Children's Sermons Following The Lectionary

Second Sunday in Lent  (March 11, 2001)

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Psalm 27
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:31-35

*****

I want to tell you a story about a boy named Irskin.  Now Irskin didn't like
to eat peas, or most any other green vegetable for that matter, but peas
were his worst.  He would say, "I hate peas."
And his father would say, "Peas are good for you.  They'll make you grow up
big and strong."
"But, I don't like them," Irskin would say.
"It doesn't matter.  They are important for your body, and you are going to
eat them, or you won't get any dessert," his mother would say.
Then one suppertime his father said, "Irskin, remember the last time we had
this discussion?  You sat there and stared at your peas until the rest of us
were finished and eating our peach cobbler.  The longer you sat there the
worse the peas looked to you and the better the cobbler looked to you until
you had to get up and go to your room.  Do you remember that?" asked his
father.
"Yes," said Irskin, "I remember."
Then his father said, "If you will eat your peas early, the dessert will be
sweeter and your night will be better.  You can change what will happen."
Irskin hadn't thought about it that way.  He decided he didn't want to be
miserable like last time, so he got busy and ate his peas.  In fact from
that night on, he would always eat his peas first so everything else would
taste better.  In fact, he would arrange his plate so that the things he had
to eat were first and the things he liked to eat were last.  Then he would
eat straight across the plate with the meal getting better as he went.

That night when Irskin and his parents were getting ready to say prayers,
his mother said, "Irskin, I am proud of you."
"How come?" said Irskin.
"Because you chose not to make yourself miserable at the supper table," said
his mother.
"How did I do that?" asked Irskin.
"You chose to eat your peas and not throw a fit, and look, the peas turned
into such a little thing you don't even remember it, " said his mother.
"Oh," said Irskin.
"And I think God is happy with you too," said his father.
"Why God?" asked Irskin.
"Because God doesn't like you to be miserable.  God is always happy when you
choose to be happy," said his father.  And they prayed a prayer like this:
Dear God, we thank you for showing us the right things to do, and we thank
you for Irskin's choosing to do the right thing, the hard thing, now instead
of putting it off until later.  Amen.

Third Sunday After Epiphany  (January 21, 2000)

Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10
Psalm 19
I Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21


I want to tell you a story about a boy named Hornbeek.  Hornbeek was lying
in his bed after a nice bath getting ready to go to sleep.  His mother and
father were seated on the bed beside him.  They were talking about things
that had happened that day.  Hornbeek's father asked him, "Did you play with
the new boy next door, today?"
"No, he's wierd," said Hornbeek.
"What do you mean?" asked his father.
"He talks funny." said Hornbeek trying to copy the way the new boy talked.
Hornbeek made himself laugh, but his mother and father didn't laugh.
"I think the boy has trouble starting words," said his Mother, "but if you
wait for him, he can say anything anyone else can.  You just have to wait
for him."
"I still think he's wierd," said Hornbeek.
"Well," said his father, "God gives different gifts to different people.
You learn soccer fast, but you learn piano slowly.  You start words quickly,
but he starts words slowly.  Starting words is not one of his gifts.  Do you
know what gifts God has given him?"
"No, I didn't think about it," said Hornbeek.
"When you think someone is wierd, you aren't looking for the gifts God has
given them, so you won't find amy gifts," said his mother.  "Tomorrow, you
can find out one of his gifts.  Maybe he is good at a game."
"Maybe he can play marbles," Hornbeek said.
"Maybe he can do something you don't know about," said his mother.   "Why
don't you find out?"
"Okay," said Hornbeek
"Now you have the best gift of all," said his father.
"What?" said Hornbeek.
"God has given you the gift of finding his gift," said his father.

Hornnbeek had never thought about that.  He'd thought about other gifts from
God but never the gift of finding someone's gift.  So, he thought about
that.

Then they said a prayer like this:  "Dear God, thank you for giving us the
gift of loving you and loving each other.  Help us play happily with the
people next door."

Pentecost 14 (September 17, 2000)

Proverbs 1:20-33
Ps 19
James 3:1-12
Mark 8:27-38

*****

I want to tell you a story about a girl named Skittymingolee. Now
Skittymingolee and her father went to the fair one afternoon after school.
There were lots of people at the fair and lots of things to see.
"I want to see the sheep," said Skittymingolee.
So they saw the sheep, and Skittymingolee wished she had some sheep of her
own.
"Now I want to see the big pigs," said Skittymingolee.
They saw the pigs, and Skittymingolee wished she had some pigs of her own.
"What about the big cows?" said Skittymingolee.
They saw the cows and bulls next, and Skittymingolee wished she had some
cows of her own.
Walking back toward the rides, she saw someone eating cotton candy.
"I want some cotton candy," said Skittymingolee.
While she was eating the cotton candy, she saw someone with corn on a stick.
"I want a corn on a stick," said Skittymingolee.
Then she saw someone eating a hot dog and got one of those, then some pie
and ice cream, then a coke. Then they got to the rides.
"I want to ride the one that goes round and round, not the little one, the
big one," said Skittymingolee.
So she did, and she threw up and had to go home.

That night Skittymingolee brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. Her
father and mother came into her room and sat next to her on the bed.
"How do you feel," said her mother.
"Not so good, " said Skittymingolee.
"I guess not," said her mother. "It sound as if you ate everything at the
fair. I'm glad you didn't eat the sheep too."
"Could we have a sheep, a real one, a baby one in the back yard?" said
Skittymingolee.
"Skitty," said her mother, "do know why you got sick at the fair?"
"No," said Skittymingolee.
"Because you want everything you see," said her mother.
"I can't help it," said Skittymingolee.
"I know one thing that will help it," said her mother.
"What?" said Skittymingolee.
"When I want everything I see, I decide to want what I can't see instead,"
said her mother.
"What's that?" said Skittymingolee.
"I say to myself, 'I want Jesus more than that,'" said her mother. "I can't
see Jesus, but I want Jesus more because Jesus is better than what I see."
"Oh," said Skittymingolee. "Does Jesus come with cotton candy?"
"Sometimes," said her mother, "but I don't have to eat it. I like Jesus
better."

Then they said a prayer like this: "Dear God, we love you more than
anything else. Help us want the things that are good for us. Amen."

Pentecost 13 (September 10, 2000)

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Psalm 125
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Mark 7:24-37


*****

I would like to tell you a story about a boy named Dunstable. Now Dunstable
had a ball. It was a nice ball. It was soft, about as big as a grapefruit,
and it wasn't very heavy, so you could throw it and catch it easily. He
took it with him to the park one day. His mother went with him. At the
park were boys and girls that wanted to play with the ball, so his mother
had them all make a big circle. Then she said to Dunstable, "Throw the ball
to the person next to you."
And he did, and the next one did. He watched as his ball, his best ball,
went around the circle to each person. And, as it moved around, he started
thinking, "That's my ball." When it got back around to him, he held on to
it and wouldn't throw it. Dunstable's mother said, "Throw the ball,
Dunstable. Throw it to the next person."
Everybody said, "Throw the ball."
But all Dunstable said was, "My ball!"
Finally, he held it so long that the other children didn't want to play any
more, and they left to play something else. That meant Dunstable had a
ball, but he wasn't happy. He didn't have anyone to play with.

That night when they were saying prayers, Dunstable said, "Nobody likes to
play with me."
"Well," said his mother, "if you won't share your toys, nobody will want to
play."
"But, they mess up my toys," said Dunstable.
"Which do you want more," asked his father, "toys or friends?"
"I don't know," said Dunstable.
"Did Jesus have lots of toys or lots of friends?" asked his father.
"Lots of friends, I guess, " said Dunstable.
"What do you suppose Jesus did with his toys, then?" asked his mother.
"I guess he shared them," said Dunstable.
"So, where are Jesus' toys now?" said his mother.
"They are all gone," said Dunstable.
"And where are Jesus' friends?" said his father.
"I don't know," said Dunstable.
"Sure you do," said his father. "We are Jesus' friends. The people at
church are Jesus friends. His friends are all over because Jesus shared."

Then they said a prayer like this: Dear God, help us learn to share the way
you share so we can have friends the way you have friends. Amen.

Pentecost 12 (September 3, 2000)

Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Ps. 45:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23


*****

I would like to tell you a story about a girl named Vincula. It was Sunday
afternoon when Vincula asked her mother, "How can I love God?"
"What do you mean?" asked her mother.
"Well, in Sunday School Mrs. Ziffel said we should love God, but I don't
know how to love God. Could you show me?" said Vincula.
"I think so," said her mother. "Let's go out in the back yard and practice
loving God."
So, they went out in the backyard where there was a big flower pot with a
pretty flower in it.
"First," said her mother, "we are going to love this flower."
"How do we do that?" said Vincula.
"Can you make your hands move?" asked her mother.
"Yes," said Vincula.
"Can you make your legs move?" asked her mother.
"Yes," said Vincula. "That's silly. I can make everything move."
"Good," said her mother. "Then make yourself move over to the watering can
and bring the flower a drink of water."
And Vincula gave the flower a nice drink.
"There," said her mother, "you just loved the flower."
"I did?" said Vincula.
"Yes you did," said her mother, "because you used your hands and feet and
everything to give the flower a good gift, your gift. You could have used
your hand to smash the flower. You could have used your feet to run off and
leave the flower, but you didn't. You loved the flower instead."

That night when Vincula had taken her bath and brushed her teeth and gotten
ready for bed, her mother sat down on the bed with her to say prayers.
"You didn't tell me how to love God," said Vincula. "You were going to tell
me. Then we watered the flower instead."
"We did, didn't we?" said her mother. "But now I'm going to tell you how to
love God. First get under the covers. Now, hug your Teddy Bear."
"Am I loving God yet?" said Vincula.
"Almost," said her mother.
"Now remember the pretty flower and how you gave it a drink," said her
mother. "That was God's flower, you know."
"I know," said Vincula. "God made everything."
"That's right," said her mother. "And when you watered the flower, God
said, 'Look, Vincula loves me. She's watering my flower'"
"God said that?" asked Vincula.
"I think so," said her mother.

Then they said a prayer like this: "Dear God, we love you and we want to
help you. Amen."

Pentecost 11 (August 27, 2000)

1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
Ps. 84
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69

*****

I want to tell you a story about a boy named Worishes Venible.
"I don't want to go to church," Worishes said on Sunday morning at
breakfast. He was thinking about the fort he was building in the back yard
with Wade, the boy next door.
"Wade doesn't have to go to church, why do I have to go?" he complained.
"We are God's people, Worishes," his mother said, "and God's people go to
church."
"I don't want to be God's people," said Worishes, "I want to build the fort
with Wade."
"God's people get to build forts," said his father, "just not on Sunday. On
Sunday we build God's fort."
That was all there was to that. Worishes knew he was going to church. The
Venible's always went to church, even on vacation.

That night when they were getting ready to say prayers, Worishes' father
said, "How did you like building God's fort today?"
"What?" said Worishes, "I didn't get to build any fort."
"Oh, but you did," said his father, "you built God's fort."
"I built God's fort?!" Worishes said.
"What did you do in Sunday School?" asked his father.
"We learned about the time Jesus healed a man that couldn't walk," said
Worishes.
"When you learned how Jesus loves us, Worishes, you were laying the
foundation for God's fort," said his mother. "You have to have a strong
foundation to build a strong fort."
"What about church?" asked his father. "What did you do in church?"
"Nothing, church was boring," said Worishes.
"Did you hear any music?" asked his mother.
"Yes," said Wroishes.
"Music is like the door to the fort," said his mother. "It lets people go
in, and it lets God go in."
"Did anyone say 'Hi, Worishes'?" asked his Father.
"Lot's of people," said Worishes.
"Yes," said his father, "and not just children, but also grown ups. All of
these people that know you and love you are like the walls of the fort, the
big, tall, pointed, wooden poles sticking up from the foundation that keep
you safe inside."
"Oh," said Worishes. He hadn't thought about that.
"Now, " said his mother, "let's all pretend we are getting in the fort where
we'll be safe so we can go to sleep."
And they prayed a prayer like this: Dear God, thank you for our church and
for your fort where we can be safe. Amen.

Pentecost 10 (August 20, 2000)

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Ps. 111
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58


*****

I would like to tell you a story about two sisters, Otijoe and Otijean.
Both of them had Barbie Dolls and both of them had outfits for their dolls,
but only one of them had a bride dress for her Barbie. One afternoon Otijoe
and Otijean were playing with their Barbies in their room when their mother
heard them fighting.

"I want the bride dress."
"No, it's mine."
"Mommy said I get to play with it too."
"Not now."
"You're hogging it. Give it to..."
"Aaaaaah!"

"What in the world is going on in here," said her mother when she came into
their room. They were both crying.
"Otijoe tore the bride dress," said Otijean.
"No, you tore it," said Otijoe. "You wouldn't let go."
"Goodness," said their mother, and she took the pieces of the bride dress
out of their hands.

That night when Otijoe and Otijean were ready for bed and their parents came
in to say prayers, their father said, "I heard you had some trouble this
afternoon."
"Yes," said Otijean, "Otijoe tore the Barbie bride dress."
"I did not," said Otijoe.
"Just a minute," said their father, "let's see if we can be smart about
this. God has given you good minds. You can be smart. So, answer one
question for me, OK?"
"OK," said the girls.
"If Otijean had been in the room by herself with the bride dress, would it
have gotten torn up?"
"No," said the girls.
"And if Otijoe had been in the room by herself would it have gotten torn
up?"
"No," said the girls.
"Then that means you both tore it up because it took both of you to do it,"
said their father. "I knew you were smart. You gave the right answer.
Now, if you had the bride dress back, what would be the smart thing to do so
you wouldn't tear it up?"
"I should have let go," said Otijean. "Then it wouldn't have torn."
"I should have let go," said Otijoe.
"See," said their father, "if you use your heads, you won't have this kind
of trouble."
"Well," said their mother, "we can't use our heads very well if we don't
love each other first. I think we all need to ask God to help us love each
other.

So, they said a prayer like this: "Dear God, help us love each other so we
can always think of the best thing to do."

Pentecost 9 (August 13, 2000)

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
Ps. 130
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:35, 41-51

*****

I would like to tell you a story about a boy named Spizerink. Now Spizerink
came into the house crying one day after school.
"Spizerink, honey," said his mother, "what's wrong?"
"Nobody likes me," said Spizerink.
"Oh, Spizerink," said his mother, "that's not true."
"They all laugh and call me names," said Spizerink.
"Did someone call you a bad name today?" said his mother.
"Yes," said Spizerink, "we were choosing up teams to play football. I was
the only one left and they said, 'We'll take twinkle bones.' Then another
one said, 'You can have Dumbo ears.' Then they all started saying 'Rinky
stinky, rinky stinky.'"
"That was real mean," said his mother. "That makes me angry. Did it make
you angry?'
"Yes," said Spizerink. "I'm no good at anything. No body likes me."
"You know what you need, my precious Spizerink?" said his mother.
"What?" said Spizerink.
"You need God to touch you," said his mother.
"I do," said Spizerink. "What's that?"
"Well," said his mother, "when God first touched you, when you were born,
you did everything right. You cried right. You ate right. You slept
right. You did everything right. You didn't think you were no good.
Everyone said, 'What a perfect baby you were.'"
"I think I've gotten worse," said Spizerink.
"We all get worse if God doesn't touch us again and again," said his mother.
"How can I get God to touch me then?" said Spizerink.
"How do you get me to touch you?" said his mother.
"I come home," said Spizerink.
"What else?" said his mother.
"I say, 'Mommy'", said Spizerink.
"What else?" said his mother.
"I go to where you are," said Spizerink.
"Yes," said his mother, "and I go to where you are and then I can touch you
and you are already better. Well, it is the same way with God."
"It is?" said Spizerink.
"Yes," said his mother. "Watch. God is going to touch us. Let's close our
eyes and put our hands together by our hearts. Let's think about God. Now
let's talk to God. God, we're home. They were mean to me at school. I
wish you would beat them up. Amen"
"I don't think that was a good prayer," said Spizerink.
"Why?" said his mother.
"'Cause God doesn't beat people up," said Spizerink.
"So what should we say instead?" said his mother.
"We should asked God to touch them and make them better too," said
Spizerink.
"How did you know that?" said his mother.
"I don't know," said Spizerink.
"Because God just touched you, that's how," said his mother. "Let's pray
another prayer."

"Dear God, thanks for touching Spizerink and me and making us better.
Please touch the boys at school too. Amen"s

Pentecost 8 (August 6, 2000)

2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
Ps. 51:1-12
Ephesians 4:1-16
John 6:24-35



*****

I would like to tell you a story about a girl named Grudamy. Grudamy walked into the kitchen one summer Saturday afternoon and said, "I want to go to the store."
"What?" said her mother.
"I want to buy an toy, " said Grudamy.
"But you have lots of toys in your room," said her mother.
"No, they are no fun. I don't want to play with them any more," said Grudamy.
"Well, let's just go in your room and see what we can find," said her mother.
So her mother went out in the garage and got a big cardboard box.
"Why are you getting that big box?" asked Grudamy.
"You'll see," said her mother.
They went to Grudamy's bedroom with the cardboard box.
"Now," said her mother, "let's see what there is to play with. Here's your Soccer Barbie. Do you want to play with her?"
"No," said Grudamy, "that's boring."
"OK," said her mother and put it in the cardboard box.
"How about your Powder Puff Girl writing pad?" said her mother. "You could draw pictures."
"No," said Grudamy, "that's boring"
So, her mother put that in the cardboard box too.
"Here's your Make-Up Angelica you got for Christmas," her mother said, "You could play with her."
"No, I'm tired of Rug Rats," said Grudamy.
So, her mother put that in the cardboard box too.
"I know," said her mother, "you could make something in your easy bake oven."
"I don't want to," said Grudamy.
So, her mother put that in the cardboard box too, picked up the box and started to walk out of the room.
"Where are you going with my toys?" said Grudamy.
"I'm taking them to the garage since they aren't fun to you any more," said her mother. "We don't need toys that aren't fun."
"Wait," said Grudamy, "let me look in the box. I think I'll play with the Make-Up Angelica."
And she did and she had a good time. And her mother took the box with the rest of the toys to the garage.

That night when they were getting ready to say prayers, Grudamy's mother said, "Remember this afternoon when you thought you needed to go buy a new toy."
"Yes," said Grudamy.
"You thought you didn't have enough toys, didn't you?" said her mother.
"I guess so," said Grudamy.
"But, when I started taking toys away, all of a sudden you liked your Rug Rat again," said her mother.
"Do you know what that means?"
"What?" said Grudamy.
"It means you had too many toys," said her mother. "When we get too many or too much, more things don't make us happy.

Then they said a prayer like this: "Dear God give us tomorrow just what we need, not too much and not too little. Amen."

Pentecost 7 (July 30, 2000)

2 Samuel 11:1-15
Ps. 14
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21


*****

I would like to tell you a story about a boy named Kurbalt. Now Kurbalt had
a birthday yesterday. It was his fifth birthday. He is five years old.
Lots of people came over to his house for the party, all of his relatives
were there. Every time someone came in the front door, they would say,
"Where's's Kurbalt?" And when they found him, they would give him a great
big hug.

Oh, he had so many hugs. Everybody that came over gave Kurbalt a great big
hug. After the party, he was talking with his Aunt Ginger.
"Did everybody give you a hug?" she asked.
"I think everybody gave me a hug," said Kurbalt. And then he looked up at
his aunt and said, "But God didn't give me a hug."
"What, you mean God didn't give you a hug!?" said Aunt Ginger. "Come out
here in the backyard. We'll see about that."
And they went out the back door. His new little birthday puppy came running
up to him and licked him on the cheek.
Aunt Ginger said, "See there, God just gave you a hug. God created the
puppy and the puppy makes you happy."
Aunt Ginger took Kurbalt over to the flower bed where they saw a whole row
of pretty yellow flowers, the ones on the tall green stalk.
"Have you looked at these flowers?" she asked.
Kurbalt bent over to look carefully. He sniffed the flower, and it smelled
good.
"God just gave you a hug," said Aunt Ginger.
"He did?" said Kurbalt.
"Sure," said his aunt. "That sweet smell was just for you."
Kurbalt began to get the idea. He looked up at his Aunt Ginger and said,
"When I go to church and I go into the class room with the picture of Noah's
ark on the wall, is that God giving me a hug?"
"Yes," Aunt Ginger said, "that's God's kind of hug."
"And when I go into the big church," said Kurbalt, "and I hear all that
pretty music and everyone singing, is that God giving me a hug?"
"It is," said Aunt Ginger.
"And when I go to bed at night and when I say my prayers and when I cuddle
with my teddy bear and when I feel real good and warm and safe and I go to
sleep, is that God giving me a hug?" asked Kurbalt.
"That is right," said Aunt Ginger.
"I'm glad I got lots of hugs on my birthday," said Kurbalt, "and hugs from
God all the time."
"Well," said Aunt Ginger, "why don't we tell God 'thank you' right now?"

And they prayed a prayer like this, "Dear God, we thank you for all the
people who love us and hug us, and most of all, we thank you for loving us
and hugging us. Amen"

Children's Sermon to go with McGregor Page 201

Pentecost 6 (July 23, 2000)

2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Ps. 89:20-37
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56


*****

I would like to tell you a story about a boy named Triglund. Now Triglund
was up to bat. It was
the last inning of the last game. If they won, they could play more games;
but if they lost, that
would be the end.
"Come on, Triglund," hollered Tommy from the bench. "Don't strike out!"
"Keep your eye on the ball," said the coach.
"You can't hit," said the catcher.
He did hit, right back to the pitcher and he was out and the game was over.

Triglund didn't cry until he got into the car. "I hate baseball," he said.
"I hate Tommy and I hate
the coach."
"I'm sorry you feel that way," said his dad. "Maybe you'll feel better
later. Do you want to stop
for a refreshment. You tried real hard and I want to buy you something
special. What would you
like?"

What do think Triglund wanted? (Solicit responses.)
Do you think Triglund felt better then?

That night when Triglund's dad came in his room to say prayers, they started
talking about the
baseball game again.
"Triglund," said his father, "does Trixie like to play ball?"
(Trixie was Triglund's dog.)
"Fetch," said Triglund, "Trixie likes to fetch the ball."
"When you throw her the ball, does she always catch it?" said his father.
"No," said Triglund.
"And when she misses the ball, does she get upset and hide in the bushes?"
said his father.
"She wouldn't do that, she just likes to play with the ball," said Triglund.
"Do you wish she would try harder?" asked his father.
"No," said Triglund.
"What happens when you miss the ball?" said his dad. "Does Trixie get
upset?"
"That's silly," said Triglund.
"So maybe Trixie should teach us how to play ball, so we wouldn't feel so
miserable after a
game," said his father. "Let the dog teach the master a trick."
Triglund had never thought about that.

Then they said a prayer like this, "Dear God, teach us to have fun when we
play and to be good to
each other when we have fun. Amen."

Children's Sermon to go with McGregor Page 200

Pentecost 5 (July 16, 2000)

2 Samuel 6:1-19
Psalm 24
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:14-29


*****

I would like to tell you a story about a girl named Vatrix. Now Vatrix came
in the house from the back yard and asked her mother, "Where's Rosco?"
"Rosco" was the name of her dog.
"I don't know dear," said her mother. "Isn't he in the back yard?"
"No," said Vatrix. "I looked everywhere."
"He's not under the house?" asked her mother.
"I don't think so," said Vatrix.
"Well, let's go see," said her mother.
And they both went out into the back yard to look for Rosco. He wasn't
there. They asked the neighbors if they had seen Rosco, but they hadn't
seen him either.
"Let's get in the car and go looking for him," said Vatrix' mother.
Vatrix leaned out the window of the car and called, "Rosco, Rosco!"
But, Rosco didn't come. When they got back home, they were very sad.

That night when they were getting ready to say prayers, Vatrix said, "I hope
Rosco is all right. I hope someone didn't get him."
And she started to cry.
Her mother sat down on the bed and put her arm around her. It made Vatrix
feel a little better. At least she could talk instead of just cry.
"I'm sad too," said her mother. "Tomorrow we'll look for him again. Maybe
he'll come home tonight."
"Do you think so?" said Vatrix.
"Maybe," said her mother.
"What if he got run over by a car?" said Vatrix.
"Oh, honey, let's not think about that," said her mother.
"He could," said Vatrix.
"Yes, he could," said her mother, "but let's not think about it. Let's
think about God watching out for Rosco."
"Is God watching out for Rosco?" asked Vatrix.
"Yes," said her mother, "I believe God is watching out for him."
"Then let's tell God to send Rosco home," said Vatrix.

So they said a prayer like this, "Dear God, Rosco is lost and we need your
help. Bring him back home, please. Amen."

You have permission to share this material with any individual provided that you include the source with e-mail address (rmac1@flash.net) and this copyright notice.

Pentecost 4 (July 9, 2000)

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10
Psalm 48
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-13


*****

I would like to tell you a story about a boy named Mawgdot. Now Mawgdot
wanted to play the piano more than anything else, but he didn't like to
practice.
"It is time for you to practice," his mother would say.
"Aw, do I have to?" he would say.
"I'll set the timer," his mother would say. "Just practice fifteen
minutes."
One day Mawgdot said, "I want a magic piano."
"A magic piano?" said his mother. "What's that?"
"It's one that plays what you tell it to play," said Mawgdot. "Whatever
keys you hit, the right notes come out."
"Would that be good?" asked his mother.
"I think it would be good," said Mawgdot. "Then I wouldn't have to
practice. I could just play."
"You wouldn't have to do anything," said his mother. "You could tell it to
play the music and you could do something else."
"No, I want to play the piano," said Mawgdot.
"Well then, you'd better practice," said his mother, "or the piano might
decide it doesn't need you at all."

Mawgdot hadn't thought about that. Maybe the piano needed him to play the
right notes. So, he got up on the piano bench and practiced for fifteen
minutes and didn't fuss.

That night when they were getting ready for bed, Mawgdot's mother said,
"Mawgdot, I'm proud of you."
"Why?" said Mawgdot.
"Because you practiced the piano without fussing today," said his mother.
"I want to get really good," said Mawgdot.
"You know what else you are getting really good at?" said his mother.
"What?" said Mawgdot.
"You are getting really good at talking to God," said his mother.
"I am?" said Mawgdot.
"Yes," said his mother, "because we practice talking to God every day when
we pray."

So they said a prayer like this, "Thank you God for letting us get really
good and not fuss about practicing. Amen."

Children's Sermon to go with McGregor Page 198; Pentecost 3; 7/2/2000

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Mark 5:21-43


I want to tell you a story about a girl named Prudence. Now Prudence had wanted a wrist watch for a long time. Finally, on her birthday, she got one. It was big so that her father had to make another hole in the band to keep it from flopping around on her wrist. She put it to her ear to see if it made any sound. She checked to see what time it was every few minutes until she began to forget about it altogether. One night, when she got into the bath tub, she forgot to take off the watch. She sat down in the warm water with the bubbles on top and put her hands under her legs. Then she remembered her new watch. She could feel it against her leg. "Oh!" she thought as she brought it quickly out of the water and held it up to look at it. The face was half-full of water and the second hand had stopped moving. It was dead, and she began to cry.

After her bath, when she had stopped crying, when she was getting ready for prayers, her mother ask her about safe places for a watch.
"Prudence," she said, "is your arm a safe place for a watch?"
"Most of the time it is," said Prudence.
"Is your desk a safe place for your watch?"
"Yes." said Prudence.
"Is the bathtub a safe place for your watch?"
"No," said Prudence, looking very sad.
"Prudence," her mother said, "we have to think of safe places for the things we want to keep."
"What are your safe places?" Prudence asked.
"This house is a safe place," said her father, "The basement is a really safe place."
"You know the safest place of all?" her mother asked.
"No," said Prudence.
"The safest place of all is with Jesus. Whatever we give to Jesus is really safe."
"Can I give my watch to Jesus?" asked Prudence.
"Your watch is already broken," said her father.
"Maybe there is a way you can give your watch to Jesus," said her mother. "Maybe you can give it to a teacher to help children learn to tell time. That would be like giving it to Jesus because you would be giving it to help other people."
Prudence thought about that, and it made her feel a little better.
So, they said a prayer something like this: "Dear God we are going to sleep now. We are giving everything to you. Keep everything safe. Amen."

Easter 6; 5/28/2000

Isaiah 6:1-8
Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Exodus 3:1-6
Psalm 29
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17


I want to tell you a story about a girl named Zoreda. Now Zoreda was outside with her father in the front yard watching him put poison on the sidewalk where ants were coming up.
"I can help," said Zoreda. "I can stomp on ants."
But the ants were so fast they ran up on one shoe while she was stomping with the other.
"Aaaaaa," hollered Zoreda.
And her daddy picked her up with one arm and brushed off the ants with his free hand. He put her down in the grass away from the ants and finished his work. Zoreda waited patiently far away from the ants. On the way back into the house, she asked her daddy, "Why are there so many ants?"
"I guess because God wants lots of ants," said her father.
"If God wants lots of ants, why do you poison them?" asked Zoreda.
"Because Mommy and I don't want lots of ants on us or you," said her father.

That night, when Zoreda and her parents were getting ready for prayers, Zoreda said, "How do you know what God wants?"
"We know God just like we know people, Zoreda?" said her mother. "You know people by what they say and what they do."
"But, we can't see God," said Zoreda.
"Yes," said her mother, "but you wouldn't know much, if you only knew how people looked. You have to know people by what they say and what they do. When you put cat food in her bowl, what if Button never moved? What if she were just like a stuffed toy? What if she went 'bow-wow' instead of 'meow'? Would you still think she was your cat?"
"I don't know," said Zoreda.
"Zoreda," said her father, "we know God because we know what Jesus said, and we know what Jesus did. We don't know what God looks like, but we know God by what God says and does."
"Oh," said Zoreda, "is that why you read Bible stories to me, so I'll know what God is like?"
"After you have heard bunches and bunches of stories about Jesus, you know what God is like," said her father.
"I already know about Jesus," said Zoreda.
"That's right; you do," said her mother. "And there is another thing you know about God."
"What?"
"You know that God is right here to listen to our prayer."

Then they said a prayer like this, "Dear God, thank you for what you do and for what you say and for listening to us pray. Amen"

Easter 6; 5/28/2000

Psalm 98
Isaiah 45:11-13, 18-19
Acts 10:44-48
1 John 5:1-6
John 15:9-17


I want to tell you a story about a girl named Geschwinda. Now Geschwinda brought home a memory verse from Sunday School. Her mother said, "Do you know your memory verse?"
"Yes," said Geschwinda. "It's an easy one."
"What is it?" said her mother.
"Love one another," said Geschwinda.
"That is a good one," said her mother. "Do you know what it means?"
"Yes," said Geschwinda. "If someone says, 'Would you like an ice cream cone?' you say, 'I would love one and another.'"
"That's silly," said her mother. "Who told you that, not your Sunday School teacher."
"Billy said that. He's real funny," said Geschwinda.
"Yes, but what does it really mean, love one another?" said her mother.
"I guess it means being nice. I don't know," said Geschwinda.
"It doesn't just mean being nice," said her mother. "It means being nice to someone. You can play with your doll house in your room and be nice, but if you stop and color a nice picture to send to your grandfather, that is loving one another."
"Oh," said Geschwinda. "so, if I eat a peach and don't get juice all over my clean dress, I'm being nice. But if I ask you to cut it in half so I can share it with Judy, that's loving one another."
"That's right," said her mother.
"If I play crazy eights and don't cheat, I'm being nice. But, if I let my littler sister win, that's loving one another?" asked Geschwinda.
"I guess so," said her mother.
"And, if I ride my bicycle on the sidewalk and stay out of the street and off the grass, I'm being nice. But, if I let that mean Tommy Snodgrass ride my bicycle, that's loving one another?" asked Geschwinda.
"Would you like to do that?" asked her mother.
"No," said Geschwinda.
"Well, if you don't like to do it, maybe it isn't loving one another," said her mother.
"Then I think loving one another is too hard," said Geschwinda.
"It is too hard," said her mother, "unless God helps us. So, we always ask God to help us"

Then they stopped and said a prayer like this: "Dear God, help us love one another even w

Easter 5; 5/21/2000

Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8


I want to tell you a story about a boy named Garmel. Now, Garmel and his parents went to see Grandma and Grandpa. When they came back home, Garmel's father opened the trunk of the car and said, "What is this?"
"It's a stick off of Grandma's cherry tree," said Garmel. "I'm going to grow cherries."
"If you want more cherries, Garmel, we will have to go back to Grandma's house and pick them," said his mother.
"No, I want my own cherries in my own room. I'm going to put my cherry stick in water and have my own cherries," said Garmel.
"See," said Garmel after he had put the stick in a glass of water by his bed, "this is my own cherry tree. It has leaves and everything. Here is where the cherry will grow."
And he pointed right where the leaf grew out of the stick.
The next morning, Garmel said, "My cherry tree is still tired. The leaves are resting."
The leaves were all folded up and hanging down the branch.
The next morning, Garmel said, "I think my cherry tree needs dirt in the glass. It doesn't have anything to eat. The leaves are getting all stiff."
So, he put dirt in the glass with the water.
The next morning he came to breakfast with the stick in his hand. "Look," he said, "all the leaves fell off my cherry tree. I'm not going to get any cherries."
"I'm sorry," said his mother.
"That wasn't a cherry tree in the first place," said his father. "That was just a branch from a cherry tree. It can't grow anything after you break it off."

That night when they were getting ready to say prayers, Garmel said, "I don't want to say prayers. I want to watch TV. Why do I have to go to bed early so we can say prayers?"
"Remember your cherry tree, the one you brought home from Grandma and Grandpa's?" said his mother.
"It wasn't a cherry tree. It was just a stick," said Garmel.
"It was a cherry tree before the wind broke it off. It would have had cherries on it if it had stayed on the tree," said his mother.
"If we break off saying prayers to God, our leaves dry up and fall off," said his mother.
"I don't have any leaves," said Garmel. "I'm not a tree."
"No," said his father, "but you have good thoughts and you do good things. You know why?
"Why?" said Garmel.
"Because you are connected to God," said his father. "When we talk to God we are connected to God like a branch connected to a tree. Do you want to be connected to God or connected to the TV?"
Garmel had to think about that.

Then they said a prayer: "Dear God help us stay connected to you so we can think good things and do good things. Amen."

CURRENT CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE (updated May 3, 2000)

Children's Sermon to go with McGregor  Easter 3; 5/7/2000

5/27/00