A few paragraphs from Sacred Steps: Children’s Sermon Journal for Jan 20, 2013.
Psalm 36:5-10
How would you describe the “steadfast love” of God to a stranger or someone in your Sunday school class? Imagine this as your assignment before you come to the sacred steps this week to talk with the children about this text. The writer of Psalm 36 provided several descriptions of God’s steadfast love (e.g., “precious”, “extends to the heavens”), but the psalmist never actually defines what is meant by God’s steadfast love. Is it beyond expression or understanding, perhaps? The “Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Dialogue” suggests that, in Ps 36, “love is a given background”1 for understanding God. I can affirm that image for God and God’s love for creation. But, “steadfast love” is something very different. In Hebrew, the word translated here as “steadfast love” (hesed) is primarily used only to describe God’s relationship to God’s people. It is a passionate and fierce love; it is a protective love like that of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hosea 13:8). God’s “steadfast love” endures forever and refuses to give up on God’s creation (or us).
Isaiah 62:1-5
Out of the laments of mourning and despair, a prophet stepped out from among the people and proclaimed words of encouragement. Without denying their pain and disillusionment, this messenger of God was called to preach hope. These promises of God, spoken by the prophet, were indeed good news. This week’s reading from Isaiah (62:1-5) specifically describes the future restoration of Zion/Jerusalem. In the midst of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the prophet spoke of the day when Jerusalem would once again be a city that shone with Divine presence. Its builders would be well-pleased with the result of their hard work. Until that day when Zion received its vindication and was given back its dignity (v 2), the voice behind Isaiah 62:1-5 encouraged the people not to give-up, holding before them a vision of what could be (v 3).
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Many Christians, primarily evangelical and pentecostal, focus on the last five gifts listed: healing, working miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, and various kinds of tongues. Why do some Christians assign more value to these, rather than the first two, which explicitly mention speaking “wisdom and knowledge”? Is it easier to discern gifts of the Spirit that include a “leap of faith,” rather than wisdom or knowledge, because the latter can be assessed or measured?
John 2:1-11
I read the Gospel of John as if it is a theological handbook for believers, specifically new believers, rather than an account about the life, times, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The author of John is writing from an overt “Christ of faith” perspective.10 As such, the author is making a case for the divinity of the pre-existent Jesus (metaphor of the “Word with God” in chapter 1). This first act of Jesus’ public ministry, performing a miracle, begins the case for “incarnate God” in Jesus. Chapters 1 and 2 set-up a foreshadowing of “days” that culminates in 2:1 with, “On the third day.” At this wedding party, on the third day, which if you look closely is either the fourth day in John’s story or a continuance of the previous day [or the third day of the wedding feast], a metamorphosis happens that involves Jesus. This scene is John’s hint that, when you hang around with Jesus, things change. What has changed in your life, since you became a follower of Jesus?
And now, back on schedule, a few paragraphs from Sacred Steps: Children’s Sermon Journal for Jan 13.
Psalm 29
The claims and imagery of Ps 29 may seem a bit odd to the 21st century reader. We can explain natural phenomena through meteorology. We know that inanimate objects/concepts cannot skip or dance. We no longer look to nature for divine messages. Is there a way to bring these ancient words into our world? What do you think the “voice of the LORD” sounds like? Is it bold or soft? Or, does God’s voice change based on what a person needs to hear or can comprehend? What would it mean to proclaim that God is “president” over all creation? How might this influence your actions in the world? Is it possible to hold this claim in tension with respect for human rulers? Does your faith influence your participation in civic duties? What would you ask the LORD to grant to you or to the 21st century world?
Isaiah 43:1-7
Two aspects of this text, “exile” and “being named or called by name”, are of interest. The children will not know either of these, but they will most likely be able to express feelings about each. Exile is not a word that modern and post-modern westerners easily use. One would think that “exile” would be easily embraced because ours is a mobile society where many change jobs, change marriages, change houses, and change “hometowns”. Communication and travel technology have made the world smaller; its net effect has raised the chaos level rather than helping create community. Why? The majority of “plugged-in” humanity, secular and religious, lacks the filtering sophistication (maybe the word is “maturity”) necessary for the evolution of community. Thus, exile is most likely experienced, but rarely expressed, in terms beyond economic or social status. When did you last come to worship feeling as if you were in exile? From what, or where, were you separated?
Acts 8:14-17
This is an example of the Lectionary choosing a few verses of scripture to “sync” a Christian dogma, or liturgical theme, to a particular theological view of the bible. In this instance, “The Baptism of Jesus” (sometimes called, “The Baptism of our Lord”) is both a dogmatic belief and a liturgical theme which these few verses of Acts 8 are meant to support, rather than seeing the text as important on its own merit. Without reading all of chapter eight, or at least a few of the verses before and after the Lectionary reading, there is no way to know that John and Peter go to Samaria because Philip, according to unnamed apostles, apparently lacked the ability to baptize persons correctly in Jesus’ name. Moreover, without reading before and after the Lectionary’s choice, the reader misses the work of Philip, the conversion of some of the people of Samaria, as well as the power struggle among magicians, Jewish followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, and the Gentile world beyond Jerusalem. There is much more going on in this story than is portrayed by the reading.
Luke 3:15-22
Like the Isaiah reading for today, the Luke text draws our attention to being named and being God’s beloved. Do you consider yourself “God’s beloved?” Was Jesus God’s beloved, before he went into the Jordan that day? Were you God’s beloved before baptism, or does baptism functionally make you, or anyone, God’s beloved? These are questions that, depending on your piety and denominational dogma, may have answers or lead to more questions. What did Jesus know about God prior to his baptism? What does baptism do “to you” or “for you”? In your denominational heritage, what does baptism obligate a person to do or be? Any of these questions could be the foundation for crafting a children’s sermon. This text (and its synoptic parallels) also offers the opportunity to talk with the children about Jesus’ baptism as an awakening, or a way for the children to understand Jesus as a person just like them.
Paragraphs from SSCSJ
And now, back on schedule, a few paragraphs from Sacred Steps: Children’s Sermon Journal for Jan 13.
Psalm 29
The claims and imagery of Ps 29 may seem a bit odd to the 21st century reader. We can explain natural phenomena through meteorology. We know that inanimate objects/concepts cannot skip or dance. We no longer look to nature for divine messages. Is there a way to bring these ancient words into our world? What do you think the “voice of the LORD” sounds like? Is it bold or soft? Or, does God’s voice change based on what a person needs to hear or can comprehend? What would it mean to proclaim that God is “president” over all creation? How might this influence your actions in the world? Is it possible to hold this claim in tension with respect for human rulers? Does your faith influence your participation in civic duties? What would you ask the LORD to grant to you or to the 21st century world?
Isaiah 43:1-7
Two aspects of this text, “exile” and “being named or called by name”, are of interest. The children will not know either of these, but they will most likely be able to express feelings about each. Exile is not a word that modern and post-modern westerners easily use. One would think that “exile” would be easily embraced because ours is a mobile society where many change jobs, change marriages, change houses, and change “hometowns”. Communication and travel technology have made the world smaller; its net effect has raised the chaos level rather than helping create community. Why? The majority of “plugged-in” humanity, secular and religious, lacks the filtering sophistication (maybe the word is “maturity”) necessary for the evolution of community. Thus, exile is most likely experienced, but rarely expressed, in terms beyond economic or social status. When did you last come to worship feeling as if you were in exile? From what, or where, were you separated?
Acts 8:14-17
This is an example of the Lectionary choosing a few verses of scripture to “sync” a Christian dogma, or liturgical theme, to a particular theological view of the bible. In this instance, “The Baptism of Jesus” (sometimes called, “The Baptism of our Lord”) is both a dogmatic belief and a liturgical theme which these few verses of Acts 8 are meant to support, rather than seeing the text as important on its own merit. Without reading all of chapter eight, or at least a few of the verses before and after the Lectionary reading, there is no way to know that John and Peter go to Samaria because Philip, according to unnamed apostles, apparently lacked the ability to baptize persons correctly in Jesus’ name. Moreover, without reading before and after the Lectionary’s choice, the reader misses the work of Philip, the conversion of some of the people of Samaria, as well as the power struggle among magicians, Jewish followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, and the Gentile world beyond Jerusalem. There is much more going on in this story than is portrayed by the reading.
Luke 3:15-22
Like the Isaiah reading for today, the Luke text draws our attention to being named and being God’s beloved. Do you consider yourself “God’s beloved?” Was Jesus God’s beloved, before he went into the Jordan that day? Were you God’s beloved before baptism, or does baptism functionally make you, or anyone, God’s beloved? These are questions that, depending on your piety and denominational dogma, may have answers or lead to more questions. What did Jesus know about God prior to his baptism? What does baptism do “to you” or “for you”? In your denominational heritage, what does baptism obligate a person to do or be? Any of these questions could be the foundation for crafting a children’s sermon. This text (and its synoptic parallels) also offers the opportunity to talk with the children about Jesus’ baptism as an awakening, or a way for the children to understand Jesus as a person just like them.
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