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- What is Holy Week? a kid's talk explaining Holy Week
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
- Swords into Plow Shares, from a South African DPSer
- They All Left Jesus
- The Legend of the Dogwood
- The Legend of the Sand Dollar
What is Holy Week?
a kid's talk explaining Holy Week
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
Do you know what
this week is? (It’s Holy Week.)
And what makes it
Holy? (Easter is at the end of the week.)
What difference does
that make? (Easter is a Holy day.)
So, why don’t we
call the week before Christmas Holy Week? (This one might ‘stump’
them.)
Well, let’s try and
figure it out. What does Holy mean? (Perfect. Pure.)
Something is Holy
when it is like God or helps us recognize God. Things are made holy by
their association with God. And this week, we remember the most
important story about God’s love for us. That story makes this week
Holy.
But anytime we
recognize God becomes a Holy time. Not just today and not just this
week, but next week, too. We gather here tonight because we know God
is here. And because God is here, it is a Holy Night. And if we
gathered every night of every week, then every night would be holy –
although I’m not sure we’d get this many people every night of every
week!
But we can learn to
recognize God in other times and in other places so that every day
becomes holy to us, can’t we?
Let’s pray:
God, help us to
see you here tonight so this will be a Holy Night. Help us to remember
your story this week so this will be a Holy Week. Help us to recognize
you in other places too, so they can become Holy as well. Amen.
Swords into Plow Shares
Good Friday children's talk
from a South African DPSer
Once I got a friend to help with his flute. I told the story about a
tyrannical teacher who used a hollow plastic pipe to beat the children in his
class - something that still happens frequently in South Africa. I had a piece
of plastic pipe about a meter long. I mimed hitting the children and the pipe
made a sinister hooping noise as it crashed down on the front pew.
One day the teacher was sick and the children came to class and there was no
one to teach them. The pipe lay on the teacher's desk - alone and ominous.
Eventually one brave girl got up and touched it - much to the horror of the
other kids.
She took the pipe and using a fellow learner's pocket knife began cutting the
pipe into pieces. (I had pieces of pipe of different lengths.) Each piece she
cut holes in and fashioned several small piccolos which she handed to the class
and encouraged all to play the notes they could (my friend played discordant
music on his flute).
The next day when the teacher came back to school he was outraged to find his
pipe missing and confronted the kids. To his red, angry face the children stood
up and began playing their piccolos (my friend struck up a beautiful lilting
tune on the flute which he continued quietly as I narrated).
The teacher's hatred was instantly transformed as he saw his tool of dominion
transformed into instruments of beauty and celebration.
Never again did he hit a child.
I use this story to demonstrate what Jesus did on the cross - transforming
our hatred, ugliness and oppression into love, beauty and liberation.
They
All Left Jesus
A children's sermon on the theme of the Tenebrae
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: 3 candles
The basic idea of this children's sermon is a simplified Tenebrae service.
Pick two or three representatives and tell in your own words the story of how
they let Jesus down.
The most dramatic representatives are Judas, and Peter. Tell the
kids how they failed Jesus; explain that you will extinguishing a candle for each of
the persons that you share about that left him.
Before you extinguish the last candle, tell the kids that all of his
friends and family left him; in fact, he had no one to support him or speak for him during
his trial. Ask the kids if they would have stuck with Jesus. Then ask them if
they would hav stuck with him even though that would have meant certain death. But
even if we wouldn't have stuck with Jesus; he would have forgiven us, as he also forgave
Peter.
Explain that you are extinguishing the last candle as a symbol for Jesus'
death on the cross, which happened on Good Friday. Tell them that the story didn't
end there, that the candle of Christ will be lighted again--on Easter morning, but that
for now, we want to remember the death of Christ. For Jesus loved us so much that he
was willing to become human and even to die a painful death. That's how big his love
is for you and me.
Prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your great love for us.
Thank you for coming to live among us as a human being; and even to die for us.
Forgive us where we have failed you and left you behind. Amen."
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The
Legend of the Dogwood
author unknown
props: dogwood flower or picture of it
In Jesus time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
'Twas strong & firm it's branches interwoven
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
"Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so
Slender & twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony."
The
Legend of the Sand Dollar
props: use a sand dollar or print out this picture:
Use your own words to explain its significance
or read the poem (author unknown):
Upon this odd-shaped sea shell,
a legend grand is told
About the life of Jesus, the most
wondrous tale of old.
Its center markings plainly show
the storied Guiding Star
Which led to tiny Bethlehem,
three wise men from afar.
Five wounds suffered by our Lord
from nails and Roman spear
When he died upon the Cross
are wounds shown plainly here
[crown of thorns; 3 nails--left hand,
right hand and one through feet;
spear through the side]
Within the shell, when opened
five Doves of Peace are found
They celebrate this legend, so may
Peace and Love abound.
