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. 

Year A - Proper 23, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 9, 2011)

Exodus 32:1-14

  

L Spray paint gold a plastic cow from the farm toys.  Before reading this story add it to the Moses display and encourage worshippers to listen for one in the story.  (The golden calf in the picture is a wonderful gift my preacher husband received from a Kerygma Class.  Sorry you don’t each have one of them, but thought you might enjoy seeing this cool one.)

L To explain the problem with the golden calf to children start by pointing to commandment #2 of the Ten Commandments.  Reword it, “I am bigger than anything you can imagine.  So, don’t make anything that you think looks like me.  You will get it wrong.”  Laugh about God not being a cow.  But then, admit that you don’t think the people were that dumb.  They just wanted something they could see and touch and decorate with flowers and dance around and eat near to make them feel that God was with them and that they understood God.  A god they could not see was just too scary. 

Sing “Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise” to celebrate God who is “more” than the Hebrews in the desert or we can imagine.  Before singing it, point out the big words in the first lines and rephrase them, “God who lived before the universe was created and will still live after the universe dies, God who is invisible, God who is wiser than any person who ever was or ever will be.  God, you are so amazing we can’t begin to understand you.”

J Children are fascinated by the story of Moses talking back to God and of God changing plans based on what Moses said.  It gives them permission to be honest with God.  They can tell God what they don’t like.  God can take it. God listens.  God may even change plans.  Older children appreciate pairing this story with Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.  God heard Jesus’ prayer, but did not save him from dying on the cross.

L Today’s Lord’s Prayer connection is “lead us not into temptation.”  The people were scared.  They were out in the desert and Moses, the leader who had led them there had gone up the mountain to talk with God.  He had been gone a really long time.  They wondered what if he never came down, what if he had died up there?  Moses was the one who talked with God for them.  What would they do without Moses?  What if they were out there all alone out here in the desert.  They were scared, really scared.  So, they forgot (or decided to ignore) Commandment #2.  They thought if they had something they could see maybe that could be as good as seeing Moses who talked to God.  Create a responsive prayer citing a variety of scary situations (when we are afraid we won’t get what we want, when we are afraid others don’t like us, when we are afraid others will hurt us….).  End each petition “when we are scared…” to which the congregation responds with “lead us not into temptation.”  If it works, move from this prayer into praying the entire Lord’s Prayer in unison.

Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23

L Verses 6, 19-22 can be a responsive prayer of confession with the congregation praying, “Lord, we too are guilty” after each verse.  Before praying this prayer together talk with the children.  Briefly tell the gold calf story if it has not already been told.  Then, note that none of us have ever made a Golden Calf to worship, but that we have frequently decided that what we want is more important than what God wants. 

We think we have to go to a certain spend the night party

– even if it means we won’t be at church the next morning. 

We think we just gotta sit at the lunch table with the popular crowd

-even it means deserting less popular friends. 

We cheat (steal the answers) on a test we just have to pass. 

Each time we do that we are just like the people who made a calf to worship instead of God.  Point out the structure of the prayer and invite them to join you in admitting to God what we do and remembering that God loves and forgives us.  (Younger children will have trouble making the connection between the calf and our current idol worshiping activities.  But, this conversation introduces them to the possibility of identifying ourselves and our activities with those of people in the Bible.  We do that frequently in worship.)

JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL

Prayer of Confession

Leader:         Both we and our ancestors have sinned;

we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.

All:                  Lord, we too are guilty.

Leader:         They made a calf at Horeb

and worshiped a cast image.

All:                  Lord, we too are guilty.

Leader:         They exchanged the glory of God

for the image of an ox that eats grass.

All:                  Lord, we too are guilty.

Leader:         They forgot God, their Savior,

who had done great things in Egypt,

wondrous works in the land of Egypt,

and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

All:                  Lord, we too are guilty

Assurance of Pardon

Leader:         Just as Moses pleaded with God to forgive his
                        people, so Christ stands with us. 

                        We are forgiven.

All:                   Thanks be to God!

JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL JL

J There are lots of feasts in the following texts.  If you will be building worship around them, find a place setting in clip art to shrink very small and print by each item that includes a feast in the printed order of worship.  Before the Call to Worship, tell the children that there will be lots of feasts in today’s worship.  Name a few of them, e.g. a wedding feast, a feast to which all the people in all nations are invited, a feast that is eaten in the presence of enemies, and (if you celebrate the sacrament today) a feast they will actually eat.  Point to the icons in the printed order of worship telling the children that it is a treasure hunt.  Their challenge is to find the feast in each marked reading, song or prayer.

Simply identifying the feasts may be all you want to do with the children this Sunday.  The Bible is filled with wonderful, child-friendly feast stories – but these are not among them.  These feasts are filled with difficult details and are described to make points that are not significant to children. 

Isaiah 25:1-9

Understanding this psalm requires either the knowledge of the destruction of Jerusalem or the experience of having lived in a city that was destroyed (perhaps in natural disaster).  In communities with the latter experience this can be unpacked as the same kind of promise for the future that it was to Isaiah’s original readers.  But for luckier children this psalm requires more explaining than its meaning for them justifies. 

Psalm 23

J This psalm is included today because of the feast images, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…my cup overflows.”  The first thing to clarify with the children is that in this case a cup that overflows is not a disaster (which overflowing cups usually are for children) but a promise of unlimited seconds of your favorite drink.  Once that is cleared up, children can be pointed to the feast that can be enjoyed even if there are enemies or big problems around.  They need help getting to the psalmist’s message that God loves us and takes care of us even when things are hard.  North American children looking forward to Thanksgiving feasts can be reminded of early Thanksgiving feasts that included Native Americans and settlers among whom there was uneasy peace. 

J Psalm 23 shows up frequently in worship.  Go to Year A - Fourth Sunday in Lent for Psalm 23 hymns for children and a coloring sheet activity.

Philippians 4:1-9

Children are quickly lost in the generalities of this list of exhortations.  For them it is probably best to select one or two for fuller attention and save the others for another day.  My choice would be the call to “Rejoice!”  If you have banners or posters bearing the word, bring them out this week.  Ponder the fact that it is possible to remember God and trust God when we are frightened, when we are sad, and even when we are happy (strangely, it is sometimes harder to do when we are busy being happy).  This gives us a wonderful deep-inside-us joy.  If the Hebrews had remembered this joy, they would not have built the gold calf.  If the first workers in the parable had this joy, it would have been easier to be happy for the workers who got a day’s wage for an hour’s work.

J REJOICE benediction.   Give children business cards bearing the word REJOICE to pass out to worshipers around them.  Suggest that people put a card in their pocket, purse, or bookbag where it can surprise them occasionally.  Then, send them out with charge to rejoice, because God is with them.

J Rejoice hymns

“I’ve Got a Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart” could be a congregational hymn or be talked about and sung during a children’s time.

I’ve got a joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart…

I’ve got the wonderful love of my blessed redeemer way down in the depths of my heart…

Or the simpler “I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart”

I’ve got the peace that passes understanding…

Even “if the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack…”

“Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart” (Point out all the “rejoice!”s in the chorus and encourage non-readers to sing them.)

“For the Beauty of the Earth” names specific recognizable parts of life in which children and adults can rejoice.

Matthew 22:1-14

One commentator quipped that this parable should be “at least PG-13” rated.  It is filled with details that on the surface don’t make sense.  It is not a story but an allegory and allegories are almost impossible for children to interpret.  But even if they understand allegories -- if God is the king why does God kill the unresponsive guests and burn their city and why does God send away the poor man  because he wasn’t properly dressed?  This is definitely not a parable to dramatize or present creatively in the hope that every worshiper will catch every detail!  Instead, it is probably best to pick out one or two elements of the parable to explore with children. 

J On the simplest level, insist to the children that the church is God’s feast or God’s party.  They have been invited.  They can join in worship, classes and clubs and teams, service ministries, and fun.  It is their choice if they come.  If they, like the first guests, don’t join in, they will miss out.  (OK, it is not always their choice to come, but activities beyond Sunday morning often are J

J Talk about birthday parties.  Ask what the children do at such parties and who they invite.  Then, talk about the guest list for this feast.  It includes everyone, both the good and the bad.  God invites them all to the party.


J Oh the Places You’ll Go!, by Dr. Seuss, is usually a graduation gift.  Today read or quote only the first four pages that point out that we are each in charge of where we go and what we do and don’t do.  Enjoy the rhymes and connect the choices in them with the choices of the guests invited to the wedding feast.  They could go or stay away.  Insist that Jesus’ invitation to be part of all the things we do together as a church is one of the best invitations we will ever get.  Urge worshipers to use their brains and their feet to respond to that invitation.

J Reread verses 11-13 about the improperly dressed guest with a surprised face.  Admit “that doesn’t sound like God or Jesus.”  Then point out that sometimes it is very important to know little facts about life when the Bible was written.  Explain that in that day the host provided clothes for the guests who came to the wedding.  So, the poor man would have been offered a nice wedding robe, he just didn’t want to wear it.  He came to the party and was eating the food, but he refused to do his part by wearing a wedding costume.  That wasn’t right!  Read verses once again. 

BE CAREFUL. The summary of this discussion is tricky.  It is easy to conclude something like, so do what you are told and participate well when you come to church.  Not good!  Jesus is urging people who come to his feast, to follow his “party rules” like love God and love each other.  Jesus doesn’t want us to just come to get the goodies or do the fun stuff, but to really join in with people around us.  It is a subtle, but important difference.

Year A - The First Sunday in Lent (March 13, 2011)

The texts for the first Sunday of Lent this year really do repeat the themes of Ash Wednesday – which may be good for all those who did not worship on Ash Wednesday.  You might want to review the ideas from the Ash Wednesday post to find some ideas that would transfer to Sunday.

TEMPTATION             SIN                 FORGIVENESS                   GRACE

If you have verbal announcements at the beginning of the service, make the last announcement an introduction to today’s theme.  Sesame Street often begins “Today’s show is brought to you by the letter …”  So, today announce that today’s worship is brought to us by the words sin, temptation, and forgiveness (or whatever your key words will be).  Have older children each holding a poster bearing one of the words over their heads, stand at the front of the sanctuary.  (Print the word/s about sin or temptation in heavy black and the word/s about forgiveness or grace in gold glitter.)  Briefly introduce these key words and encourage worshipers to watch and listen for them as you sing, pray, and read together.  Encourage children to underline or circle each word every time they find it in their bulletin.  The poster bearers may take their posters back to their seats with them or may leave them displayed at the front of the sanctuary.

This is a good strategy for any Sunday that has is built around a key worship word.  It works especially well for this Sunday.

There are several opportunities for worship education today.  One is to explore the phrase “lead us not in to temptation, but deliver us from evil” in the Lord’s Prayer.  This is one of the last phrases of the prayer for children to understand.  The Ecumenical version’s ”save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil” is not much easier.  The key is knowing what temptation is and having in mind some examples of temptations with which you are familiar.  Common examples for children include

> a plate of cookies on the counter,

> an iced cake on the counter (no one would notice if you took one little finger-full
   of it),

> an item (maybe a cool jacket or iPod?) left unattended, or

> the student in the next desk has left his work uncovered where you can hardly
   help but see his/her answers. 

After describing one of these situations, point out that sometimes you see what’s there and just automatically do the right thing without even thinking about it.  But other times….   Describe how you want to have or do what you know you should not and how you rationalize your way into doing it.  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.” 

This could be an introduction to the Old Testament and Gospels for the day.  If so, conclude it by encouraging children to listen to two stories about people in the Bible who really were tempted.

Gen 2:15-17, 3:1-7

Children, who are constantly pushed to take responsibility for their own actions, are puzzled by claims that Adam’ and Eve’s bad choice to eat the apple affects them.  They are more interested in exploring the story about how Adam and Eve made that bad choice.  Take time to explore each step Eve takes as she allows herself to be tempted by the snake and even draws Adam into her sin.  Then compare Adam and Eve’s apple temptation to tempting situations children face today.  (See the list in the paragraph above about the Lord’s Prayer.)

Instead of or in addition to telling the story of the Fall, read the story of the first sin between brothers.  Cain and Abel: Finding the Fruits of Peace, by Sandy Sasso, tells the story of Cain and Abel in poetic terms that make sense to both adults and children.  It could be read as a children’s sermon or as part of the “real” sermon.  The art could be shared with a small group of children.  Or, the book could be read without sharing the art to a larger group.  (Read aloud time: about 8 minutes) 

     FYI – The story of this murder does not appear in the New Revised Common Lectionary.  I wonder why?

Psalm 32

Here is another golden opportunity for a little worship education about the prayers of confession and assurances of pardon - if they are a weekly part of your worship.  Psalm 32:3-5 gives you a good biblical example of sin that is confessed and forgiven.  Verses 3 and 4 describe what feels like to have done something wrong and try to hide it.  Verse 5 describes confessing the sin to God and being forgiven.  Before praying the day’s prayer of confession and assurance of pardon, walk through both these verses and the meaning of the prayers you will pray.  (Be sure to select prayers for your service that are child accessible. )  Only then, invite the congregation to pray and be forgiven.

In most services these prayers come early, before the reading of scripture and the sermon.  Today consider putting them after the scripture reading and sermon or repeat them in that spot as the affirmation of faith for the day.  Either will help worshipers of all ages participate more thoughtfully in this part of worship today and in the future.

Romans 5:12-19

Paul’s comparison of Adam and Christ is hard for children because children think literally.  I saw it yesterday in a fifth and sixth grade church school class.  My co-teacher had worked through the story of Jesus’ call of the fishing disciples.  He ended by saying that once the disciples had caught fish.  But after meeting Jesus, they caught people.  A bright twelve year old said, “Ah yes, cannibalism?”  He was not being sassy, but saying the first thing that came to his literal mind.  We took another shot at explaining what it meant to fish for people, but were not too sure in the end our explanations really made much sense to our students.  Given this, I’d not expect to meaningfully explore Paul’s complex comparison of Adam and Christ with children.

Matthew 4:1-11

In children’s words the three temptations Jesus faced and refused to give into were:

1.   To use his power just to take care of his own needs, to be sure he got what he wanted, in this case to turn stones into bread when he wanted bread (No one would even see him do it out there in the wilderness; so why should he be hungry when he had the power to turn stones into bread?)

Why not: The story began with God leading Jesus out into the wilderness.  Being out there and being hungry was part of God’s plan.  Jesus was out there to learn something important.  He was to do what God asked, even if it meant being hungry in the wilderness.

2.   To be a celebrity, to use his power in stunts to get attention and prove how important he was

Why Not: God does not want Jesus to show off or prove how powerful God is, but to  love and forgive people

3.   To be king of the world.  If Jesus is God, Jesus knows what is best and as king of the world could insist that everyone do what he wanted.  Jesus would make a very good king.

Why Not: God created people able to make choices.  God wants us to learn to make loving choices.  God didn’t want Jesus to force us to do anything.  

The first temptation is the easiest for children to understand and contains the basic reason for not giving into temptation.  Jesus and we are to trust and obey God.

To help children follow the action, present this story with three readers: a narrator standing in the lectern, Jesus standing or seated in the center of the worship area, and Tempter standing just behind Jesus to one side.  The readers could simply read dramatically in place.  Or, they might add gestures with the Tempter leaning over Jesus’ shoulder and Jesus firmly replying.  If confident actors are available for Jesus and the Tempter, they might even memorize their lines to be script-free to dramatize them with their whole bodies.

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                                 Matthew 4:1-11 Reading Script

Narrator:          Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
                        by the devil.  He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he
                        was famished.   The tempter came and said to him,

Tempter:          If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves
                       of bread.

Narrator:          But he answered,

Jesus:               It is written, “One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

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

Tempter:          If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you,”

        and “On their hands they will bear you up,

        so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”

Narrator:          Jesus said to him,

Jesus:               Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Narrator:          Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all
                        the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him,

Tempter:          All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.

Narrator:          Jesus said to him,

Jesus:               “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.’ ”

Narrator:          Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

                                                                              New Revised Standard Version

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In the Disney Classic “Pinocchio,” the wooden puppet who wants to be a real boy is given a cricket named Jiminy as a guide.  Jiminy Cricket explains temptations to Pinocchio as follows:

Jiminy Cricket:   The world is full of temptations!

Pinocchio:           Temptations?

Jiminy Cricket:     Yep.  Temptations.  The wrong things that seem right
                            at the time but…even though..the things may seem
                            wrong, sometimes the wrong things may be right
                            at the wrong times… or..a…vice-versa… Understand? 
                            (talking faster and looking more confused as he goes)

Pinocchio:  But I am going to do right!

Either show this clip from the “Pinocchio” video or give it your best dramatic reading.  Then, work through one or two of Jesus temptations to point out how they might have seemed reasonable… but…  Finally, warn the children that just like Jesus and Pinocchio they will face temptations, hard decisions when it will seem like doing the right thing might not be necessary.  (This could be a children’s sermon, but since most adults and teens will remember the story of Pinocchio, it could also be part of the “real” sermon.)

In “The Littlest Mermaid” Ariel trades her best gift, her voice, to Ursula the Sea Witch whom she knows to be evil, to get what she wants most, the chance to be with the prince on the land.  It was a bad decision from which she was saved only by the bravery and strength of her father and a few friends.