Year A - Proper 9, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 3, 2011)

From The Family Story Bible,
by Ralph Milton
Used by permission.

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

Psalm 45:10-17 or

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

The truth is that few American preachers will be able to pass up the other Old Testament readings on the Fourth of July weekend.  So, Rebecca’s story is likely to be untold here.  This is unfortunate on two counts.  First, the remaining weeks in July continue this story.  Second, it provides a chance to celebrate the commitment made in marriage.  If you do use it…

> Before reading the story, note that camels often go as much as five days without water.  When they get to a water source they jostle each other intently and drink gallons of water at a time.  Urge worshipers to listen for 10 thirsty camels and imagine having to provide water for them. 

FYI, I searched for a number of gallons of water a thirsty camel could drink and found many different answers.  Save yourself the trouble of the search by going with the general “lots” and letting imaginations take it from there.

> In the sermon explore Rebecca’s courage in deciding to marry this unseen man and Isaac’s decision to love Rebecca when she arrived.  Children, especially girls, will be interested in this arranged marriage.  It provides an opportunity to emphasize the commitment that is made in either arranged or “love” marriages and the love that grows out of sticking together and taking care of each other through good and bad times. 

> Consider offering couples the opportunity to renew marriage vows during the worship service.  Children benefit as much from this recognition of their parent’s marriage as the parents do.  (If you do this, announce it in advance so that individuals or families for whom it would be painful can choose to be absent.)

Zechariah 9:9-12      HUMBLE

This description of God’s king or God’s leader emphasizes that the leader is humble.  It is probably easiest to tackle somewhat out of the biblical verse order:

Start talking about what the leader rides.  Describe the big limousine or SUV motorcades in which leaders often ride today.  Recall leaders who rode in on big, spirited horses or in chariots pulled by a team of horses.  (For Americans, there are several paintings and statues of George Washington on a large white horse.)  Then read what God’s leader rides in verse 9. 

Next read what the Lord will do in verse 10 and put into your own words what the prophet is saying that leaders and governments should be doing.

Finally, display the word HUMBLE written in large letters on a poster.  Share dictionary definitions, “modest, showing respect for and deference to other people” and fill in what the prophet is telling us about God’s leaders.

The TEV offers an especially clear translation of these verses.

Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!

Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!

Look, your king is coming to you!

He comes triumphant and victorious,

but humble and riding on a donkey—on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

The Lord says,

“I will remove the war chariots from Israel

and take the horses from Jerusalem;

the bows used in battle will be destroyed.

Your king will make peace among the nations;

he will rule from sea to sea,

from the River Euphrates to the ends of the earth.”

Psalm 145:8-14  or Psalm 72(UMC Lectionary)

O Display a globe and point out that the entire world is God’s kingdom.  Note that God does not love any one nation more or less than any other.  Use names of specific nations, e.g. God loves the United States and Iran.  Then read Psalm 145:8-14.

O The United Methodist Lectionary suggests using Psalm 72 which is a prayer for the king.  One way to use this is to invite people to name local, state and national leaders for whom the church can pray.  Then, read the psalm or sections of it, substituting “leaders” for “king” and plural pronouns for singular ones, e.g.

Give our leaders your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to them.

May they judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice.

                Based on the New Revised Standard Version

Romans 7:15-25a

The bottom line of this text is that it is hard to be good!  It hard for every person at every age of life!  Even when we want to be good, it is not easy to do what we know we should. 

O The last film of the Harry Potter saga comes out in mid July.  Many older children are looking forward to it, even rereading the books on which it will be based.  Harry might scratch his head a bit over Paul’s long complex sentences, but once he figured out what Paul was saying, he would agree with him.  Both Paul and Harry knew that there is strong evil in the world and that we must stand up to it.  The evil in Harry’s world takes the forms of monster animals and death-eaters.  The evil in Paul’s world and ours takes the form of temptations to grab what we want even when it hurts others.  It was hard for Harry to stand up to the evils in his world and it is hard for us to stand up to the evil we find in our world.  Part of the power of the Potter books is their call to children to stand up against evil on a local and cosmic scale.  (Go to Harry Potter and the July Worship Planner for more.)

O Paul is speaking about both personal and corporate sin.  On the Fourth of July weekend in America but also in other countries, this text challenges us to think about national sins. 

O To introduce the fact that groups as well as individuals can sin, explore the production of most of our clothes.  Get worshipers to check tags at the back neckline of each other’s shirts or dresses to see where they were made.  Invite people to call out the names of countries.  (Or, bring several items of clothing and read the labels to the congregation.)  Point out that many of these countries do not have strong laws to protect workers.  Men, women, and children work in unsafe, uncomfortable places to earn very little money.  It is not fair and we know it.  Still, it’s the only way most of us can get clothes. (Have fun listing all we would have to do to sew, design, weave fabric, make buttons and zippers, etc.)  We are caught up in sinful business.  You may want to list some ways people can work against this evil by writing letters or giving money to organizations that are working for fairer laws.  Or, you may simply want to use this as an example of corporate sin in which we all get implicated.

This is obviously not a children’s time.  Children will not understand it completely.  But, their attention will be caught and they may hear that sin is corporate as well as personal.  For most children that will be a new idea.

If you talk about the sinfulness in our clothes, include in the church’s prayers the people who make our clothes in unfair conditions and people who work to improve their situations.

O Make the prayer of confession a confession of national sins.  It might be a responsive prayer with the response, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”  Some of the petitions will likely be beyond children’s understanding, but the first should make sense even to them, e.g. “As a country we sometimes use our great strength to get our own way rather than to create peace for all people.”  Before praying this prayer, point out that everyone of us has sin to tell God about.  But, every group we are part of also has sin to confess to God.  Describe a gang that bullies people as a group that needs to confess.  Then, point out that even “good groups” like our church also need to confess.  Our nation does to.  Suggest that thinking about ways we are not the kind of country God would like us to be is a very brave, patriotic thing to do on Fourth of July weekend. 

O After any of these discussions reread verse 25a, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” and note that without Jesus’ forgiveness we’d be in deep trouble.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Explain what a yoke is using this illustration and one of yoked oxen.  Then, bring out all your worship stoles.  Explain that they are yokes.  You wear them to remind you of your job to lead God’s people in worship.  Take time to talk about the significance of symbols on some of them.  Tell the stories about any that are important to you because of when you got them.  If the choir wear stoles with their robes, note the similarities and differences in yours and theirs.  (This opens up Jesus’ point about a yoke that is fitted to us and our gifts.) 

Before this service, invite worshipers to bring symbols of their work that might be identified as yokes.  Identify all these as yokes and hear brief stories about how they were gotten and what they mean to the people who use them.  Examples, a doctor’s white coat or surgical scrubs, a license for a profession, the briefcase many professionals use to carry their papers or computer, etc.

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

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

TEMPTATION             SIN                 FORGIVENESS                   GRACE

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

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

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

> a plate of cookies on the counter,

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

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

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

After describing one of these situations, point out that sometimes you see what’s there and just automatically do the right thing without even thinking about it.  But other times….   Describe how you want to have or do what you know you should not and how you rationalize your way into doing it.  Ponder the difference between those two reactions to the same situation.  Then put “lead us not into temptation” into your own words – something like “God, help me know what is right and wrong and be able to do what is right without even thinking about it.” 

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 32

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

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

Romans 5:12-19

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

Matthew 4:1-11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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                                 Matthew 4:1-11 Reading Script

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

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

Narrator:          But he answered,

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

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

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

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

“He will command his angels concerning you,”

        and “On their hands they will bear you up,

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

Narrator:          Jesus said to him,

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

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

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

Narrator:          Jesus said to him,

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

‘Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.’ ”

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

                                                                              New Revised Standard Version

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

Jiminy Cricket:   The world is full of temptations!

Pinocchio:           Temptations?

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

Pinocchio:  But I am going to do right!

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

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

Year A - Ash Wednesday (March 9, 2011)

Other than Good Friday, Ash Wednesday is probably the day on which children are least expected or planned for in the sanctuary.  The prophet Joel, however, insists that parents bring their children to the meeting he has called to point out to the whole community that they are sinners.  Today, there is much for children to learn from seeing their parents and the leaders of the congregation wearing ashen crosses and even more from wearing ashes themselves.  The experience deeply binds them to their faith community.

The imposition of ashes is amazing to children.  They marvel at the sight of adults wearing the ashes.  At first they wear their own ashes as a sign that “I am one of them” or “I belong.”  As they hear the language about sin, forgiveness and repentance, they begin to wear them as an admission that “yes, I too am a sinner.”  This is not an easy step for children who are repeatedly told that they are "wonderful" and "capable."  It also flies in the face of frequent adult insistence that they can make good choices which is often taken to mean “if you try hard enough, you won’t be a sinner.”  Ash Wednesday makes it easier to make the admission that “yes, I too am a sinner” by setting it in the presence of everyone else making the same admission. 

We are all first marked with the cross using water (and sometimes oil) at our baptisms.  At that time to be marked with the cross is a wonderful thing.  We are identified as the loved children of God.  On Ash Wednesday we are marked with the cross using ashes and the words, “remember you are dust.”  The ashes and words remind us that we are not so wonderful.  In fact, we are all sinners.  Fortunately the sign is not an X, marking us as hopeless rejects, but a cross reminding us that God loves and forgives us, sinners though we be.   

In spite of their interest in the ashes, for children Ash Wednesday is mainly the beginning of Lent.  Lent is for them spring training for disciples.  We begin the season admitting to ourselves and others that we are not perfect disciples and are fortunate that God loves and forgives us anyway.  We then commit to doing better.  When children are offered specific doable disciplines that will help them be better pray-ers, better Bible readers, better at serving others, they respond enthusiastically.  Having committed themselves to such disciple training, they come to communion as to the training table.  Here they are reminded of God’s love for those who try and do well  and also for those who try and do not do as well as they wish.

Many congregations mark the beginning of Lent by changing the paraments and adding special crosses to the sanctuary.  It is very appropriate to make these changes on Ash Wednesday.  But, if the reality is that many will not be part of the Ash Wednesday service, consider stripping the sanctuary for that day leaving it somber and then adding the Lenten colors and symbols  on the first Sunday of Lent when you can call the majority of the congregation to observe Lent. 

In Sharing the Easter Faith With Children I offer detailed plans for 2 Ash Wednesday services.   Neither is built on the lectionary readings for the day.

One is a traditional sanctuary service built around the stories of Peter who had to repent frequently.  It uses many traditional prayers selected with the presence of children in mind, a call to confession, the imposition of ashes, changing the paraments, introduction of Lenten disciplines, and communion.

The second begins with a pancake supper at which soap crosses are carved or wooden crosses are sanded and rubbed with linseed oil.  After supper people follow the tolling handbells to the sanctuary for a short service of stories about picking up crosses and following Jesus. 

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

This text can frighten children with its threat of God punishing people.  Isaiah’s message with its call to change your ways is complicated, but gives children a way to respond other than simply be frightened. 

Incorporate Joel’s trumpet into the call to worship.

Trumpet alarm (not a fanfare)

Leader:            Blow the trumpet; sound the alarm on Zion, God’s sacred hill.

Tremble, people of Judah!

The day of the Lord is coming soon.

Come back to the Lord your God.

He is kind and full of mercy;

he is patient and keeps his promise;

he is always ready to forgive and not punish.

Trumpet alarm repeated.

Leader:            Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;

give orders for a fast and call an assembly!

Gather the people together;

prepare them for a sacred meeting;

bring the old people;

gather the children

and the babies too.

Even newly married couples must leave their room and come.

(Joel 2:1, 13b, 16 – Today’s English Version)

Isaiah 58:1-12

Though this is a complicated passage, when it is explained to children, they respond.  Isaiah is saying we don’t need to be sad about the bad things we do.  Instead, we need to stop doing those things.  We need to change our ways, to repent.  Verses 6 and 7 are key.  When they are explored and linked to specific Lenten disciplines offered to the congregation, children take up those disciplines enthusiastically. 

Introduce fasting as going without something.  Point out that frequently it means going without food.  Some people plan to go without something they like for the six weeks of Lent, e.g. go without chocolate or sodas or desserts.  But Isaiah suggests that we go without some bad habits and cultivate new ones.  Isaiah would say to children,

Fast from greed, feast on sharing

Fast from telling lies, feast on telling the truth

Fast from hating, feast on loving

Fast from teasing, feast on kind words

Encourage worshipers to make up their own fast, feast challenges and to undertake living by them during Lent.  (This is based on a more adult list found at http://seashellseller.blogspot.com/2005/02/ash-wednesday-these-are-notes-for.html )  The worksheet below is one way to present this challenge to children.  Urge them to post their papers somewhere in their room at home where they will see it often. 

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

                                                 During Lent I Will

Fast from _____________________________________________________________

And feast on____________________________________________________

Fast from _____________________________________________________________

And feast on____________________________________________________

Fast from _____________________________________________________________

And feast on____________________________________________________

Fast from _____________________________________________________________

And feast on____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

(Your name)

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Psalm 51:1-17    INIQUITY    SIN   TRANSGRESSIONS  EVIL   GUILT   >>>  REPENT

King David arranged for a man to be killed in battle (accidently on purpose) so that the King could marry his wife.  Adult Bible students will know why David wanted to marry Bathsheba, but the murderous theft of a wife is significant in itself to grab the attention of worshipers of all ages.  What do you pray to God after you do that?

Verses 1 -6 are descriptions of how sinful humans can be.  They include lots of unfamiliar to children “sin” words –transgressions, iniquity, sin, evil, and guilty (NRSV).  Write one or more of these words on a large sheet of poster paper in black crayon or by dipping your finger in the ash pot.  Briefly describe all the ways we hurt and sin against each other and God.  Specifics help.  Name calling, hitting  to hurt, cutting someone out, teasing someone to hurt them, cheating, telling a lie or a secret, … are familiar sins to children.  Point out that we don’t like to admit we do these things, but that all of us do.  Then note that on this day every year (and perhaps during each Sunday worship service), we take time to be honest with ourselves, with God and with each other about this.  We are all sinners.

Verse 10, “Create in me a clean heart and put a new and right spirit within me” is an interesting word picture that has to be explored before children can grasp it.  The literal picture is both odd and right on target.  Children need to be told David did not want God to cut him open and wash off his heart.  But, he did want God to help him “clean up his act.”  He wanted God to give him a second chance or a fresh start and wanted God to help him do better.  He wanted to repent.  When we pray this prayer we join David.  (Even though we haven’t done anything as bad as having someone killed, we have done lots of other hurtful, sinful things).  If you have done the sin words poster, add REPENT in purple marker.

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

For children on Ash Wednesday this is simply a call to repent now.  Now, during Lent, is a good time to work on being better disciples.  “Just do it!”  They will not hear this as the passage is read, but depend on the worship leaders to restate the call in other ways during worship.

Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21

This is another “just do it” message.  Jesus says we should make a show out of our Lenten disciplines.  We don’t need to tell everyone we know and remind them of how good we are being by doing it.  Instead we are to make it between us and God.  Talk to God about it.  Ask God to help us.  Thank God for forgiving us when we fail.  Tell God why we are doing it.

Year C - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 31, 2010)

Talk about over load!  This Sunday is 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time (featuring the child friendly Zacchaeus story)-and All Hallows Eve.  Tomorrow is All Saints Day which has the appeal of celebrating Christian heroes and heroines.  Today is also Reformation Sunday (in the year of John Calvin’s 500th birthday) and it is of course Stewardship Season in many congregations.  There are all sorts of connections for children.

Halloween is the biggest thing on their agenda today.  The Habakkuk and Psalm 119 texts provide an opportunity to explore how we face our fears trusting God.

If you celebrate Reformation Sunday, talk about what a church is.

And, children love hearing the familiar story of Zacchaeus read and discussed in the sanctuary.  Hearing it there teaches them that this is not just a children’s Sunday School story, it is a story that is important to the whole church. 

Because children are into facing fears on Halloween and the current political campaigns are playing heavily on adult fears, I’m going to work with the texts for this day connecting to Halloween.  Please, use the comments section to share what you are doing and suggest other possibilities.

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

God will have the final word about all the evil and violence in the world

Habakkuk complains about the violence and injustice that are causing so much pain in the world.  He speaks in generalities about what everyone fears and then delivers God’s promise that the violence and evil will not be the final word.  On Halloween we practice facing up to our fears.  We tell scary stories, walk through haunted houses, and dress up as monsters.  Children’s Halloween picture books range from tales in which heroes rise above their fears and in the process prove the scary thing or place is not so scary after all to tales in which monsters are shown to be just like us.  (There is even a take-off on Good Night Moon called Good Night Goon in which a young monster says goodnight to all the scary-to-us stuff that is part of his everyday life and a similar take off on Runaway Bunny called Runaway Mummy.) 

Display a not-too-scary mask (remember it doesn’t take much to scare the youngest).  Handle it, describe how it might frighten you but then point out that it is just a mask and not all that scary.  Use this as an entry to identifying the things we really fear – bullies at school, that something bad will happen to someone we love, that we will get lost, that there will be a war where we live, that we will never be able to do what we want most to do…   If the children’s fears lead to talking about adult fears about jobs, the economy, world conflicts, etc. , the children learn that fear is part of life.  They will then be ready to hear God’s promise to Habakkuk and us in Habakkuk 2:2-4. 

Suggest that everyone in the congregation hold hands because you are going to talk about scary things.  Then start with Halloween-y things and progress to the violent scary parts of everyday life for people of all ages.  Read Habakkuk 2:2-4 again, explaining some of its meaning related to the fears you have named.  Shake hands loose or clap hands to celebrate not having to be afraid because God is with us and will not all the bad things have the last word.

Have this scripture read by two readers:  one reading Habakkuk’s story in 1:1-4 and 2:1-2a and the other reading God’s message in 2:2b-4. 

Display a large poster or some other item with an Alpha and Omega on it (maybe a stole or parament).  Explain its meaning and connect it with Habakkuk’s message.  Just as God was in charge at the beginning, God will be in charge at the end, so we don’t have to worry.  We can trust God.

The best Halloween hymn is “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”  It was written by Martin Luther while he was hiding in castle from people who wanted to kill him.  Tell this brief story of its writing before singing it and encourage worshipers to watch for fear and trust words. 

Psalm 119:137-144

An Alphabet Poem about God’s Word

צַ

Psalm 119 is an acrostic, that is an alphabet poem.  Each line in each section starts with a word beginning with the same letter.  The lines in this section start with the Hebrew letter zade/tsade (צַ).  If possible show a Hebrew Bible opened to this psalm or print this passage in Hebrew in your worship bulletin and help people recognize the repeated letter. 

When reading the psalm, have the congregation say the Hebrew letter zade before each line is read.

Each line says something about the value of God’s Word.  Hebrew poets rhyme ideas rather than sounds.  So, they say the same thing over and over again in slightly different ways.  For example,

It is a beautiful day.

The sun is bright and there is not a cloud in the sky.

It is wonderfully warm and there is a pleasant breeze.

I wish every day were just like this one.

Then, read one or two of the lines about God’s Word to show their similarity. 

Challenge children (and others) to write an alphabet psalm praising God on Halloween or other days when we are afraid.  Below is an activity sheet for doing this using words that begin with the letter H in honor of Halloween.  (I hope someone can find better fear art to go with this!)

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                                Write a psalm prayer about fear. 

Try some of           Make each line begin with H in honor
these words          of Halloween.                                        

Help
                        H________________________

Have

Hope
                        H________________________

Heal

Hallelujah
                        H________________________

Hear

Hide
                        H________________________

Happy

Hold
                        H________________________

How

Horrible

                       

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Isaiah 1:10-18

To understand Isaiah’s message one needs detailed information about worship in Old Testament times and then connect that message to our different form of worship today.  That is a tough task for children.  So I would tend to use the other Old Testament texts.  If you do work with this one, go straight to verses 17 and 18 with the children.  They are more direct and use more familiar words. 

If your congregation regularly uses the language about sins as scarlet being made white as snow, this is a good chance to explain what we are saying when we say that and then to use it in the usual way.  Bring something rough and deep red (even a wadded up ball of red Christmas foil) and something soft and white (maybe a white sweater or piece of white cotton).  As you discuss the colors, remember that most children would prefer red over white.  For them the stark difference between red (think red ribbons, Christmas, valentines..) and white (think white paper, white shirt, OK, maybe also snow, but… white is generally boring) is more important than the colors themselves.  Tie the difference in the colors to the different feelings we have when we are hiding sins and when we admit them in Psalm 32. 

Psalm 32:1-7    SIN    TRANSGRESSION   INIQUITY    DECEIT   GUILT

Psalm 32 in the New Revised Standard Version is a collection of words about sin used often in worship  but  nowhere else.  So, before reading it, list the words and encourage listeners to watch for them in the psalm and in other parts of worship today.  If this will be the focus of worship, give children red pencils with which to underline all the sin words they find in their printed order of worship.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Greetings to the saints in Thessalonica

Because there is so much for children in the other texts and themes for this day and because a preacher is likely to go many different ways using this text, I am going to leave it with you.  If you find a great connection for children, please share it with the rest of us in the Comments.

Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus

This is another text that can take worship leaders many different directions.  Themes that speak especially clearly to children include:

-     People CAN possible.  Zacchaeus changed.  You can change.  People around you can change. 

-     The best way to deal with a troublesome person or enemy is to become a friend.
We can follow Jesus’ example by eating with the lonely ones or inviting them to eat with us in the school lunch room.

-     Giving away money or stuff can save you (or bring happiness).  Jesus said that returning the money he stole and giving half of all he had to the poor was going “to save his life.”  Take time to define “save his life” to include bring happiness, peace, and a place among God’s people as well as eternal salvation.

Jesus and Zacchaeus get most of the attention in this story.  But the crowd is us and is worthy of our attention.  To explore their responses, enlist the help of a few youth or adults.  Their job is to show the crowd’s response at key points in the story using their faces and their whole bodies.  At the beginning of the story, they jostle with each other with knowing smiles to keep Zacchaeus at the back of the crowd.  The leader may take the role of Zaccheaus trying to get through or at least see through the crowd as he tells the story.  Have a step ladder or stool for him to climb.  Once he climbs it, the crowd shares satisfied smiles and maybe elbows each other to be sure everyone sees Zaccheaus up the tree.  As Zaccheaus tells of Jesus’ invitation, the crowd parts and Zaccheaus comes down from the tree and past them.  As he passes, the crowd shows their displeasure with arms folded across chests, frowns and silently shared grumbles.   Zacchaeus moves off to the side and tells the story of his response from there.  He then freezes the action, steps out of character and asks how the crowd might have responded.  With demonstrations from the actors, explore options such as disbelief (Zacchaeus couldn’t change!), disgust with Jesus for reaching out to such a sinner, or possibly amazed acceptance of what happened. It takes a minimum of three to form this crowd and can use as many as your worship space will allow.  This is a great opportunity to work with a youth class preparing a story that will be meaningful to them and allowing them to become worship leaders.

Rather than work with a group of actors, the preacher could use his/her own face and body to demonstrate the crowd’s reactions while talking through the story and its meaning.

If it’s still Stewardship Season in your congregation, take a look at Miss Fannie’s Hat, by Jan Karon.  Elderly Miss Fannie gives the best of her grand collection of hats to raise money to fix up the church.  When she goes to church hatless on Easter morning, she finds the church surrounded by blooming rose bushes purchased with funds from the sale of her hat.  She and those all around her find great happiness in her gift.  One hopes that Zacchaeus and some of the folks he refunded will share similar happiness.