Year C - The Fifth Sunday of Easter (April 28, 2013)

Acts 11:1-18

U Children are fascinated by this story.  It is however rather long and hard for them to follow as it is read.  To help them, prepare a class of older children to act the story out as Peter tells it reading from the lectern.  Simple costumes and props are a plus, but not essential.  The children bring the story to life by making visual all the moving around as the story unfolds.  In a more playful pantomime, a set of children might stand behind Peter and lower a small sheet (maybe a crib sheet) filled with stuffed animals or plastic food from the nursery.  In a more formal setting, the sheet may be left to listeners’ imaginations with Peter simply looking up, showing first puzzlement, then shaking his head “no” at the appropriate places.

U Another way to tell this story is to read “Cornelius Becomes A Christian” from The Family Story Bible, by Ralph Milton.

U No matter how you read or present this story, it is important to explain the problems between Jews and Gentiles in simple terms before reading.  It can be as simple as, “Today we are hearing a story about Peter and Cornelius.  Peter was a Jew.  Cornelius was a Gentile.  Jews did not like or trust Gentiles.  Because Gentiles would eat foods that Jews would not, Jews would not eat with Gentiles or even drink from a cup that a Gentile had used.  Knowing that, listen to what happened between Peter and Cornelius.”

I bought these balsa wood animals that may or may not be sources
 of food you want to eat at a local craft supply store for about fifty cents each.

U Children who are often very picky about what they eat, even what the people they eat with eat, are fascinated by this story.  It is an opportunity to help them be more open to people who eat foods they do not.  To start this discussion present a variety of foods.  They could be a collection of food samples from the grocery store, plastic foods from the nursery kitchen toys, a collection of pictures of foods, or wooden shapes like those in the photo.  Identify which of the foods children would or would not eat.  Talk honestly about how hard it can be to eat foods that look or smell very different from what you are used to eating.  Then retell this story insisting that God was asking Peter to eat whatever his Gentile host Cornelius served him.  Without going into details of kosher law, note that Peter had never eaten pork or ham and had been told since he was a little kid that good people just did not eat anything that came from a pig.  Imagine him tasting ham for the first time knowing with his head that God said it was OK, but ….   Wonder if he liked it, noting that sometimes we like new foods and other times we do not.  Then, talk about eating new food with refugee families from other countries.  Point out that being willing to eat someone else’s new food is one way we make friends with them.

If you are doing a series on Easter people, Peter is an Easter person who met new people and ate new foods to share God’s love with people.  We are called to do likewise.

U If you celebrate communion today, highlight phrases in the Invitation to the Table that welcome all kinds of people.  Take time to name specific people and groups who are included in this general welcome.  For fun, ask, “Is ___ welcome at this Table?” waiting for worshipers to reply before repeating the question with another name.  Start naming people like the worshipers in the room, but proceed to people with whom those people would be less comfortable.  Conclude by repeating the Invitation as stated in the liturgy.

 

U God’s Dream, by Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams, describes God’s dream of a world in which children of all colors and cultures live together in peace.  It is beautifully illustrated and has a rather complex story line.  So, especially with younger children, I’d read just a few selected pages.  Today I’d start with “God dreams that every one of us will see that we are all brothers and sisters…” and may or may not read the last two pages about God’s rainbow smile.  This allows you to explore the pictures and focus on one key idea.  (The whole book can be read aloud in just less than 5 minutes.)

U “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love” with its repeated lines is the easiest song for younger children to sing in response to this story.  Older elementary readers can sing along on “Help Us Accept Each Other” if the words “accept” and “acceptance” are pointed out and defined as “be friends with” before you sing it. 

U Let’s All Join In, a book of wonderfully illustrated poems by Quentin Blake, is a book to savor and discuss with a small group of children who can see the details in the illustrations.  For today, use only the last poem that notes that whenever the house needs cleaning, a mouse needs catching, granny is fainting, or a big cake needs eating “we all join in” and maybe the first poem about how much “better” things are when everyone adds their particular music or angry noise together.  Identify all the different ways people help in the last poem to celebrate the diversity of ways of doing things that Cornelius and his Gentile friends added to the lives of Peter and his Jewish friends in today’s story.

 

Psalm 148

U Help a class of older elementary school children prepare to read the psalm as the call to worship.  The parts of Readers 5 and 6 could be divided between 2 children each to allow for more readers if needed.  (This not only gives children a leadership role in worship, it also gets their entire families into the sanctuary during the long “after Easter, but still in school” season that can drag when Easter is early as it is this year.)

I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Psalm 148

All Readers:

         Praise the Lord!

Reader 1:

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights! 

Reader 2:

Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his host!

Reader 3:

Praise him, sun and moon;

praise him, all you shining stars!

Reader 4:

Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he commanded and they were created.

He established them forever and ever;

he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Reader 5:

Praise the Lord from the earth,

you sea monsters and all deeps,

fire and hail, snow and frost,

stormy wind fulfilling his command!

Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

Wild animals and all cattle,

creeping things and flying birds!

Reader 6:

Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and women alike,

old and young together!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his glory is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his faithful,

for the people of Israel who are close to him.

All Readers:

        Praise the Lord!

NRSV

I I I I I I I I I I I I I

U To keep the Easter praises going, display a colorful, even glittery poster of the word “Praise!”  (Perhaps a children’s or youth class could create one.)  Before the Call to Worship talk about and define praise as saying all the wonderful things that are true about a person.  Note how saying those things helps us remember how special that person is.  Then suggest that worshipers watch for times we praise God in worship today.  Give children gold or yellow markers with which to draw a star or smiley face in their printed order of worship each time they hear us praise God.  Older children will put theirs by the correct item in the order of worship.  Younger children will simply decorate their paper with stars or smiley faces.  If you do this also try one or two of the following:

U Point out that we start every worship time singing a praise hymn.  Briefly explain why and describe how the one you will sing today praises God.

U Sing “All Creatures of Our God and King.”  The Alleluias can be sung by even non-readers when they are encouraged to sing them.  It also recalls the Earth Day emphasis of the past week.

U Sing “Earth and All Stars” pointing out the interesting very modern call to test tubes (or maybe the scientists who use them) to praise God.  Older children delight in finding such “today” references in a hymn.

U If you sing the Doxology regularly take time to review the words together.  Say the words together inviting worshipers to clap each time they say the word “praise.”  Put each phrase into your own words identifying the beings who are called to praise God and the reasons for praising God.  Then sing the song together.

Revelation 21:1-6

For most children life is new every day, so the promise of a new heaven and new earth is not particularly important to them.  It is probably easier to explore specific sections of this vision than the whole image.

U There is no rainbow in this vision, but the vision and the rainbow carry the same message.  And, the rainbow may communicate the message more clearly to children.  Most children love to draw and wear rainbows, but few know that rainbows are codes/symbols for hope.  This is a chance to introduce that – without getting into the details of the Noah story.  Simply ask children when we can see a rainbow.  Can we see one on a sunny day?  No, we only see a rainbow after a storm.  When we see a rainbow we remember that no matter how scary a storm is, God is with us.  (Give out rainbow stickers or tattoos to make this connection more memorable.)

U This text is most often read at funerals.  To do a little worship education about funerals, describe a funeral as a sad - happy worship time held when a person dies.  Briefly describe the sad feelings we have when some has died.  Note that there are lots of tears at funerals as we try to let all the sadness out.  That is why we often read verses 3 and 4.  Read the verses and explain how they remind us that the tears and sadness are not the end.  Jesus has promised us that a day will come when no one will ever cry again and pain and death won’t happen.  It helps to remember that when we are crying now.  Knowing that can make us at least a little happy even when we are really sad.  Older children can apply this message to other times when they are reduced to tears.

NOTE:  Today children often hear about funerals long before they ever attend one.  Because they recognize the deep sadness that goes with them, they are often frightened when they attend one for the first time.  We prepare them for this experience when we talk about funerals when one is not eminent.

U Sing ”Canto de Esperanza” (Song of Hope) which comes from Argentina in response to this text and in honor of the new pope who also comes from Argentina.

John 13:31-35

U The first verses of this reading only make sense when read in the context of the foot-washing and betrayal that proceed it and the predicted denials that follow it.  Children hear and explore their meaning most easily on Maundy Thursday.  So, today, I’d omit them and read only the new commandment (verses 34-35) linking it to the Peter and Cornelius story.  Peter learned to welcome and love Cornelius and other Gentiles who he previously thought were unworthy of his love or God’s love.

U If you create prayers about loving one another in demanding situations to which the congregation responds with the new commandment, be sure to include situations that will be familiar to children using words they will recognize.  For example, when everyone is mad at each other in the family…, when friends are fighting…, when someone at work or school is making your life really miserable…, or when a friend has done something that really hurt your feelings “on purpose”….

 

U If you did not do it during Lent, give out felt hearts for worshipers to wear in their shoes or carry in their pockets this week as a reminder to love one another as Jesus loves us.

U I am feeling odd about not adding all sorts of resources for exploring this command in general, but really do think that on this day it is an echo of the themes in the other texts.  So, I am going to leave it here – unless I hear from bunches of you saying that you are making it the focus of the day and want “love one another” resources.

Year C - The Fifth Sunday in Lent (March 17, 2013)

Today’s texts share themes of gift giving.  Isaiah speaks of God’s gifts and action in the world.  Paul evaluates several of God’s gifts to him and declares God’s love in Jesus so wonderful that Paul responds with giving back to God.  Mary and Martha both give loving gifts to Jesus.  All of these gifts point to the biggest gift that will be celebrated as Holy Week starts next Sunday.

 

U  If you have been presenting a different heart each Sunday of Lent, today’s heart is a gift.  It could be a heart shaped gift box or a heart wrapped with a ribbon.  Either one connects to the loving gifts that Paul and Mary gave in today’s texts and reminds us of Jesus’ gift of forgiving love on the cross.  It also calls us to think about the gifts we give God and give people for God.  Present it at the Call to Worship challenging worshipers to watch for gifts in today’s worship and to think about gifts God gives them and they might give God.  Display it prominently for the rest of the service.

U  The petition “hallowed be thy name” in the Lord’s Prayer underlies both Mary’s lavish gift and Paul’s total commitment to Jesus.  Both give and live as they do because they know God/Jesus is hallowed.  Unfortunately, few children know the word hallowed.  So before they can pray the prayer with understanding they need to learn that hallowed is another word for holy and explore the meaning of that word.  Try some of the following:

Define words such as awesome, special, and wonderful.  Hear some of the people and things to which each can be applied.  Then introduce the words holy and hallowed.  Explain that they mean the same thing. Define them as the very, very, very best and insist that they can be applied only to God.  Then translate the prayer, “God you are holy, the very best there is in the whole universe.”

Sing “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  Children will not understand all the images in the verses, but they can be challenged to sing “holy, holy, holy” each time it appears.  Call on parents to help the youngest readers by pointing with their finger or giving a little nudge each time you sing the phrase.

If you celebrate Communion today and will sing a Sanctus together as part of the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, point it out just before the communion liturgy.  Practice it and put it into your own words.  Then, invite worshipers to listen for it and to imagine themselves joining everyone who ever lived, lives now, and is already in heaven in saying together that God is holy.  

If the word holy is carved into the Table, written in glass windows, stitched into banners or paraments, or displayed in other ways in your sanctuary, point it out and briefly say what it means.

Immediately after any of these discussions, pray together only the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

U  Mary’s gift and Paul’s statement are their ways of answering the question “what is most important in the world to you?”  Mary either used her most special possession to show Jesus how important he was to her or she took most of the money she had to buy the special anointing oil for him.  Paul insisted that though he had been and done some really cool things, none of them was as important as knowing God.  He became a preacher and missionary because knowing God was the most important thing to him and he thought that was what God wanted him to do.  While children cannot grasp the full impact of the question, they can be taught early that it is an important question and that told they will have to live out their answers to it throughout their lives.

 

Isaiah 43:16-21

U  Children for whom everything is new do not get too excited about Isaiah’s vision of God doing “a new thing.”  So,

explore these verses today as a look ahead to the Holy Week stories.  Remind the children of the bad part when Jesus was whipped and killed and the good part when he was alive again.  Note that God was doing a new thing in both the bad and the good parts of the story.  Invite the children to come walk through that story during Holy Week.

Or, look behind the promise of God doing a new thing to the belief that God is always at work in the world and in our lives every day.  Invite the children forward for the reading of this text.  Begin by telling them the back story.  God’s people had been captured and taken away as prisoners of war.  Years later when the king said they could go back home they were so very happy.  They were sure God was working with them on this.  When they got back home they found their old town in ruins.  It was like a desert.  Finding food and even water was hard.  But, even then they believed God was with them and working with them in the hard times as well as the good ones.  Finally, read the passage dramatically before sending the children back to their seats.

U  If this passage is the focus of worship today, you might want to explore with the children ways we work with God on bringing water to dry places.  If your congregation has a well digging project or if your Lenten offering supports water missions, talk about them today. 

Psalm 126

If you told the back story to the Isaiah text, children can follow the psalm a little bit when it is presented as the prayer of God’s people as they were both happy to be back home and sad about how hard life was there.  Have half of the congregation read verses 1-3 to celebrate the happiness and the other half read verses 4-7 to remember that God was still with them in the hard times.

Philippians 3:4b-14

U  Avoid adult sqeamishness about using certain forbidden four letter words for excrement by using a child’s acceptable and clear four letter word –  poop.  Paul says his impressive life resume isn’t worth poop when compared to God’s love for him.

U  Even though some of their parents are obsessing about building resumes for them that will get them into college, most children are not too impressed with resumes in general or Paul’s resume in particular.  But, they can understand that Paul thought he was and had done a lot of good stuff and that the very most important thing in his life was God and doing the job God had given him.  In a conversation make a list of things children value being and doing (riding a bike, being on a travel sports team, playing a musical instrument, getting more than halfway through their current grade in school, etc.).  Then, insist that knowing God and doing what God made them to do is more important than any of those things – wonderful though they be.

U  Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, tell Patrick’s story connecting it to Paul’s story and claim that he gave up much to be Christ’s person and was glad to do so.  Patrick’s story is simply that he was kidnapped from his noble home in Britain as a child and taken as a slave to Ireland.  After 6 miserable years, he escaped and made his way back home.  Later he had a dream in which God told him to go preach in Ireland.  He did and became patron saint of Ireland.  Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, by Tomie dePaola, tells the story and several of the legends about Patrick.  The book is too long to read in worship, but can enable a worship leader to tell the story in his or her own words and offers some beautiful art of St. Patrick.  The book is available in many public libraries.  If you cannot get it, learn about Patrick on Wikipedia or some other source.

U  Sing “Take My Life and Let It Be” with all its references to using the parts of our bodies to give gifts to God or “Lord, I Want to be a Christian” to recommit yourselves to loving God like Paul did.

John 12:1-8

U  Before reading this story point out to the children that this Mary is not Jesus’ mother but another Mary who was his friend.  Enjoy the fact that there were lots of girls named Mary then, just as there are lots of girls named Mary today.



For the sake of the boys, choose
one with a not too sweet smell.

U  John says the smell of Mary’s gift filled the house.  So just before reading the story or at the beginning of a sermon focused on the story, squirt small dabs of lotion into the hands of children or all worshipers.  (If children are likely to be wearing open shoes, they could rub the lotion on their feet.  In colder climates they can rub the lotion into their hands.)  Rub some into your own hands.  Sniff them and enjoy the smell.  Challenge worshipers to try to catch the smell of the lotion in the whole room.

 

If you use incense in worship, cense the room before reading the gospel noting as you do the verse about the smell filling the whole house and maybe talking about why you use incense in worship.  (I don’t know much about this and would love to hear about possible connections from someone who does.)

My drawing.  Feel free to print it or create one of your own.

 

U Mary’s gift gets all the attention here.  But, John also notes that Martha prepared a meal for Jesus.  That was a gift too.  Challenge children to think of a gift they can give God between now and Easter.  List some possibilities such as a money contribution to a mission project or something they can do to love a person who needs loving right now.  Give them paper and crayons with which to draw or write about their gift.  Invite them to place their drawing in the offering plate as it is passed.

U  Children appreciate that Jesus defended Mary’s gift when Judas made fun of it.  On a day when we are thinking about Mary’s gift, Paul’s gift, and our own it is good to be reminded that Jesus values all our gifts. 

Year C - First Sunday in Lent (February 17, 2013)

If you have not already visited Year C - Observing Lent and Celebrating Easter (2013), go there now to get the long view of the season with children.  On the first Sunday in Lent remember that many children will not have been at Ash Wednesday services, so will need an introduction to the new season.  Change the paraments to purple together as worship begins or note the changes from last week.  Give out Lenten resources to use at home.  And, bury the Alleluia. 

For this year, there are two strong themes that work through all the Sundays of Lent.  Sacrificial love is a theme found in many of the stories and there is a connection to the one of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer each Sunday.  Go to Year C - Observing Lent and Celebrating Easter (2013) to get the overview and then watch for details each Sunday.

U  The Love theme in the texts is magnified by the fact that Lent starts this year the day before Valentine’s Day.  (The next time it falls close is in 2018 when it falls on Valentine’s Day.)  That makes this an opportunity to explore the fact that loving is more than cards, candy, and flowers.  Those are all nice.  But loving means with sticking with each other – even when it not easy or pleasant. Jesus shows how it is done most fully.

U  It would be wonderful if there were a universally recognized story in which St. Valentine displays this love, but there is not.  There are three martyrs named Valentine, none with widely accepted stories.  One MIGHT have married Christians during a time when that was illegal.  Another MIGHT have been either a prisoner who was well cared for by a jailer or a jailer who cared well for his prisoners.  No one is sure.  So, there is no story to read.  Instead, …

U  Feature  large red valentine hearts with a black cross drawn on each one. 

Talk it through:  Start with a large plain red paper heart reminding worshipers of Valentine’s last Thursday.  Say that the baby Jesus was like God’s valentine telling us that God loves us.  God became one of us and lived among us as a baby who grew into a man who talked about God’s love and really loved every person he met.  One would think everyone would like Jesus.  But, they did not.  Jesus’ love made them feel like they should be more loving than they wanted to be.  Jesus talked about forgiving love and loving EVERYONE.  Enough people got angry enough that they killed Jesus.  The totally amazing thing is that Jesus did not get angry.  Jesus FORGAVE them.  He still loved them.  After he rose and was no longer dead, Jesus still loved them and reached out to them.  Draw a large black cross on the red heart and say THAT is love.     

Another way to talk it through:  Start with the red plain paper heart.  Talk about what we mean when we say “I love you.”  Include such meanings as “I think you are pretty/handsome/cool/neat,” “I want to be your friend,”  “I am glad I know you,”  “I am glad you are my teacher/coach/sister….  Note that it feels great to get and give valentines.  Then, talk about what happens as you try to hang on to that valentine love day after day.  Imagine what it would take to hold on to that love if the person you gave it to got sick or broke a bone and needed LOTS of help.   Ponder what it takes to hold on to the love when the person you share it with says or does something mean or hurts your feelings.   Finally, draw a large black cross on the heart.   Note that real love is not easy.  Introduce Lent as a season in which we try to love better.  Point to some opportunities for families to work on loving and ways your congregation will explore loving in worship during Lent.

OK, when I went looking for sports equipment, ping pong
was all I found.  I am sure some people give their hearts
 to ping pong as well as to basketball and soccer.

To tie the heart directly to the temptation stories today, present a red heart and briefly talk about deciding who we give our hearts to on Valentine’s Day.  Then, note that we sometimes give our hearts to things as well as to people.  Display a soccer ball and put the heart on it.  Talk about what we mean if we say we give our heart to soccer.  Repeat the process with several other items – maybe a musical instrument, a soft fuzzy sweater or pair of cool shoes (giving our hearts to clothes), even a pizza box (loving only certain foods and wanting them all the time), etc.  Note that in this story, Jesus is deciding to what he will give his heart.  He decides he will not give it to food or to trying to be boss of the world or to being a superstar.  Instead he will give it to loving God.

Give children (all worshipers?) a valentine heart with a cross drawn on it to display in their home during Lent to remind them to love others even when it is not easy.  You might give the hearts out with the crosses already drawn on them or give out the hearts as you begin the conversation, then invite worshipers to draw a cross on their heart as a way of committing themselves to work on loving during Lent.  (Black crayons can be passed around to do this.)

U  Each Lenten Sunday this year has a clear connection to one of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer.  They are not in order, but are all there.  Today’s connection is to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  The key to understanding this petition is knowing what temptation is.  For children that is best grasped with a list of familiar temptations such as

A plate of cookies left on the counter

A cool item (maybe an ipod) left unattended in a very public place

A set of test answers in such plain view that you can hardly help but see them on the desk of the student next to you 

U  After describing the situations, point out that sometimes we see what is there and automatically do the right thing without even thinking about it.  But other times we do the wrong thing.   Describe how we want to have or do what we know we should not and how we talk ourselves into doing anyway.  Ponder the difference between those two reactions to the same situation.  Then put “lead us not into temptation” into your own words – something like “God, help me know what is right and wrong and be able to do what is right without even thinking about it.” 

U  Go to The First Sunday in Lent (Year A) for suggestions about

Using Temptation or another key word as the sponsor of the day (a la Sesame Street)

 

Exploring prayers of confession as they are used in worship every week

The temptations Jesus faced put into words that make sense to children

Using Jiminy Cricket or the Little Mermaid to explore temptation

Using a credit card, a crown, and a metal star as sermon props

(BTW there is no need to check out Year B because Mark does not include any of the details of the temptation story.)

Luke 4:1-13

U  Dramatize the reading of this story using 3 readers: a Narrator in the pulpit and Jesus in the center with the Devil.  If Jesus and the Devil are comfortable with doing so, the Devil can gesture with his hands as he tempts Jesus and Jesus can look on skeptically before responding with words and “no way” hand positions.

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Luke 4:1-13

Narrator:  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.   The devil said to him,

Devil:  If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.

Narrator:  Jesus answered him,

Jesus:  It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ 

Narrator:  Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And the devil said to him,

Devil:  To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.   If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.

Narrator:   Jesus answered him,

Jesus:   “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’

Narrator:   Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,

Devil:   If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’

             and

‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’

Narrator:  Jesus answered him,

Jesus:   It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’  

Narrator:   When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

               from the NRSV

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U  There is a wonderful cartoon telling of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness that both adults and children appreciate in their own ways.  Find it at   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-6a25Yo2wE .  It is just over four minutes long.  Introduce it by reading the biblical text, then wondering with worshipers what Jesus did during those 40 days.  Encourage them to watch thinking about what Jesus was feeling and doing each day. 

U  To most children (and many worshipers) Satan or the Devil is the bad guy.  Take time to introduce him as the tester before reading this story in which he tests and actually helps Jesus decide clearly how he will spend his life.  To take it further, talk about the picture of a red devil with horns, a tail and a pitchfork.  Insist that such pictures are not photographs and that the Devil is actually invisible or can take many forms.  Suggest that in this story the Devil might have been more like a voice inside Jesus’ thinking.  Compare it with the silent conversations we often hold with ourselves as we try to decide about doing something we know we should not.

U  Oh No, George!, by Chris Haughton, is a picture book with very few words.  It begins with Harry leaving his dog George at home telling him to be good. George reminds himself that he wants to be good but when he sees a cake on the counter, the cat, and a planter full of dirt he does everything he should not.  Harry is distressed when he comes home to the mess.  Later when they go for a walk George sees a cake on a picnic blanket, a cat, and a huge flower bed but resolutely passes by all of them.  The book ends with George looking at a trash can and thinking how he loves to dig in trash, then looking up in surprise as Harry shouts “George?” It reads in about 3 minutes.  Showing the pictures is essential!

With 4 – 6 year olds, just read the story.  Ask if only dogs want to do things they should not.  Make a list of a few things people sometimes want to do and have that they should not.  Close with a prayer for God to help us when we want to do things we know we should not.  Don’t even mention the word temptation.

With 7-10 year olds, read the story and quickly have the same discussion.  Then, introduce the word temptation as a big word for all those things we want but should not have or do.  The cake, the cat, the dirt, and the trash can were all temptations.  Point out “lead us not into temptation” in the Lord’s Prayer noting that every time we pray this prayer we are praying for God to help us walk past the things we should not take or do.

10-12 year olds are ready to do all of the above and to explore the word temptation more fully.  Using the story, define “tempted,” “tempting” and finally “temptation.”  Have fun making sentences using the three words. Close by putting the “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” into your own words.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

U  Children instinctively understand what it means to define yourself by the group to which you belong.  When meeting someone new children start with their name and age but quickly begin naming the groups to which they belong.  The unstated assumption is that if you know which groups I belong to you know who I am.  Usually they name sports teams and activity groups in which they participate.  The trick is to help them look to larger groups of which they are apart – in this case the people of God.   With older children it would be possible to walk through one of the story creeds said often in worship pointing out that we join people who have said the creed for years.  It would also be possible to have one person bring in a basket of fruit to place on the Table reciting the creed from this text followed by a person bringing money to put in the offering basket reciting one of the creeds.  Either of these could be interesting to explore with older children.  However, I doubt they will get much attention on the first Sunday of Lent.

 

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

U This psalm is here because it echoes Jesus’ experiences in the wilderness and calls us to trust God as he did.  Children will not get that echo as the psalm is read.  Even if all the connections are explained, it won’t mean much to them.

 

Romans 10:8b-13

U  This is a very abstract message that uses lots of words that are hard to define for children – confess, believe, justified, saved.  I’d wait to deal with each of the words in texts that are more focused than this one.

U   The one word that can be quickly given to older children is CONFESS.  To most children today CONFESS means to admit that you did something, usually something you should not have done.  So, before reading this text point out that CONFESS means to tell what you believe or know about something.