Year C - All Saints Day (November 1 or 3, 2013)

All Saints Day falls on Friday this year.  That makes it tempting to create an all church festival supper with costumes and activities for all ages UNLESS community Halloween celebrations will have moved from Thursday to Friday night.  Still, most congregations who celebrate All Saints Day will do so on Sunday morning.  Whenever you celebrate, you will find lots of ideas below.  Rather than sending you to links to other years, I have brought all I have from them and added some fresh ideas to this post.

U  If you do this on Sunday morning in the USA, remember to set your clocks back to enjoy that wonderful extra hour of sleep!

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Saints Day

U  With children we tend to turn All Saints Day into a celebration of Christian heroes and heroines.  There is value in doing that.  Children need role models and it is wise to offer them some specifically Christian ones. 

To do this (and take up on the Halloween costume interest) invite children (or worshipers of all ages) to wear costumes or carry a prop related to one of their Christian hero/ines.  Stage a processional in which worshipers stop at a microphone to tell in one sentence the name of their hero/ine and why that person is important to them.  Help parents get their children into this with advanced publicity that defines saint as a person who shows us about God, lists several well - known saints, e.g. St. Patrick, St. Paul, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, at least one local saint and notes that saints may be living or may have already died.  In an oral announcement, identify one of your saints and tell what you would wear or carry to represent that person.  If there are churches named after saints in your community, encourage people to learn about one of those saints.  A light touch throughout will make this a fun and celebratory worship event for everyone.

Instead of wearing costumes, challenge church school classes and households to make a paper banner or poster about one of their saints.  Stage a processional of these art works and display them during worship.

U  The downside of celebrating saintly hero/ines is that it leaves most of us feeling less than saintly.  To avoid this, emphasize that all God’s people are saints.  Saints are people through whom God shines.  Each saint shows us a different part of God.  Illustrate this by naming what of God you see in some of the saints in your congregation – maybe the music minister or the guy who heads up the CROP Walk every year.  Challenge worshipers to identify what they see of God in people around them.  Remind them that the more people we know and pay attention to, the more we know the grace of God through those people.

U  If you regularly recite the Apostles’ Creed in worship, point to the phrase “(I believe in) the communion of saints.”  Direct worshipers to find it wherever you have it printed.  Note that it is a reminder that we are connected to all the people who have loved God and followed Jesus in all times and all places.  We are a community, a family.  Name some of the saints you will be thinking of today when you say this and invite others to think about the saints they will remember.  Then, recite/read the creed together.

U  To celebrate some of these saints (both living and dead) who are dear to members of the congregation create posters, banners, or table cloths decorated with their names.

Prepare several blank banners (possibly cloud shaped to refer to the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12).  Invite worshipers to arrive early enough to add names of their saints in fabric marking pens to one of the banners.  Just before worship slide the banners on to poles, process in with them, and display them prominently during worship.

Instead of creating banners create a table cloth for the central worship table.   Worshipers can write the names of their saints on a white sheet which is then draped over the worship table at the beginning of worship.  Candles, crosses, even communion elements can be added during a Call to Worship which summons all the saints, both the living and the dead. 

U  Two children’s picture books about quilts provide good back stories for these creations. 

 

In The Keeping Quilt, by Patricia Polacco, a woman immigrating to America creates a quilt that connects to memories of family in the old country.  The quilt is used as bedcover, a Sabbath tablecloth, and a wedding canopy, and a baby blanket to wrap a new generation.  The book is too long to read in worship, but can be easily told turning to a few key pictures for illustration.

In The Naming Quilt, by Phyllis Root, a little girl goes to sleep each night with stories about the people represented in her family quilt.  The quilt is destroyed in a storm, but the little girl and her Grandmother still have the memories, and start a new quilt that includes the little girl’s name in the middle.  (This book may be harder to locate than the other.)

A Little Easter

U  All Saints Day is also known as a Little Easter.  Children are fascinated by celebrating Easter in a different season.  So bring out all the Easter paraments and robes.  If you “buried” an Alleluia banner or poster during Lent, bring it out and refer to it in worship again. 

U  Talk about the difference in celebrating resurrection in the springtime when flowers blooming and in the autumn when everything is turning brown and dying.  Celebrate both the joy of knowing there is new life when you see it all around you and the importance of remembering there is new life when everything around you is looking dead.  Older children enjoy thinking about how different Easter feels in the different hemispheres. 

U  On this day many congregations remember all the members of the congregation who have died during the last year.  Children are keenly aware of the intensity of this reading.  Indeed, many adults have childhood memories of the occasion.  Ways to enhance this worship event for children (and all worshipers) include:

• Toll a handbell as each name is read.
• Light a candle as each name is read and leave the candles lit throughout the service as a reminder of the continuing presence of the saints who have died.
• One church in Maine projects the names on the walls – talk about being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses!
• Speak briefly about the connection between the living and dead saints.  At its best this can be a time when gratitude takes the center in the grieving process.

U  Selecting songs for All Saints Day is almost a no-brainer.  But there are ways to make them more sing-able for the children.

“For All the Saints” is 6 verses long!  Rather than sing all of them at once, spread them throughout the service.  Everyone will pay better attention to the words.  At the beginning of the service point out the Alleluias and practice them so non-readers can join in.

“I Sing A Song of the Saints of God” uses simpler language, names very specific recognizable saints, and asks the singer to commit to sainthood.  Singing it in the congregation suggests to all that children are also saints.

“For All the Saint’s Who’ve Shown Your Love” by John Bell uses simpler language than some All Saints hymns but is not as “cute” as “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God.”  Find the words and music at For All the Saints Who've Shown Your Love.

“We Are the Church Together” makes the point that the church is not a building, a steeple, or a resting place, but a community of people.  Before singing this song, recite this phrase and remind worshipers that they and all saints together are the church.

The second verse of “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” is especially appropriate for All Saints and Communion.  Walk through it pointing out the connections.  Ask a class of children in advance to make banner illustrating it.  Process the banner in and display it during the singing of the hymn.  Sing the second verse again at communion even in response to the phrase “with the faithful of all times and all places.” 

Highlight the phrase “Praise Him above you heavenly host” in the Doxology.  Note that all the saints you have been talking about praised God and we praise God.  That connects us.

Singing “When the Saints Go Marchi’ In” in worship delights children and helps them understand the song in a new way.  I even heard of one congregation that sang “When the Saints Go Marchin’ Out” at the end of service.

 

U  If you celebrate communion and use the reference in the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving to “joining with all the saints (or the faithful) of all times and places,” point it out.  Describe the people we see actually standing at this table.  Then invite worshipers to imagine all the ones we cannot see who are also at the Table.  Refer to those who died in the last year.  Name a couple of famous saints familiar to your congregation.  Mention all the others whose names we don’t know but who are saints worshiping and loving God with us.  Point out that all these saints are unseen at our Table.  Restate the phrase.  Have the congregation echo it.  Urge them to listen for it in the communion liturgy.  Then, move into the invitation to the Table. 

The Texts

U  First decision of the day is whether to use the All Saints texts or the Proper 26 texts.  Strangely enough the Proper 26 texts – especially Habakkuk and the Psalm - might fit into the celebration of All Saints better than the texts set for this day.  Go to  Year C - Proper 26 to check them out. 

Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

U  On the Sunday at the end of Halloween weekend, Daniel’s nightmare recalls all the scary stuff dealt with over the last few days and connects those to the scary nightmares and fears of monsters under the bed that trouble children.  It can also lead to identifying other scary things we face every day.  To all of these monstrous fears verse 18 is the answer.

U  Verses 1-3 say only that there were four monsters in Daniel’s dream.  Add verses 4-8 from CEV to hear about each monster and enjoy the awfulness of his nightmare.  A dramatic reading including facial responses to some of the details of the monsters bring the monsters to life.

N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

Daniel 7:1-15

     Daniel wrote: In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylonia, I had some dreams and visions while I was asleep one night, and I wrote them down.

     The four winds were stirring up the mighty sea, ³ when suddenly four powerful beasts came out of the sea. Each beast was different.

      The first was like a lion with the wings of an eagle. As I watched, its wings were pulled off. Then it was lifted to an upright position and made to stand on two feet, just like a human, and it was given a human mind.

⁵ The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs. It held three ribs in its teeth, and it was told, “Attack! Eat all the flesh you want.”

⁶ The third beast was like a leopard—except that it had four wings and four heads. It was given authority to rule.

⁷ The fourth beast was stronger and more terrifying than the others. Its huge teeth were made of iron, and what it didn’t grind with its teeth, it smashed with its feet. It was different from the others, and it had horns on its head—ten of them. ⁸ Just as I was thinking about these horns, a smaller horn appeared, and three of the other horns were pulled up by the roots to make room for it. This horn had the eyes of a human and a mouth that spoke with great pride.

Pause here, shaking your head as if shaking off the dreams.  Then read verses 15-18.  I’d immediately say “let’s reread that last verse again.  It is the one we need to remember.” Then, reread verse 18. 

¹⁵ Daniel wrote: I was terrified by these visions, and I didn’t know what to think. ¹⁶ So I asked one of those standing there, and he explained, ¹⁷ “The four beasts are four earthly kingdoms. ¹⁸ But God Most High will give his kingdom to his chosen ones, and it will be theirs forever and ever.”

From CEV

N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

U  Some Things are Scary Things, by Florence Parry Heide, can take you from Halloweeny fears to more everyday fears.  The book is a random collection of wonderfully illustrated things that scare children.  Rather than reading the whole book, select a few of the pages to read and discuss.  Present verse 18 as hope for each of the fears.

 

Psalm 149

U  Turn verses 1-5 into a responsive reading.  Have a worship leader read the verses with the congregation responding, “Praise the Lord!” to each one.  Even non-readers can join in on that.  Or, prepare a more elaborate reading with a choir (maybe a children’s choir) and children (maybe those in the choir) with rhythm instruments.   One brief rehearsal with the saints involved in the latter is essential.

C B I C B I C B I C B I C B I

Psalm 149:1-5

Responsive Reading

Leader:          Shout praises to the Lord!

People:         Praise the Lord!

              Rhythm instruments sound off

Leader:          Sing him a new song of praise when his

                        loyal people meet.

People:         Praise the Lord! or a praise phrase sung by choir

Leader:          People of Israel, rejoice because of your Creator.

People:         Praise the Lord!

Leader:          People of Zion, celebrate because of your King.

People:         Praise the Lord!

Leader:          Praise his name by dancing and

                        playing music on harps and tambourines.

             Rhythm instruments sound off

Leader:         The Lord is pleased with his people,

                        and he gives victory to those who are humble.

People:         Praise the Lord!

Leader:         All of you faithful people, praise our glorious Lord!

  Celebrate and worship.

People:         Praise the Lord!

             Rhythm instruments sound off

Based on the CEV

C B I C B I C B I C B I C B I

 

Ephesians 1:11-23

U  On the Sunday after Halloween, Paul insists that the saints belong to Christ who is the most powerful being in the whole universe.  We are safe.

Last Judgment, from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
 http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=29448
[retrieved October 3, 2013].

To explore the lordship of Christ, display a photo of a judgment door from a middle ages cathedral.  Point out the demons who are being thrown aside and the big powerful statue of Christ in the middle.  Note that every time people walk through those doors to worship, they remember that they are safe with Christ. 

Mosaic of Jesus Christ, from Hagia Sophia,
from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
  http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54554
[retrieved October 3, 2013].

For the youngest children, display a picture of a very gentle Jesus (maybe Jesus with the children) and a stern Jesus as the Lord of the world.  Discuss the differences in the faces and how it feels to look at each picture.  Note that both are the same person – Jesus, the Christ.  Jesus is what his friends called him.  Christ is who he really was, the Lord of the whole world.  Conclude that having both pictures reminds us that we are safe with Jesus who is the Lord of the world and who loves us.

Remind children of all the gory tattoos people wore for Halloween, then give them each a removable cross tattoo or sticker to remind them that they belong to Jesus, the Christ, who is Lord of the whole Universe.

U  Tell worshipers that Paul wrote a prayer for the Christians at the church in Ephesus.  Insist that the same prayer could be for us.  Invite them to listen to it as if it were being prayed for them and for your church.  For the sake of the children with shorter attention spans, read only verses 16-18.  Read from The CEV with great inflection stopping to look up at the congregation at key points.

Luke 6:20-31

U  This reading might be titled “Rules for Saints.”  Children will get lost in the blessings and woes.  If the verses about loving enemies and the golden rule are raised up separately, children will struggle with them and claim them for themselves.  The easiest way to explore this with children is to focus on The Golden Rule in verse 31.  Introduce it as the number one rule for saints.

U  One rule for saints it to love your enemies.  Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson, tells the story of a boy who saw his new neighbor as an enemy.  His dad volunteers to help get rid of the enemy by baking enemy pie.  One ingredient was that they boys had to spend one afternoon together before the pie could be served.  You can guess what happened.  The enemy became a friend.  The challenge for saints is to turn enemies into friends.  (It is important to note that it is often harder to do than it is in this book, but that the book gives us a good goal.) 

U  Highlight “Forgive us our debts/transgressions/sins, as we forgive…” in the Lord’s Prayer.  Before the congregation prays it, point to the phrase.  Talk about all the things people do to each other that need forgiving.  Include everything from saying mean things, hitting, taking what isn’t ours, and playing mean tricks on people to really hurting someone, even going to war with them.  Insist that the only difference between a friends and enemies is that the friends forgive each other.  Challenge worshipers to think of friends they need to forgive so they don’t become enemies.  Then, pray the whole prayer.

Year C - Proper 15, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 13th Sunday after Pentecost (August 18, 2013)

Most of today’s texts are very mature discussions of God’s judgment and the difficult divisions that arise as we try to live as God’s people.  They are a stretch for children.  Mainly the message for children is that God cares about what we do.  Yes, God loves us always, no matter what we do.  But, anything we do is not OK with God.  Beyond that worship planners do well to focus on exploring pieces of the texts with children.  Doing this gives them building blocks with which to build their understanding and enriches the understanding of adult worshipers at the same time.

The difficulty of the other texts and the connection to going back to school, makes the Hebrews reading an attractive choice for this week.

Isaiah 5:1-7 

 

Eastern Orthodox icon of Jesus Christ as the True Vine, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55553 [retrieved July 16, 2013]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_the_True_Vine_icon_(Athens,_16th_century).jpg.

 

 

I Show this icon.  Point to Jesus first and then to the figures at the edge.  Guess together who some of these people might be.  (There are no right or wrong answers here.  They are mainly friends of Jesus.)  Then point to the vine behind them.  Point out that Jesus is the trunk of the vine and all the people are branches.  Briefly explain that a vine with branches is a very old symbol for the church or God’s people.  Finally, challenge children to listen for the vine in this passage.  Point out that in this passage, the vine is a grape vine which grows in a vineyard.

Rather than use this icon, find a family tree with a tree drawn in the background.  Search “family tree images” on the internet for LOTS of these.



I This text and Psalm 80 deal with vineyards.  So take time to provide detailed information about vineyards.  For the children it will be new information.  For the adults it will be a review that will lead them to pay closer attention to the details of the passages.  Show a large picture of a vineyard.  Then briefly note that all the vines must be planted, wired to the trellises as they grow, pruned, weeded, watered, protected from hungry animals and human thieves, then harvested.  Mention the need for the fence and the watchtower.  Then urge worshipers to listen for vineyards in today’s readings.  Do not expect this explanation to enable children to grasp all of the rather complicated messages about vineyards in today’s readings.  Know that you are laying a foundation for understanding as they grow.

For greater impact give children small clusters of grapes to eat while you talk about the vines on which the grapes grow and read the text.

Psalm 80: 1-2, 8-19

I If you have introduced vineyards and maybe eaten some grapes, a few older children will begin to get the psalmist’s prayer.  But, all the imagery and biblical history references make this a really hard psalm for children.

I This psalm appears frequently among Advent readings as a way of exploring how very lost we are as a people.  Go to Advent 1 (Year B) for a few ideas that may be adaptable for today should you be following a similar theme.

 

Jeremiah 23:23-29

This warning about listening carefully to and evaluating the messages of prophets demands way more mental maturity and life experience than children possess.

Psalm 82

I Bring this psalm to life with two readers.  One, maybe the usual reader, reads the first and last verses from the lectern.  This person also sets the stage describing the heavenly courtroom where God is seated in front of all the gathered people.  The other reader reads God’s part standing in the middle of the chancel and reading with great drama. 

I If you are challenging worshipers to celebrate people who have witnessed to them and encouraging them to witness to others, use this psalm to explore God’s concern that all people be treated fairly and that those who are least likely to get what they need will get it.  Children will not hear that as the psalm is read, but they are all for it when it is presented to them in simpler language.  So, imagine with them the scene in verse 1 with God as the judge, then read verses 2 - 4 counting off on your fingers God’s instructions.  Close by reading God’s address to people in verse 6 insisting that they can do what is asked.  After all they are “children of the Most High.”

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

I Witness is a tricky word.  In today’s world it is most often someone who can say, “I was there and this is what happened.”  Witnesses are usually identified as witnesses in court rooms and occasionally on news broadcasts.  The people described here are more than that.  For children these witnesses might be more recognizable as faith heroes and heroines.

I Few children will recognize any of the biblical witnesses named in this text.  Telling the story of one of them helps children get the message and adds a new witness to their cloud.  I’d choose Daniel.  I’d start with the story of Daniel’s brave stand about following religious food laws while a captive in a king’s court, then tell the story of the lion’s den.  I’d note that Daniel reminds us that it IS possible to choose to do hard things when we face choices about following God’s rules when it is really, really tempting not to do so. 

This leads to the challenge to not only pay attention to those who witness to you, but also be a witness to others – especially as you meet new kids in your new school classes and fall teams and clubs. 

I Display a baseball (or other sports) card explaining that this is a picture of a baseball hero.  Describe how people use the cards to remember what that sports hero did and to feel close to that person.  Then show a homemade card about one of your faith heroes.  On the front draw a picture of the person with some identifying props or action.  On the back list important facts (“stats”) about that person.  Share both sides with the children telling why that person is important to you.  Finally, give children index cards and markers which to create their own faith hero cards.  Together brainstorm some possibilities before sending children to their seats to work during the sermon.  Tell them you will be interested in seeing their cards as they leave the sanctuary.

 

 I For stories of faith heroes try one of the following books:

Faith the Cow, by Susan Bame Hoover, tells the story of one person with a vision founding the Heifer Project.

Follow the Drinking Gourd, by Jeanette Winter, is a story of the Underground Railroad.  Challenge listeners to identify all the people acting heroically (or as witnesses) to together do a great deed none could do on their own.  It took a “cloud of witnesses” to free the slaves!

I Before worship prepare a large white “cloud” (maybe a bed sheet?) to be displayed as a banner or a cloth on the central Table.  Spread it on the Table or floor and invite worshipers of all ages to come forward to write on the banner the name of one of their faith hero/ines using colored marking pens.  Do this after having thought together about such heroes.  It could be done after the sermon as an affirmation of faith or before the gathering of prayer concerns.  When the cloud is complete, lift into place if it is a banner or stand back from the Table if it is a tablecloth so all can see it.  Reread Hebrews 12:1-2 and perhaps pray for those who are our hero/ines and for the courage to be hero/ines to those around us.

I “For All the Saints” is the hymn most closely tied to this scripture.  Verse 2 is most easily understood by children.  Walk through this verse with them putting it into your own words as you go and identifying saint and another word for either witness or faith hero/ine.   Then, encourage them to think about their saints/witnesses and sing the Alleluias to thank God for them.

I “I Sing A Song of the Saints of God” has a similar theme but is even easier for early readers.   Ask a children’s choir to sing it.  Or, sing it as a congregation.  If projected pictures are part of your worship life, illustrate this hymn with pictures of people of all ages in your congregation doing the work of the church. 

Before singing either of these hymns introduce the word saints which appears in both of them.  Saints is another word for witnesses or hero/ines.

PERSEVERANCE

I Display a poster featuring the word “Perseverance.”  Introduce perseverance as a big word.  Practice saying it together.  Define it as sticking with something when it gets hard or boring or when you get tired or when it seems it won’t make a difference or that nobody else cares about it.  Read verse 12:1 emphasizing the word perseverance.  Put the verse into your own words noting that at the beginning of the school year everything is new and maybe exciting.  Before long it usually gets harder.  That is when we need perseverance.  (Remember as you talk that some children go back to school unwillingly and with deep dread.  They need perseverance from the very beginning of the year.) 

I “Looking toward Jesus…”  The beginning of the school year can seem like the beginning of a race.  So, lift up that image in 12:1-2.  Make goal line posters such as “straight As,” “most popular in the class,” “best athlete” even “best dressed” then “be like Jesus.”  Flip through the posters noting some good things about each one, then conclude with the “Jesus” poster setting the others aside saying that while the others are OK, this is the best.  Restate Paul’s race image encouraging the children to run toward the right goal this year. 

I Good disciple songs for the race (and the beginning of the school year) are:

”Guide My Feet While I Run This Race”

“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”

“Thuma Mina” (South African tune and language)

– UMC hymnal has 3 verses: send me Jesus, lead me Jesus, and fill me Jesus

Luke 12:49-56

I Children who depend so completely on their parents are even more worried by Jesus’ words here than adults are.  They need to hear that the adults have trouble with these words too.  Then, with support, they can explore what Jesus is saying.  Especially older children are well aware that when you try to live like a follower of Jesus, there can be trouble.  Other kids are not happy when you stand up for kids they have excluded or hurt.  Friends get mad at you when you refuse to go along with something you know is wrong.  Children actually appreciate hearing Jesus and the church acknowledge that this is true.  Once they hear that acceptance of how hard it can be, they are ready to hear Jesus insist that they stick with him even when things get tough.

I The Roman Catholic lectionary deletes the last three verses, the ones about knowing how to read the weather.  This leaves a much more focused reading which is easier for children to catch.

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

The Hebrews “cloud of witnesses” provides several themes to explore with children as they go back to school.  Look for ideas about them above.  For more general ideas for worshiping on the Sunday before the children go back to school go to Back to School - 2013.

Year B - All Saints Day (Thursday November 1 or Sunday November 4, 2012)

Free reminder: If you celebrate All Saints Day on November 1 in the USA, it will be Time Change Sunday.  So remember to turn your clock back and enjoy that wonderful extra hour of sleep.

 

V Go to All Saints Day (Year A) for general ideas for celebrating All Saints Day including:

 

Ø  Inviting children to come costumed as one of their saints and to enter the sanctuary in the processional

Ø  Making banners about one or two saints to display in worship

Ø  Making a Great Cloud of Witnesses banner or a communion table covering with two books to accompany this project

BTW – The year B All Saints texts focus more on the promises to the Saints than on the saints themselves.  The texts for Years A and C focus more on the saints themselves.  Still, if you have been reading Hebrews, building worship around the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1-3 seems a great choice even for Year B.  The lectionary only lists “the cloud” for the Wednesday of Holy Week – when many will miss it.

Ø  Celebrating the Little Easter bringing out all the Easter robes and paraments

With Year B’s gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus and God’s promise that “death will be no more,” it’s a good day to include all things Easter.  Sing Easter hymns emphasizing the Alleluias in the choruses.  Even challenge children to keep count of the Alleluias in the entire service and check in with them as they leave the sanctuary.

Ø  Reading the names of those who have died during the last year

Ø  Suggestions for All Saints hymn singing

An addition:  “For All the Saint’s Who’ve Shown Your Love” by John Bell uses simpler language than some All Saints hymns but is not as “cute” as “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God.”  For words and music go to G.I.A. Music.

Ø  A Communion connection

 

 

Year B All Saints Day Texts

 

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

 

Children live very much in the present.  It is even hard for them to believe it is worth living  with braces for several years in order to have straight teeth when they are older.  So it is hard for them to appreciate this writer's insistence that though it looks like God’s people who were killed for their faith were losers now, in the future they will shine and rule the world with God.  Isaiah's prophecy makes much more sense to them.

 

Isaiah 25:6-9

 

V If you do not have “cloud” banners or table cloths in the sanctuary, with the children identify pictures of people from all around the world and well known saints (local, national and global) who have died.  Spread the pictures around the elements on the Table and leave them there during the sacrament.
 

V Different churches say it differently but most have a phrase in the great Prayer of Thanksgiving that calls people to the Table in ways that connects that Table to the feast of Isaiah.  Presbyterians say “joining with all the saints of all times and places.”  Methodists say, “Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.”  Your congregation may say something else.  Whatever it is, highlight it just before the sacrament.  Practice the congregation’s sung completion of this prayer.  Then, name some of the saints and imagine both living and dead saints from all over the world gathered around the Table with you.  From here go straight into the Invitation to the Table.

 

V Communion on Isaiah’s terms is an upbeat rather than somber ritual.  Choose communion hymns accordingly.  Sing mainly verses 1, 2, and 4 of “I Come With Joy.”  Even though older children can follow the words of this hymn you might want to put them into your own words to catch their attention before singing them together.  Another choice is “For the Bread Which You Have Broken.”  point out all the feast images in verses 2 and 3.
 

  

Psalm 24

 

V Psalm 24 is meant to be experienced than explained.  Use the script in Proper 10 (Year B) for a reading involving a choir at the front, a choir at the back, and a trumpet or organ fanfare.  The choir at the back could be a children's choir or class.

 

 

Revelation 21:1-6a

 

V Display Halloween decorations including haunted houses, skeletons, open coffins, and tombstones.  Point out all the scary, evil, awful things seen in these things.  Then read Revelation 21:1-6a stopping as you go to remove the scary things as they are mentioned, i.e. “the city dressed like a bride” is better than a haunted house, “no death” makes the coffin and tombstone unnecessary, etc.  You may want to replace each Halloween item with a Revelation item such as small posters with the red slash over the word death or a smiling face for no more tears.  The point is that God’s power and love have the last word over all the scary, unhappy things in the world.  It’s a good way to wrap up the Halloween season and direct attention toward the coming of Advent in one month.
 

V Recent lectionary texts have included many “alpha and omega” references.  If you have those letters stitched, carved, or painted into your sanctuary and have not pointed them out in the last month, do so today.  Identify the first and last letter of several alphabets and explain what the symbol says about Jesus and God being at the beginning and the end of the whole universe.

 

 

John 11:32-44

 

V On the Sunday after Halloween children are first amused by all the details about dead, stinky, bound-up Lazarus and then comforted by the proof that not even death can separate the saints from God’s care.

  

JESUS MAFA. Jesus raises Lazarus to life,
from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48269
[retrieved October 12, 2012].

V Use the “Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life” painting to explain a few things about burial in that day before reading the passage.  Point out the cave and the wrapped up Lazarus.  Then invite the congregation to listen to a story about a man who died, was wrapped in clothes and buried in a cave.  Urge them to get ready for a surprising ending to the story.

I saw this death figure in a
local craft supply shop.

V Before reading the gospel, display a Halloweeny death figure maybe trailing some spider webby fiber.  Point out that up until today’s reading everybody in the world had died.  No one had ever come back from being dead.  Everyone was rather scared about this big unknown end of life.  Then read the story of the raising of Lazarus.  Immediately after the reading point out that by raising Lazarus Jesus was giving them a hint about his own coming resurrection.  Note that Lazarus died again, but Jesus is alive forever and promises the same to us.  Have an acolyte carry the death figure out the center aisle.  Then say to the congregation, “the Word of the Lord” to which they will reply with feeling, “thanks be to God.”

 

V Winston Churchill planned his funeral in great detail before his death.  At the end of the service he wanted a bugler to play taps in the back of one of the transepts of the cathedral.  After a brief pause, he wanted another bugler to play reveille at the back of the opposite transept.  If your children are scouts or have other ways to have encountered taps and reveille, they will grasp what Churchill was saying about his death.  If you have a bugler or trumpeter, that person might follow Churchill’s directions at the end of your service or might play taps at the beginning of the service and reveille after the benediction.  If you do the latter, consider calling the children forward immediately after taps and before the call to worship to identify the melody, it’s meaning, and why you are playing it today at the beginning of the service.  Urge them to listen for reveille and imagine what it means.