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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Year A - Transfiguration of the Lord (March 6, 2011)

6:43 PM | Posted by jamila | Edit Post
Matthew 17:1-9

OK, I know the Old Testament reading usually goes first.  But this is Transfiguration Sunday and all the texts for the day all relate to the gospel.  We can run, but we cannot hide.  So, let’s start with the key story.

Madeleine L’Engle talks about the function of myth as stories that can neither be proved nor disproved, but which describe the world and our place in it.  (See  http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/l'engle_3501.htm )  She suggests that we not get tangled up in whether or how such stories happened, but what they are trying to tell us.  That means that we simply tell the story to children.


Artists have portrayed the transfiguration repeatedly.  Google” transfiguration images” to find the images on this page and many others.  After reading the story, show worshipers some of these pictures.  Point out some of the differences in them.  Give children paper and crayons with which to draw their own picture of the transfiguration.  Invite them to post their pictures at a set place after the service for all to see.  (Art can be taped to the altar rail, to any fencing at the front of the sanctuary, or on a door.


The hymns based directly on this story are not very easy for children to sing.  Instead sing hymns about Jesus’ power and glory.

“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” is filled with impossibly complex words that describe all the ways God is more than we can understand.  Introduce it walking through the words in the first verse then inviting everyone to sing it enjoying all the words we can hardly know and the bigger-than-anyone-can-understand God they describe.
Immortal (God is forever, God never dies), Invisible (we can’t see God), God only wise.
In light inaccessible (God is so brightly amazing that we can’t see God) hid from our eyes….

“Fairest Lord, Jesus,” on the other hand, is filled with concrete images and simple words to praise Jesus who is still more than we can fully understand.  The final line links to the transfiguration saying “Jesus shines brighter; Jesus shines purer than all the angels heaven can boast.”

If you are going to bury the Alleluia next Sunday (Observing Lent and Celebrating Easter), sing “Come Christians Join to Sing” praising Jesus with repeated Alleluias.  Even non-reading children can join in on the Alleluias.  Present the Alleluia poster, explain what you will do with it next week, and display the poster throughout the service.  Include lots of Alleluias in the rest of today’s liturgy.


There are lots of examples of transfigurations in children’s literature.  Cinderella is seen for the person she really is with the help of her fairy godmother.  Simba seeing his reflection in a pond realizes that he really is father’s son and is meant to be the Lion King.  There are others.  Probably the best for preaching today is Fiona’s transfiguration in Shrek.  In a whirl of light and special effects the beautiful princess becomes an large, loving ogre.  Similarly, in a flash of light, Jesus who has been revealed to be the son of God “sets his face toward Jerusalem” claiming his task of suffering love.


Tread carefully with the superheroes like Superman, Spiderman, etc.  Each of these characters have super powers that are not obvious in their “everyday” persona.  They use these unique powers to do what normal humans cannot do.  In his transfiguration it is obvious that Jesus could call on some very spectacular powers, but he does not.  Instead, he offers himself in self-sacrificing love.  Unless you are steeped in the details of the lives and powers of the superheroes, I’d not bring them up.  Child fans will talk you into inescapable corners and mire you in there in complex details.


Exodus 24:12-18

Finding all the similarities in this story about Moses surrounded by God’s presence on Mt Sinai and the story of Jesus’ transfiguration is better done in a church school class of older children where they can read both texts, search out the details and then talk about what they mean.


Psalm 2 or Psalm 99 and 2 Peter 1:16-21

All of these passages have connections to the transfiguration story, but those connections are not very significant to children.  So, read and explore them for the adults.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Observing Lent and Celebrating Easter

9:01 AM | Posted by jamila | Edit Post
Most congregations work hard to include children in Advent and Christmas celebrations.  Lent and Easter are another story.  Often the children are not expected at and not even wanted at these worship services.  The hope is that they will hear the stories in church school or at home and join the congregation celebrating the stories when they are older and understand them more fully.  I think that is a mistake.  The Lent-Easter stories are the key stories of our faith and the worship services of Lent, Holy Week and Easter are our high Holy Days.  Children need to be part of them with the entire congregation.

I feel so strongly about this that I have written a book, Sharing the Easter Faith With Children.  It includes
-           information about what children understand about these stories at each age,
-          commentary on the Holy Week and Easter texts from a child’s point of view,
-          detailed plans for Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter services at which children are expected to be part of the congregation
-          study session plans for parents, teachers, and worship planners
-          an annotated bibliography of children’s literature related to Lent and Easter
The book offers LOTS more than I can put in a blog.  So, I encourage you to invest in it.  Buy it now and you will have lots of ideas for all the Lenten and Easter services which will not appear in these blog posts.  It is available at many of the usual on-line book sellers and in many religious bookstores.

But, until you get the book J here are a few ideas about including children in the congregation’s observation of Lent and celebration of Easter.

Children CAN hear the passion and resurrection stories.  From an early age they can be told that people who were angry with Jesus killed him on a cross, but that God would not let Jesus stay dead and made him alive again on Easter.  Over the years they add the details.  The younger the children the more they follow the emotions of the story rather than the facts.  For that reason it is important to always tell the whole story.  Even on Good Friday, mention the surprise that we know is waiting. 

Children also find different kinds of good news in the passion and resurrection stories than adults find in them.  Older preschoolers celebrate God as most powerful super power in the universe and are glad to be allied with God.  Younger elementary schoolers, who are moving out into the world on their own more and more, find comfort in the God who knows us and promises to be with us always even after we die.  Older elementary schoolers identify most strongly with Peter as he lived through Holy Week.  Jesus’ forgiveness of the best friend who betrayed him proves to them that God will forgive anything.  Adults find comfort in the promise of new life.  All these different versions of “the best news” enrich each other when they are woven into the congregation’s worship.

Exploring the stories in the sanctuary in worship gives them more power for children.  For example, a palm parade with other children in a classroom may be a kid thing, but a triumphant parade in the sanctuary with people of all ages communicates that this is indeed an important parade.  Hearing the story of the Last Supper is one thing, but celebrating the Last Supper on the “anniversary” of very night that Jesus invented it with the whole church brings the story to life.  Same with hearing the crucifixion story on Good Friday or getting up before sunrise to hear the story outside on Easter Sunday morning.

So, as you begin planning for the season as a whole, consider the following….

Make a big deal about changing the colors in the sanctuary.  Do it together on either Ash Wednesday or the first Sunday of Lent.  This can be fairly formal with people carrying out the white or green cloths and banners and others processing in with the purple ones.  Or, it can be more informal with worship leaders inviting worshipers to help change the paraments and explaining in the process the meaning of Lent and the purple.  Describe the changes in the sanctuary that will come on Good Friday and again on Easter.

Hide the ALLELUIA!  Many congregations ban the use of the word “Alleluia!” in the congregation’s worship during Lent.  To highlight this, create (or get young or older artists to create) a beautiful poster of the word, show the poster at the beginning of the service on the first Sunday of Lent, then put it in a box and tuck it somewhere in the sanctuary.  Leave it there until Easter where young children can check on it, if they wish.  On Easter morning, bring it out, shout it, sing it and enjoy it.

Encourage a Lenten worship discipline for children and their families.  Because Lent is basically spring training for disciples, it is an opportunity to encourage children to grow as worshipers. 

If you tend to use historic prayers of confession and assurances of pardon or repeated sung responses during Lent, introduce and explain them to the children during worship and encourage them to join in on praying and singing them.  (Many adults will listen appreciatively.)

Encourage households to pray together at home each day during Lent.  This can be as simple as challenging them to pray before one meal each day or at bedtime each day or to pray  the Lord’s Prayer together each day (perhaps learning it in the process).  Or, it can involve providing printed devotionals for households of different ages.  Young children learn the practice of daily prayer by praying with their parents.  Older children often begin to pray on their own when provided a printed guide to be followed for a set period.  If you do this, don’t simply set the discipline at the beginning of Lent.  Mention it throughout Lent encouraging people to keep with it or get back to it if they have let it slip.  Congratulate them at the end of Lent and give specific suggestions for keeping the discipline going.

As you plan services that include children, be sure to invite them and their parents repeatedly.  One parenthetical “children are welcome” will not do the job.  You will have to say that children are not only welcome, but are encouraged to attend.  Be sure to set the times of weekday services with children and families in mind, i.e. before bedtime on a school night.  Explain to the whole congregation why it is important that children participate in these services. 

If reading this is recalling ways congregations you know have included children in their Lenten and Easter worship, share it in the comments section.  We all need all the ideas we can gather on this one!
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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Year A - Eighth Sunday in Epiphany/ Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 27, 2011)

5:20 PM | Posted by jamila | Edit Post
Isaiah 49:8-16a

Isaiah’s message to the Jews living in Exile or recently returned is that God is with them and loves them always.  Children will hear that most clearly in verses 15c -16a, “I will not forget you.  See, I have inscribed you in the palm of my hand.”  The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, captures this in the story of a Mother Raccoon who sends her fearful child off to his first night at school after kissing the palm of his hand and instructing him to press his palm against his face any time he needs to feel his mother’s love.  Many children go off to school, summer camp, or scary new situations having heard this story and carrying parental kisses in their hands.  

Read the whole book  - less than 5 minutes to read aloud.  (Your public library will probably have multiple copies.)  Then read the phrases from Isaiah and state that you believe there is a connection here.  Isaiah says that God has your name written in the palm of God’s hand and God will never forget about you. 

If this is a children’s time and the children are seated near you and not too many in number, remind them that Chester also kissed his mother’s palm and gave her the same instructions.  Then, write “God” in the palm of each child’s hand with a marker reminding each child to remember that God loves him or her always.  If possible, say each child’s name as you do this.


The last page of the book shows the American sign language sign for “I love you” being given by a raccoon paw.  Use it to teach the congregation the sign and tell them to make it when they need to remember that God loves them and will not forget them and that they love God.




Psalm 131

Consider reading this psalm from the Today’s English Version (The Good News Bible).  It does not use the term “weaned child” which is unfamiliar to children and not something you want to explain in the sanctuary and it translates the second phrase of verse 1 “I am not concerned with great matters or subjects too difficult for me.”  Most children have experience with subjects at school that are “too difficult for me.”  That can be the entry into discussing with the whole congregation how it feels to be coping with issues or subjects that are just too hard.

This psalm is so short that it can be read in worship more than once.  So, invite worshipers to listen to it as you read it through a first time.  Make some comments about trusting God.  Instruct everyone to relax in their seat, maybe stretch their neck a little, and close their eyes.  Then, read the psalm again slowly and thoughtfully.  Conclude with “Let’s God’s people say, Amen”

At any age it is easy to sing a hymn without thinking about the words.  For children it is hard to read the new words and string them together into meaningful sentences as you sing.  So invite the congregation to follow in their hymnals as you talk your way through the words of the first verse of “Be Still My Soul”  before singing the whole song together. 

Be still my soul; the Lord is on your side.
God loves you and is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Having God on your side doesn’t mean that everything will always go the way you want it to; but you can get through the bad times knowing that even in them God is on your side.
Leave to your God to order and provide.
Remember that God is in charge.
In every change God faithful will remain.
God will be with you in all the scary changes.  For children those changes include a new school, moving, the arrival of a sibling, parents divorcing, having to learn something new and hard, going away to camp or live with relatives….
Be still me soul, your best, your heavenly friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Recall the thorny part of the crucifixion that led to Jesus’ joyful resurrection and note that Jesus is with us all the way through both our joyful and thorny times.

Walking through the first verse gives children a sense of it and is about all they can absorb.  It also encourages the adults to pay attention to what they are singing in this verse and all others.


1 Corinthians 4:1-5

To get everyone into this text, point out that you feel some real connections to Paul.  You are both ministers.  You both do a lot of preaching and teaching.  You both help people in churches solve problems and visit with people when they are sick or getting married or dying.  You even know what Paul was talking about here when he said that people were “judging him.”  They were comparing him to another preacher named Apollos.  They were saying things like, “You surely don’t preach like Apollos” or “Apollos would have never done that” or even “Apollos is a better minister than you are, Paul.”  Ouch!  Point out how that hurt Paul and how it hurts you and other preachers when it happens to you.  Then, dig into Paul’s response.  Paul said that it didn’t matter what they thought about how he did his job.  It didn’t even matter what he thought about how good a minister he was.  The only one that had the right to ”judge” Paul is God.  So, Paul’s job was to do the very best job he could at what he thought God wanted him to do and not to worry about what other people thought about how he was doing his job.  After noting that ministers often have to reread this passage when people compare them to other ministers, suggest that this is probably also true for people in other jobs.   Even children are often compared to better students, piano players, athletes, or kinder, sweeter children.  Maybe the worst is feeling compared unfavorably to siblings.  We all have to take Paul’s advice that no one can judge us but God.  So, all we can do is do the best we can.  Note that this is not easy advice to take and that you bet even Paul reread what he had just written and thought, “I know that is what I WANT to think, but man it isn’t as easy as it looks on paper.”
This could be a children’s sermon or it could be the beginning of the real sermon.  In the latter case, older children especially can be drawn into hearing about your feelings about being judged as a minister.  Though they may not stick with you for the entire sermon, they will listen for a while and conclude that, at least occasionally, sermons might be for them as well as for the grown-ups.

Name-calling is one of the most damaging form of judgment for many children.  “You are such a….”  “only a … would do that” or “You are so…..” are phrases hurled at other children to embarrass them and put them in their place.  If we follow Paul’s example, we do not call people names and when others call us names, we remember that only God can judge us (not these other kids) and that our job is to do the best we can and remember that God loves us (even if some other kids do not).



To explore name-calling among children further, go to http://www.nonamecallingweek.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/resources/index.html.   This is the resources page for a group that sponsors a rapidly growing No Name Calling Week campaign in schools K-12.  The week was January 24-28, 2011; but the resources can be used any day.


Matthew 6:24-34

Judging by lectionary helps on line, most worship planners will use this passage to explore our tendency to worry – about almost everything.  Adults can think about worrying in the general seeing similarities in worrying about money, love life, safety, etc.  Children think in the specific.  For them, pick one or two worry targets to explore in detail.  For example,

worrying about how tall and good looking you might get.  Kids dreaming of being basketball stars want to be tall.  Gymnasts and dancers want to stay small.  Everyone wants to grow beautiful and can hardly believe that one day they will look anything like the glamorous teenagers or adults they admire.  They need reminders that they can’t worry their way taller or shorter.  Or,

prodded and even spooked by ads that insist that unless they wear a certain brand of clothes, they will have a miserable life, many children, especially the girls, but also the boys, worry about wearing the right clothes.  They need help from as many sources as possible to realize that the ads are wrong.  They, like the lilies of the field, can be beautiful without the in-brand of clothes.

Introduce children and older worshipers to the practice of the breath prayer as a way of coping with worries.  A breath prayer has two parts: one a name of God that fits the prayer and the second a very short request for help in dealing with the problem, e.g. “God, help me feel OK at school.”  God’s name is said while breathing in and the request is said while breathing out.  Breath prayers can be planned out in advance and then prayed silently throughout the day as needed. 

“Mammon”, which looks a lot like mammal to early readers, is best translated for children as “stuff.”  Stuff includes clothes, toys, books, electronic gadgets, and other things we think we “gotta have.”  The text says you can’t serve God at the same time as you spend all your time thinking about, playing with, and taking care of all your stuff.  Jesus says the most important rules in the world are ”love God” and “love other people.”  Mammon says “love your stuff” or the most important things in the world are having the right stuff, having all the stuff you want, and taking care of your stuff.

The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes, is the story of older elementary school girls who harass a new girl who wears the same faded dress to school every day but boasts of having 100 dresses of silk and velvet at home.  Finally, the abuse takes its toll and the girl’s father withdraws her from school and moves away in search of a place where they will be more welcome.  Wanda leaves behind as her entry student art contest 100 drawings of beautiful dresses.  Her drawings win the contest and the embarrassed admiration of the girls who had judged her so harshly.  This classic story speaks both to the epistle theme of judging others and to Jesus’ insistence that getting so very focused on what we wear leads to trouble.  The 96 page book will need to be read in advance by a worship leader and retold in his or her own words.   Available in public and elementary school libraries.


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Friday, December 31, 2010

Year A - Seventh Sunday in Epiphany, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 20, 2011)

5:10 PM | Posted by jamila | Edit Post
Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18

Unlike the NRSV, Today’s English Version (The Good News Bible) does not assume that the reader knows about gleaning and other old practices.  That makes it easier for children to follow.

Invite the congregation to join in reading the scripture by saying the “I am the Lord” phrase each time it appears.  Print the text in the bulletin and explain the meaning of the phrase in this context before reading together.  The script below uses Today’s English Version.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

Leader:            The Lord told Moses to say to the community of Israel,
Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 
When you harvest your fields,
     do not cut the corn at the edges of the fields,
     and do not go back to cut the ears of corn that were left.  
Do not go back through your vineyard to gather the grapes
     that were missed or to pick up the grapes that have fallen;
     leave them for poor people and foreigners.

All:                  I am the Lord your God.

Leader:            Do not steal or cheat or lie.  
Do not make a promise in my name if you do not intend to keep it;
                   that brings disgrace on my name.

All:                  I am the Lord your God.

Leader:            Do not take advantage of anyone or rob him.
Do not hold back the wages of someone you have hired,
     not even for one night.  
Do not curse a deaf man or
     put something in front of a blind man so as to make him stumble.
Obey me;

All:                  I am the Lord your God.

Leader:            Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases;
     do not show favouritism to the poor or fear the rich.  
Do not spread lies about anyone, and
     when someone is on trial for his life,
                  speak out if your testimony can help him.

All:                  I am the Lord.

Leader:            Do not bear a grudge against anyone,
                             but settle your differences with him,
                             so that you will not commit a sin because of him.  
Do not take revenge on anyone or continue to hate him,
     but love your neighbour as you love yourself.

All:                  I am the Lord.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Most children are told (and want) to be cool, smart, happy, good…   But Moses is calling them to be “holy.”   Most of them have no real idea of what that means.  Some may connect “holy” with extra good (maybe even overly good) people and therefore not want to make it a goal for themselves.  They will need help defining the word.

One starting point is the fact that the word is used to describe God.  If the word appears anywhere in the sanctuary, point it out.  Look at the Holy of Holy Bible.  Consider starting worship by singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” and then talking about what we sang about God.

Then,

work with the fact that we are made in God’s image and are meant to be as like God as we can be.  That means we are supposed to be holy.  The specific commands in the text provide examples of what God does that is holy and the ways God calls us to be holy.

Or,

point out that holy means set aside for God.  Just as the Bible, the communion table, etc are set aside for the service of God, we are also set aside to be God’s people.  That means we are holy.  At our baptism we are set aside for God. 

To explore how we are set aside for God at our baptism and thus holy, select a few key phrases from your congregation’s ritual.  For me, it would be “you are Christ’s forever” and maybe “do you renounce evil.”  Talk briefly about what each phrase says about how we live every day at school and how we treat other people. 

Side bar:  Many children hear the word holy most often in expletives -  holy smoke, holy mackerel, holy cow, and probably a number of phrases you’d rather not utter in the sanctuary, but which one of them will if given a chance.  It is possible to note these phrases illustrating with a few of your choice, then point out that they make no sense at all.  They are simply things we say when we are so frustrated or angry that we have to say something flashy.  Rather than use holy which refers to God to do this we can use other words.  Some children make up long twisted words or phrases like “horseradish pickles.”  A case can be made that using holy in this way is misusing God’s name.  This is definitely a side bar and not the heart of today’s worship themes.

At the beginning of the service, identify HOLY as the word of the day and challenge children to count the number of times it is used in worship.  Hear their counts as they leave the sanctuary and congratulate them on their effort.



Psalm 119:33-44

This is the second of the Psalm 119 readings.  It continues the alphabet poem with today’s verses starting with the Hebrew letter he.  It could be read following the reading plan for the psalm on the Fifth Sunday in Epiphany.  The synonyms for Law that were featured for the psalm on the Sixth Sunday in Epiphany could also be used here. 


All the lines of this section start with a verb asking God’s help in living by the Law, or for today’s purposes for being holy.  After reading the lines the poet offers, make up some of your own and challenge worshipers to create lines of their own, e.g.
Teach me how to tell the truth – all the time
Show me how to be a good big brother
Remind me to be kind even to people who are not kind to me


1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

The “you” in this passage is the church not any individual.  The church is God’s temple, where God is present and known.  The writer is exploring the value of the church and the responsibility of leaders and members to care for it, protect it, even keep it “holy” (tying into the Leviticus reading).  Children are ready to hear this message, but will not be able to hear it as the text is read.  Instead, they will depend on worship leaders to identify and explore the theme.

As background for the text, identify leaders in your congregation. 

Identify the elected leaders and give a brief child-friendly description of their responsibilities.  Ask those who fill those offices to stand so the children and others can see them. 

In addition, identify some of the unelected leaders.  Name some people who take care of the church by quietly doing specific jobs, e.g. people who set up the sanctuary for worship, people who take a turn in the church nursery, people who maintain the church’s library or kitchen, or anyone else who does work that cares for the church. 

If you pray for the leaders of your congregation, be as specific as possible.  Name the offices and pray about the work of those in that office.  Though you may not want to name names of unelected leaders you can pray for those who do very specific tasks.

Thank you God for the people who work so hard on the worship planning team to provide prayers and songs and readings that guide all of us every day. 

God, be with the deacons as they visit people who are sick and sad and lonely.  Help them find the words to say that will remind people how much you love them and how much we love them.  Keep them safe as they deliver food and run errands for people.

Use the finger-play “Here is the church, Here is the steeple, Open the doors to see all the people.”  The second verse (with fingers on the outside instead of inside) is “You can have a church, But not have a steeple, But you can’t have a church without any people.”  After demonstrating the finger play and inviting everyone to go through it with you, keep your fingers up and wiggling.  Announce that today we are thinking about the fingers, the people of the church, that is us.  Point out that every one of us is responsible for the care and protection of the church. 

Matthew 5:38-48

Love here is a verb that means treat with respect.  To most children love is a feeling or the way you act when you feel good about someone.  Jesus’ teaching is that we should treat everyone, even people we do not feel good about and those who are  not nice to us, with respect.  We must remember that no matter how they are treating us, they are God’s children and we need to treat them with respect.  This takes some explaining!

If the children seated are near you, hold out your hand and ask a child to slap your hand.  After the slap act surprised and say, “You slapped me!  I owe you one.”   Then insist that the child hold out his or her hand.  Gently slap it.  Then say, “Oh no!  Now you owe me a slap.” and offer your hand.  Continue for several rounds.  Then, stop yourself before you slap the child’s hand.  “This could go on forever.”  Announce that you are owed a chance to slap, but you are not going to take it.  It is the only way you can stop the slapping.  Thank the child who slapped with you.  Then, note to everyone that this was a rather silly demonstration of something serious we face all the time.  If someone hurts us, we want to hurt them back.  If they call us a name, we call them one back.  If someone breaks something of ours, we want to break something of theirs.  If someone slaps or hits or kicks, we want to slap or hit or kick back.  The problem with that is that every one forgets who started it and keeps on hurting each other.  Jesus tells us we have the power to stop all the hurting.  Even if we deserve a chance to hit or kick or call names back when someone hurts us, we can refuse.  It is one of the hardest things Jesus asks us to do.  Note briefly that this doesn’t mean we should let anyone who wants to hurt us do so any way they can at any time they want.  What Jesus says is that we should find another way to get things straightened out.  Lots of time we need help to figure out that way.  Jesus knows that and urges us to get all the help we can, but not to hit, slap, kick, hurt back. 

Several stories in which children refuse to participate in revenge are worthy sermon illustrations.

The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles, tells the true story of a seven year old African American girl who was escorted to school every day for months by federal marshals through angry yelling white crowds as schools were desegregated in the American south.  Each day she prayed asking God to forgive the people who were yelling at her.  Children may have heard this story during Black History month at school as an example of how hard it was to end segregation.  Revisit the story in worship as an example of a girl who chose to forgive rather than retaliate.  Check this out from the public library if it available.

The Christmas Menorahs: How A Town Fought Hate, by Janice Cohn, is too long to read in worship (40 pages).  Read it in advance and tell the story in your own words during the sermon.  A hate group threw a rock through the bedroom window of a Jewish boy in Billings, Montana.  There was a menorah lit in the window.  In response the children of all faiths in the town drew menorahs to put in their own windows.  The local newspaper printed a full page menorah for families to color in.  A Catholic high school posted a huge banner that read, "Let's all try to get along."  It was the community’s way of standing up to a bunch of bullies.  The book includes the legend about the King of Denmark wearing a yellow star when the occupying Nazis decreed that all Jews must wear a yellow star.  Available in many public libraries.

Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson, is a picture book describing how Dad helped his son get rid of a neighborhood enemy by baking an enemy pie.  The secret ingredient in the pie was that the son had to spend the entire afternoon with his enemy being nice to him.  Of course the enemy was dispatched by becoming  a friend.  The story could be told briefly in your own words during the sermon or could be read in its entirety in 10 minutes.  While it is a bit simplistic, the story teaches a clear message and is enjoyed by listeners of all ages.  Though the story is not widely familiar, I found several copies in the local public library.

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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Year A - Sixth Sunday in Epiphany Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 13, 2011)

11:36 AM | Posted by jamila | Edit Post
Deuteronomy 30: 15-20

Two ways to read this passage in worship:

Tell the back story.  Imagine Moses with all the people on the edge of the Promised Land.  Recall the escape from Egypt, the 10 Commands, the 40 years in the wilderness.  Point out that Moses is old and has appointed a new leader to take the people into the Land God promised them.  This is Moses’ goodbye speech.  Then read the text, or ask an elderly man who is well known in the congregation to read it.

Invite children forward and meet them on the steps with the big Bible.  Ask how many of them have been told to make good choices.  After briefly talking about what people mean when they give you “the good choices lecture,” point out that the first good choices lecture is in the Bible.  Briefly tell the story of Moses leading the people out of Egypt and through the wilderness.  Recall God’s opening the sea for their escape, providing food and water when it was needed, and giving them the 10 Commandments to show them how to live.  Explain that the people are now right on the border of the Promised Land.  Before he hands leadership over to Joshua, Moses gives the people some advice about living in their new homes.  Then read the Deuteronomy text using your voice and facial expressions to emphasize the choices Moses is offering the people.  This is best as the “real” reading of the text for the entire congregation.

The hard part about “choosing life” is that instead of making one big choice that you make once and then go about your business, you have to choose life in lots of little choices that you make every day.  For example, given the choice between getting and A or an F on your report card, most people would choose the A.  But to get that A requires lots of choices every day, like, "should I do my homework or play a computer game?"  The only way to get the A is to choose to study every day.  In the same way, if we want to live in a happy family, we have to choose to help out sometimes rather than do we want to do all the time.  Likewise, if we want to choose God’s ways, we have to make that choice over and over again every day.


Psalm 119:1-8

This is the first of two readings from Psalm 119, a long alphabet poem made up of sections of lines beginning with the same letter.  All the lines in this week’s section begin with the Hebrew letter aleph.  It can be read by a group of children or by the congregation following the plan for Psalm 112 for Psalm 119 in the Fifth Sunday in Epiphany. 

Psalm 119 is a poem praising God’s Law.  It is filled with lots of big words that mean the same thing as Law.  Since these words show up other places in the Bible and in worship, use this as an opportunity to introduce the words.  Try one or more of the following:

Make a poster of the words.  Introduce each word simply as another word for God’s rules.  Invite the congregation to say them with you.  Leave them on display for the rest of the service. (This poster is based on NRSV.  Be sure your poster matches your translation.)

Precepts
Law
Statutes
Ordinances
Decrees
Commandments

If the text is printed in the bulletin, after presenting the word poster, suggest that worshipers underline each word they see in the text.  

Then read the text aloud with worshipers following along in their bulletins.

To join the psalmist in pondering the value of good rules, explore the importance of rules to games.  Good rules are what makes the game fun to play.  Consider the mess that results when soccer or checkers players don’t play by the rules of the game.  Don’t expect children to make the jump to the rules for life.


Since the subject of both this psalm and the gospel reading is God's Law, think some about how children understand and use rules:    Children first see rules as indisputable givens ordained by the adults.  The youngest follow them to avoid punishment from the enforcing adults.  By kindergarten they are using the rules to get rewards and win approval from the adults.  During early elementary school children begin to understand that rules can be negotiated.  We can decide the rules we live by.  At this time, children will often spend more time vigorously debating the rules of a game than they do playing the game.  They also insist that once agreed on the rules must be enforced strictly and apply to all.  “That isn’t fair!” is the outraged cry of this stage.  As adolescence comes, young people begin to see the difference between literally enforcing a rule and following the spirit behind the rule.  That is a big jump that many never make, or make with some rules but not others.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Paul is addressing a complex adult situation in a church long ago.  It would take a lot of explaining to get children to understand what was going on then; and once they understood they wouldn’t much care.  Two points do speak to children without understanding the rest of what is going on.

Paul says that people who are jealous and who quarrel are acting like babies and need to grow up.   Jealousy means wanting everything someone else has or is that you like.  Jealous people can’t see anything they like without wanting it for themselves.   One description of a two year olds law of possession is “I see it.  I want it.  It’s mine!”   Grownups can see something beautiful that someone else has or something wonderful that they can do without thinking, “That should be mine!  I want it!”  None of us, even when we are 90 years old, are totally grownup, which means all of us have to work on not being jealous of others and what they have.  Similarly, nobody agrees with everyone else all the time.  We want different things.  We understand things differently.  "Babies" want everyone to agree with them all the time and fuss (or quarrel) with anyone who does not.  “Do it my way!” they insist.  Grown-ups know that people are different and work to get along with people who disagree with them. 

Paul says that each person has an important contribution to make to the whole church.  God knits all those contributions together.  For children (and adults) today that means that everyone in their church has something to offer.  Some sing in the choir, some work at the soup kitchen, some teach church school, some coach church sports teams, and so forth.  Each one is needed and no one is better than the others.  God uses everyone’s contribution.


Matthew 5:21-37

This reading includes Jesus’ sayings about four separate laws. 

To keep them separate, have each one read by a different reader. 

Or, If the preacher is going to comment on all four of them, consider reading the sections one at the time with the preacher commenting on each one as it is read.  The back and forth between the reader and the preacher will keep the attention of younger worshipers.

The sayings about anger may be the most challenging for people of all ages.  Jesus begins by setting aside the belief that it’s OK to be angry as long as you don’t act on it in a way that hurts someone.  Fortunately he also seems to assume that everyone does get angry and then offers a suggestion about coping with anger.  The specifics of his suggestion are foreign to children today, but the idea behind them is still the best advice available to children.  To today’s children Jesus says,
Everyone gets angry.  It just happens.  Good people get angry as often as bad people do.  Adults, teenagers, and children all get angry.  So the question is what do you do when you get angry. 

First (and Jesus doesn’t suggest this in Matthew), take a little break.  Give yourself time out, count to ten, do something physical (shoot baskets, scrub a floor), enjoy your favorite music,  whatever works for you.  If you feel like shouting and calling someone names, do it where no one else can hear. 

Next (and Jesus does say not to wait too long to do this), name the problem that makes you angry and figure out something to do about it.  The Bible says, “be reconciled” with the person who made you angry.  That means work it out with It with them.  Figure out how to solve the problem between you.  That is not easy.  Frequently it helps to get advice or help from other people. 

If you need examples of things that make children angry, try some of the following.
Your little sister just drew pictures all over your homework…
Your brother borrowed your ball glove and left it outside in the rain…
Your father blamed you for something you did not do…
Your mother insists that you babysit your little brother instead of play with
     your friend….

A biblical example of the danger of unaddressed anger that may be familiar to children:  Joseph’s big brothers were angry (Joseph was dad’s favorite, got a special coat, told them dreams he had in which they bowed down to him).  The brothers let their anger build.  Then when they got the chance, they threw Joseph in a pit and were going to leave him there (murder), when they had a chance to sell him to passing slave traders (definitely a sin).

The section on adultery with its unfamiliar vocabulary will fly over the heads of most children and that is just fine.

The sayings about divorce are aimed at the adults, but the children know all about divorce.  All the studies say that parental divorces cause deep pain to children and leave lasting scars.  So in addressing this issue with the adults, do remember the children are listening, some quite intently.  Name some of the pain divorce inflicts on children – two houses with two different sets of rules, upended holidays, loss of image of themselves set in a sturdy family.  (Many therapists say older children and youth actually lose their sense of identity when their parents divorce and must be helped to recreate a new identity that fits the new situation.) 

Build around Jesus’ insistence that divorce is a sin, the grace that he offers all sinners.  But don’t expect children to grasp that general statement and apply it to their parents.  Name a number of common sins such as lying cheating, stealing, jealousy, fighting.  Describe in specifics the damage they do.  And, note that God forgives us for all these things – and forgives people when their marriages become so broken that divorce is the only way out.  Make sure the children know that God still loves parents who get divorced and the children whose parents get divorces.

The verses on swearing oaths address the complicated ways people of that day were trying to avoid telling the whole or real truth.  Children today are familiar with “stretching the truth,” telling white lies, fish tales (how big was that fish?!), and crossing your fingers behind your back while telling a lie.  Jesus says all of these ways of avoiding telling the truth are wrong.  We are to tell the truth always.

One of the best known stories about the problem with not telling the truth is “The Boy who called Wolf!”
Once there was a boy who spent his days taking care of the sheep near his village.  When he was bored one day, just to see what would happen, he yelled “Wolf!”  All the villagers stopped what they were doing and ran to help him protect the sheep.   “Fooled you,” he laughed.   A few days later, thinking about how funny everyone looked running from the village, he cried “wolf!” again.  And, again the villagers left what they were doing and ran to his aid.  “Fooled you again!” he laughed long and loud.  So, the following week, when a wolf really did appear slowly circling the sheep, and the boy cried, “Wolf!” the villagers stayed where they were and kept on with their work.  Without the help of the villagers the boy could not keep the wolf from killing and dragging off several sheep, sheep the villagers could not afford to lose. 

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