Davison's Doodle

the Sacred Steps this week

Psalm 138

• Has someone sent you a thank you note recently?  Have you sent a note?  Bring note cards for the children to draw on, or write, the things or people for whom they wish to give thanks to God.  Ask them to drop those in the offering plate.
• Create a “thanks banner” that the children can draw on or write on that you will hang in a Sunday school room or in the sanctuary.  Ask them to write names, or draw pictures of, people or things for which they would like to give thanks to God.

Isaiah 6:1-8; (9-13)

• This is an opportunity to introduce the children to their scared space.  Why is your sacred space adorned the way it is?  Are there significant works of art, stained glass, or other items that are important to your community of faith?  What is your sacred space suppose to tell the children when they arrive there?
• You might compare and contrast the prophet from last week, Jeremiah, with Isaiah.  What do the prophets share in common? How are they different?  This might help us understand the prophetic writings today.
• This is an opportunity to talk with the children about the prophetic writings in the First Testament, and why we continue to read the prophets today.  Be ready to offer a simple definition for the word “prophet” for the children.  You might choose to create a list of the major and minor prophets in the First Testament and use it with the children each time you talk with them about one of the prophets.
• Preparation Note: Susan Ackerman offers good insight and caution of the Christian use of Isaiah in her commentary in the New Interpreters Study Bible.  A review of her introduction and excursus comments would be helpful to your preparation for a children’s sermon based on any passage from Isaiah. [ Susan Ackerman, “Excursus: Anti-Semitic Interpretations of Isaiah”, The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Abingdon Press, 2003. p. 959.  See also her “Introduction to Isaiah”, p. 955.]

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

• If you have not introduced the children to Paul, this is a good opportunity to do so.  You may have already covered some of the Pauline texts, but helping the children understand Saul/Paul’s story will help them as they grow in their own understandings of Jesus.
• Maybe this is the Sunday that you introduce the children to the journeys of Paul.  He was a traveling evangelist (preacher).  One could talk about that and show the children what scholars believe were his journeys.  Do you have maps of the ancient near east in your congregation?

Luke 5:1-11

• What does it take to get your attention?  This is an opportunity to talk to the children about how Jesus gets our attention with what he teaches or how we experience him.  In telling this story to the children, one could talk about how Jesus meets the disciples in their everyday lives or work and invites them to follow him.  How might the children experience Jesus today?
• This is an opportunity to talk with the children about how the gospels have some similar stories about Jesus.  Compare Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20.  Talk with the children about how we all see or hear things differently.  One way to illustrate this idea would be to have a picture for the children to look at, or if you have an interesting stained glass window to look at, and then have the children talk about the things they see.  Some will see similar items in the window or picture, but some may see things that others do not.  This is similar to how the gospel writers told stories about Jesus.

I’ll be preaching this week thinking about the story from Luke. My sermon title is, “Fish Stories.”

the Sacred Steps this week

Some ideas to get you thinking about the sermon for children of all ages based on the January 30th lectionary texts.

Psalm 71:1-6

• If you created an “Images of God” poster or list to keep with the children, get it out and see if there are some images to add from this psalm. God rescues, is a refuge, and a rock. What do those mean? How do we, you, or the children, experience God as refuge, rescuer, or rock?
• How are the children already a prodigy or marvel of God? What do they do that helps indicate that God’s love is happening in their lives or in the world?

Jeremiah 1:4-10

• Jeremiah argues that he is only a boy. This scripture provides the opportunity to help the children understand their importance to the community of faith. They, too, have important words to share with, and can be leaders for, the community, just like Jeremiah. How might the children show your congregation God’s compassion, love, or justice?
• Verse 5 is an opportunity to talk to the children about God’s intimate knowledge of creation and of humanity as a religious confession rather than scientific fact.
• Verse 9 provides, if you have an older group, a good place to begin a conversation about how to know when the community of faith, or an individual, is “speaking for God.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

• This scripture could provide several weeks of conversation with the children, if one chooses to talk about these different aspects of love. Are any of the characteristics of love more important to the community than others?
• Talk with the children about the aspects of love that are the easiest for humanity? Which are harder?

Luke 4:21-30

• This is an opportunity to talk with the children about how some of the stories about Jesus make us feel. Some of what Jesus teaches is hard for us to hear or understand, but if we study, talk, and listen to one another, we might come to a better understanding of what Jesus meant.
• One could focus on what it means to be accepted in your community of faith. Jesus spoke of not being accepted because he would not “perform” for the people. Are there times when the children have not felt accepted? How does your congregation accept people?

I trust the ideas will help you find illumination for the biblical witness though your life and the words you craft for those in your pastoral care. You can purchase a copy of the Sacred Steps: Year C or other lectionary years on this site. Be a blessing.