Year C - Proper 22, 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, 20th Sunday after Pentecost (October 6, 2013)

World Communion Sunday

Children are fascinated by the idea of a day on which Christians all around the world celebrate Communion.  So exploring that reality might be the best entry to worship for the children on this World Communion Sunday.  There are many different ways to do this.

UInclude people of different racial, ethnic backgrounds as worship leaders.  If possible, include youth and children as well as adults.  When appropriate, invite them to say something about their church in that place or culture.  Some may want to wear what people in that church wear.

UTake time for worshipers to tell brief stories about their worship experiences in churches in other countries.  

UFeature breads from around the world during Communion.

Have children process in carrying loaves of sourdough, pumpernickel, pitas, Asian nan, Native American fry bread, cornbread, tortillas, etc.  They put their loaves in a big basket in front of the central table where they remain for the service.

If you use bread cubes or if people tear chunks of bread off loaves to share in the sacrament, use a variety of breads.  Older children can cut the cubes during church school the week before.  If the cubes are stored in plastic bags in a freezer until Sunday morning, they will be fresh for worship.

Bread, Bread, Bread, by Ann Morris, is a book of pictures of bread from all around the world.  It would be possible to read the whole book.  But, you could also just look at the pictures on the first pages.  Use the index to learn where each pictured bread is made.  Ponder with the children the fact that people everywhere eat bread and marvel at bread as a good symbol for God’s love for all of us at communion.

U Display chalices or crosses (Central American painted cross, Celtic cross, palm cross, orthodox cross, crucifix, etc.) from around the world OR cover the communion table with cloth from different continents.  Identify the source of each one and tell a brief story about Christians gathering for communion in that place.

UPray your way around the world using a map or globe.  Pray for groups of Christians with which you congregation has contact, groups who have been in the news recently, etc.

If space allows, spread a large world map on the floor or draw a world map on a huge mat of newsprint paper.  Invite worshipers to light a votive candle/tea light from a central candle and to place it on a country.  They then offer their prayer for the people who worship there this morning either silently or aloud.

In a more formal setting, the worship leader can pray his or her way from continent to continent with the congregation replying to each prayer, “Hear our prayers for Christians worshiping in NAME OF PLACE.”  If a world map is displayed or projected on a wall, an acolyte can point to each spot with a stick pointer or a pinpoint light.  (Rehearse this so the focus is on the praying rather than the logistics.)

U Select Communion hymns that sing of the whole world in ways that grab the attention of children.

Sing “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” inviting each worshiper to put a hand on the shoulder of or hold hands with the next person.  Encourage stretching across the aisles.

Before singing “I Come With Joy” read verses 2 and 3 with the congregation following along in their hymnals.  Note the appropriateness of singing those verses on World Communion Sunday.

As you sing “In Christ There is No East or West” project pictures of people from around the world.

Point to the Jamaican source of the music for “Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ.”  If possible add Jamaican drums or simple rhythm instruments to the accompaniment.

USelect prayers, readings, and music from around the world for today’s liturgy.  Gifts of Many Cultures: Worship Resources for the Global Community, edited by Maren C Tirabassi and Kathy Wonson Eddy, is an excellent source.  Many of the prayers and liturgies are filled with every day references, but will still need introducing to the children .  There is also a follow up book titled Gifts in Open Hands: More Worship Resources for the Global Community.

UIf you can locate a set of paper flags in a school supply store, string them together to drape over doorways or in the worship center.  A children’s class can be enlisted to color the flags in advance if needed.

UGo to Jan Richardson Images  for a collage picture of people of all ages and ethnicities gathered around a table.  ($15.)  While you are there, take time to explore Jan’s other work.   I am a regular visitor at her lectionary based website at The Painted Prayerbook.

U Last year on World Communion Sunday Anita Lynn-Stuart in Pennsylvania used a clock with the children to talk about Christians all around the world celebrating at different times so that there is always someone praising God and celebrating communion on this day.

Saint Francis Day

Go to The Texts This Week - Saint Francis Day for lots of resources for Saint Francis Day.  It includes many plans for blessing the animals.  Some year (soon I hope) I will produce a post on it, but it will not be this year.

The Texts

Faith is doing God’s will or trusting God’s plan and rules – even when you are not sure how it is going to work out.  Many of the texts for the day explore FAITH in different situations.  So, make FAITH the word of the day.  Display it on a banner at the beginning of worship and challenge children to draw a star in their printed order of worship every time they hear, sing or say the word today.  Explore FAITH as it appears in the very different texts for the day. 

Lamentations 1:1-6, 3:19-26; Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-9 even Psalm 137

L Together the Old Testament texts are a sampler of people talking back to God.  These are deeply hurt, terribly sad, and totally angry people, and they are willing to tell God so.  We talk to children often about telling God the happy things, confessing our sins to God, and asking God for help.  But, we also need to give them permission, even encourage them to tell God when they are angry, when life seems unfair, when it looks to them as if God isn’t doing God’s job the way it should be done.  These texts and other stories teach us that God can take such straight talk and even wants it.  Indeed, all these writers seem to work through their outburst to a kind of peace or patience or hope in the middle of their mess.

L One way to explore this in either a children’s time or the day’s sermon is to present photos of people in horrible situations, e.g. portraits of children with harelips, pictures of people living in deep poverty, someone in a hospital bed, etc.  Add situations such as “your parents are getting a divorce.”  Explore the feelings of the people in these situations.  Say aloud some of the things they make you want to say to God and some of the questions you’d like to ask God about these situations.  Note that just as it sometimes helps to talk our feelings out with another person, it can also help to talk them out with God.  Sometimes, in the process of explaining just how horrible it is, we find something we could do to make it better, e.g. telling God how unfair it is for the children to be born with harelips may make you realize that there are ways you could help those children.  Other times, in the process of telling God how bad it is, we remember some of the good things we have too and that makes us feel better.  Or, we remember someone else who has a similar problem and begin to think of ways we can work on the problem together.  And sometimes, it just feels like we’re yelling and God is not listening.  That is the hardest time.  But even then lots of people tell us that if you keep talking to God about it, eventually, sometimes after a very long time, it helps.  No one can say exactly how or why.  But it helps.  So, we need to tell children that, when they are really, really angry and hurt and sad, they can tell God all about it. 

Lamentations 1:1-6 or 3:19-26

L The first Lamentations verses loudly complain about everything that is wrong .  The second set of verses (3: 20-26) manage to find hope in the bleak situation.  Ask six good readers of several different ages (maybe one or two families) to read the verses using the script below.  To make the difference in the two sets of verses clearer, give each reader a two sided round “face” poster on a short pole.  As they read the first set of verses, they each turn the sad face toward the congregation.  As they read the second set of verses, they turn the straight face with eyes looking up and a gold border toward the congregation.

JKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKL

Lamentations 1:1-6 and 3:21-26

 Readers hold sad face poster toward the congregation.

Reader 1:      How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal.

Reader 2:      She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.

Reader 3:      Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude; she lives now among the nations, and finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.

Reader 4:      The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to the festivals; all her gates are desolate, her priests groan; her young girls grieve, and her lot is bitter.

Reader 5:      Her foes have become the masters, her enemies prosper, because the LORD has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe.

Reader 6:      From daughter Zion has departed all her majesty. Her princes have become like stags that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer.

As readers finish reading their second verse, they turn their face posters to the hopeful side.

Reader 1:      But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

Reader 2       The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,

Reader 3:      His mercies never come to an end;
                       they are new every morning;
                       great is your faithfulness.

Reader 4:      "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

Reader 5:      The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

Reader 6:      It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

                                                                                                 NRSV

 JKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKLJKL

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

L The CEV jumps many of the historical details to provide a message that makes immediate sense to adults and some older children.

Our Lord, how long must I beg for your help

before you listen?

How long before you save us from all this violence?

³                Why do you make me watch such terrible injustice?

Why do you allow violence, lawlessness, crime, and cruelty

to spread everywhere?

 

L This passage offers a model for lamenting.  Read verses 1:2-4 dramatically, letting your anger show.  Pause to note that it IS possible to talk to God this way.  Read 2:1 with arms folded across your chest waiting to hear from God.  Then, read 2:2b-4 stopping as you go to be sure everyone gets the message.  Ponder how it felt to get that message.  Finally, retrace the process and suggest that we can do the same thing today. 

L Put the lament form into a worksheet with fill in the blanks as below.  Challenge worshipers to fill in the blanks from their last week or for the world today.  Collect all the laments in prayer baskets passed through the congregation or located on the Table.

God I can’t take it much more….

It makes me want to….

Still I remember that You….

So, I …..

 

L Read Alexander Who’s Not (Do you Hear Me? I Mean It!) Not Moving, by Judith Viorst, as an example of a lament from a boy who did not want to move but had no choice.

Psalm 137

L Introduce the angriest, meanest, maddest verse in the Bible – Psalm 137:8b-9.  Explain that invaders had conquered the psalmist’s city, burned all the buildings in it, killed most of the people, and taken the rest (including the poet) back to their country as prisoners.  Note that the psalmist had every right to be very angry and sad.  Then read the verses.  React with your face and voice to show how offensive this wish is.  State that it is rather surprising it is in the Bible.  Then, with a change of face and tone, note that you are actually rather glad this verse is there because it reminds us of something that we don’t like to talk about.  That something is that when we are mad and feel mean, no matter how bad it gets, we can tell God all about it.  God can take it.  God can even help us deal with it. 

2 Timothy 1:1-14

J Tell the back story about Timothy with the focus on his faith family.  Timothy’s mother and grandmother told him stories and led him to the Christian community.  There he met Paul who claims to love him like a son and who ordained him to be a minister.  Identify some of the people in your faith family and encourage worshipers of all ages to identify the members of their faith families.  This is great chance to explore the importance families and friends have in shaping each other’s faith. Encourage households to continue this discussion at home.

Challenge especially young worshipers (but also willing older ones) to draw pictures and/or write thank you notes to people who have helped them grow as disciples.  This can be sermon art to be displayed or cards to be delivered in person or mailed after worship.

J Explore Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to have more self-discipline.  Children long to be more and more “my own boss.”  Usually they mean that they want to be able to do what they want to do.  For Paul however, being your own boss means being able to control your actions and emotions, being able to not go along with the crowd, and being able to keep your own rules.  Paul encourages Timothy to have more self-discipline, he says that Timothy knows what he believes about God and Jesus and he knows what rules he wants to live by.  What he needs to work on is not letting other people lead him astray.  He, not other people, is to be his own boss.  He is to discipline himself. 

J As the Charge at the end of the service, address Paul’s words to Timothy to the congregation urging them to be brave disciples this week standing up for Jesus’ ways no matter what.

Luke 17: 5-10

J Children feel little and "not enough."  Jesus says to them that they are “enough” just as the tiny mustard seed is enough.  Remember that this is not the mustard seed parable in which the tiny seed grows into the big bush.  This is the mustard seed that even though it is tiny,  is “enough.”  So show the children a tiny mustard seed (spice section of the grocery store), note how much bigger (physically) they are than that seed, and tell them to get to work as God’s people.   Urge them to live as Jesus’ disciple where ever they are and whatever they are doing.  They can do it.  They are big enough.

J The other point in these verses that speaks to children is that doing what God wants is just our job.  We shouldn’t expect lots of praise and awards for being kind and forgiving and generous.  We just do it.  Illustrate this conversation with prize ribbons labeled MOST FORGIVING or THIRD PLACE FOR KINDNESS.  Laugh at them pointing out that such ribbons will never be awarded.  Those are things we just do because we are Jesus’ disciples and that is what disciples do.

Year C - Proper 14, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 12th Sunday after Pentecost (August 11, 2013)

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

_ Before reading Isaiah’s message make two lists.  First list for worshipers all the worship terms in the text briefly noting how they were part of worship in that day: sacrifices, burnt offerings of rams, blood of bulls, Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and incense.  Next list things that are part of your usual worship: banners, music, choirs, beautiful prayers, scripture readings, offerings, even sermons.  Only then challenge worshipers to listen for what Isaiah was saying to people worshiping at the Temple in his day AND to us worshiping here today. 

To be more dramatic have someone interrupt after the reading from the Bible walking down the center aisle to deliver the same message replacing Isaiah’s list of what happens in worship with one reflective of worship today.

_ Isaiah’s message is that our lives beyond the sanctuary should match what we pray and sing inside it.  In a fairly outrageous description of people whose church going did not match their lives outside of the building, Mark Twain (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 18) tells of the Gangerford and Shepherdson families who brought their guns to church holding them between their knees while listening to a sermon about brotherly love and leaving to carry on their blood feud immediately after worship services ended. 

_ Forbid Them Not (Yr C) includes a prayer of confession in which the choir, ushers, preachers, and the congregation confess ways it is easy for them to fail to do in everyday life the tasks they perform in worship.  For example, the  ushers confess that they are not as polite and welcoming to people they meet during the week as they are to the people they greet at the door to the sanctuary.  Either get permission to use a copy of that prayer or create a similar one that particularly fits your congregation.

_ The Charge and Benediction are the gate between what we do in the sanctuary and the way we live in the world.  Point this out before pronouncing them at the end of the service.  List a few of the themes and events of the service.  Charge worshipers not to forget them when they walk out the door, but to remember them every day this week and to try to live like they believe them.  Then promise worshipers that hard as this is on some days, doing this is possible because God is with them always.  (This could be a children’s time at the end of the service with the children then echoing phrases of the charge and benediction as the worship leader says them.)

“Go Forth for God” would be a good final hymn leading to this charge and benediction.  Children will miss many of the phrases in the middle of each verse.  But if the phrase that is repeated at the beginning and end of the verses are pointed out even young children will sing them and catch any of the other phrases they can.

_ Verses 16-17 offer a series of generalities that make more sense to children when fleshed out with examples from children’s world.

cease to do evil

     learn to do good,

seek justice

     rescue the oppressed

The last two offer most potential for both examining the prophet’s teaching and building children’s familiarity with words they will hear often in worship - “justice” and “the oppressed.” 

To seek justice for children means to play fair.  Children are quick to cry “that’s not fair!”  That cry can be both affirmed and also directed.  Children can be encouraged to notice when someone other than themselves is being unfairly treated.  They can even be challenged to seek justice for others when it might not benefit them, e.g. when we are invited to sit with friends at lunch, but someone else is told to go away or insisting that everyone gets a turn before we get a second turn – even when we are the biggest and oldest in the group.

“The oppressed” who children meet regularly are the kids who are always chosen last for games, who everyone laughs at, who dress oddly, who bring different food to lunch, who have trouble with English, who are slow students at school, etc. 

Though your sins be as scarlet…

_ If your congregation frequently prays prayers of confession that use language about sins being scarlet, then washed white as snow, it is a good day for some worship education about that phrase.  Begin with talk about the color red.  Cite several other names for red being sure to include scarlet and crimson.  Since most children like red, they don’t understand “though my sins be as scarlet.”  To help them get it, talk about murder as maybe the worst sin you can do. Imagine with the children a murderer with blood dripping from his or her hands.  Then reread the phrase about scarlet going on to the promise “they shall be white as snow.”  Remind worshipers how white, white, white fresh snow is and how different it is from bloody scarlet. Then put the whole phrase into less colorful words, “there is no sin so bad, that I will not forgive you when you say you are sorry.”  If you will pray one of the traditional prayers of confession featuring this phrase, read the prayer and translate it into such words.  Then pray the prayer together.

_ If it is Back to School Sunday, blessing the backpacks is a great way to emphasize the connection between worship and daily living.  Go to Back to School - 2013  for specific suggestions.  One way to include more than just children in this is to invite everyone to bring something they carry every day (backpacks, briefcases, laptops, purses, even diaper bags) to this service to be blessed.  If this week is a little early for students to have book bags ready, consider swapping this week’s texts with those for the Sunday before everyone goes back to school.

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23

This psalm is very like Isaiah’s message.  The way it is presented makes it harder for children to understand.  The omission of vv. 9-21 may work for those who know all about Temple worship, but it leaves children in the dust.  And, even if you read the entire psalm children may get the idea that God didn’t need the sacrificed animals, but they can hardly get from that idea to what it says about worship today. 

FAITH

FAITH is one of the big words in worship.  It is also abstract and hard for adults to define.  Introducing it well to children actually helps the adults well as the children.  The key is that faith is not something we think but the way we live.  It is more a verb than a noun.  Faith is a lot like trust.  When we trust our parents we jump into their arms in the swimming pool knowing they will catch us and we will be safe.  When we trust God we follow God’s rules faithing that God is in charge and is working things out for good in the world.  To explore this try some of the following.

_Present a big poster or banner featuring FAITH at the beginning of worship.  Before the call to worship give a brief definition of faith and challenge worshipers of all ages to listen carefully for what we sing, say and hear about FAITH in worship today.  Give children markers to write FAITH in their bulletin every time they hear it or strips of small star stickers to use in marking the word as they hear it.  Comment on well-marked or stickered bulletins as children leave the sanctuary.

_Talk about people we trust and don’t trust such as the people who make our cars or bicycles, teachers or coaches, people who make and deliver food we eat, the person who dares us to do something dangerous.  From there talk about trusting that God is in charge of the world and loves us and is working to make the world a better place for everyone.  Because we trust God to do those things we try to follow God’s rules and be part of building the better world.  That is living on FAITH.

Genesis 15:1-6

_ Many children today have little experience with sitting under starry skies.  There is just too much light.  But, they do have a keener sense of our place in a universe of stars than earlier children had.  So before reading this story, have a brief starry night experience.  Project pictures like this one that give a sense of the vastness of the universe and the numbers of the stars.

find this and more at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA16884

 

_ Children (and many adults) need a fuller telling of Abraham’s story than these six verse provide.  Try something like this.

God told Abraham to pack up his family and leave his home for “a land I will show you.”  God also promised Abraham and Sarah that though they were

already really old they would have a son and that son would have children and those children would have children until there was a huge family that “would bless all the earth.”  With these two promises Sarah and Abraham packed up all their stuff, said good-by to their family and friends knowing they’d probably never see them again and started out across the wilderness.  God did give them one thing they could see as a reminder of the promise.  That was all the stars in the sky.  God told them, “Try to count to stars in the sky.  You can’t, can you.  Your family will one day have as many children in it as there are stars in the sky.”  Abraham and Sarah kept moving and waited for the baby.  It was hard to keep believing it was true.  When they were 100 years old and were told that Sarah would have the baby that year, Sarah laughed.  But, she had the baby and she happily named him Isaac which means “Laughter”.  They did love their little Isaac.  And, they still wondered about the children and grandchildren he would have.   Finally, they died.  While they were alive, they never owned the land God promised to their family and never saw more of the family than their one son.  Still, they still believed it would come.  They knew it deep inside themselves.  They counted on it.  They lived like it was true. 

_ After reading this story.  Give the children large metallic star stickers that they can put on the inside cover of their notebook, inside their locker, or on a flap on their backpack as a reminder that they are part of God’s huge family.  Insist that as such they are loved always (even when it doesn’t feel like it at the moment) and that they are called to live like Gods people/stars.

Psalm 33:12-22

This call to praise and trust God is simple and straightforward, but there is nothing in it that particularly grabs the attention of children.   

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

_ Paul assumes that all his readers know the story of Abraham in detail.  Most children (and many adults) do not and will need a condensed version of Abraham’s story maybe just before this passage is read in worship.  Use the one printed above in the Genesis section.

_ The secret that the fox told the boy in The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint Exupery) was “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”  That may be close to the heart of this text for children.  The things we cannot see are more important than the ones we can see.  It’s the invisible things (e.g. love and faith) that shape our lives.  

As an example, describe a sports team that believes it will win the championship this year.  They know they are good and love playing the games together.  Because they want to win that championship so badly, they practice hard.  When they win games, they cheer loudly not only because they just won a game, but because they are that much closer to the championship.  When they lose a game, they think carefully about everything they did wrong and make plans to avoid doing those things in the next game.  After all if they are going to be champions they must play like champions.  Nothing they can see or touch or hear or smell proves that they will be champions, but they hope they will.  They believe they will.  They work hard so that their championship will come true. 

_ Younger children will only grasp that things we cannot see are important and shape our lives.  Older children may be ready to explore the words “faith” and “believe,” something that is not seen, but shapes our lives in the most important ways.  The sports team believed they were champions.  That is faith.  Abraham and Sarah believed that God was going to make their family huge and make them a blessing to all the earth.  That is faith.  We believe that we are God’s children and that God loves us and has work for us to do.  That is faith, too.

 

Luke 12:32-40

_ The Roman Catholic lectionary offers as an alternate reading only verses 35-40 which focuses on watchful waiting, i.e. being ready to respond as Abraham did with faith.  This more focused reading is easier for children to follow.

_ To help children separate the three alert servants, ask three people to come forward with their props and stand facing away from the congregation.  As their turn comes each turns to face the congregation and follow the italicized directions below.

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

Luke 12:35-40

Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; ³⁶ be like those (first person picks up lantern and steps forward watching out toward the congregation) who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those slaves (second person lifts a candle and stands ready with a towel over one arm) whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

³⁹ “But know this: if the owner of the house (third person picks up big flashlight and shines it just over the heads of the congregation with a serious facial expression and maybe shading his eyes with a  hand) had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You (narrator points to congregation as this is read) also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

                                                                           NRSV

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

_ Most children are in their last days of summer vacation.  Summer no longer looks endless.  The return to school is on the horizon and many are focused on getting in as much freedom and “summer” as they can before it ends.  (This is true whether they are looking forward to or dreading going back to school.)  To them this text says, even at the end of summer, you are on the job as God’s disciples.  Just as God is with us always loving us, taking care of us, forgiving us when we need it, so God expects us to be with God always living like God’s children.  That means that at the swimming pool, in the back seat of the car on that last trip to the beach or mountains, even when there is nothing to do at home, you are still Jesus’ disciple.  You need to be Jesus’ hands and feet taking care of people around you, being kind and loving (even when you don’t feel like it), and even forgiving brothers, sisters and friends when they need it.

In the congregation’s prayers, include prayers for the last days of summer vacation.  Pray for safe and happy trips that draw us closer to each other.  Pray for alertness to the needs of people around us and the wisdom to find ways to take care of those who need our care.

 

_ The Greatest Treasure, by Demi, tells of a man who almost lost his treasure when he was given a hoard that was really not a treasure at all.  It reads aloud in 6-7 minutes and is a great meditation on Luke 12:34.  Go to Proper 13 (Yr C) and scroll down for a summary of the story. 

 

% % % % % % % % % % % % % %

 

There are several suggestions in this post connecting these texts to themes children focus on in the days when they are getting ready to go back to school.  Go to Back to School - 2013 for more general ideas about this important season in the lives of young worshipers.

Year B - The Second Sunday in Lent (March 4, 2012)

Today’s featured cross may be metal crosses on communion ware or the verbal ones in the communion liturgy.  Or, it may be cross stickers reminding wearers to take up their crosses to follow Jesus.  Look for them all below.

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Have this text read by the oldest member or by the oldest man (vss 1-7) and oldest woman (vss 15-16) in the congregation.  If needed take a Bible and microphone to him/her/them in the pews so that they can read from there.  If you had a boy read the story of Samuel a few weeks ago, ask that boy to come forward.  Recall God’s call to Samuel while he was a young boy.  Then call the elder/s forward or send the boy to hold the microphone for them as they read about God’s call to some very old people.  Thank all three of them and send them back to their seats.  This sets you up to explore God’s call to us at all ages of our lives.

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, by Mo Willems, tells of a loving dinosaur who bakes cookies for everyone and is generally happy and loved.  Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, however, insists to everyone that she is extinct.  No one will listen to him – except gentle kind Edwina, who hears him out and says he is right, but simply doesn’t care.  The two leave together to bake more cookies.  This might be the beginning of a sermon about faith.  Abraham and Sarah should have known they couldn’t have a baby at 100.  And, we should know that God can’t change this world into a kingdom of peace and love.  Some people say the church is extinct – but…. Abraham, Sarah, and we move on in faith.  From this light hearted start, a preacher could delve into more complicated concerns.  But it is one good starting place.  (Reading time: a minimum of 4 minutes, but probably a bit longer because some of the pictures have no words but do tell part of the story.)

This is the second covenant for Lent.  (Recall what a covenant is bringing out the word poster from last week.)  In today’s covenant God promises Abraham and Sarah that they will be parents of a great family that will actually grow into many nations.  For children the promise is that we will always be part of a family or community.  We will not be on our own.  Point out some of the ways the church is a family welcoming babies, telling and celebrating the stories, taking care of each other when life gets hard (casseroles, visits, driving help, and other specifics make this real), being with us and our families when we die.  God promises this big family is always there for us.  The only way we can end up totally alone is to choose not to participate. 

Abraham and Sarah are featured the second week of Lent each year.  Go to Year A - The Second Sunday in Lent for additional ideas about their faith.

Psalm 22:23-31

Verses 27-31 provide a worship education opportunity.  Read the verses stopping as you go to put into your own words who will praise the Lord (all the families of all the nations living on the earth today, those who have died, generations yet to be born).  Then, point out that during the prayers before communion we re-enact praising God with all those people.  If you follow a prayer book, point out

“We praise you, joining our voices with the heavenly choirs and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:”  Then practice the song or spoken chorus your congregation will use this morning.  Urge worshipers to listen for the phrase and to imagine themselves singing with all people who have ever praised God, praise God today, and will praise God in the future.  (This could be done as a children’s moment just before the sacrament or be embedded in the sermon – even the practicing!)

Romans 4:13-25 or 8:31-39

There are two big words GRACE and FAITH that preachers tend to use in combination in single sentences while unpacking this text.  Both are complex, abstract theological concepts and are hard for children to understand.  Help them by picking one to define and use today.  (You’ll have opportunities to use the other later.)   

If you choose grace, remember that to children grace is first a girl’s name, the prayer said before eating, or the ability to move beautifully.  You will have to introduce the biblical definition of grace as God’s love as a free gift with no strings attached.

If you choose faith, remember Edwina the dinosaur described under the Genesis text.  She lived on faith.

The Episcopalian and Roman Catholic lectionaries set Romans 8:31-39 with its insistence “that nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither……”  It is a good balance to Mark’s call to carry our crosses. 

Mark 8:31-38 or 9:2-9

Talk about the crosses
worn in worship with robes
AND those worn everyday

Because children think literally, they need help with Jesus’ call to take up our cross and follow him.  Cross jewelry and cross tattoos are good discussion starters.  Wearing them is one way of saying that I am a Christian.  But, simply wearing them, doesn’t make me a Christian.  I have to live like Jesus.  I have to love God every day and love the people around me even when it gets hard.

Go to Let The Children Come - Second Sunday in Lent Year B for a children’s sermon that uses riddles as a set up for exploring what it means to lose life in order to find it.  Children may not fully understand what the preacher says, but they will get glimpses of it and they will hear her admit to not fully understanding Jesus’ instructions either.

For older children Harry Potter and Voldemort are the most familiar examples of giving up your life.  Voldemort kills others in an attempt to gain everlasting life and power for himself.  He ultimately fails and is killed by his own killer curse.  Harry Potter on the other hand, willingly dies in order to save the lives of his friends.  His love saves him and he lives.  Go to Harry potter and the July Worship Planner for more details and/or read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book in the series in which the final confrontation between the two takes place.

This text and the celebration of communion on this day provide several crosses to feature:

U After recalling that it was Valentine’s Day last month and that we celebrated love with cards, candy, and flowers, offer each worshiper a cross sticker pointing out that love is not always sweet and easy.  God loved us so much that Jesus was whipped and killed on a cross.  God calls us to love each other even when it is not easy.  It is one thing to give our brother a valentine card and another to give up playing your video game to play his stupid little kid board game.  This could be done during the offering time with some ushers passing plates to collect our money love gifts and others (maybe a children’s class) passing out the cross stickers reminding us to love God and others even when it hurts. 

U If you serve communion to people in their pews, there is often a cross on the lid of each stack of cup trays.  Point to that cross or lift one of the lids to display it to the whole congregation.  (This could be the cross of the day.)  Briefly recite what is said about what is in those cups – the blood of Christ – and what is actually in those cups – wine or grape juice.  Briefly explain that there is nothing magic about what is in the cups.  We drink it to remember that God loved us enough to get beat up and killed on a cross for us. 

Barbara Brown Taylor tells of a polite six year old at the altar rail who responded to her priest’s words about the body and blood of Christ by saying, “I don’t want any, thank you.”  This is your chance to avoid any such misgivings among the children in your congregation.

U Another worship education opportunity would be to point to the cross on the communion trays and then to introduce the congregation’s chorus “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.”  Practice it together.  Briefly recount the whole crucifixion-resurrection story and encourage worshipers to sing/say the words when they come up in Eucharist.

Transfiguration,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library,
 Nashville, TN.
 http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=49145
[retrieved February 15, 2012].Add caption

If you read Mark 9:2-9 (the transfiguration story) today, go to Year B - Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday for ideas about sharing it with children.