___________________________________________________
Choose from the following
children's sermons:
-
God Shining Through You,
Luke
9:28-36
Rev. Randy Quinn
(see below)
-
This Little Light, 2 Corinthians 3:18
by Rev. Jean Kohlenstein (see below)
- Smiley Faces, Exodus 34:29-35 by
Rev. Frank Schaefer (see below)
- Shiny Things, based on Luke 9:28-36, Ladypreacher from Ohio (see below)
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God Shining Through You
Luke
9:28-36
Rev. Randy Quinn
Let me tell you a story.
It’s a story about four children who belonged to an Indian tribe in New
Mexico.
All four of the
children wanted to climb the mountain that towered over their village.
So the Indian Chief told them to bring a twig back from a branch of a
tree where they turned around.
The first child
brought back a cactus leaf. The Chief knew that he had only gotten to
the base of the mountain where the desert flowers grew. For him, it was
enough.
The second child
brought back a cottonwood twig. From that, the Chief knew that she had
gotten half way up the mountain where the springs could be found. For
her, it was far enough to know the mountain was bigger than she thought.
The third child came
back with a pine twig; it was from three-fourths of the way up the
mountain. This child learned he was not quite mature enough to make it
all the way to the top of the mountain – at least not yet.
But the fourth child
came back without a twig; and the Chief knew he had made it all the way
to the top of the mountain. He could tell, not by the twig, but by
looking at his face. He was aglow with the knowledge that comes from
having accomplished something important and from seeing the view from
the top of the mountain over the valley below.
The same thing happens to
us when we spend time with God. When we spend time in prayer, we become
holy and God’s love begins to show on our faces and in our eyes. We
don’t need to tell anyone what we’ve done or where we’ve been – they can
see it and know that God’s love lives in us.
During the next six weeks,
I want you to try it. I want you to find a special time and a special
place to pray every day – all by yourself. Read something from the
Bible and pray each day. Don’t tell anyone about it, but let’s see if
we begin to recognize the change that happens in you.
Let’s pray:
God, teach us how to be
holy as we take time to be with you. Let your light shine in our lives
and let your love be reflected in us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This
Little Light
a children's sermon based on 2 Corinthians 3:18, Transfiguration
Sunday
by Rev. Jean Kohlenstein
Good Morning, Girls and Boys,
Who can tell me what I have with me this morning? A flashlight.
Does a flashlight make its own light? How does it make it?
What are some other things that provide light? Sun, light bulb,
moon, street lights. Some things make their own light, and some
things reflect the light of the sun. None of us have energy to
provide light, but if I shine the flashlight on you, you will light
up. You will reflect the light. In this case the flashlight is like
the sun and you are like the moon.
I also have two other things with me today. I have a crystal that I
bought on the white elephant table at the church bazaar, (it just
happens to be in the shape of a heart, and I thought it was a good
thing to bring since it is close to Valentine's Day, and I have a
kaleidoscope. If I shine the flashlight on the crystal, let's see
what happens. We can make a rainbow when the light goes through the
crystal. (Shine light through crystal onto a white sheet of paper.)
Let's look at the kaleidoscope. If I hope my hand over the end, I
can't see anything, but if I turn it to the light I can see beautiful
colored designs.
Today is a Sunday called Transfiguration Sunday. The word
transfiguration means to change or transform something. We know that
Jesus went up on a mountain, and while he was there, he was
transfigured or changed by a great flash of light. His face got
really bright, and his clothes looked like they were pure white.
Jesus was standing in the light of God on the mountain.
When we pray or hear stories about Jesus we are standing in God's
light. Jesus help us to do kind acts. When we do this we are
reflecting his light to others. If we let his light shine through
us, he also helps us to find the rainbows that are hidden inside of us.
Let's close by singing the song, "This Little Light of Mine". (Have
congregation join in. Everybody enjoys it.)
Shiny
Things
mainly based on Luke 9:28-36
seed by Ladypreacher from Ohio, edited by F. Schaefer
props: a bag of gold chocolate coins
Talk to the kids about shiny things, and bring in a few things, like earrings,
necklace, money, that chocolate gold wrapped coin.
Kids love shiny things to play with. Talk about Moses and Jesus shining,
being even shinier than the shiny things we have here.
Tell them that the disciples saw Jesus shining and were kind of scared. Ask the
children if they would be scared if they saw Jesus in a brilliant white robe and a face
shining very brightly?
Tell them that we often think of Jesus as our dear friend, and that we sometimes forget
that He is also almighty God and our Lord and Master. The disciples
Pass out the chocolate gold coins as a treat at the close of the children's sermon to
remind them about the fact that Jesus is our friend, but that He is also all powerful God.
Smiley Faces
mainly based on Exodus 34:29-35
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Props: piece of paper on a sturdy piece of cardboard or a clipboard and a
marker
Good morning my dear little friends. Today, I want to share my
great artistic gift with you. I'm going to draw something on this canvas (piece of
paper) and then we'll see if you can tell me what it is. (Draw a simple smiley
face).
Well, what is it? That's right, it's a smiley face.
What does it make you feel when you look at it? (happy? giddy? smile right
back?...) That's good, isn't it? It doesn't seem to take much to make you guys
happy. When you see someone smiling at you in real life, like in Sunday School or on
the play ground, how does that make you feel? (demonstrate by smiling at them).
Why do we smile? (if they don't answer ask: when we win
in a softball/soccer game? How about when someone gives us a present?...)
Did you ever go to school with that big smile on your face
after something nice happened to you and people asked you: "what are you smiling
about?"
Well that happened to Moses, too. Moses came down from
the mountain and he was all smiles--his face looked just like this smiley face I
think. And you know why? Because he had a meeting with God on the mountain.
And that made him very happy. So, he came down from the mountain and he couldn't
stop smiling. It almost seemed to the people that his face was beaming. That's how
happy Moses looked.
You know, when Jesus was on a mountian one day, the disciples
that were with him saw Jesus face smile and beam too. That's why on this Sunday we
celebrate the "Transfiguration of the Lord." Jesus's face changed and
beamed and was all smiles, I imagine.
Let's imagine what happened when Moses came down from the
mountain--all smiles. People were probably asking him: "what are you so happy
about?" And Moses told them: "I'm happy because I had a talk with God and
God gave me something for all of us: the 10 commandments."
Now that's something, isn't it? Just imagine God would
give me something as important as the 10 commandments." I would be very happy
too. My face would look like this smiley face (point to the drawing).
What do you think? Will God ever talk to me like God
talked to Moses? Will God ever give me something like the 10 commandments?
Wait a minute...that's right, God does talk to me
sometimes. Especially when I pray. And ...why didn't I think of this...God
does give me something important almost every week: he helps me with a sermon.
Do you think that God will talk to you, too, when you pray?
(nod to encourage a yes answer) Yes, of course. God wants to talk to you too,
and maybe he already did talk to some of you. And God wants to give you helpful and
encouraging and kind words for others too.
So, keep praying and listen for God's voice and for the gifts God gives you to give to
others. So, when I see any of you running around the church with a face that looks
like this (point to smiley face) then I know that God talked to you too.
Let us pray: "Dear God, thank you for talking to Moses and so many other
people and for making them smile. Please make us smile too. Talk to us Lord,
help us to listen for your voice when we pray. Give us helpful and kind words for
others. In Jesus name. Amen."
