Who Let the Dogs In?
based on Matthew 15:10-28
by Rev. Randy Quinn
Have
you ever been at a large family dinner? Maybe it was Thanksgiving or
Christmas? Maybe it was at a wedding or a reunion?
When you sat down
to eat, did everyone sit at the same table? Why not? When I was growing up,
the children always sat at their own table. Does that ever happen to you?
I remember the
first time I was allowed to sit “with the adults.” It made me feel pretty
important. It made me feel like I was finally a part of the same family.
But when you
start to act like family, when you “get to sit with the adults,” you also take
on some responsibilities, don’t you? Maybe you help set the table. Or maybe
you clean your room.
In the church, we
also learn some responsibilities. We learn to give our offering. We learn to
silently pray together. We light the candles. We even greet visitors, don’t
we?
One day a couple
of weeks ago, I was at a table that seemed full. But someone else came into
the room – and guess what happened? Everyone moved over a little bit and made
room for the new person.
It reminded me of
what the church is supposed to be like. We’re supposed to “move over” and
make room for new people.
The doors are
always open at our church for new people to join us. And sometimes we invite
them to come and join us. At first we treat them like guests. Then they
learn what we learned – that in God’s eyes we are all part of God’s family.
And eventually, they learn to take on some responsibilities, too.
Let’s pray:
God: thank
you for opening the door of your church to us. Thank you for keeping the door
of your heart open to us, too. Help us to open our hearts to you so we can
share your love. Amen.
God will Find a Way
a children's sermon based on Genesis 45:1-15
by Rev. Randy Quinn
Have you ever heard someone say, “There’s more than one way to skin a
cat?” (Some will not have heard the expression, especially the
younger children. To them, it may sound rather offensive.)
I did some checking. This isn’t about kittens. It’s about catfish.
There’s more than one way to skin a catfish. Some people gut it first.
Some people start at the nose, some people start at the tail. Some
people cook it first. There’s more than one way to do it.
The phrase means there’s more than one way to do something – and no
one way is better than another. It’s just different.
Like tying a tie, for instance. There’s more than one way to tie a
tie.
Some people tie different knots than I use.
Some people tie it and then put it over their heads.
Some people use a mirror and some people don’t.
There’s more than one way to do it. (Of course some people think
their way is the right way, or at least the best way to do something.)
I think there is more than one way for God to talk to us.
Sometimes God speaks to us through the Bible.
Sometimes God speaks to us through dreams.
Sometimes God speaks to us when other people are talking.
Sometimes God speaks to us from nature.
And sometimes God speaks to us out loud (though not many
of us have heard God speak that way.)
In our story today, Joseph thinks God was working in a certain way,
but I think there was another way God could have done the same thing –
only Joseph and his brothers wouldn’t let him. So God had to find
another way to “skin a cat.”
And I’m glad.
Let’s pray:
God, thank you for finding more than one way to speak to us and for
finding more than one way to show us how much you love us. Help us keep
finding ways to share your love with other people, too. Amen.
Making Up With
Your Brothers and Sisters
a children's sermon based on Genesis 45:1-15
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: pictures of your brother(s) or sister(s) or
cousin(s)
Show the pictures of your brother(s) or sister(s) or cousin(s) and
consider sharing a little story of how you made up with them.
Ask the children about their own brothers or sisters: how many, if any do
they have? If they don't have siblings do they have cousin(s)? Do they always
get along with them? Do they sometimes fight?
Re-tell the story of Joseph in your own words with an emphasis on the fact
that Joseph could not hold a grudge forever, but reconciled with his brothers. He
was willing to forgive them for the terrible thing they had done to him, because he still
loved them very much.
Ask the children if they ever feel betrayed or hurt by bothers or sisters?
Did they make up with them? How did that feel? Do they find it easy to forgive them
for wronging them?
Conclusion: The thing is that brothers and sisters or even cousins are a
gift from God. They are special. Friends may come and go during your life
time, but you will always have a special bond to your brothers and sisters. It is
important to make up with them. Even though there are fights and disagreements, love
must prevail in every family.
Let us give thanks to God every day for our brothers and sisters or our
cousins and let us ask God to help us forgive them and to make up with them after a fight.
