Year A - Proper 11, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 17, 2011)

Genesis 28:10-19a

This text needs a context to make sense.  Before hearing it, listeners need to be reminded of the feuding brothers we met last week and hear the story of Jacob and his mother tricking his father Isaac into giving him brother Esau’s blessing.  One way to do this is to invite the children forward and tell the story in your best storyteller style.  End with Rebekah hurrying Jacob away from the furious Esau out into the desert with directions to his Uncle Laban’s house – a long way away.  Then send them back to their seats to listen to what happened next as you read it from the Bible.

Genesis 28:10-19a and Psalm 139:1-12,23-24

Jacob says “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.”  The Psalmist says that God knows me completely and is with me wherever I go. 

Instead of gathering prayer concerns, gather where I will be or what I will be doing this week statements from worshipers of all ages.  Start it by describing briefly someplace you will be or something you will do during the coming week, then saying “Surely the Lord is in this place.”  Ask one or two others to say where they will be responding to each with “Surely the Lord is in this place.”  Then, hear statements from the congregation.  Depending on the number of worshipers, you (or the whole congregation) can repeat the phrase after each statement or wait until all the plans for the week are named before repeating the phrase for the group. 

The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, is a conversation between a young bunny who is planning to run away and his mother who promises to come after him no matter where he goes.  In the end he decides he might as well stay home.  There is an easy connection between the mother bunny and God who comes after us and supports wherever we go.  It can be read aloud in 3 or 4 minutes - unless you take time to look at the art and ponder it a bit with worshipers. 

The book could be read as a bedtime story for Jacob as he falls asleep away from home with a rock for a pillow in the middle of the desert or it can be read as another poet’s version of Psalm 139.

Saint Patrick’s Breastplate is yet another way of saying what the psalmist says and what Jacob learned in the desert.  Introduce it to children by inviting them to copy your motions as you read it slowly.  Use it again at the benediction either leading the whole congregation in the movements or asking the children to come stand with you and lead the congregation in the benediction.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Christ with me (hug yourself),

Christ before me (both palms up in front of you),

Christ behind me (arms behind you),

Christ in me (hands over heart),

Christ beneath me (spread legs and firm your stance),

Christ above me (hands over head),

Christ on my right (hand out to right),

Christ on my left, (hand out to left)

Christ when I lie down

       (make a pillow with your hands and lay your head in it),

Christ when I sit down (sit down),

Christ when I arise (stand up),

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me (point to head),

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me (point to mouth),

Christ in every eye that sees me (point to eyes),

Christ in every ear that hears me (point to ears).

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Romans 8:12-25

The idea of being a full member of God’s family is the most child-accessible idea in this passage.  Do not however, expect children to hear it as the text is read.  Instead, talk about what it means to be a member of a family.  On the good days family members take care of each other and enjoy being together.  Families make their home together.  Some families run a business together, some garden together, some share interests and concerns that they work on together.  They celebrate holidays and sometimes go on vacations together.  Even on the bad days, families take care of each other and work together.  If someone in the family gets sick or if there isn’t enough money, everyone in the family is involved.  Then read the Good News Translation of verses 14-17 in which the family language is much clearer.  The key points are

1.      God doesn’t say to us that we can be God’s slaves or servants or even that God will keep us around as long as we do well.  Instead God says that we are part of the family now and forever, no matter what.

2.      Because we are part of God’s family, we can expect to enjoy the happy days in the family.  But we must also be ready to stick with the family when the going gets hard.  We have to take care of members of the family who need us and we have to stand up for the family.  When I was growing up and wanted to do something that my parents knew I should not, I often said, “but all the other kids are….” to which my father frequently replied, “but you are not all the other kids.  You are a Carter girl and the Carters do not….”

If you are also reading the story of Jacob, point out that even after all he did God did not kick Jacob out of the family.  Instead, God promised to stick with him throughout his life and even told him that through him everyone in the world would be blessed.  Jacob is a good person to remember when we feel like we should be kicked out of God’s family.

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Before reading this parable, display a collection of photographs of blooming plants.  Ask worshipers to identify those that are flowers and those that are weeds.  Include a few like a dandelion that are familiar weeds.  But also include some questionable ones, e.g. Queen Anne’s Lace used to be considered a weed, but is now grown in some gardens.  Conclude that is very hard to know what is weed and what is a desirable flower.  Then read the parable.

Or, challenge a gardener to create a floral display in which weeds and flowers are intermingled.  During worship have a conversation with him or her about which are which.  Note how hard it is for most people, even good gardeners, to tell them apart.  Then read the parable.

Severus Snape

In the Harry Potter books there are several evil people (total weeds), but there are many more people whose loyalties are questionable.  Severus Snape was a teacher everyone hated and seemed often to be on the side of evil.  Repeatedly during the books, Dumbledore warns Harry that his dislike of Snape may not be fair.  In the end he is proven to be a hero.  Likewise, the whole Malfoy family (Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco) in the end is left among the bystanders.  They harbored serious prejudices against all who were not pure-blooded wizards and were allied with Lord Voldemort, but they loved each other and sacrificed to save others in several crisis situations.  J. K. Rowling, like Jesus, warns people not to write other people off as “evil weeds.”  In the parable Jesus insists that it is God who judges.  We are to withhold judgment because we cannot see everything.

Year A - Holy or Maundy Thursday (April 21,2011)

For children, Maundy Thursday is all about celebrating Holy Communion on the night Jesus invented it.  Just as the Nativity stories have special power on Christmas Eve, the Eucharist has added power on Maundy Thursday.  Just to be there participating in the sacrament on this night says that I am one of God’s people.  Because I eat at this table, I belong. 

Unfortunately, many congregations do not encourage children to attend this service.  The fact that it is on a school night makes it easy to decide that children will not be able to come and therefore to neither plan for their presence nor encourage them and their families to come.  After a few years of such expectations it takes more than one or two “children are welcome” notes to reverse the trend.  A clear invitation to families to join all God’s people to hear the stories of the most important days of the year and to celebrate the sacrament that was introduced on that night is needed.  It also helps to include children in some way in leadership.  Consider

   - asking a church school class to prepare the elements for
     communion,

   - including children among the readers during the Tenebrae,

   - asking children’s choirs to sing, and

   - calling on families with children to serve as greeters and ushers.

Stories are important on this night.  The key story is the bread and cup of the Last supper.  But the story of washing the disciples feet, the failure of the church in Corinth to gather as a loving community to celebrate communion, and the Passover story are also part of the night.  And, though the Passion story belongs to Good Friday, all the stories told on Maundy Thursday look to the Good Friday stories.  In any given service only one or maybe two of the supporting stories can be involved.

The Last Supper is at the heart of the day.  Children imagine themselves in the room with the disciples eating with Jesus.  The Revised Common Lectionary sets John's gospel (with no bread or cup) as the gospel reading for the night.  For the sake of the children, you may want to read or tell one of the synoptic accounts in addition.  This year  read Matthew 26:17-20, 26-30.  Sitting around tables rather than in rows (whether you share a meal or not) also brings the story to life.   Using a loaf or matzo rather than wafer brings worshipers closer to the food of that first night

. 

 Jesus Washes the Disciple’s Feet.  You can almost see all the disciples looking at their feet, knowing that someone needs to do the washing, thinking that if they don’t make eye contact with anyone maybe it won’t be them.  Then Jesus does it.  He washes the feet of the people who will desert him.  He even washes the feet of Judas who will turn him in and tell his enemies where to find him.  I think a case could be made that Jesus did this as either practice for what was coming on Friday, as a demonstration of what it means to love, or maybe both. 

Like everyone else in the room, he knew everyone’s feet needed to be washed.  Maybe he thought to himself, “OK, if I can wash their feet - even wash Judas’ feet - tonight, maybe I can believe that I can do what is coming tomorrow.”  This makes sense to most children.  When washing feet is compared to yucky jobs that must be done every day – taking out the garbage, cleaning the cat’s litter, turning the compost pile, cleaning the bathrooms, dealing with a diaper pail – it calls them to join Jesus in practicing love.  The first challenge is to do these jobs for people we love and who love us back.  As we do we imagine doing them for someone who mistreats us and we remember that Jesus washed Judas’ feet.

While surfing for pictures of foot washing, I came across photos of weddings at which the groom washes the bride’s feet during the ceremony.  I’m guessing (hoping!) the groom gets his feet washed too.  This is a new idea to me and I’m not espousing it.  But it is an interesting wedding ritual that points out the very non-romantic ways husbands and wives (and all family members!) are to love each other. 

After washing their feet Jesus gives the disciples and us a new rule, “Love one another as I have loved you.” How do we love one another?  We wash their feet and do whatever else is needed (even the yucky jobs) to take care of them.

After washing the feet and sending Judas away to do his deed, Jesus announced, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.”  Or,

          “If you want to see the glory of God, watch me wash feet. 

            If you want to share in the glory of God, wash feet like I do.”

God’s glory is not seen in people walking on red carpets or standing on championship stands.  God’s glory is seen in people taking care of those around them – even washing their feet when needed.  This definition of God’s glory is a hard sell with children and worshippers of all ages.

Sidebar:  Peter was offended by Jesus’ offer to wash his feet.  Youth and adults today understand his feelings.  But, children are used to being tended in many personal ways.  So, Peter’s issue isn’t their issue - yet. 

Display a towel and a basin prominently throughout the service.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 if taken in its context is the opposite of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.  The wealthier members of the church at Corinth came early with all their food to the church suppers.  They did not wait to eat until the poorer members got off their jobs and could come.  So, there was often nothing left for the poorer members when they arrived.  Paul calls them on their lack of loving care of people in need.

The Passover   Older children, especially those who have Jewish friends, are fascinated by the connection between Passover and the Last Supper.  But, before they can understand it, they have to hear the story of the Passover, know some of the details of the Seder, and know the details of Holy Communion.   Maundy Thursday worship is not the place to start into all three from scratch.  What you can do…

Invite the children forward for the reading of Exodus 12:14,11-14.  Then point out that God saved the Jews from slavery in Egypt.  Jesus and his disciples were remembering this story on the night of the last supper.  The very next day, Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin and death.  Note the similarity.  God saves us over and over again. 

Before Holy Week, invite a Jewish family to walk families of your congregation through a Seder.  They could just tell about it or present pictures of themselves celebrating it (maybe in a Powerpoint?)  Or, with their direction you could prepare a Seder meal to eat together with them leading the whole group through it.  Then, on Maundy Thursday seat worshipers around tables in the fellowship hall with communion elements on each table.  Read the Passover story and the story of the Last Supper before celebrating communion.

Exploring the Passover connection tends to lead adults to speak of Jesus as the Lamb of God.  Remember if you do that children think literally and are easily confused by metaphorical language.  For them the easiest way to understand Lamb of God is as a nickname for Jesus.  Actually, I’d save this term for other worship settings.

There are so many vivid stories vying for their attention in worship this night, that most children will miss Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 entirely.  That may be just fine.  Unpacking it enough for them to understand requires more than it is probably worth on Maundy Thursday.  So include it in the liturgy for the adults.

Tenebrae was originally celebrated on Good Friday, but many congregations, especially those who do not worship together on Good Friday, include it in Maundy Thursday worship following communion.  It is a candle lighting service in reverse.  Seven or eight candles are lighted in the beginning with each one snuffed out as a part of the Passion is read.  A deep toned hand bell may be sounded as each candle is snuffed.  Then after a moment of darkness, a single candle is relit to remind us of the coming resurrection and the congregation departs in silence.  Children deeply appreciate this ritual IF…

-          It is explained to them in advance

-          The readings are not too long and focus on storytelling. (This is not the place for John’s long soliloquies.)

-          Readers of all ages, including at least one older child, are involved.  (A child can often read the story of Jesus’ burial.)

Some congregations end this rite with a minute of silence followed by a single crash of a gong. Even when you know it is coming, the gong makes you jump.  Be sure the children know it is coming.  A note among the printed announcements is not enough warning!  Actually briefly explaining the Tenebrae and noting the crashing gong at the end makes good publicity drawing families to this service.

Songs for the evening:  “Let Us Break Bread Together” and “For the Bread Which You Have Broken” (especially verse 1, 2, and 4) are probably the simplest communion hymn for this night for children.  The Ghanian hymn “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love,” while it may not be as familiar to adults as it is to children, is a good choice for congregational singing or for a children’s choir to sing.

My book Sharing the Easter Faith with Children includes

-          a plan for a Maundy Thursday service  rehearsing the Last Supper story and celebrating communion around tables,

-          a child-friendly script for a Tenebrae and

-          a plan for a children’s Tenebrae with props as well as candles that could be a special service for families on either Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.

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

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.