Year B - Proper 19, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 16th Sunday after Pentecost (September 16, 2012)

Proverbs 1:20-33

F This is not the best reading about Wisdom for children.  She sounds like a peevish teacher reaming out the class about not paying attention and promising dire consequences.  If you do read it, the TEV with its “fools” is better than translations which speak of “simple ones” or “mockers.”

F Thinking about Wisdom led me to search for wise people in children’s literature.  There is Jiminy Cricket to whom the puppet Pinocchio learns to listen.  And there are the sages of fantasy literature – Dumbledore, Gandalf, Yoda, Merlin, Obi-Wan Kenobi….  all wise men guiding young heroes.  Since they are all male, I am on a search for female sages in children’s stories.  If you know of any, share them in the comments. 

F The Greatest Power, by Demi, tells of a Chinese emperor who needs a wise prime minister and to find this person invites the children of the kingdom to think for a year about what is “the greatest power.”  Children come in with examples from Chinese inventions, money, beauty, etc.  Sing brings a single lotus seed because the seed has the power to recreate life every year.

LAW  DECREES  PRECEPTS  COMMANDMENT  

FEAR  ORDINANCES

Psalm 19

F The RCL suggests reading the entire psalm today.  With children I would start reading with verse 7 to focus on the Law and would use NRSV which maintains the six different terms for Law.  Print each of these terms on a separate piece of poster paper.  Read each one and pass it to a worshiper who is invited to stand at the front.  Give the more complicated words to older worshipers – maybe “ordinance” to a lawyer – and simpler words to younger worshipers.  Point out that they are synonyms, they are different words for the same thing.  Instruct poster bearers to raise their poster as they hear their word in the psalm.  As you read the verses, pause when you come to each poster word. 

F If you regularly use the prayer in verse 14 in your worship, point it out today and explain why it us used in that place and what it means to pray it then.  Then pray it together.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

          be acceptable to you,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

F In honor of verse 10’s claim that the Law is sweeter than honey, give all worshipers a hard candy (perhaps honey flavored) to savor as they listen to a sermon about wisdom and the Law.

Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 – 8:1

Most denominational lectionaries opt for the psalm reading here for good reason.  This description of Wisdom is filled with poetic images.  Each image needs to be explained to the children.  In the end the message is not worth all the effort for children. 

Isaiah 50:4-9a

“I can take it because God is with me” is the simplest summary of these verses.  Children quickly identify what Isaiah is facing (people were beating him, pulling the hair in his beard, spitting in his face).  Because this text also appears on Palm Passion Sunday, Isaiah’s woes can be compared to Jesus’ woes on Good Friday.  Both of these then lead to identifying woes children can face today with God’s help.  If you go this way, be careful not to suggest that children should simply endure all abuse that comes their way.  Bullying and most of the abuse children face needs to be confronted with God's strength rather than endured with God's strength. 

Psalm 116:1-9

This is another psalm I’d skip with the children today.  There is just too much else in the other texts and too many complications in this psalm.

James 3:1-12

Haring, Keith, 1958-1990.
Ten Commandments, unnumbered,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55144
[retrieved August 23, 2012].

F Display this art depicting our dangerous tongues.  Name each of the snakey tongues with ways we use our tongues to do harm – name caller, angry mean yeller, teller of lies about me (to make me look good), teller lies about others (to make them look bad), teller of secrets I promised to keep, stick out (no words just stick out the tongue), explainer trying to prove I’m really OK when I really am not.  In an informal setting children can help you name the tongues and maybe come up with some others. 

F Use these tongues to create a responsive prayer of confession.  The prayer below could be printed for all to read.  Or, the congregational response could be printed and the congregation instructed to respond when the leader pauses.

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

A Confession About Using Our Tongues

Leader: God, angry words explode out of us.  We do not think about what we say or how it will hurt people.  We only think of our own anger and putting it all into words so everyone will know how angry and hurt we feel.

People: Forgive us for the way we hurt others with our tongues.

Leader:  We say things that are not quite true to make ourselves look good to others.  We add to the truth, change the story just a little bit, even lie for our own good.

People: Forgive us for the way we hurt others with our tongues.

Leader:  We also say things that are not quite true about others to make them look bad.  We change the story just a little bit and even lie so we look better and they look worse.

People: Forgive us for the way we hurt others with our tongues.

Leader:  We know lots of names that are meant to hurt and should never be said.  We don’t really intend to say them, but we do.  We spit them out hoping they will embarrass and humiliate. 

People: Forgive us for the way we hurt others with our tongues.

Leader:  We promise we will never tell a secret.  Then we do.  It is just too good to keep to ourselves, so we break our promise and we tell.

People: Forgive us for the way we hurt others with our tongues.

Leader: We use our tongues to convince ourselves that all the wrong we have done and all the hurt we have caused are not really so bad.  But we know in our hearts that they are.  We have broken your Law.  We have not loved you or others with our tongues or our lives.

People: Forgive us for the way we hurt others with our tongues.

Leader: Lord hear our prayers.  Forgive us and guide us.  May the words of our mouths then be acceptable in your sight.  Amen.

L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L

F Children can understand that the biggest problem with our tongues is that we can’t unsay anything.  Once we say it, it is out there.  Apologies help, but the hurt is still there.

F This is also a chance to explore the old adage “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me.”  The fact is that names DO hurt.  When people are called nasty, dirty names they know what the name caller thinks of them – and that hurts.  Those people can be strong, not believe the name caller, and work to prove they are better than the name caller claims.  But, it still hurts. 

There is actually a No Name Calling Week in many schools in January.  Go to No Name Calling Week to learn more about it and download some great resources.  There would still be time to sponsor one in your community this January.

F I’d go straight to the misuse of the tongue by-passing the references to bits in horses mouths and rudders on ships.  Before they understand either of these metaphors children need to learn about the horse’s bit or the ship’s rudder.  Then those need to be connected to tongues.  Neither adds much to what they get from James' direct message.

F In our day of electronic communication James’ message about tongues applies to texts, tweets, twitters, etc. as well as oral communication.  It is really the words that come off our tongues or through our fingers that are the problem.  Once those words are out there, they and the pain they cause can’t be called back.  For some reason many older children with their first devices seem willing to say things on line that they would never say with their tongues.  They needed repeated challenges from a variety of sources to save them from “learning the hard way” how much damage can be done on-line.

Mark 8:27-38

F Most children think Christ is Jesus’ last name.  This is an opportunity to reintroduce Jesus’ name as “Jesus, the Christ” and to explore what the title Christ means.  In simplest terms, Christ is God’s special leader.  When Peter said “You are the Christ” he was saying you are the special leader from God for whom we have been waiting for centuries. 

F Create a litany in which the leader tells events in Jesus’ life ending with a statement about what people said about him to which the congregation responds with “We say, you are the Christ.”  For those of you who have copies of the Forbid Them Not series, go to Year B, page 151 to find a complete script.  Others can create their own version of this.

F Children hear calls to “take up your cross” literally.  They need to be told that Jesus is not calling us to pick up a wooden cross.  He is not even calling us to wear cross jewelry or tattoos.  He is calling us to do hard things to love God and other people – even when they hurt us.  Similarly, “deny yourself” needs to be translated to mean think about others first.  Do not think about what I want, but what they need.  This starts with everyday events like putting down your video game to play with your younger brother so a parent can get some work done. 

F Because children do not use the word cross metaphorically, avoid hymns that do, e.g.”Beneath the Cross of Jesus”.  Instead choose discipleship hymns such as “Take My Life and Let it Be Consecrated.”

How the Cross-A-Week Plan Came Out

Now that I have finished the Sundays of Lent and Easter Day, I have stopped to see how featuring a cross every week played out.  I said it might morph some.  Was I every right about that!  The main thing that quickly became clear was that which cross you would use on any given Sunday depended on where you were going with which text.  So, most weeks ended up with several suggested crosses and several crosses were suggested multiple times.  

For what it might be worth to you as you plan the rest of Lent, here is a summary of what finally got posted.  I would love to know if anyone tries this, how it works out, and which crosses you used on which Sundays.  

Lent 1:          Identify all the crosses in the sanctuary

                     Give cross trinkets to carry or post

Lent2:           The cross on communion ware 

                             (it is a communion Sunday)

                     Cross stickers to remind us to take up

                             our cross and follow Jesus

  Cross jewelry and tattoos – to explore the 

         difference in just wearing them and 

         letting them shape us

            Lent 3:         Plain wood cross

                                Nail cross

                                Picture of crucifixion 

                                      – to discuss what happened

            Lent 4:          Crucifix

                                 Central American people cross

                                 Paper cross on which to write 

                                       names of all who Jesus loves

            Lent 5:          Central American people cross

                                 Crucifix

                                 Biggest cross at the front of your 

                                        sanctuary

            Palm-Passion Sunday

                                 Palm crosses

                                 Nail cross

            Good Friday

                                 Nail cross

            Easter:         Empty cross for the resurrection

Year B - The Fifth Sunday in Lent (March 25, 2012)

Thinking ahead: If you will observe Palm Sunday next week and children will not be at Maundy Thursday or Good Friday services, this may be the Sunday to focus on the crucifixion.  If you will celebrate mainly Passion Sunday next week, work with the Old Testament texts about “hearts.”

There are several potential crosses for today.  (Yes, you’ve seen some of these before because there have been several suggestions for each Sunday.  I hope there is at least one you have not used yet.)

Central American cross covered with faces (see John)

Crucifix if you focus on the crucifixion (see both John and Hebrews).

The central cross in your sanctuary.  That cross could be used as an example of a cross that is lifted up and draws all people do it (It is the center of the sanctuary.  Everyone who comes into the room sees it.)  Or, it could be used to explore the idea that Jesus (whose symbol is a cross) is our high priest.  Just as we can see that cross without asking someone to show it to us, so we can talk directly with God without telling someone else (a priest) to tell God for us.  The cross/Jesus/God is right there in front of our faces.

Jeremiah 31:31-34   

U  “Heart” is a metaphor, or even a code.  Literal thinkers hear “I will write my covenant on their heart” as “God will cut me open and write with a pen on my heart.”  So enjoy this yucky picture, then talk about the hearts we exchange on valentines and “I HEART New York” (or one of a zillion other places) bumper stickers.  In your own words redefine the heart as “the real me,”  “who I really am,” even “what I really love and want.”  It is that very heart of us that God wants to be near.

U  Children understand rules and think they are important.  To get at what Jeremiah meant when he said God would write the Law on their hearts, compare rules you have to follow with those you want to follow.  Describe a checkers game during which players spend more time arguing about the rules than they do playing the game.  They have to check the rule book and argue about what each rule means on each play.  Then describe a soccer game in which players on both teams know the rules so well that they can use them to play the very best game possible.  Which game is more fun?  Jeremiah is promising that one day everyone will know God’s rules as well as championship soccer players know the rules of their game.  Because of that life will be full of peace and joy for everyone.

Another example is Scout Laws.  Most scouts want to be a good scout and so really do try to keep the scout laws.  

U   If you have been following the Old Testament covenants carefully, note that each week that the covenants have gotten closer and closer.  The rainbow with its promise is way up in the sky.  The Ten Commandments are rules written on stone tablets kept in the holy of Holies in the Temple.  But Jeremiah says that one day God will write a covenant on our hearts. 

U   Tattoos fascinate children.  They love sporting stick-on tattoos from birthday parties or community fairs.  Talk about using tattoos to identify yourself.  (In my town most children have worn a UVA tattoo and would not consider wearing a VT one if it was the last tattoo available!)  Note the difference in how long stick-on and permanent tattoos last.  We can try out stick on tattoos.  But when you get a permanent tattoo it is going to be there the rest of your life.  It will become part of us.  Jeremiah is saying that God’s Law will be tattooed on us, it will become part of us forever.

To read a sermon built on the theme of tattoos and branding as signs of identity and permanence go to LINK  http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2032 .  It is aimed at adults, but may give you some ideas about developing this idea.

Psalm 51:1-12

U  FYI - This psalm showed up in the lectionary on Ash Wednesday and will appear with the David and Bathsheba back story on Proper 13(18) –August 5^th of this year.

U  Use verses 1-4 and 10-12 as the prayer of confession for the day.  Before praying them, with the congregation (or children) identify all the sin words (sin, iniquity, transgression, and evil) in verses 1-4.  Have each word printed on a piece of poster board and displayed in turn.  Briefly tell that David who first prayed this prayer had just had a man murdered so that he could marry his wife – that IS..list each of the words for sin!.  Note that most of us have not done anything that bad. Then, list specific examples of sin of which your worshipers might be guilty (lying to get out of trouble, saying mean words to or about someone, making another person’s life really unhappy by the way you treat him or her, being greedy, selfish, etc.)  Finally, read verses 10-12, putting several phrases into your own words.  Only, then invite the congregation to pray the prayer with you.

Remember literal thinkers hear “create in me a clean heart, O God” as “cut out my heart and wash it.”  Acknowledge this.  Note that “heart” is Bible code for “the real me” then reread the line - “Clean me up God.  Help me clean up my act.

Psalm 119:9-16

Hebrew letter Bet
I am not a Hebrew scholar.
So, correct me if I am wrong.

U  Enjoy the acrostic format of this psalm.  Every verse is a separate, rhyming thought about God’s Law.  Each verse begins with the Hebrew letter Bet.  Invite a children’s class or a collection of worshipers of all ages to read the scripture.  They stand in a line each one reading one of the verses in order.  In a smaller room, they can read from their place in line.  In a larger room they can step in turn to the microphone to read. Either will require one rehearsal in the sanctuary.

U  After explaining the acrostic format, challenge young worshipers to create a stanza of their own praising God.  The rule is that every line must begin with a B (like the Hebrew letter bet).  Get them started with a worship worksheet like this one.  Ask children to show you theirs as they leave or invite them to post their work on the altar rail or a bulletin board after the service.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Be Praised, O God!

Because you love me I praise you, O God.

Brown soil grows food with which you feed us.

Broken promises do not stop you from loving us, O God.  Thank you.

B _________________________________________________

B _________________________________________________

B _________________________________________________

B _________________________________________________

B _________________________________________________

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

U  To connect Jeremiah’s use of “heart” focus on verse 10a, “I will seek you with my whole heart.”  Define “heart” as “deep down inside, the real me” and put the verse into your own words.  Then ask how you would go about doing that – identifying very specific things such as worship, church school, choir practice, prayers at home with your household, etc..

Hebrews 5:5-10

This text makes almost no sense to children.  All the sacrificial language takes more explaining than its message merits – for children.  One way to unpack it a little is point to the largest cross in your sanctuary.  Remind worshipers that the cross is Jesus’ most important symbol.  Then note that seeing that cross reminds us that Jesus was not just someone who lived long ago.  Jesus is here for us now.  Jesus, not the ministers or priests or anybody else, is the leader of the church – the great high priest.

John 12:20-33

Children are caught by a couple of isolated phrases in this passage.

U  “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”  If you have not already featured a Central American cross painted with happy faces, do so today.  Also bring out a world map or globe pointing out all the places there are Christians in the world and note that all these people know the story of Jesus on the cross and are drawn to it.  Jesus was right.  His death did draw all people to him.  (This discussion may lead to prayer for people from all around the world who are drawn to the cross.)

U  Display a crucifix to ponder what Jesus meant by “I will be lifted up.”  Point to the physical ways Jesus was lifted up and how many people saw him die there.  Tell very briefly some of the stories of the cross emphasizing those in which Jesus forgives people.  Acknowledge that it hard to look at such a painful cross, but it also makes us realize how much God loves us.  We are drawn to that love.  (If the crucifix is not part of your tradition, feature it today to explain a cross they may see in churches of their friends or in their friends jewelry.)

U  “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”  This is an object lesson.  Children tend to understand the part about what happens with the seed, but not quite grasp what Jesus is saying about himself – and us.  For now they can explore the seed image fully and hear hints about its meaning.

U  The Greatest Power,  by Demi, the Chinese emperor seeking a new Prime Minister, challenged all of the children to bring in the greatest power in the world.  Some brought weapons.  Others said that the beautiful have the power to get whatever they want and spent the year making themselves as beautiful as possible.  The brainy children pointed to the power of technology bringing examples of important Chinese inventions.  And, of course one group saw money as the path to greatest power.  Little Sing, after thinking long and hard, brought a lotus seed.  When the emperor asked her why, she explained that when it is planted a seed produces a wonderful plant which produces food for now and more seeds for future plants.  It contains life which is the strongest power in the universe.  Of course she became the new Prime Minister.  The book is too long to read in worship, but the story could be quickly retold to explore the life cycle of a seed and the power of a seed when it is planted.  (Probably available in the public library.)

U  The Carrot Seed, by Carol Kraus, is a much simpler picture book about a little boy who plants and cares for a carrot seed.  Everyone says it will never grow, but he keeps tending it and it does grow!  After the reading, if you ask, “what happened to the seed?” children will say that it is gone.  It has turned into a carrot which is much better.  This is a start on understanding what Jesus meant.

U  In the Northern Hemisphere, this may be a good time to bring out some bulbs (or other seeds) and some flowering plants.  Compare the two.  Maybe even shake a plant out of its pot to see what has happened to the seed.  Often all that is left is the shell.  All the rest of the seed is gone, dead.  But, the plant is alive!.  “I wonder” questions work best here e.g. 

I wonder what Jesus was trying to tell us about himself? 

I wonder when Jesus stopped being a seed and became a plant?

(Don’t ask children such questions in front of the congregation unless you can trust the congregation to respond respectfully to whatever they say.)  Younger children will be fairly clueless.  Some older children may have some ideas.  If no one comes up with a close to correct answer, offer an “here’s one thing I think…” answer.  That gives the older ones something to think about.

U  An un-seedy idea about losing your life to find it is what happens when a child graduates from one grade to the next.  The first grader is over, dead, no more.  Instead there is a brand new second grader.  Sometimes it is scary to graduate and leave behind teachers and schools you love, but when you do you usually grow into your new school and teachers and friends.

Year B - The Fourth Sunday in Lent (March 18, 2012)

In highly liturgical churches the fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday (or Rejoice Sunday) because of its focus on God’s grace.  To highlight this and look forward to Easter in just three weeks, take a peek at the buried “Alleluia!” and note that it is still there.  Even practice an alleluia song (Praise Ye the Lord Alleluia?) in whispers.

There are at least two crosses that might be featured this week:

This comes from the web page of a
Catholic diocese.  I suspect they would be
 glad for any of us to use it in our worship.  

A crucifix (cross with Christ hanging on it) reminds us that God loved us enough to live among as Jesus and to forgive when we killed Jesus.  Every time we look at it we remember how very much God loves us and all people.  In many protestant congregations this is an opportunity to introduce a cross that is important to Catholic and many other Christians.  If you don’t have one, borrow one (crucifix jewelry is an option) or display a picture of one (I found this one Googling “crucifix images").  If the crosses in your church are empty, compare them with their message that God raised Jesus from death to the crucifixes noting the valuable message in each one.

This is my photo.
Feel free to use it.

Artists in Central America paint crosses with pictures of lots of people on them.  Display one of these crosses and ponder John’s insistence that when Jesus was raised up (on the cross) he drew all the people of the world to him.

Numbers 21:4-9

U  This is a very simple healing story AND when combined with the other readings for the day is an invitation to identify all the snakey things in our lives.  Display a stop sign and a warning sign and a danger sign noting the mean of each. Next, show a picture of a snake and explain that for many people just seeing a snake says warning, danger, stop!  Recall the snake in the Fall in Eden and note that from then on snakes have been symbols of bad things, evil.  The snakes in this story are sent by God because the people were not trusting God and were complaining to Moses that God wasn’t doing enough for them.  God sent snakes, symbols of evil, to bite them and remind them of their snakey evil.  Identify some of the snakey things we do to ourselves and each other today.  Then recall the end of the story.  God saved the people.  He healed them from both the snake bites and their complaining.   That will set the stage for John’s comments about Jesus being like the snake on the pole.  Jesus saves us from all the snakiness.

Do remember that some children, especially some boys, really like snakes.  Assure them that snakes are not bad, but that they are used as a symbol of evil.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22  (RC = Psalm 137:1-6)

U  This is a psalm pilgrims sang as they climbed the long steep hill to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple.  It was like some of the songs we sing on long car trips today.  Point out the introduction and the format of each verse.  Identify the people in each stanza: travelers lost in the desert, prisoners, the sick, and sailors on the sea.  Then invite worshipers to read with you the parts the whole group of pilgrims traveling together would have sung with one reader reading the verse about the sick.  To really get into the road trip aspect of the psalm have the congregation stand and walk in place as they read.

All:       verses 1-3

One:    verses 17-20

All:       verse 21-22

U  Read these verses after reading the Numbers story.  Suggest that some of the pilgrims might have thought about the snake-bit people looking at the bronze snake on the pole and being healed.  It is also a psalm those snake-bit folks  might have recited after being cured.  And, a good prayer for us when we recover from illness.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (RC = 4-10)

Needless to say children will not follow this as it is read.  It is filled with abstract words that are connected in long complicated thoughts.  But there are ideas in it older children appreciate when unpacked for them by worship leaders.

U  Even children know what it feels like to be “stuck,” to feel like or wish you were dead, to be hopeless.  They get stuck in ongoing arguments with siblings, caught in the crossfire of changing friendships, listen fearfully as parents fight, worry about finances if the main money maker is unemployed, survive an endless difficult school year, sense that everyone else is somehow “more” than me, and more.  Without being suicidal, they can say “I wish I was dead.”  With help older children can even recognize that their deadness is as much their own fault as the fault of those around them.  And, they can admit that they can’t make the changes needed. 

Try a confession in which ways we are stuck in evil and feel dead are described one by one, e.g. the lies we tell, the mean things we say without even meaning to, etc.  After each one, the congregation responds, “It makes us feel dead.”  The assurance is “God, loves us and brings us new life, new possibilities, ways out.  Thanks be to God.”

U  Two child-accessible hymns that capture this text and the general theme of the day are:

“There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy” – This short hymn includes difficult words for children.  Point out the very similar words mercy and love asking worshipers to find them in the song.  Then put the verses into your own words and invite everyone to sing.  With this introduction, children are able to follow and begin knowing this hymn.

“Help Us Accept Each Other” expresses Jesus’ and Paul’s ideas in terms of acceptance rather than salvation.  Every child knows about the desire to be accepted by God and other people.  Point out “acceptance” everywhere it appears in the hymn.  Or, direct people to verse 3 which summarizes the rest of the song.  Read it together and/or walk through it putting it into your words.  With this help children will try to sing at least verse 3.

“Let Your acceptance change us.

So that we may be moved

     in living situations to do the truth in love;

to practice Your acceptance until we know by heart

      the table of forgiveness and laughter’s healing art.”

John 3:14-21

U  John 3:16 may be the most famous verse in the Bible, but unless your congregation encourages children to memorize verses, don’t count on them recognizing it.  

U  Today’s crosses are most helpful in unpacking these verses for children. 

The crucifix invites us to explain that there was nothing magic about the cross, but that God loved us so much that Jesus died on a cross and forgave us for it. 

Display a Central American cross to talk about how God loved and drew to God all the people in the world. 

Give each worshiper a paper featuring a large empty cross shape.  (Maybe it is the back page of the order of worship handout.)  During the sermon invite them to draw pictures of or write the names of people Jesus died for on the cross.  Identify and challenge them to identify a variety of people including themselves and some people they don’t particularly like.

U  Children feel judged by many adults in their lives – coaches, parents, teachers, even worship leaders.  Especially this late in the school year students who do not do well in school feel trapped and judged by many of their teachers.  It is a very “stuck,” hopeless place to be.  John assures children that God is not interested in judging them.  That is very good news.

U  Children’s literature explores unlimited love in several classic books in which children repeatedly ask a parent whether the parent would still love them if they did a variety of bad deeds.  The parents, like God, all insist that they would love the children no matter what.  That is grace.

The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, is a conversation between a young bunny and his mother in which the child threatens to run away in all sorts of ways.  To each plan the mother describes how she would come after him.  In the end the child decides that he might as well stay home.  (Reading time: 3 minutes).  I once heard a fine preacher give a very erudite sermon about God’s grace which he concluded by reading this story and saying “That is grace.  Amen.”

In Mama, Do You Love Me? , by Barbara Joosse, an Inuit girl describes all sorts of terrible things she might do and her mother insists that she would love her.  The same story is told in the Maasai culture between a father and son in Papa, Do You Love Me?.  (For some reason, I prefer the Inuit version – maybe because I read it first or love the art.)

U  Children understand about hiding under the covers or in a dark closet to do something they should not do.  In North America on the first Sunday after the change to Daylight Savings time they are also aware of being able to be outside in the evening light longer they could during the winter.  All this gives them good connections to the light and dark in verses 19-21. 

Year B - The Third Sunday in Lent (March 11, 2012)

Remember today is Time Change Sunday in the USA.  Prepare to lose an hour’s sleep and get to the church on time!

Zurbarán, Francisco, 1598-1664.
Crucifixion, from Art in the Christian Tradition,
project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=47447
[retrieved February 22, 2012].

Today’s cross is a plain wood, nail cross (if you will not feature it on Good Friday) or a picture of the crucifixion.  (The one here comes from the Vanderbilt Divinity School library with permission to use non-commercially.  You may have other images hung on the wall in the church or in great art books.)  Display the cross in order to talk about the facts of crucifixion and to highlight Jesus’ courage in facing crucifixion.  Facts need not be as gory as Mel Gibson’s film, but do need to insist that this was a very painful way to be killed and was meant to make fun of the person being killed.  If you are using a wooden or nail cross, pass it among worshipers to handle as you talk about crucifixion.  If you use a picture, point to details in it, describe what they meant and how they felt to the one being crucified.  (In the posted piece I’d point to the nails in the hands and feet, the fact that most of the crucified one’s clothes have been removed, and the sign over Jesus head.)  All this information helps children understand crucifixion in general and today impresses them with Jesus’ standing up to people (the Temple authorities) who could do that to him.  One preacher said to children, “Jesus loved you so much that he would die rather than stop loving you.”  That is love and courage children can respect.

Both the Ten Commandments and Psalm 19 appear on World Communion Sunday in the lectionary.  Go to Year A World Communion Sunday for a children’s version of the commandments, suggestions for children reading both in worship, directions for making a set of tables to display in worship, an idea using honey flavored hard candies, and notes about how children understand rules.

Exodus 20:1-17

U  Go to the World Communion Sunday helps at the link just above.

U  Turn the Ten Commandments and 1 Corinthians 1:25 into a responsive reading with leader reading each commandment individually and the congregation responding to each one with the Corinthians verse (For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.)  Practice the verse with the congregation before the reading.  Briefly explore how wise or foolish it is to keep one of the rules (maybe one about telling lies).  Then challenge worshipers to listen for how wise or foolish each of the other rules are.

This could be the Old Testament reading for the day or could be done at the beginning of the sermon as an interactive part of the sermon.

U  Create opposites for the Ten Commandments and imagine a world lived by those rules.  This connects to the Epistle question about what is really wise and foolish.  The list below is a starter, suggest others in comments.

X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X

1.      You are your own boss.  Do whatever you want to do whenever you feel like it. 

2.      Decide who and what is important to you.  Pay attention only to those people and things.

3.      It does not matter when or how you say God’s name.  You can use it to swear or cuss or to get what you want (as in “God is on my side” statements).

4.      It doesn’t matter if you worship with God’s people on Sunday/regularly.  If there are other things you’d rather do, go do them.

5.      Parents don’t get it.  Ignore them whenever you can.

6.      Kill whatever or whoever gets in your way.  The strongest live longest.

7.      Don’t worry about your family.  Think only about yourself and what you want.

8.      Finders keepers! 
Toddler’s Rule of possession:  I see it, I want it, it’s mine! 
If you want it, figure out how to get it.

9.      Lie if you have to get out of trouble.

Lie to get what you want.
Lie to make yourself look good – even if it makes someone else look bad.

10.  The one who dies with most toys wins. 

The world is full of wonderful things.  Get your share.

X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X

U  If you are recognizing Scout Sunday, talk about the importance of the scout laws to scouts.  Living by rules or laws helps us know who we are and how we want to live. 

To take it to another level that will be a stretch for younger children:  Just as scouts do not have to earn the right to become a scout by proving they can live by the scout laws but work at living by the laws because they are a scout and want to be a good scout.  So, God’s people don’t live by the 10 Commandments to earn God’s love, but live by them because they show them how to be God’s happy, loving people.

Psalm 19

See the note and link at the top of this post for ideas about using the psalm linked with the Ten Commandments.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

U  See the cross suggestions at the top of the page and the suggestion for a responsive reading intermingling the Ten Commandments with verse 25.

U  Children are intrigued by Paul’s discussion about what is wise and what is foolish.  Is it wise to share the fries or to keep them all for yourself?  Is it foolish to risk being laughed at by the popular kids if you sit with an outcast?  Linking this text with the Ten Commandments to explore the wisdom and foolishness of individual commands draws children’s attention.

U  Go back to the featured cross of the week to ask whether allowing Jesus to be crucified was a wise or foolish move on God’s/Jesus’ part.  After looking at the details of crucifixion, ask “What was God thinking?  Was God nuts? People wanted a leader, someone who can get through any situation and get us through any situation, not someone who gets killed!  On a cross!” 

John 2:13-22

John is always working on several levels of meaning.  In this scene one level is about the moneychangers.  Another is about Jesus replacing the sacrificial system of the Temple, and even the Temple, entirely.  The first makes more immediate sense to children.  The second requires some care.

U  To unpack what was going on with the moneychangers at the very beginning of John’s gospel.

Two specific things about the Temple scene made Jesus so angry that he went into action.  The first was that the Temple had been divided into sections for different types of worshippers.  The Jews got the best section.  The foreigners got the section furthest from the altar.  Imagine with worshipers different parts of your sanctuary set aside for different kinds of worshipers.  If you are an old Southern US church, this is a good opportunity to point out the history of a slave balcony and slave doors.  To make matters worse, Temple leaders had allowed business people to set up booths in the foreigners section – really disrupting their ability to pray in peace!

Use some play money or foreign coins and some daily coins to demonstrate what the moneychangers did.  Show the “different” coin and explain that the Temple leaders had decided that only this money could be put in the offering boxes at the Temple.  Act out the purchase of these special coins from money changers who charged “a small fee” for each coin. 

After setting this scene in Temple take time to identify what about it made Jesus so angry.  (Don’t count on the children getting it on their own.)  Point out that Jesus did not just “lose it” and act out in way he would later regret.  He knew exactly what he was doing and he knew that it would make powerful people very, very angry with him.  But, he still did it.  Describe Jesus’ actions not so much as wildly angry, but brave and courageous.

Before singing “God of Grace and God of Glory” point to the “Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage” chorus noting both the repeated words and the words that are different in each verse.  Practice singing it together.  Then invite worshipers to sing it.  The vocabulary of the verses is difficult for children to follow, but even the youngest can sing the repeated “grant us wisdom, grant us courage.”

U  If you want to explore John’s insistence that Jesus is turning over the whole Temple sacrifice system, talk about the sellers of animals rather than the money changers.  Name some of the animals sacrificed and very briefly describe the altar ritual in which they were killed as an offering to God.  Most children are deeply offended by the idea of killing an animal to show that you love God or to ask God to forgive you for the bad things you do.  They are happy to hear Jesus insist that the whole idea was wrong.  All we need to do is praise God with words and songs and the way we live every day.  When we mess up, God will forgive us when we say you are sorry. 

WARNING:  John sets up Jesus as the new sacrificial lamb for all times.  This made sense in John’s world.  In today’s world, especially among today’s children, it makes God look highly suspect.  If God needs some animal or Jesus to die a painful death in order to forgive us, God looks a little weird and rather mean.  I know it is the base of classical atonement theology, but I’d stay away from it.  It makes more sense to simply say Jesus said killing animals to communicate with God was nuts.