7th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Revised Common Lectionary: ideas to involve even the youngest.

You have found a collection of ideas to help you contemplate the RCL readings. While designed to be used during a Sunday service at church or by zoom, these readings can also be used during the week to help you remember and build on what you experienced on Sundays. My objective is for faith to be a lived experience and for children to learn how to worship and explore the Bible and pray by participating in Worship with you. The goal here is not for them to learn names or facts though they may want to do that for themselves, but rather to find ways of connecting with the text and sharing that with others. The ideal is to form a life long love of Christ, for the Word of God and to participate in Worship.

We are now in the longest season of the Liturgical calendar, After Pentecost, it is often refered to as Ordinary Time, as no big celebrations occur in this season. The Liturgical colour is Green.

If you are worshipping from home you may like to set up a worship area and define it with a GREEN placemat, or ribbons.

You can do this by setting up a candle, then add the things that remind YOU of God, a Cross, a Bible that everyone likes to read from, a special object, even something from one of the readings.

If able to worship in the Church buildings pack a special backpack, as well as filling, it with your Covid Safe equipment, add the books or materials required to help your young ones relate to today’s readings.

For adults and older students, you might like to use a journal with which to record anything that grabs your attention during the service. This could be a special, bound book or use your ipad or iphone. You could write a precis of the message (traditional words or pictures), draw, keep a record of emotions and hymns that you did or did not like. You could use a template like this free download. Remember, this is for you, you do not have to show anyone what is in it unless you want to, and you feel safe to do so.

CONGREGATIONAL USE: Though parents are the best at sharing their faith with their children. If you are a small congregation where children are a very small, or rare part of your congregational life, please feel free to make these suggestions available to your congregation. I am very happy for you to copy and paste ideas from here into your own Order of Service or for you to supply a link to this page. An acknoledgement though is always appreciated.

LET’S BEGIN:

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

You might like to start with the Lord’s Prayer if at home, or say the Lord’s Prayer within a set place if following along in a service. Here are 4 options

2 with ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

A more contemplative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuUo-igXDU&fbclid=IwAR2FasYCU-9mP1PaLQDjweXyhyUnJutt4J28KycjzeUEttWSesipX2jmJxE

Or for a more Intergenerational approach try Number 1 on the Table Settings album by Liturgical Folks

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

If you are in Australia and attending a Uniting Church in Australia, in many cases an Acknowledgment of Country will be said. You can teach your young ones to do this too.

INTRODUCTORY SONG Hey Ha Ha from the Full of the Spirit Album by

Heather Price Music

FIRST READING: HOSEA 1:2-10

READ: Wabi Sabi by  Mark Reibstein

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

PLAY: How many things can you name? Name all the things you can see in the church, or your toys.

DRAW: a picture and name the things in it.

PSALM 85

READ: Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval

SING Love and Faithfulness on Colin Buchanan’s Old Testament Sing a long album

SECOND READING: COLOSSIANS 2:6-15 and (16-19)

READ: Noni is Nervous by  Heather Hartt-Sussman

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

SING Walk in him by Seeds Family Worship

PRAY: Find a Babuska doll set.

As you take apart the Babuska dolls and put them back together say

You call me to be in you Christ

as you are in me

Amen

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 11:1-13

READ: Children of God Storybook Bible, The Disciples Learn to Pray, pp.84-85

This reading only covers Luke 11: 1-5, and the last verses, the full reading tells a parable and then there is some words of caution. May I suggest that you act out the parable vs.5-8. YOu can wonder why these readings are together in the lectionary. I wonder if the words of advise in Luke 9-13 shed any light on why they are bundled together.

OR you could watch this cute video or

This video shows all of the verses

Choose one of the Lords’s Prayer options above to SING.

PRAY

Time to talk to God

What do YOU want to say.

Spend some time praying alone

SENDING SONG Tell the World by Hillsong Kids Learn the actions here

Blessings

Wendy L.

Please check local guidlines before using items that are not mine especially if you are using this page for congregational use. Please acknowedge this page if you find it useful. Thank you.

I am writing this on Wurundjeri land and wish to pay respect to all Elders, past, present and emerging.

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Sunday Reflection: Hosea 11:1-11 and Hosea 1:2-10

Between last week and this week, if you have been reading the RCL First Reading often mistakenly (even by me) known as the Old Testament Reading, you will notice that there is a theme of parental images for God. Last week’s reading had very female images of procreation and childbearing, while this week the images of God are paternal. Both are used to describe aspects of the Almighty, not exclusively one nor exclusively the other. We see these strong images for God, and they resonate within us, either to our male or femaleness, and in reflecting God we reflect these aspects.

Gender issues at present, seem to be of importance in Australia. Diversity and unconditional acceptance are also being championed. Those involved in Child and Family Ministry know they live in this world where gender is fluid and families take many forms.  But sometimes the faith communities that we work in can appear isolated from the generalist views. Such communities would be shocked by my discussion of gender, their theologies may work a different interpretation of these pages.

So, how do we work in both worlds where the views are seemingly at odds with each other. We look at scripture and our practical deeds combined they are not separable. We get pulled and pushed from within and without, where our actions frame our theologies and our theologies frame our practices as we discern our actions.

We, are not alone in this, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral has been professing this for 300 years. The Child Theology Movement has been asking us to do the same in the last 2 decades.

Then we have these two passages studied Sunday about, offering God in female metaphor and God in male metaphor, and they are both God, God hasn’t changed just the frame from which we are working has, the way that we are talking. Both in the same book, book embracing us to have a personal relationship with God[1].  Gender indiscriminate. Yes, we can go out there and speak with the current society and even speak their language. A feminist view of God is still a view of God, etc. It is about how we open up to that personal relationship. If Jesus can talk with the woman at the well whose marital status was fabricated, we can stand with the multiplicity of family dynamics to encourage them into a personal relationship with God, regardless of their gender makeup or family misgivings, and then if we are not pulled apart we can stand with the congregation, our larger family and help them understand and accept in the way that we have been taught.

Families are not easy communities, ministering to families is not an easy calling. Getting the balance right is a tightrope act that really requires God’s input. Both, families and Child and Family workers need to know the person of God, in all its complexities and they both need communities that understand and can walk with them.

Congregations, don’t box your Child and Family workers in, give them a voice and let them use their training, which is practical theology, your congregation will grow in depth if you allow them to practice all their skills, preaching, theological study and care of the families, all the church family of your congregation.

There may also be less Child and Family Worker burnout.

Blessings

Wendy L.

[1]Renita J. Weems, Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets, Introduction: A Metaphor’s fatal Attraction, ( 1995, Fortress Press,  Minneapolis) P. 33

Sunday reflection: What’s in a Name?

I am a child of the living God, I’m also a mother, and as my eldest worked out very early if you yell for Mum/Mom in a shop, half the shop comes running. That’s why from very young in public she calls me by my first name, the name my parents, well actually my mother chose for me. My mother chose my first name because she wanted me to have the qualities of a woman with this name whom she worked with. Unfortunately, though the name was given, I somehow failed to acquire the qualities that my mother had hoped would come with the moniker. I have also been told my full name is the most common welsh female name. I kind of like that, no matter where in the English speaking world I go there are always people with my first name, but often people with my full name. Which can be a little disconcerting at times, especially as people can become confused or credit me with behaviours that are not my own.

Today’s readings, especially Hosea and Luke, had me contemplating again, what is in a name? Many of those preaching will by pass the Hosea reading if they have children in the congregation, it is too controversial a subject, and so it was meant to be, possibly a discussion point to prick up the ears of the males listening[1], the vehicle in which the message is given does not mean that the content is unsuitable for children, every child in the congregation has been named, every child in that congregation is learning to name things. They unlike their adult peers do not need the vehicle to get to the message, they are already there. God names things, but what is God’s name? Looking further into the lectionary reading we find that Jesus addresses God as Father, and in teaching us to pray we too are asked to call God Father, then a little further on in the Luke passage, and this week we are asked to look at them together, the idea of speaking to our Father in/or as prayer is reinforced by the idea that we can continue to ask, the child metaphor is used once again in V. 5-13. Who would refuse a child? As parents, we know that they appear by our bedsides in the early hours of the night, they ask embarrassing questions while shopping, and just watch a 2 year old let go of an “I want”, never! Every child in the congregation, every sleep deprived parent and every person, as we have all been children, can hear this week’s readings on their level.

A really lovely storybook that goes with these readings in this way is, In God’s name by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. You can see this interpretation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byeuazEzFvA , but I love the book best. try https://www.youtube.com/watch?  v=urE3JK1A3Dg  which is a similar reading of the book.    You can order your own copy https://www.bookdepository.com/Gods-Name-Rabbi-Sandy-Eisenberg-Sasso/9781684424092

Don’t shy away from the hard stuff, it usually isn’t that difficult after all

Blessings

Wendy L.

[1]Renita J. Weems, Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets, Introduction: A Metaphor’s fatal Attraction, ( 1995, Fortress Press, Minneapolis)

 

7th Sunday after Pentecost Year C: Ideas to help you share this weeks RCL readings with the 3’s and under.

Don’t waste this opportunity to share the faith stories and experience the wonder of worship. Keep your mind open and you may learn as much as you share.

If you are a parent or Guardian

Prepare a special church bag in advance each week so that you are ready for the rush on Sunday Morning.

Always have plain drawing paper, washable texta’s, the books that are suggested and the toys or craft suggested for this week

Remember to download the colouring sheets and check out the links before Sunday morning.

Sit towards the front so they can see what is going on.

Sing or sway during the Hymns

Read during the Bible readings,

Pray during the prayers,

Colour, Draw or Craft during the sermon.

Craft or drawing or play are for spiritual responses not for a perfectionist

 that can be shown off. Don’t throw these out when you leave the church. Keep them at home in a special box, and bring them out to remind your child what has been happening or use as future prayer points.

Remember that little ones will need their own space to move and wiggle,

You have bought your child to worship. Enjoy engaging them in it.

If you are a small congregation without a Child and Family Minister have an area available near the front for parents/guardians to worship with their children, and print off this information so that it is readily available or direct them to this site. Set up an area with books and toys in it that will enhance their spiritual experience. (Ie not just toys for “keeping them quiet”).Spiritual Delights or Toy Box tat! andMake the books appealing

If you would like these ideas as a PDF file sent to you each week, please contact me.

FIRST READING: HOSEA 1:2-10

READ: a Baby Name book that says what peoples names mean, make sure you include your child’.s name, and the names of important people your child knows.

PLAY: How many things can you name? Name all the things you can see in the church, or your toys.

DRAW: a picture and name the things in it.

PSALM 85

Psalm 85: Good gifts

Lord, you are so good to us!
You forgave our sin and gave us a new beginning.
You sent your Word, and you pour out your Spirit.
Love is your message and Kindness is your style
Peace greets Patience with a kiss
Gentleness walks hand in hand with Self-control
Joy bursts up out of the ground
Right-ness goes ahead to show the way
and Generosity showers us from above.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
(Galatians 5:22)

from Rev Purdie https://wordpress.com/post/thecrossinmybackyard.wordpress.com/722

Colouring – in: https://store.illustratedchildrensministry.com/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-summer-2019 For purchase for $10US digital download

 

SECOND READING: COLOSSIANS 2;6-15(16-19)

READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmWw2ZbT1dY A TREE NAMED STEVE by Alan Zweibel A beautiful story about living in community, just like this passage talks about us living in community with Christ.

PLAY: with the Babouska dolls

PRAY: As you take apart the Babuska dolls and put them back together say

You call me to be in you Christ

as you are in me

Amen

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 11:1-13

READ: The Lion Story Bible: How to Pray pp.180-181

Just on the Lord’s Prayer read My First read a-loud Bible by Batchelor and Boshoff, A Prayer to God, pp.186-187 OR 5 Minute Bible Stories by Batchelor and Boshoff, A prayer to God, pp.142-143

OR The Lion Picture Bible, The Lord’s Prayer p. 252

BOOKs on the Lord’s Prayer

Loved, by Sally Lloyd Jones and Jago

OR The Lord’s Prayer by Rick Warren

Colouring In https://ministry-to-children.com/lords-prayer-index/ (Warning: This may not be the version your church uses) HINT:Cut out the pictures and place them on another sheet of paper with the words that your church uses.

ACTION PRAYER https://ministry-to-children.com/lords-prayer-hand-motions-for-memorization-help/ (Warning: This may not be the version your church uses) HINT If your church uses different wording use your words with these actions.

 

NOO! You are not finished even if the service has.

Now is the time to continue teaching your child beyond the walls of the church. 

Use the craft or drawings during the week to talk about the service or the stories.

Use any of the readings during the week, at bedtime, as story time or during the day in play or prayer.

Enjoy sharing your faith with your child.

Blessings

Wendy L.