall, most people of all political persuasions, resonate with Jeremiah’s wish for political leaders who are good shepherds, i.e. leaders who have the well-being of the people as their focus.  In the context of today’s theme, Jesus is that leader.  He is a king who has the good of the people as clearly in mind as a shepherd has the well-being of the sheep in mind. 

U For children shepherds are people who take care of sheep.  They will need to be clearly told that in the Bible Jesus is often referred to as a shepherd not of sheep but of people.  One way to do this is to show a picture of Jesus with sheep in his arms (Google “good shepherd pictures”) and a picture of Jesus with people (you may have a picture of Jesus and the children in the church school). 

 

Catacomb of Callixtus - The Good Shepherd,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
 http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54382
[retrieved October 23, 2013]. Original source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/2594526135/

U The earliest painting of Jesus is this painting of Jesus as a good shepherd.  It is found in the catacombs  (tunnels under the city of Rome) where the first Christians hid out from Romans who wanted to feed them to the lions.  This painting on the wall reminded them that Jesus would take care of them.

 

U If you are celebrating Christ the King/ Reign of Christ gather symbols for Christ, perhaps processing them in as you read the various texts.  Or, simply present and explore one of the symbols.

Jeremiah: a shepherd’s staff

Colossians: crown

Luke 23: a cross

Jeremiah says God is the kind of king who cares for or shepherds his people.  Note how odd it is to see one person wear a crown and carry a staff.  Enjoy God/Jesus who does just that.  (If bishops carry staffs in your tradition this would be a good day to point to and explain them.)

 

Luke 1:68-79 – (It’s a song paired with Jeremiah here)

U Before reading Zechariah’s song, briefly tell the story behind it.  Elderly, childless Zechariah had not believed the angel who told him he would have a son.  Because he had not believed, he was unable to speak until the baby (John the Baptist) was born.  These were his first words after nine silent months.  Either invite worshipers to imagine old John holding his newborn son in his arms saying these words to God and everyone around him.  Or, if your congregation includes an older man who could speak the words dramatically from memory , ask him to present the reading (perhaps holding a wrapped baby doll in his arms).

U MERCY as a key word todays texts.  Jesus is the King of Mercy.  To help children understand this word that is not used everyday today, write it on a large poster.  Present the poster and define the word before the call to worship.  Encourage worshipers to listen for the word in today’s worship and draw a star on their bulletin every time they hear it, sing it, or say it.  Jump to the Luke 23 resources for ideas about highlighting mercy in the prayers of confession. 

Synonyms for children: kindness, forgiving, pity, compassion

Antonyms for children: harshness, demanding, unforgiving

 

Psalm 46     GOD IS WITH US, WE FEAR NOTHING

U This psalm celebrates what the other texts for the day describe.  We are safe in the presence of God.  We don’t have to be afraid.  Verses 10-11 sum it up most simply for children. 

U “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” is based on this psalm.  Martin Luther’s words are difficult for children to understand.  What they can get is the feel of fearlessness and the passion with the congregation sings this familiar, loved hymn.  Before singing it, note that Martin Luther wrote this song while his friends were hiding him in a castle from people who wanted to kill him.  Invite singers to imagine how he felt as they sang his song together.

Colossians 1:11-20

U The hymn to Christ in verses 15-20 is the heart of this text.   Unfortunately for children, it is filled with so many pronouns and interchangeable names for Jesus that it is hard to follow.  Choosing to read either Today’s English Version or The Contemporary English Version rather than the King James or NRSV may help.  But, even they need to be interpreted.  The hymn boils down to six statements about Jesus.  Children will recognize some of them and be interested in exploring them as a set of ideas about Jesus. 

Jesus is God made visible.

Jesus is better than anyone else or anything else in all creation.

God made the world through Jesus and for Jesus.

Jesus (and God) existed before anything else.

Jesus is the head of the church and what keeps it alive.

God forgave us through Jesus’ death on the cross.

U If you must offer a children’s time, invite the children to join you with the big Bible from the front of the church.  Introduce the text as a song about Jesus that the very first Christians sang.  Pause in your reading to put each big idea about Jesus in your own words.  You might want to reread this without interruptions later or this might be the epistle reading for the day.

U No matter which translation of this song you use, three names appear – Jesus, Christ, and Son.  Before reading the text, point out these names and briefly explain each one.  To add a visual, present each name on a poster that can be left in full view during the reading.

Jesus is the name his family and friends called Jesus – like Susan or Lou.

Christ is actually a title rather than a name.  It is not Jesus’ last name (a common misperception among children).  The title means God’s Chosen One and applies only to Jesus.

Jesus is called God’s Son or simply the Son.  Just as people say of a son that he is just like his father, people say of Jesus that he not only is like God but is God in human form.

U The text refers to Jesus at both the beginning and end of time.  If there are Alpha and Omega symbols on today’s paraments or elsewhere in the sanctuary, point them out and explain them.  Enjoy the children’s question “but what came before that…” and the mysterious answer that before anything there was God and Christ.  And, after everything there will be God and Christ.  

 

U After exploring this text, add a crown to the worship center with words about Christ’s lordship over all times and places.

Luke 23:33-43

U Luke’s account of the crucifixion centers on Jesus’ forgiving those who crucified him and the thief who asked for forgiveness.  On this Sunday it emphasizes Christ’s work forgiving us.  In children’s stories kings don’t have to forgive.  But, King Jesus, the king of the universe, chooses to forgive us at great cost to himself. 

U It is a good day for worship education about confession and assurance of pardon as they are practiced in your worship.  Point to that section of worship in a bulletin.  Walk worshipers through the prayers and responses, putting things in your own words as you go. 

In my congregation it would go something like this:  We say together that we all know we do things that are sinful, then in the silence we each tell God some of the bad stuff we have done in the last week.  We ask God to forgive us and then hear the minister remind us that God will forgive us.  We respond with a happy song thanking God for forgiving us and shake hands to “pass the peace” that we get from God to those sitting around us. 

U Rehearse any standard responses or refrains together.  For example, explain that “Kyrie Eleison” means “Christ have mercy” or “Christ forgive us,” then sing it through once.   

U To emphasize the purpose of the prayer of confession, create a responsive prayer.  The congregation’s response to each plea is “Christ, forgive us.”

U After exploring this story, add a/another cross to the worship center

Year C - Proper 11, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 9th Sunday after Pentecost (July 21, 2013)

Amos 8:1-12

n Consequences are important here and in the gospel story about Mary and Martha.  It is hard for children and even teenagers to learn to identify, before they act, the probable consequences of their actions.  Even when they can identify a possible problem that will result from their action, it is easy for them to hope that it really won’t happen that way to me this time, i.e. “I’ll get away with it.”  Here Amos insists that people are doing terrible things, that God knows what they are doing and that there will be consequences.  Children will not recognize the bad things people are doing as the passage is read.  But with a little help they will find them quite familiar.  People were cheating each other.  The big and powerful were not being fair to the less powerful people.  (Think the older kid saying to the younger one, “Look we have two cookies.  Here is one for you – the littler one – and one for me –the bigger one.”)  The message to children is that God DOES care about what we do and that there will be consequences when we break God’s rules.  Though we may think we will get away with what we do, we will not.

n To help children grasp Amos’ talk about cheating using false measures prepare two bags of produce or flour.  Mark each one with the same weight, but put a little less than that amount in one bag.  After presenting the two bags claiming they are the same weight, weigh each bag on a scale.  With questions such as “how would you feel if you bought this (the smaller) bag?” help worshipers identify the unfairness involved.  Then read Amos 8:5b making clear Amos’ message that people were sitting in church thinking of ways to cheat each other – and that God knew and was not pleased.

 



Sorry, no over ripe bananas
 at my house today.

n To explore Amos’ image of summer fruit, display one green, one yellow and one really over ripe banana.  Talk about which you want to eat and what is done with over ripe fruit.  Then, make Amos’ point that all the people were like overripe fruit.  They were greedy, selfish, and generally no good.  So God was going to throw them out.  Note that actually what God did was sent them away as prisoners of war.  During their time living in the foreign country, they had time to think about how God wanted them to live.  It was like a really big time out.

Replace the usual flower arrangements with bowls of seasonal fruits and vegetables.  These can be beautiful as a contrasts to the over ripe fruit you display and explore.

 

Psalm 52

This psalm is an angry rant.  It is included here as a partner to Amos’ warnings.  If you want to explore it, there needs to be some serious explanations.

L  Tell in your own words the backstory of Doeg from 1 Samuel 21-22.  Imagine how David felt. Then read the psalm from TEV or CEV.

L  Rather than tell the Doeg story, make a list of people who use their power to get what they want even when it hurts others - bully, big shot, tycoon, villain, etc.  Then read the psalmist’s prayer about people like that.

L  Identify childhood activities that parallel those of the villain of this psalm – telling secrets that will get others in trouble, cheating at games, going along with a bully, tattling, using being the biggest or oldest to get what you want.

Actually, I would downplay this psalm or use Psalm 15 rather than try to explain all this meaningfully to children.

Genesis 18:1-10a

JJJ  Children are fascinated by God’s appearing not as a single thing or person, but as a group of people.  God visited Abraham and Sarah as a group of travelers.  List some of the ways God appeared - fire in the burning bush or in the contest on Mt Carmel, the sheer silence in the cave, a wrestler with Jacob, a dove at Jesus’ baptism, etc.  Though it would be off the intent of the story, this could be the beginning of a sermon about where we meet/see God.

JJ  The story is included in the lectionary to echo the gospel hospitality theme.  As Mary and Martha welcomed Jesus, Abraham and Sarah welcomed three travelers.  During the summer many people have opportunities to both extend and receive hospitality. 

JJ  When Abraham and Sarah saw three travelers coming, they welcomed them and fed them.  Especially during the summer, many poor people are on the road.  Some end up begging at intersections.  Some congregations put together welcome kits that members can put into the hands of these people.  The kits include a gift card to a fast food place, bus tokens/passes, lists of places where they can get services they might need, and a greeting maybe a child drawn card, all in a zip-able plastic bag.  Describe these kits during worship and invite households to assemble some to distribute as they encounter visitors during the week.  Provide the pieces either free or ask families to pay for the components of each kit they take.

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE

IF YOU GIVE A MOOSE A MUFFIN
IF YOU GIVE 3 TRAVELERS SOME WATER….

JJ  If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, or any of the other books in the If You Give A… Series are favorite stories about hospitality.  Read one and talk about how one thing leads to another when you extend hospitality, but that in the process you usually have fun.  Or, read one then turn the Abraham and Sarah story into another one. 

When three travelers walked by Abraham knew they would be hot and thirsty, so he gave invited to sit in the shade with him and gave them water to drink.  The water was wonderful and cool, but it reminded them that they had not had anything to eat all day.  So Abraham called to Sarah.  Sarah baked them a fine loaf of bread with her best flour.  But what is bread without meat?  So, Sarah had her servants roast a fat calf.  It was a perfect meal.  The travelers sat back in the shade with their full tummies and sighed.  Then they said to Abraham, “You and Sarah are wonderful hosts.  By this time next year you will have a baby boy who will keep you as busy as we have.”  Sarah laughed and Abraham laughed and the travelers laughed.  In a year when Sarah gave birth to a baby boy, she named him Isaac which means Laughter.  And Abraham laughed.  And Sarah laughed and the travelers in some far away land walked down the road and laughed too.

 

JJ  Celebrate the hospitality of Abraham and Sarah with Always Room for One More, by Sorche Nic Leodhas, which tells the story of a family that invites in every traveler who passes their small highlands house.  When their house exploded because it was filled with so many singing dancing people taken in on a stormy night, all their guests simply helped them build a bigger house so there would be more room for more guests.  The book is written with lots of scots words and in rhyme.  If you or someone in the congregation is comfortable reading in this dialect, the story will be a special mid-summer celebration of hospitality.

J  Continue reading through verse 15 and add Genesis 21:1-7 to complete the story of the announcement of Isaac’s coming birth and his birth.  The only other place this story appears in the RCL is Proper 6 of Year A which is bypassed many years due to the date of Easter.  So consider worshiping around the whole story of the announcement of Isaac’s birth and the birth. 

Focus on the laughter.  Demonstrate and ponder many different ways Sarah might have laughed, e.g. a disbelieving “HA, HA” or a that is so weird “tee, hee, hee” titter and the happy surprised laughter when Isaac is born.  Talk about when and how we laugh today.  Create a prayer or reading about things that would make us laugh like Sarah did at Isaac’s birth.  Or, get worshipers to help make that list.  The congregation’s response is “God has made me laugh. Now everyone will laugh with me.” (CEV)

Focus on the surprise.  List lots of surprises God brought people, e.g. the Red Sea opening up before the fleeing slaves, Jesus’ healing, Saul’s change from persecutor to leader of the early church, etc.  Add Abraham and Sarah's surprise baby.  Even children find hope for today’s situations that really could use God surprises in these biblical stories of surprises.

Psalm 15

Of the two psalms for today, I’d definitely choose this one.  It speaks of the “good people” rather than rant at the “bad people.”  When read from the CEV it can be understood by worshipers of all ages.

Colossians 1:15-28

U  This is a very complicated old hymn that Paul was both quoting and editing as he went to make a point.  The cosmology is intricate and beyond the understanding of children and many adults.  But, it does offer a chance for the brave preacher/ children’s time leader to have a discussion with the children about who Jesus is.   One could begin by asking “Who is Jesus?”  Collect answers from worshipers.  Note that Jesus is all of this and more.  Then introduce four things about Jesus that Paul knew about Jesus.

U Who is Jesus according to Paul?  In language that makes sense to children Paul says

 

1. Jesus is God in human skin – that is what we mean when we call Jesus God’s Son.  If you want to know what God is like and what God does, look at Jesus and what Jesus does.  “He who has seen me, has seen the Father.”
2. Jesus is part of God.  Jesus was there at creation of the universe and will be there after the universe is over.
3. Jesus is the head of the church.  At beginning of communion in my church the host reminds everyone, “This is not my table or your table.  It is not the Westminster Church’s table.  It is Jesus’ table and all who….are welcome.”
4. Jesus’ big job is to bring people closer to God and to each other. 

 

JESUS CHRIST

U  Children often think Jesus is a first name and Christ is a second name.  To straighten them out, present Jesus as an everyday earthly name, the name Mary used when she called Jesus to supper, the name his friends called him all his life.  Present Christ as a special title that says that Jesus is a lot more than just another good person.  Use Paul’s four points about who Jesus is to explore what it means to be “the Christ”.  Use the name Jesus Christ throughout worship today.  Even introduce the term at the beginning of worship and challenge worshipers to count the number of times you sing, say or pray the name Jesus Christ as you worship.  Fill your pockets with hard candies to give to all who come out of the sanctuary with a reasonably good guess at the number.

U  Devote the whole service to praising Christ and exploring who Christ is. 

A postcard from a 1974 trip

Zurbarán, Francisco, 1598-1664.
Crucifixion, from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library,  Nashville, TN.
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=47447
[retrieved July 3, 2013]. Original source: www.yorckproject.de.

During songs and/or readings of scriptures, project a variety of pictures of Christ.  At some point, talk your way through the pictures briefly explaining what each says about who Jesus is.  This could be done with the children just before singing a hymn during which they will all be projected.  Or, it could be the outline for the whole sermon.

Turn the section of Apostles’ Creed (or another creed) into a responsive reading by adding the congregational response “We praise you, O Christ!” in response to each line.

Sing child friendly hymns that praise Christ:

“When Morning Gilds the Skies” with its repeated refrain, “May Jesus Christ be praised!”

“Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks” with lots of alleluias and easy verses about Jesus Christ

 “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today!” which tells Christ’s Easter story with lots of alleluias.

“Lord of the Dance” which tells the story of Jesus’ life in simple language

 

Luke 10:38-42

JL  This story is the ultimate short story – only four verses tell the whole event.  It is so short that it can be read before listeners start paying attention.  So, it is worth giving careful attention to its presentation.  At the very least have it read by a woman.  Or, better, ask 3 adults (2 women and 1 man) to pantomime the story as a fourth reads it.  Rehearse with them to get them to communicate what their character is saying and thinking with their faces and bodies.  Their body language and facial expressions as the conversation unfolds will communicate more of the story to the children than the words will. 

JL  This sibling fuss appeals to children who participate in such fusses.  It is reassuring to children to know that such stories make it into the Bible.  It is also satisfying that the aggressive sister is called off – especially to those deal with more aggressive siblings at home.  None of this has any particular gospel message in it for children, but is a Jesus story they enjoy hearing and knowing.

n This is also a story about choices and consequences, about which children hear a lot.  With them identify the choices Martha and Mary made about what to do when Jesus showed up at their house.  Maybe list some other things they might have chosen to do like hide, sing for Jesus, or play a game with him.  Emphasize the fact that each made a free choice.  Then identify the consequences of each of their choices.  Pay special attention to Martha on this.  This is not Luke’s point in telling this story, but it is a message that children can appreciate.  When we make choices, we have to take the consequences.  Martha chose to fix a dinner, so she missed out on sitting to talk with Jesus and Mary.  That was her choice and its consequence.  Jesus is also clear that some choices are better than others.  Mary made the better choice.  It would also be a little moralistic, but possible, to explore the choices we make when Sunday morning comes around and we have to decide whether we will go to church and how we will participate in activities there.

 

JJ  Sharing M&Ms to eat while talking about this story is really tempting.  Getting the message right may be challenging. 

One possibility is simply to pass out the candies in honor of the two sisters whose names both started with M and who loved each other, but like most sisters did not always get along.  Then read the story.

A more complicated possibility I’ve heard about is to note that M&Ms come in all sorts of different colors, but are the same chocolate inside.  People are the same.  That means that people in families, classes, churches, even the kids at the pool come with many different outsides, but the same insides.  The trick is to enjoy each one as he or she is and to be content being who we are.  That is both a little simplistic and too object lessony for many children to grasp, but it might work. 

Anyone got another way to work with the candy????