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1) "Sorry" a children's sermon on the meaning of Ash
Wednesday (see below)
2) The Book Without Words, based on Psalm 51
(scroll down)
3) How We Should Give to Others, based on Mt. 6:1-6, 16-21
(scroll down)
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"Sorry"
a kids' talk for Ash Wednesday
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: ashes mixed with oil (if you plan for having an
implementation of ashes)
Hello, my fine little friends. Today I want to talk about a
word that is very powerful--but only if we mean it. Let's see if you can guess the
word:
- The word I am looking for is a five letter word.
- We use this word to make up with someone.
- When we say it we often feel sad for a mistake.
- Sometimes, people use it when they say: "I feel so __ for you..."
- When mom or dad want us to make up with someone they sometimes go: "You say
______ to your brother/sister"
That's right, the word is "sorry." Have you
ever been really sorry for something you have done--like a mistake you have made?
Maybe even today? Now, don't answer that, because your parents are listening.
I don't want to get anybody in trouble =)
Sometimes we make a mistake, like when we hurt a friend's
feelings with words. Or when we do not have our homework in class because we felt
that watching TV was more fun than homework the day before (add your own examples).
Well, we have all made mistakes that we are sorry for.
So, when that happens, then what do we do? (let them answer and affirm
their answers--all of their answers are good).
Saying "sorry" is a very good start to making up
with others after we made a mistake. I believe that "sorry" is another magic
word, like "please." It's amazing, when you did something wrong and you
say: "I'm sorry" people will usually say: "it's o.k."
But here is the thing: you better mean it when you say
"I'm sorry." What if I were to say it like this (laugh while you say
"I'm sorry"). That would be almost like going: "I'm sorry . . .
NOT!" You better be really sorry and let people see that you are sorry when you
say "I'm sorry."
Guess what! Tonight's service is all about letting God see that we are really
sorry for all the mistakes we made. And since all of us make mistakes I (or: our
senior pastor) will offer to put some of these ashes on everybody's forehead later in the
service.
The smudge of ashes on our foreheads will not only show God that we are really sorry
for our mistakes, but it will also let everybody who sees us know that we believe that our
God forgives our mistakes. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it great to know that
when we make a mistake that God forgives us if we say sorry and really meant it?
Let us pray: "God, today we want to say "I'm sorry" for all the
mistakes we have made. And we really do feel sorry for them. Please forgive us and
help us to make less and less mistakes. Thank you, dear Lord. Amen.
The
Book Without Words
based on Psalm 51 (and the general theme of Ash Wednesday)
developed by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Props: you will need the following colored construction
paper: black, red, white, and green. Cut the papers to a half page size and
staple them together to make a "book." The order of the pages need to be black,
white, red, white and greed.
Good evening, my young friends; today I brought a book with me (do not open
at that point). It is a very special book. Who of you likes to read books?
Who of you cannot read, but like to look at picture books?
OK, the book I brought for you today is a book without words. Can you
imagine a book without words? It doesn't have any pictures in it either. Can
you imagine a book without words, nor pictures? Not much of a book you may
think. But yet, this book (show them the book and leave through the pages)
tells the entire Christian message. Who of you can imagine that?
Well, for those among us who are still unbelievers about my book, let me read
to you from this mysterious book: The first page of my book is . . . . black,
that's right. The black page tells us about the color of our heart when we
commit a sin--when we do things that are wrong. Then our heart is black as
dirt.
But the good news is that God made a way for us to wash us clean, to make our
hearts white as snow (skip the red and show them the white page). But I am
getting ahead of myself. Let me show you the page before which is the color . .
. . . red, that's right.
The red page tells us about what Jesus has done for us. Jesus died on a
cross in our place and when he hung on that cross, Jesus carried all the sins
anybody ever committed and ever will commit. So all we need to do is to say to
the Lord Jesus, please forgive me, if we have done something wrong and . . .
what do you think, will he forgive us? Yes, absolutely. Because Jesus has
carried our sins on the cross, he can forgive us and (turn to the white page)
wash our hearts and make them white again.
The green color stands for the good life God will give us. Jesus is the Good
Shepherd who will lead us to green pastures--to the green meadows. Jesus will
provide for us.
The gold page stands for heaven. Because, after we live in the green
pastures of life, we will die and go to heaven, which the bible says has streets
of gold. That's what the yellow page tells us.
But it all starts with us telling Jesus our sins (black), the things we have
done wrong, God forgiving us (white) because he carried our sin on the cross
(red). Perhaps there is something you want to tell God right now and ask for
forgiveness for. You can do so silently in your heart while I pray.
Simple Prayer of Confession
How We Should
Give to Others
a children's sermons based on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: a bill (or coin), an offering plate (basket), a fanfare (or kazoo)
Introduction: Giving is pretty important in the church of God. When we put money in the
offering plate where does it go? Who gets it? That's right, it goes to God, to God's work,
(yes, the pastor needs to eat too), to needy people, to good projects in church and in the
neighborhood.
Of course, God wants us to share what we have with him and others, but it's not just
the giving itself that's important, but also how we give. In today's gospel lesson, Jesus
talked about how we should not give. And to demonstrate that lesson, I need a volunteer.
Spontaneous Dramatization: give the volunteeer child a bill (or coin) of your currency
(a dollar, a euro, a pound,,,), then ask it to put it into the church's offering plate
located a good distance away from where the kids are gathered. On the child's way back,
have a person from the congregation you selected (or do it yourself) go in front of the
child blowing the kazoo (or trumpet) and announcing to everybody that the "honorable
Mr(s). Soandso has given a whole dollar (euro, pound, etc) into the church treasury.
Once you return to the group, ask the child how that felt. Then ask the children if
they think that this is the way in which God wants us to give to him and others. My guess
is that the children will instinctiveley know that this isn't the way God wants us to give
(even though the dramatization may have been a lot of fun). If not, you're on your own =).
Close with reiterating Jesus' words that, when we give, we should do it quietly and
without bragging about it.
Prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for blessing us with all the things that we
have--enough food, a roof over our heads, toys and so on. We thank you especially for our
families, loved ones, and friends. Help us, Lord, to live generously and to gladly share
with others, especially those who do not have much. Amen."
