Year A - Proper 15, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (August 14, 2011)

Genesis 45:1-15

u For children this story is partly about Joseph forgiving his brothers and partly about Joseph refusing to take revenge on his brothers.  They easily understand that Joseph could use his position in Egypt to “get even” with them in a very big way.  They have a harder time identifying why Joseph did not.  Younger children can only conclude that Joseph was a good guy and did the right thing.  When it is clearly explained, older children can begin to understand that Joseph was able forgive his brothers because he had a larger vision.  He knew that God had sent him to Egypt and arranged his rise to power in order to save the whole family – and a lot of other people – from starving during a famine.  He was OK with that. 

Most children do well to see in this story the possibility of refusing to take revenge on someone who has wronged you.  Asking them to apply it to situations in their own lives is asking a lot.  We may serve them best when we tell the story in a memorable way, talk with admiration about what Joseph did, and let the children live with the story.

u This week’s text jumps over a lot of the story of Joseph.  We never hear about Potiphar’s house, dreams interpreted in prison, or even the dreams of pharaoh and Joseph’s rise to power.   That leaves worship planners with several possibilities.

Briefly recall Joseph’s sale into slavery and note that it is now years later and Joseph has risen to great power in Egypt.  There is a huge famine and Joseph’s brothers have come to Egypt in search of food.  They do not recognize the man overseeing food distribution as their brother Joseph.  Then read Genesis 45:1-15.

illustration of Pharaoh's Dreams
from The Family Story Bible,
used with permission

Fill in the gap by reading to the children and whole congregation from a children’s Bible version.   The Family Story Bible, by Ralph Milton, “Joseph Helps Pharaoh”, p.66 tells the story of Joseph as he goes down into Egypt, ends up in prison, interprets pharaoh’s dreams, and is appointed to oversee food collection.    It ends with the famine coming.  It can be read in about 4 minutes.

If you use projections, fill in the gaps with scenes from Joseph, King of Dreams, an animated DVD.

u This story presents an opportunity to highlight both the congregation’s prayers for forgiveness and “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” from the Lord’s Prayer.

Save the prayers of confession until after a sermon exploring forgiveness.  Or, repeat the ones that were prayed at the beginning of the service after the sermon.  In either case, review with worshipers the words of the prayer and/or the sequence of the confession and assurance of pardon.

Create a responsive prayer of confession in which the congregation’s response is “forgive us…as we forgive …”.  

If the children will return to school this week, identify things people might want to confess to God about their summer so that they go back to school with a clean slate.  Some possibilities include problems between friends, things they wish they had not done, words they know they should not have said, etc.  The pardon needs to include both the promise that God was with us all summer, is proud of the good things we did, and forgives us for all the times we messed up and the promise that God will be with us as we return to school, will be proud of us when we do well, and will love us and forgive us when we mess up there.  With these promises children can go back to school in peace.   (This could be a children’s time or could part of or the total of the congregation’s confession this week.  The adults will quickly adapt the prayers and pardons to their own summers and the coming autumn.)

Psalm 133

u Pour a little good smelling (but not too flowery for the sake of the boys) lotion on each child’s hands.  While they rub it in explain the biblical custom of pouring good smelling oil not only on hands, but over their heads.  Laugh about how yucky that sounds to us.  Then read Psalm 133.

u After pointing out the two pleasures listed in the psalm, challenge worshipers of all ages to think of other examples of pleasure that are as good as being happy together with people you love.  Possibilities:

It is like warming yourself by a crackling campfire (Southern hemisphere in August)

It is like splashing in a cool pool on a hot day (Northern hemisphere in August)

Isaiah 56:1, 6-8

u Children won’t follow the abstract language of this passage.  But they do understand its insistence that no one is left to be an “outsider” in God’s world.  It is up to the worship leaders to restate the message to children and to add specific examples that illustrate it to children.

u After discussing people who are often left out at school, in the community and in the world, invite worshipers of all ages to write or draw on slips of paper people who are outsiders and are hard for them to get along with.  Collect the slips in “prayer baskets” (same as offering baskets) that are then placed on the central table.  A worship leader then voices a prayer stating concern for all the people who are named in the baskets and asking for the strength to reach out to these people where we meet them.

Psalm 67

This is another psalm that lends itself to responsive reading.  Before reading it,  practice the congregation’s response so young readers can join in.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Psalm 67

Leader:     May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

that your way may be known upon earth,

your saving power among all nations.

People:    Let the peoples praise you, O God;

                    let all the peoples praise you.

Leader:     Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

                    for you judge the peoples with equity

                    and guide the nations upon earth.

People:    Let the peoples praise you, O God;

                    let all the peoples praise you.

Leader:     The earth has yielded its increase;

                    God, our God, has blessed us.

                    May God continue to bless us;

                    let all the ends of the earth revere him.

People:    Let the peoples praise you, O God;

                    let all the peoples praise you.

                      (Based on New Revised Standard Version)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

u Fortunately, Paul’s problem is not a problem for most children today.  So, this text is of little significance to them.

u If you do address this issue, The Christmas Menorahs, by Janice Cohn, D.S.W., is a children’s account of the true story in which the children of Billings Montana rise up to stood with the community’s Jewish families against a hate group that was throwing rocks through the windows of Jewish homes displaying menorahs.  It is too long to read in worship, but could be well used as a sermon illustration or told by a worship leader in his or her own words.  It may be available in your public library.

Matthew 15: (1-20), 21-28

u Most children are only vaguely interested in old Jewish laws and what you eat and how you eat it.  But, they sit up at take notice of Jesus’ insistence that what comes out of our mouths defiles us or makes us dirty.  They need help naming the things that come out of our mouths – like lies, name-calling, cussing, gossip, hurtful putdowns, tattling, arguments (did so, did not)…

u After exploring some the things that come out of our mouths and defile us, sing at least the verse of “Take My Life and Let it Be” that dedicates our mouths to God.  If you sing the entire hymn, point out the relevant verse and read the words aloud before the congregation sings them.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King. 

Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from Thee,

u In a service focused on what comes out of our mouths, anoint the lips of the children with good tasting oil saying “May the words of this mouth be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.”  This could be done during a children’s time or could be offered to the whole congregation.  (OK this is a little way out, but it might make a big impression on children.)

u The story about Jesus’ conversation with the Gentile woman who wanted him to heal her daughter is offensive to children for the same reason it offends adults.  Unfortunately, all the adult attempts to make sense of it are difficult for children to follow.  I really have no idea how to unpack this story honestly and meaningfully with children.  I hope maybe one of you does and can share it in comments.  I am all ears.

For more ideas about noticing the return to school in worship go to Back To School!!

Year A - The Second Sunday of Easter May 1, 2011

For many congregations this, being the first Sunday of the month, will be a Communion Sunday.  Given that, it might be worth swapping this week’s texts for next week’s texts in order to read and explore the story of the road to Emmaus and celebrate Communion on the Sunday after Easter.  Children especially are drawn into this combining of an important Communion story with the sacrament.

If you make this swap, remember that today’s texts will be used on Mother’s Day.  I’ll be making some connections for both sets of lections with both Communion and Mother’s Day.

Acts 2:14a, 22-32 (New Revised Common Lectionary)

This long sermon deals with generalities which are hard for children to follow and is long.  When so much in the other texts attracts children, I’d be inclined to work with those texts and leave this one for the adults. 

Acts 2:42-47 (Roman Catholic Lectionary)

(Read on the Fourth Sunday of Easter in the Revised Common Lectionary.)

If  you read this description of the life of the early church on Mother’s Day/Festival of the Christian Family, it offers the opportunity to compare life in the early church with life in your congregation and life in families which have been referred to as “domestic churches.”  Specific examples of your congregation and current families doing the things that the early church did help children and parents see their family life as part of God’s larger family. 

If you read this on a Sunday when Communion is celebrated, point out that “breaking the bread” is a reference to communion and note that soon after Jesus death and resurrection, his disciples began to celebrate Communion.

If you use the Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, highlight the phrase “… joining our voices with the heavenly choirs and with all the faithful of every time and place...”.  Either walk the congregation through the entire Great Prayer explaining the flow of the ideas with emphasis on this phrase and the way it leads to the congregation’s response or point to and explain only this phrase.  (For many children and adults this traditional prayer is only known as “that long prayer before communion.”)   Then, suggest that today worshipers imagine themselves joining Peter, the women who found tomb empty, and all the early Christians at the Table.  Pause just before praying the phrase this morning to call attention to it.  If you do not use The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, simply explore the idea of the great feast at which God’s people of all ages gather around the Table.

Psalm 16 (New Revised Common Lectionary)

As I write, the international coalition has begun firing on Libya and the Japanese are reeling from triple disasters.  It is impossible to guess how any of this will have played out by the time we worship using this psalm.  But, I suspect the first line, “Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge” may be the key phrase.  It could be well used as the congregational response to prayers for specific people in need of refuge.  Before doing this, do explain the phrase “in you I take refuge” for the children.  The TEV translates it “I trust in you for safety”.  The CEV emphasizes the fear with “I run to you for safety.”

Psalm 118 (Roman Catholic)

Children will quickly get lost in this long psalm that even the Biblical commentaries describe as rather disjointed.  They more easily focus on one of the sections of the psalm.

Turn verses 1-4 and 29 into a responsive call to worship with the congregation repeating “His steadfast love endures forever.”  Consider adding calls to groups and nations today to say…

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One:    O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;

All:      God’s steadfast love endures forever!

One:    Let Israel say,

All:      “God’s steadfast love endures forever.”

One:    Let the house of Aaron say,

All:      “God’s steadfast love endures forever.”

One:    Let those who fear the Lord say,

All:      “God’s steadfast love endures forever.”

One:    O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

All:      God’s steadfast love endures forever.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read only verses 21-25.  Describe the function of a cornerstone in laying the foundation of a building.  If your sanctuary has a cornerstone, describe it and tell any stories about it.  Then introduce Jesus as the cornerstone of the church.  Retell the Holy Week story as the rejection of Jesus and Easter as God’s insistence that Jesus is indeed the proper cornerstone.  Don’t expect children to make the connection between Jesus and the cornerstone on their own.  It will be a stretch for them to grasp even if you tell them.

Verse 25 is the Hebrew word “Hosanna!” that was shouted to greet Jesus on Palm Sunday.  On the Second Sunday of Easter recall how the phrase was used on Palm Sunday and celebrate how right the people were when they shouted it.  Then shout it in a responsive reading or sing  the Palm Sunday hymn “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” celebrating it with an after Easter perspective.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Children will not understand all the abstract language of this passage as it is read and most of its message is beyond their understanding.  I can think of two possible ways for them to connect with it.

Point out that this is a letter Peter wrote to Christians living in what is now Turkey two thousand years ago.  Then read or tell in your own words verses 3 and 6.  Briefly describe the persecution Peter’s readers were facing and how Peter was trying to encourage them.  Then, imagine or ask for a list of people today who might like to receive Peter’s encouraging letter.  People of Japan and Northern Africa come to my mind this morning.  If worshipers join in the conversation expect to hear  as well about individuals in tough situations.  Close the conversation by restating or rereading the two verses.

Read verses 8-9 as a follow up on the story of Thomas to recognize the fact that though we cannot actually touch Jesus as Thomas did, we still believe as Thomas did.

John 20:19-31

Invite children forward for reading the gospel.  Set the scene with the fearful disciples locked in a room on Easter evening.  Then read verses 19 -23.  Another worship leader steps up from the side with a Bible to read verses 24-25.  The original reader then takes up the reading with “A week later the disciples were again in the house and Thomas was with them” and reads the remainder (perhaps omitting verses 30 – 31).

This gospel text is the strongest reading of the day for children (and probably adults, too).  It includes two stories that can be explored independently or in relationship to each other.  The first is Jesus meeting the disciples on Easter evening.  Laura Dykstra summarizes that story as follows.

“When Jesus appeared to his disciples, they were hiding upstairs in a locked room—the friends who knew him best, who had betrayed him, who had pretended they didn’t know him, who had run away when he was dying, who hid when he was arrested, who were frightened and ashamed. He appeared among them and greeted them. He didn’t say, ‘What happened?’ ‘Where were you?’ ‘You screwed up.’ He greeted them saying, ‘Peace.’  (Laurel A. Dykstra, Sojourners, March 2008)

For the children, name the people in the room and recall how they had behaved during Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.  Imagine their fears of what Jesus might say or do to them if he really was alive again as the women who came back from the tomb said he was.  My guess is that they had nervous lumps in their tummies.  Then, translate Jesus’ “Peace” as “It’s OK” or “I understand,” even “You are forgiven.”  That then opens the door to Jesus’ command that as he has forgiven them, they are to forgive others.

This is a good opportunity to highlight and explore the Lord’s Prayer petition “forgive our debts/trespasses/sins, as we forgive…”  Write

“forgive us our debts  (or your word)”

on one poster strip and

“as we forgive our debtors (or your words)”

on a second poster strip.  Present them first in the order they appear in the Lord’s Prayer.  Connect the first strip to Jesus forgiving the disciples on Easter evening and the second strip to his command that they forgive others.  Then flip the order of the phrases and point out that we often have to pray this prayer backwards when we have someone to forgive.  Note how hard it is to forgive people who have treated us badly.  The only way we can do it is by remembering how Jesus forgave the disciples and forgives us.

Create a responsive prayer in which a worship leader describes situations in the world and in personal lives that need forgiveness and the congregation responds with “forgive us our YOUR WORD, as we forgive YOUR WORDS.”  Pray this prayer after having explored it’s meaning in light of today’s story.

The story of Thomas is important to children who already ask lots of questions about everything and to those who will ask deep questions as they get older.  The story insists that asking questions is OK.  Any honest question is OK with God and Jesus.  God can handle any question we can ask.  Thomas wanted to know exactly what had happened to Jesus and what he was like now that he was resurrected.  Some questions children want to know include:

Why didn’t you make me taller or prettier or smarter or…..?

How can God pay attention to everyone in the world at every minute?

Why did you let that (awful thing – like someone dying) happen?

Why don’t you make this (wonderful thing – like a sick person getting

         better) happen?

Why can’t I see you or at least hear your actual voice like people in the

         Bible did?

Suggest some questions and let worshipers add questions.  Be clear that all the questions are OK to ask.  Some of them we don’t get answered immediately.  Lots of them people have lived with and asked about for centuries.  Asking them is part of being human and loving God.



Caravaggio, Michelangelo Merisi da, 1573-1610. The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54170 [retrieved March 21, 2011].



There are two especially interesting paintings of Jesus and Thomas.  Show one or both of them. 

Look first at Thomas’s face and imagine what he is thinking and feeling as he touches Christ’s body.  Then, look at the faces of the other disciples and imagine what they are thinking and feeling.  (I suspect they are glad Thomas asked his question because they really wanted to know the same thing but were afraid to ask.  It does take courage to ask some questions and Thomas had it.)  Then, look at Jesus’ face and posture and imagine how Jesus felt about Thomas and his question.  (This could be a conversation with worshipers or could be the ponderings of the  preacher in a sermon.)

Both of these paintings can be downloaded in many sizes at no cost when not used to make money.  Click on the link under each picture.



JESUS MAFA. Jesus appears to Thomas, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48302 [retrieved March 21, 2011].



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.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

     
                                 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

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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. 

Year A - Good Friday (April 22, 2011)

from Jesus Is Alive published by Augsburg Publishing House, 1977

Good Friday is often the very last day of the church year when we expect and plan for children in the sanctuary.  The story for the day is so filled with violence, evil and death which we barely understand ourselves, that we hardly know how to share it with children.  But, the story is there and it is the heart story of the faith.  Indeed, it is impossible to jump over the Passion going directly from the Palm Sunday parade to Easter joy without wondering what the big deal is.  When our children walk through the crucifixion story with us, they make sense of the whole Holy Week saga and they are prepared to face the violence and evil that they will surely encounter in their own world.

Children need to hear the Passion stories with the Easter stories.  For preschoolers the story goes something like, “There were people who were angry with Jesus.  They were so angry they killed him.  Jesus’ friends were very sad.  They cried and cried.  But God had a wonderful surprise.  On Easter Jesus was alive again.  His friends were very, very, surprised and happy!”  They really follow the emotions rather than the facts of the story.  Every year as the church walks through the story, children add more details.  They slowly collect the list of people who contributed to Jesus pain and death.  In their adolescence they begin to identify ways they also betray and deny God’s love.

Especially on Good Friday, children gain more from hearing and pondering the story than on hearing theological explanations of its significance.  Sacrifice, mercy, grace, salvation, atonement, etc. are abstract words that very quickly lose them.  By exploring the details of the story and thinking about the experience of different people in the story, children will come to some of the same ideas that the theological vocabulary attempts to express. 

Remember this when selecting hymns.  “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord” with its simple, concrete story telling is probably the best Good Friday song for children.  Be cautious with hymns that sing of the cross metaphorically, e.g. “In the Cross of Christ I Glory.”  Children simply don't understand what they sing.  Still, every congregation sings some of these songs with a depth of feeling that communicates to children that this is a very important song, e.g. “O Sacred Head Now Wounded” in some congregations.  Children will try to sing these songs just to be part of the congregation and grow into them over the years.

My book Sharing the Easter Faith With Children  includes the following Good Friday resources:

-     Commentary on the Passion stories from children’s point of view and a description of how children understand the Passion-Easter stories from infancy through age 12

-     Directions for sharing the story with congregational responses

-      Directions for a family service focused on a Tenebrae featuring a prop for each story that is covered with a black napkin after the story is read

-      Directions for a stations of the cross type experience called "Journey to Jerusalem"

-     Directions for children's events that combime worship with cross crafts on Good Friday

-     Suggestions about how to encourage families who will not worship at the church on Good Friday to observe the day at home (or on the road)

The biblical story is so long and complex that additional “children’s stories” are hardly needed.  But the following books might prove useful;

The Tale of Three Trees, retold by Angela Elwell Hunt, describes the dreams of three trees.  Each dream comes true, but as the trees expected them, in the life of Jesus.

Peter’s First Easter, by Walter Wangerin, Jr., tells the stories of Holy Week from Peter’s point of view.  It is too long to read entirely, but one or two specific stories could be read.

Finding the Fruits of Peace: Cain and Abel, by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, explores the sin and evil between the two brothers.  It could be used as a partner story to the crucifixion to explore how we act like the villains in both stories today.  (Yes, it’s a bit of a stretch.  But, it might have possibilities.)

John 18:1- 19:42

This is of course the key story of the day.  But it is verrrrry long.  For children, break it up interspersing pieces of the story with liturgy. 

Go to  http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2011/01/year-holy-or-maundy-thursday-april.html for directions for including children in a Tenebrae.

In Sharing the Easter Faith With Children I give detailed directions for a stations of the cross event for elementary children.  This could be a worship service during which worshipers travel together from site to site to hear the Passion stories.  Or, the sites could be set up as worship centers to be visited by families on their own any time on Good Friday.  (Look for the directions in the Palm/Passion Sunday chapter.)

Go to http://www.homiliesbyemail.com/Special/friday/sounds.txt for an order of worship featuring the sounds of Good Friday.  This particular service is a three hour watch service intended mainly for adults.  But I can see it being wonderfully adapted for services including children.  Perhaps a youth class or group could create a recording of the sounds for each reading.  If they worked on one story each week reading the story and creating the tape in would be a deep Lenten experience for them.

Help children follow the order of worship by printing a small clip art picture related to the story next to each reading.

In John’s gospel Jesus is almost in charge of everything that happens.  Children who depend on adults to be in charge of the world around them especially appreciate this view of Jesus.  They like that he just took the violence, that he forgave the thief and the crowd, that he took care of his mother.  This is the same Jesus they know and love in all the other gospel stories. 

Isaiah 52: 13-53:12

If they are told that many people think this description of a suffering servant is a lot like Jesus on Good Friday, children can listen for words and phrases that connect to the Passion stories.

Psalm 22

Introduce this simply as a prayer Jesus might have prayed on the cross.  Encourage listeners to listen for words that tell how Jesus might have felt on the cross and for words that might have given him comfort and hope on the cross.

It begins “my God why have you forsaken me (“left me on my own when I needed you” to children)” and ends with a statement of great faith in God.  Point out that it is a good prayer to remember when we feel abandoned and hopeless and stuck.  Jesus felt that way on the cross, but still trusted God.

Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9

The image of Jesus as high priest is foreign to Protestant children who do not have a "priest" leading their congregation.  Children who know a priest will interpret this image to mean Jesus is sort of  "super priest" and see Jesus as being and doing a lot like the priests they know.  (Some of you who  worship in priest led congregations, may want to weigh in on this in the Comments.) 

To understand the writer's message in his terms, we must understand the Old Testament sacrificial theology.  Even when they are given the facts today's children are confused.  They ask unanswerable questions like, “Why do we have to forgive people for free, but God has to have a sacrifice to forgive us?”  “Why would killing an animal make God happy?”  Jesus may come out looking OK, but God looks rather scary.  Given this I think that this is one image of Jesus that needs to wait until later – much later.

Hebrews 10:16-25

Children see very drippy, red images when reading about "entering the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus."  For them verse 17b "I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more" is the most useful commentary on the Passion.  Jesus was killed, but he forgave everyone involved in it and he he promises to forgive us.  The stories of Jesus forgiving the thief and the crowd are amazing, but make sense to children.  If Jesus could forgive them, we can trust him to forgive us as well.  That is the very heart of the Good Friday message for children.