Davison's Doodle

Palm Sunday

The procession of palm branches most likely began in the 3rd or 4th century CE (common era) by the churches in Jerusalem (Francis Mershman, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911). It marks the beginning of Holy Week, as Christians remember or relive Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey and other aspects of Jesus’ story in the last days.

Before Palm Sunday, it is still possible that Jesus will stop his journey to Jerusalem and skip the confrontation with the social, religious, and political orders. All the gospels contain a version of the story (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12). Many congregations ask the children and youth to lead the procession of palms (and perhaps hand them out to adult members) during the opening hymn. I have always found this curious and wondered why this is how the church chooses to include the children on Palm Sunday. Is it how the church re-enacts, “and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6)?

Many traditions associated with Palm Sunday have developed over the centuries. Some congregations bless the palms before the procession; many collect some of the palms after worship to keep to burn for the following year’s Ash Wednesday service; and some teach the children how to fold the palms into a cross.

Whatever tradition you follow, this may provide the content for a children’s sermon about Palm Sunday. One could ask the children if there is anything different happening in worship this morning and then talk with the children about why your congregation recognizes Palm Sunday. If you created a liturgical calendar or graphic for the children to help them understand the movements of the “Christian” year, this would be a good time to bring that to the sacred steps as you talk about Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

Psalm 118

• The children probably have heard bits and pieces of this psalm during their lives: as part of the call to worship, in prayers, and in hymns. One might consider highlighting the verses from this psalm and talking with the children about how your congregations read or pray the psalms as part of worship.
• One might introduce the children to the Hebrew word, hesed (see below), and talk with them about what this word means. As the adult leader, you might talk about how you have experienced God’s hesed or have a member or two of the youth group (or some adults in the congregation) ready to briefly say how they have experienced God’s hesed.
• Create a “God’s hesed” banner that the children could draw or write on while you talk with them about God’s love for humanity.
• If you created an “Images of God” poster to use with the children, this would be another time to bring that out and add images of God that reflect the concept of hesed to the list. You might use Hosea’s image of God as a mother bear.

This Hebrew word, hesed, is usually translated as “steadfast love” and is primarily used in the Hebrew Bible to describe God’s attitude toward humanity. The typical English translation, though, does not quite express the depths of this kind of emotion. This is a fierce and relentlessly protective love that God feels for humanity. In the imagery of Hosea, God’s love is like that of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hos 13:8). Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison.

Luke 19: 28-40

• Many will retell the story of waving palms and coats during the children’s sermon. If you choose to do this, it would be helpful to talk with the children about the journey of Lent (the last 40 days) and how we have followed Jesus to this moment when he enters Jerusalem. Today, we remember that, after a long journey, Jesus and the disciples entered Jerusalem. If you have an older group on the sacred steps, you could talk with the children about Jesus’ traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast, the day when Jewish people remember that God led their ancestors out of Egypt. Passover helps Jewish people remember an important part of their story. Many things will happen this week to Jesus and the disciples that help Christians remember something about our story and the faith of our ancestors.
• Why palm branches and coats? This is an opportunity to talk with the children about how the ancient world recognized leaders. Children will have probably seen a parade as a celebration. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a parade of sorts, as the peasants and his followers welcomed him in the way they would any important leader.

The Sacred Steps: Lent 5

Psalm 126

• If you have the time in the service, you could create a “Rejoice Banner” with the children, while you tell them this psalm.  Get a large piece of butcher paper or whatever works in your congregation, markers, and crayons, and write these words across the top: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced” (v. 3).  Enlist the help of some of your high school youth to help the children.  Ask the children to draw or write words about the persons or things they rejoice in or are thankful to God.  To do this well, be prepared for a ten-minute children’s sermon.  Ask the youth to help you hang the banner in the sanctuary or take it to the narthex so the congregation can see it.
• Another way to teach this psalm is to use a story from your congregation’s history.  Was there a time when your congregation felt restored, and it was like a “dream”?  Was it moving into a new building, renovating a part of the building, or rebuilding the church?  Was there coverage by the local media, and did people say, “The Lord has done great things for them” (v. 2c)?
• Maybe your congregation helped build a habitat house, and that home helped bring laughter and joy.  Be creative with your present-day telling and remind the children that we have examples of rejoicing from Psalm 126.

Isaiah 43:16-21

• This is an opportunity to talk with the children about the word “exile,” which they may hear during worship or Sunday school from time to time. Many people may be exiled today when a broader understanding of this word is applied. Children experience “exile” through “being left out,” intentionally or unintentionally, at school, at play, in family life, and in congregational life.
• Does your congregation support a refugee ministry or help settle refugees in your state, town, or city?  These persons have fled their homelands for many reasons, but they can also help the children understand the word “exile.”  If you have a refugee family in your congregation, talk with them about joining you on the sacred steps and telling a bit of their story as a way of helping the children understand what this portion of Isaiah might mean for Christians today.
• Another option for this text could be to focus on the broader meaning of “return” or “reconciliation.”  When have the children helped someone be included at school, in their neighborhood, or at home?
• Because the lives of children are a constant “new thing,” this might be a good place to craft a children’s sermon.  Each week, when they come to the sacred steps, odds are they have experienced something new about God, but they may not have “perceived” it.  Their lives, energy, and questions are new for your congregation each week.  This would be a daring question to start your time on the sacred steps, “What new thing about God did you see or learn this week?”
• If you have not taken the time to introduce the children to the prophet Isaiah of the Exile (represented by the words found in Isa 40-55), this is an opportunity to do so.  The Book of Isaiah is a favorite of those who practice the Christian faith.  A children’s sermon could be crafted that introduced Isaiah of the Exile as a character in the bible, and you could create a short list of important details that will help the children understand a bit about who this prophet was, his/her (some think this prophet may have been a woman) importance in the First Testament, and in the story of Israel.  A creative way to do this is to think about creating a Facebook page, on paper or a PowerPoint slide, for Isaiah and sharing that with the children.  What would be on Isaiah of the Exile’s profile?

Philippians 3:4b-14

• One way to approach this text could be for the adult or a youth group member to talk with the children about their faith journey or show a faith map.  Paul recounts his journey in faith, and having someone in the present do the same could model for the children a way to talk about their own experiences with God.
• Another option would be to enter the theology of this text by talking with the children about the goal of being more Christ-like in our living.  Paul is working to help the Philippians struggle with these kinds of questions, and maybe this is a place to begin with the children as well.

John 12:1-8

• Talk with the children about the stories that all the gospels have in common.  Make a list, or create a word search, for the children to have.  Are these the most important stories?  That may not be the question to ask.  Another question could be, “Do these stories have a characteristic that makes them relevant to all the gospels, no matter the context?”  Do you have a favorite story that is in all the gospels?  You could share that and encourage the children to learn a story that is in all the gospels, like the one for today.  You could highlight the gospel reading for the day as a reference to talking about the stories that all the gospels have in common.
• If you desire to dip a toe into the perfume of the story with the children, I suggest focusing on Mary and her recognition of who Jesus is for her.  This moment resembles Peter’s “aha moment” in Mark 8: 27-30.  What do the actions of Mary and Peter tell us about who Jesus was for them?  Can you or someone else in the congregation tell the children who Jesus is for you?  How do the children describe Jesus?  Listen to their responses to recognize that they may see something in Jesus that adults do not.