Year C – Proper 28, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 26th Sunday after Pentecost (November 17, 2013)

In many ways this is the last Sunday of the Lectionary Year.  Next Sunday (Christ the King or Reign of Christ Sunday) is rather a hinge or bridge between the two years.  At some point during the service, point out the green paraments and other signs of this season, recall their meaning, and alert worshipers to coming changes in colors and other worship props.

HOPE  HOPE  HOPE  HOPE aaa    

a  Hope is the theme that underlies all today’s texts.  The Old Testament texts proclaim that God has a wonderful plan and that in the end that plan will be realized.  The New Testament texts take the darker side of the theme warning that though God’s good plan will one day be realized there will be some tough times before that happens.  It is in such times that we need to live on hope.

a  One way to introduce the theme is to remind worshipers what it is like to see a movie for the first time and the fifth time.  Recall your frightened, worried feelings the first time you watched the scary parts of The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast.  You wanted to warn the characters of the dangers.  Then describe watching the same scenes for the second, third, even fifth time when you knew the ending.  Note that once you knew the ending you sometimes wanted to tell the hero not to worry during the scary parts and sometimes you want to warn the heroine to be careful when everything is going well.  The Old Testament texts tell us the ending.  The New Testaments texts advise us on how to live until the ending comes.

Isaiah 65:17 -25 

a  Peace or Shalom are the words that are not in this reading but are what the reading is all about.  Isaiah insists that God’s plan is working toward peace or shalom for everyone.   Point out the pictures of Shalom/Peace that Isaiah paints with words, e.g. in God’s new world there will be no crying (not because people will demand that you not be a cry baby but because there will be nothing to cry about), no one will get sick and die young, and the wolf and the lamb will feed together.  Then challenge the children to draw pictures of what they think shalom/peace looks like.  They might draw pictures of Isaiah’s words or draw pictures from their own experiences with peace or from their imaginations.  When the congregation is gathering prayer concerns, invite children to place their pictures on a large map of the world or tape them on a globe.

a  If you speak about knowing the end of the movie, introduce this text as the ending of the story of God’s world.  Since there is a lot of poetic imagery that will be hard for children to grasp, pick one to unpack especially for them.  One of the easiest is verse 21 and the first half of 22.  Give worshipers apple slices to eat.  Talk about how good they are and describe the work of the migrant laborers who tend and pick them.  Note that those people often do not have enough money to buy good food for their families.  Read the two verses.  Point out that when God completes creation, this situation will change.  Tell about one way your congregation is working with God to help bring this change, e.g. food pantry, migrant ministries, etc.

This could be presented as a time for children.  It would be even more effective if included in the sermon with ushers passing bowls/baskets of apple slices to the whole congregation. 

a  This can also be seen as God’s Easter dream/wish for the world.  Before reading it, give worshipers one clue and a set of questions with which to listen to God’s dream/wish.  The clue is that Jerusalem is a code word for the whole world.  That means this is God’s wish for the whole world.  The questions are:

• How long will people live?
• What does God wish for people and their houses?
• What does God promise people with gardens and orchards?
• How often will people talk to and hear from God?
• What does God say about the wolf and the lamb? 

It would be possible to repeat and answer the questions together after the reading or simply to let the questions help worshipers of all ages pay fuller attention to the reading.  In the latter case, you might want to refer to one of the questions and discuss it early in the sermon.

Isaiah 12

a  The second verse of this poem about trusting God is key for children.

I will trust in the Lord and not be afraid

For God is my strength and power.

What it needs is a story that illustrates its abstract truth.  David facing Goliath is one good choice.  Rather than tell the whole story, focus on David’s conversation with Saul (1 Samuel 17: 32-37) and his response to Goliath’s taunt (1 Samuel 17: 45 and 47).  Because David trusted God’s power, he was able to do something about Goliath while others cowered in fear.

a  Being able to do something scary because you trust in a power greater than yourself is like a child jumping into a parent’s arms in the swimming pool or attempting a dive off the diving board with that parent watching from the side. 

a  Older children will be interested in the trust expressed in the hymn “Eternal Father Strong to Save.”  Before singing it, introduce it as a hymn loved by sailors and as the Navy Hymn (if appropriate).  Point out the repeated last line and note that the first verse remembers that sailors can trust God because God made the sea.  Other verses recall that Jesus calmed the storm at sea and once slept through a storm that scared his disciples badly.

Malachi 4:1-2a

a  The expectation that God will take vengeance on all the evildoers (easily heard as take vengeance on all MY enemies) here and all the detail in Isaiah’s vision of God’s new creation make the Isaiah text a better Old Testament reading for the children. 

a  The fact that this comes from the last chapter of the last book in the Old Testament is of interest to some children.  Show them it’s location in the Bible.  Read the 2 verses.  Reread the last phrase about God bringing healing and briefly list all the different kinds of healing God promises.  Then, note that people had to wait a long time for God to act.  Point out that between that page and the first page of the New Testament when Jesus is born there were 400 long years.  Then, tell them the secret we know that the people living during those 400 years did not.  Jesus was coming.  If you wish, connect it to Christ the King/ Reign of Christ Sunday next week and Advent that follows.  This could be done as a Time for Children.  Or, invite the children to gather around you and the Bible for the reading of this text for the day.

Psalm 98

a  This psalm of praise and thanksgiving was suggested for last week and seems to fit better there than here.   I’d use the Isaiah psalm today.

a  Go to last week’s post at Year C Proper 27 - Psalm 98 for a reading with rhythm instruments, a coloring sheet with which children illustrate this psalm, and a script for a responsive congregational reading of this.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

a  The writer of this letter has two bits of advice for people waiting for God’s new creation to be realized.

a  The first is that we are to work while we wait.  Work is described as a blessing and a good way to be God’s partners in creating the new creation. 

a  If you develop this theme extensively, remember that school is children’s work.  Cite illustrations from children at work at school among others about adults at work in a variety of jobs.

a  People often ask children “what do you want to be when you grow up?”  Use this as an opportunity to urge children to choose work that makes the world a better place.  Point out that they are called not to do something just because they like to do it, but to do something that will make life better for everyone around them.  Describe ways a variety of jobs do that. 

a  “Earth and All Stars” describes ways people work and praise God together to make God’s dream come true.  Before singing it point out some of the ways we work today listed in verses 2 and 3.  Also point out the repeated chorus, practice it once, and challenge even non-readers to sing along.  (And, yes, the chorus comes straight from Psalm 98 which was suggested for last week as well as this week.)

a  The second is don’t be weary of doing what is right.  When God’s new creation is complete, it will be easy to do what is right.  Everyone will do it every day.  But, now it is often not so easy.  Doing the right thing is not always wildly fun or exciting or cool.  Sometimes people look at you funny or laugh at you.  (Choose keeping one or two of the Ten Commandments or keeping Jesus’ two great commandments as illustrations.)  Reread verse 13 and identify it as something to remember when we get tired of doing what is right.

We are not always forthright with children about this fact.  They appreciate our honesty when we are.  It also encourages them when they are choosing to do something they know is right, but that they definitely would prefer not to do. 

a  The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, retold by Philemon Sturges, tells of a hen who decided to bake a pizza, called repeatedly on neighbors to help her, kept on working when the neighbors declined to help, then shared the pizza with the neighbors.  Stop before the neighbors do the dishes to ponder why the hen shared her pizza with the neighbors who refused to help make it.  In a way this goes against Paul’s “anyone unwilling to work should not eat,” but it is also an example of keeping on working for God's peace no matter what is going on around you and setting an example like Paul did.  It would be possible to end the discussion there or to follow it by reading the last two pages on which the neighbors do the dishes.  If you do the latter, ponder the effect of the hen’s sharing example on those around her – even when it might look a little crazy.

Luke 21:5-19

a  The basic message of this passage is that there will be tough times and that the only thing to do during tough times is to endure them trusting that in the end God will win.  The other readings for the day offer more specific help for sharing this message with children.

a  Luke’s insistence that no matter what awful things happen God is still in control of the whole world is an opportunity to highlight “thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory” at the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer.  Use it as a congregational response to prayers about scary, bad things that happen and make us wonder if the bad guys are winning.  Describe these things with “When…., it seems that evil is in charge.  Help us remember that….”

a  Late Addition from November 2010 that is still worth remembering:  Yesterday, it seemed like “the world is going to end” talk is not currently floating through the world of children.  But, this morning the fifth and sixth graders brought up something they are hearing about “we’re all going to die and the world will end with natural disasters in 2012.”  I did not get all the details, but apparently there is such talk around – at least in this area.  The easiest way to address this with children is simply to read them Jesus’ statement that no one knows this date, then to restate to them “anyone who tells you when the world will end is wrong PERIOD.”  Be emphatic.  Put yourself on the line, telling them that if anyone tells them that the world is going to end on a certain date they can tell them that their pastor/teacher says Jesus says that is not true.  A blatant conversation like that will linger in the back of minds until it is needed.  (Since posting this we have passed the dreaded 2012 end of the world date.  Again I know of no widely discussed end of the world dates in the immediate future, but they are always around.  So, it remains important to prepare children for encounters with such predictions.)

Year A - Second Sunday of Advent (December 8, 2013)

Peace and Hope are the key themes that run through all of these texts.  For children (and most worshipers) the key to both themes is found in the Isaiah reading and echoed in the others.

Music of Peace and Hope

'' “Canto de Esperanza/ Song of Hope” which is short and upbeat chorus celebrating hope and peace is easy for children to learn and repeat with the congregation.  Sing it as you light the Advent Wreath for Hope or as the Benediction at the close of the service.  Take time to practice it once before singing it several times.  Rhythm instruments are a great addition – especially in the hands of rehearsed players.

'' If you are devoting time each week of Advent to exploring as well as singing one Christmas carol, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” is a good choice for today.  Many of the words and phrases are hard for young readers, but if you walk through the carol putting the words of each verse into your own words, the children (and older worshipers) will begin to get it and sing it with more understanding.

1. One quiet night there really were angels singing.
2. Those angels could be heard over all the unhappiness and evil on earth.
3. People who are having really hard times are called to listen to the angels and remember that God is working for a time when all will be peace, i.e. keep hope.
4. A reminder that Isaiah had it right.  God is working toward a time of peace.

Chrismon for Today

'' The star Chrismon ornaments today become signs of hope.  Connect them to Wendell Berry’s poem “The Peace of Wild Things” (find a copy at Gratefulness).  He speaks of hope in terms of “feeling day-blind stars above him.”  Like Isaiah he knows the stars are there even when he cannot see them during the daylight and trusts that God is there even when it feels like God is nowhere around.

The Texts



Hicks, Edward, 1780-1849. Peaceable Kingdom, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=53085 [retrieved August 30, 2013]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Edward_Hicks_-_Peaceable_Kingdom.jpg.

Hicks, Edward, 1780-1849. Peaceable Kingdom, from Art in the Christian Tradition,

a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=53085

[retrieved August 30, 2013]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Edward_Hicks_-_Peaceable_Kingdom.jpg.

Isaiah 11:1-10

'' Though the hope comes first in the text, the peace that begins in verse 6 with all the animals is the part that speaks most clearly to children.  Advent liturgy is filled with references to Isaiah’s lion and the lamb image.  Isaiah’s promise that God intends peace for both animals and people is as powerful for children as it is for adults.  Children, especially those who live caught in the crossfire at home, at school, and in their neighborhood, find deep comfort and hope in this promise.  But they need to explore its physical details before they can grasp its message.  

'' Download Edward Hicks painting of the Peaceable Kingdom from the Vanderbilt Divinity School library at This LINK .  The site offers the painting in three sizes for free download and use in non-commercial ways as long as the attribution is printed with it.  Today you might print it as large as possible to share with a small group of children who gather for a children’s time and/or print it as a bulletin cover or smaller illustration within the order of service.  (BTW this wonderful site provides a selection of free art to download for each Sunday of the lectionary year.) 

'' Show the painting to the children.  Help them identify the animals they see in it.  Talk about the problems some of those animals have getting along, e.g. lions tend to eat lambs for dinner.  If no child notices them, point to the people in the background.  Note that when Mr. Hicks painted this picture Indians and white settlers were at war, but that the people in the picture seem to be talking peaceably.  Finally read Isaiah’s promise that one day all animals and all people will get along (vv.6-9 only).

'' After presenting Hick’s picture, encourage children to create other pictures of animals that usually don’t get along, being together.  Children can put pictures in offering plate, bring them forward to talk to pastor while the offering is being collected, or work on them during sermon, then come forward before the congregation’s prayers to discuss their work and have their hopes added to congregation’s prayers.

'' Or gather animal figures in surprising pairs to place around the empty manger just for today.  You might add photographs of people who often do not get along to also place in surprising pairs at the manger.  Conclude the discussions by rereading verses 6-9 and praying for peace.  (Borrow animal figures from the nursery toy box or ask children to bring stuffed animals for this.)

'' Light the second candle of the Advent wreath for God’s promised peace.  Reread Isaiah 11:6-9 as you light the wreath.  Pray for peace at home, at school, at work, in the nation, in the world….

'' If you are thinking together about being Advent candles, this week encourage worshipers to be Advent candles for Peace, i.e. to look for situations in which they can be peacemakers.  Challenge them to notice people who are not getting along, to think of one thing they might do that could help them get along better, and to pray for peace between them.

'' The HOPE in the earlier verses also speaks to children.

'' They need help identifying two different kinds of hope.  Start with “I hope I get a bicycle for Christmas” as something I hope will happen but which I can’t be sure of.  The second kind of hope is the hope based on things you can be sure will be true – one day.  Isaiah says that one day God’s kingdom will cover the whole earth with peace and justice.  We can count on that.  Because we can count on it, we don’t get totally hopeless when things are not going well AND we can do our part to make the promise come true.

'' If your congregation uses hopeful blue rather than penitential purple during Advent, point out all the blue in the sanctuary today.  Explain that it is the blue of the sky just before dawn.  Note that Isaiah is telling people that we are living “just before the dawn” of God’s peace and justice.  Even though it feels dark and cold now, we know for a fact what is coming.

'' To further explore the significance of the dark before the dawn, read “the First New Year” in Does God Have a Big Toe? By Marc Gellman.  The story describes Adam experiencing his first sunset and learning about time.  The message is that God is planning for a future.  The sun will keep coming up.  We can trust that.  (The story can be read aloud in 6 minutes with time for laughter.)

'' I can’t quite figure out all the details in my head, but am wondering if a congregation could plan to tie their Christmas gifts with gold ribbon only.  The gold would be a reminder of Isaiah’s promise of God’s coming peace and justice.  If anyone has ideas about how to develop this, I’d love to hear them.

This is my photo.  You may use it

for non-commercial purposes.

'' Pictures help children understand what a Jesse tree is.  Show them a picture.  Challenge worshipers to watch for and bring in pictures of Jesse trees in your community.

'' To understand the significance of this image, worshipers need a brief clear account of the Old Testament situation to which Isaiah wrote.

When the Babylonians conquered God’s people, they burned their city, killed most of the important people, even lined up all the king’s sons to kill in front of him just before they poked out his eyes.  YECH!  That was a terrible thing to do!  They did it because they wanted God’s people to know that they had no hope.  Their old nation was as dead as an old dead tree stump.  Isaiah agreed that it looked that way at the moment, but he reminded people that some old tree stumps send up fresh shoots that grow into new trees.  He insisted that that would happen with God’s people.

'' A Child’s Garden: A Story of Hope , by Michael Foreman, is one of those stories that can be heard on many levels.  Children will simply connect the grape vine that grows over the barbed wire fence with the shoots that grow out of the Jesse tree stump.  Adults will see that connection but also realize the connection to all the refugee camps in the war-torn Middle East at the time.  So the story would be well worth sharing with the entire congregation as a summary of hope.  If you project pictures during worship, scan the pictures to show as you read.  (If you buy a copy of the book and do not give your scanned show to anyone else to use elsewhere, I am told it is not a copyright infringement.)

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

'' To turn this psalm into a prayer for today’s leaders, begin by brainstorming a list of leaders together.  Include political leaders of all persuasions, leaders in your community, coaches, teachers, and other leaders of children.  Then adapt the first few words of each line (mainly the pronouns) to make the psalm into a prayer for those leaders.  Groups 1 and 2 could be the two sides of the congregation or the congregation and the choir.

h h h h h h h h h h h h

A Prayer for Leaders Based on Psalm 72

Group 1:       Give our leaders your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to their children.

Group 2:       May they judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice.

Group 1:       May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
                           and the hills, in righteousness.

Group 2:       May they defend the cause of the poor
                              of the people,

give deliverance to the needy,

and crush the oppressor.

Group 1:       May they live while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon,

throughout all generations.

Group 2:       May they be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth.

Group 1:       In their days may righteousness flourish and
                           peace abound,

until the moon is no more.

Group 2:       Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

Group 1:       Blessed be their glorious names forever;

Group 2:       May their glory fill the whole earth.

All:                  Amen and Amen.

                                                                        Based on NRSV

h h h h h h h h h h h h

Romans 15:4-13

'' Verse 7 is the summary of this message and the easiest part for children to understand.  (The remainder of the text gets involved with circumcision and Gentiles and Jesse stumps which need explaining.)  Verse 7 makes sense on its own.  “Get along with each other!”

'' Present pictures of a variety of very different people (old National Geographics are a good source).  Offer some odd pairs. Include some international photos and some pictures of people who could be local, e.g. an elegantly dressed person and a roughly dressed person displaying a tattoo.  Ask what would be hard for these people to get along.  Close by reading verse 7 from a Bible (perhaps bringing the big pulpit Bible down and reading from it) and pointing out that we are to be friends with all people. 

If your congregation uses projected pictures, project pictures of unusual looking people during the singing about getting along.

Or, place the paired pictures around the empty manger as you pray for them.

'' Light the second candle of the Advent wreath not just for Peace, but for “Peace Among All People.”  Pray for people who often do not get along.

''  “Help Us Accept Each Other” is a sing-able new hymn that offers prayers for people working to get along with each other.

'' Turn verse 13 into a benediction with arm movements.  Either invite the children to join you at the front to help you send the congregation out into the week.  They do the movements while you say the words.  Or, have all worshipers do the movements standing at their pews while you speak.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy

     (sweep hands from toes to face)

and peace through your faith in him.

     (do it again)

Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

     (sweep hands from toes up over your head then spread

      outward to hug the whole world)

                                           From God’s Word Translation

 Matthew 3:1-12

'' This year John the Baptist appears on two Sundays in Advent (this week and next).  Today’s text focuses on the most difficult of John’s teachings for children to understand.  So, during children’s time tell John’s story in terms children will understand using your favorite Bible story book.  The Family Story Bible, by Ralph Milton, has a good story about John the Baptist.  I’d use only the first half of the story, saving the last half for Baptism of the Lord Sunday in January.  This story can either be read directly from the book or used as background for telling the story in your own words. 

'' Another way to retell the story of John the Baptist is to pick up a shepherd from the crèche.  Present it to the children noting that there is one person who is never in Nativity sets, but really ought to be.  He probably looked most like the shepherds.  Describe what he wore and ate.  Then tell what he did.  He called people to admit what they were doing that they knew was wrong and did anyway.  He baptized them to show them that God forgave them and would give them another chance.  He also told them God was sending someone very special indeed.  With that, put the figure near the empty manger just for today.

Year B - Proper 11, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 8th Sunday after Pentecost (July 22, 2012)

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

F To explore what a pun is pose the riddle “What is black and white and read all over?”  There are lots of different answers that can be right, e.g. a newspaper, a sunburned skunk, an embarrassed zebra….  After enjoying several answers, hone in on the word “read” noting the different things it could mean.  From there point to the word “house” giving the two meanings in this story.  Only then invite worshipers to hear the story from the Bible..

F Young children are often told that the church is God’s house.  Because they think literally they often ask, “Does God get lonely there during the week?”  “What does God do all week locked in the church?”  “How can God see everyone from inside the church?”  and eventually “How can my church be God’s house and my friend’s church also be God’s house?  How many houses does God have or need?”  This text is an opportunity to tell children directly what God told David, i.e. God doesn’t live in any one place.  The church is not God’s house.  It is the place where God’s people gather to worship and do God’s work together.  God is too big to stay in one building no matter how big or fancy.  God is always on the move among all the people of the world.

F Use pictures of church buildings to illustrate this point. 

Display pictures of all the buildings in which your congregation has worshiped over the years.  Point out that all the buildings including the current one were special to the people who gathered in them each week, but the important thing about your church is not the buildings, but all the worship and ministry that people did in those buildings.

OR

Kurbinovo, Church of St. George,  from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54604
[retrieved June 27, 2012].

Display pictures of churches from around the world (or around your community).  Note what is the same and different about them, i.e. what are they made of, do they have steeples or towers, how fancy or plain are they, etc.  The final shared characteristic is that people worship God in each of them.  (Go to Art in the Christian Tradition (Vanderbilt)  for art for today’s texts that includes pictures of a great variety of churches from all over the world.  These pictures can be reproduced at no charge for non-profit purposes if the required attribution is printed.)

Psalm 89:20-37

F The covenant with David is important to children only as a connection between David and Jesus.  Rather than read this psalm celebrating the covenant with David and just for fun, enjoy singing “Once in Royal David’s City” or “Joy to the World” out of season to celebrate the connection between David and Jesus.

F Bring out the star of David, crown, and shepherd’s cross Chrismons ornaments.  Enjoy remembering the last Chrismons tree and looking forward to the next one as you explain the meaning of these ornaments and connect them to today’s story.

Jeremiah 23:1-6

F Before reading Jeremiah’s words, explain that he is using a kind of code.  He uses words about shepherds who take care of sheep, but he is really talking about leaders who are take care of God’s people.  Suggest to listeners that every time you say “shepherd” they think the word “leader.”  As you read pause and look up each time you come to “shepherd.”  Or, read the text once using shepherd.  Then reread it substituting the word “leader.” 

F Leaders are important to children.  From an early age they are urged to be leaders.  They push and shove to be line leader.  They dream of being the president, prime minister, princess or ….some other impressive-to-them leader.  Today’s texts are a good opportunity to insist to them that leaders are not meant to be the center of attention and the ones who get their way all the time.  Leaders are meant to take care of the people they lead.  Leaders do not ask “What do I want and need?” but “What do they want and need?”  Jesus’ activities in today’s gospel lesson are good examples of this kind of leadership.  Yes, this is a hard sell, but also an important message to explore directly with children.

F In “Babe” (full length DVD) there are several good shepherds.  Mr. Hoggett understands and cares for Babe, the runt piglet.  Fly, the sheepdog, comforts Babe as he settles into the barn and teaches him about the sheep.  Babe, the pig, is the main good shepherd.  If you project film clips during worship, there are several good scenes:

-          About halfway into the film an old sheepdog explains his view of his job and his disdain for the sheep.  He emphasizes the importance of letting them know who is boss.  This is a fine example of bad shepherd thinking.  Jeremiah would not approve.

-          Just past that are several scenes in which Babe listens to the sheep, learns why they call all dogs “wolves” and why they hate them.  He also learns that if you ask sheep politely they will do what you ask.  This is an example of “good shepherd” leadership.  Jeremiah would say Babe is a fine shepherd.

-          The film ends with championship sheepdog trials.  In one scene, a dog herds the sheep by nipping at them.  Then Babe speaks to the sheep respectfully telling them what needs to be done and they do it.  A great comparison of leadership styles.

Psalm 23

F Psalm 23 has already appeared several times in the Revised Common Lectionary Years A and B.  Use the links below to gather ideas from them.

Catacomb of Callixtus - The Good Shepherd,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt
Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54382
[retrieved June 29, 2012].

Go to The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A) for a reading of the psalm thinking like a sheep and the catacombs painting of Jesus the Good Shepherd.  This is the first painting we have of Jesus.  The catacombs are narrow, twisting underground tunnels.  The walls are filled floor to ceiling with graves that have been dug out of them.  They are dark and spooky.  Imagine walking quietly through them with a small oil lamp to find Christian friends who are gathering to worship by a designated grave.  Listen for the clank of soldiers’ armor as you go.  Given this, it is easy to imagine why someone painted on the ceiling a picture of Jesus as a strong young shepherd who would take care of them.

BTW - the image in the Year A post is a scan of a postcard I bought on my 1974 trip.  The image here is the same painting, but comes with permission from the Vanderbilt University collection.

Go to The Fourth Sunday in Lent (Year A) for a child’s view of the usual Psalm 23 hymns, a coloring sheet idea, information about shepherding tools, and a reminder about cups that overflow.

F To help children pay attention to the verses of Psalm 23, display a different colored sheet of construction paper for each page.  The rainbow page is either the multi-colored sheet that comes in some packs of construction paper or a home-made sheet with stripes of all the other colors.  You could write a verse on the back of each sheet so that you can read from it as you display that sheet.  After reading the whole psalm, go back to the rainbow page to ponder the truth that God is with us, caring for us like a good shepherd.

Yellow            The Lord is my shepherd…

Green              He… green pastures

Blue                 … beside still waters

Rainbow          He restores my soul

Brown              … in paths of righteousness

Black               … in the valley of the shadow…

White (table cloth)

… a table in the presence of enemies

Yellow             Surely goodness and mercy….

F If you have been working on this psalm all summer in conjunction with the David saga, use this paper rainbow to test worshipers who are trying to learn the psalm by heart.  Show the pages in sequence challenging worshipers to say the phrase that goes with that color.

Ephesians 2:11-22

A The Roman Catholic lectionary pares this reading to verses 13-18 to get a shorter, more to the point reading.  It will be easier for children to follow.

A Children often define themselves by the groups to which they do or do not belong.  I am a tiger cub, a NAME OF SPORTS TEAM, etc.  When the groups are positive forces, this can be good at this time of life.  But it has its down side.  We hear it in conversations, “don’t sit with THEM on the bus,”  “I can’t sit at that table.  Those are the popular kids.”  “This is a girls club.  No dumb boys allowed!”  The trick during elementary school years is not to say it is bad to be in groups, but that one must choose the groups one joins carefully and that groups that exclude people hurtfully are to be avoided. 

A Because of their interest in groups and their self-defining rules, children are fascinated by the ways Jews in Paul’s day separated themselves from non-Jews:  they did not speak to them in public, did not go into their houses, would never eat or drink from a plate or cup that a non-Jew had used, they called non-Jews “unclean.”  I’d skip the whole circumcision difference.  Explaining this before reading these verses, helps children get Paul’s message.  (Do be sure to point out that Jewish people today do not follow those rules any more than Christians do.)

P-E-A-C-E

A Illustrate Paul’s message by having 5 worshipers stand in a row each one holding a poster bearing one letter of the word peace.  Get them in place.  Define peace as living together happily in ways that are fair to all.  Then, tell one of the letters to go stand off to the side.  Direct the others to fill in the space and ask “what do we have now?”  It is not PEACE.  Then ask, “does this mean that the rest of us can’t have peace without NAME?”  Note how easy it is to leave people, even groups of people out, and insist that it doesn’t work.  Much as we think we might want to, we can’t have peace without everyone.  Then get the person/letter back in place and reread PEACE with satisfaction.  (This can also be done with the word SHALOM.)

A If your congregation passes the peace during worship, this is a good day to review why you do that.  Point out that after the prayer telling God about what we are doing wrong, we hear that God forgives us.  It is tempting to sit back with a sigh of relief.  But we can’t, we have to reach out to everyone else who needs God’s love and forgiveness to love and forgive them.  In worship we start with the people right around us.  We tell them God’s peace is with you just like it is with me.  We admit that we are all people who mess up and are forgiven by God.  We can be friends.  If this is a children’s time, demonstrate passing the peace and practice it with each other before going out to pass the peace to the whole congregation and return to the pews.  Obviously, this is best done right after the assurance of pardon and before the passing of the peace.

A Sing Paul’s message with “Dona Nobis Pacem” as a congregational round.  Or, hold hands to sing “Blest Be the Tie that Binds” or “In Christ There Is No East or West.”

A Because this is such an important issue among children, there are lots of children’s books on the subject.  A few that might be used in worship today include:

The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes , is a chapter book that tells how several older elementary school girls teased and belittled an immigrant girl until she and her father moved from town.  When Wanda leaves behind 100 pictures of beautiful dresses, the girls recognize what a mean wall they built between themselves and Wanda.  The book is way too long to read aloud, but can be told as a sermon illustration that might lead young readers to seek out the book.

Jonah and the Whale (and the Worm) by Jean Marzolla is a delightful retelling of the story of Jonah’s unwillingness to consider the Ninevites deserving of God’s love.  It could be read during a children’s time to illustrate Paul’s more abstract point.  Do however, omit the last page which substitutes the author’s preferred ending for the Bible’s open ending. 

People, by Peter Spier, is a very busy picture book of all the differences in people all around the world.  There are pages with only noses, pages with single pictures of a grand variety of holidays, pictures of how people travel, etc.  With children savor one or two pages of differences and conclude that God made us all different, but we are still God’s PEOPLE and can treat each other well.

“The Sneetches” (the first story in The Sneetches and Other Stories, by Dr. Seuss) tells of all the trouble that ensued when the Sneetches with stars on their bellies lined up against those without and vise-versa.  Rather than read the whole thing, retell parts of it to illustrate Paul’s message.

The Hating Book ,by Charlotte Zolotow, is a very simple story about two little girls who have a falling out and manage to patch things up.  Read it aloud in two or three minutes to a group of mainly younger children.

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

F The Roman Catholic lectionary limits this reading to verses 30-34.  This shorter reading may be enough to tell the story. 

F If you read the entire text, invite the children to come sit on the steps with you to help you read the story by rowing for the disciples as they rowed across the lake (verses 32-33).  They may be leading the congregation with the other worshipers rowing in their pews or may simply being assisting you in presenting the story to the congregation.  Before reading explain that the disciples were tired.  They had just returned from very busy, sometimes scary trips and were happy to be back with Jesus and wanted to talk with him about their trips.  But, they were not alone.  So what did they do, they rowed.  And then…

F With older children, identify what the shepherd does in Psalm 23, i.e. feeds, waters, protects, etc.  Then, pull from the gospel what Jesus was doing.  You may want to write the lists on two posters.  To compare the lists ask, “How was Jesus being a shepherd to the people who crowded around him?”

F Children, like most people, are willing to help but are quick to ask “when is it my turn?”  “Who is going to take care of me?”  “But, I want….”  Point out to them the shepherd always thinks about the sheep around him.  Jesus always thought about the people around him even when he was tired and needed a break.  And, we are called to be like Jesus. 

F If you are going to explore the disciples’ need for a retreat, talk about summer vacation from school with the children.  Summer is almost over for many children who are going back to school earlier and earlier in August these days.  Hear briefly about what children have been doing since school got out.  Then ask “How did it feel the last week before school got out?”  Point out that we really need rests from our work.  Jesus and his disciples also needed rest from their work.  Then, suggest that the children think about things they want to do before school begins to be ready to go back to work.  Offer prayers for the last weeks of summer.