Luke 12:32-40 – The Cross in My Backyard

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: Isaiah 1:1 and 10-20

READ: Children of God Storybook Bible by Desmond Tutu, Isaiah becomes God’s Messenger, pp.52-53

SING: Isaiah 1:18 by Colin Buchanen from Boom Chicka Boom

PLAY with toys that change, ie building blocks, collect or use pieces of nature to build or make something new, ie a picture or a tent or a broom etc

QUESTION I wonder what makes you want to change for the better? I Wonder if God had not become angry what would happen?

PRAY:

Creator God,

You want to change things around

from bad to good.

Help me to,

To change the bad to good

Amen

PSALM 50:1-8 and 22-23

Psalm 50: The courtroom drama

The Judge takes his seat and the court falls silent.
God is the Judge and all people are Accused.
The Judge is not happy, in fact he is angry!
He is angry with us, all of us!
He thunders:
“You people, you know how I love you.
Everything you have is a gift from me
and what do you give in return?
A little of this and a little of that.
Do I need more money? No, it’s all mine!
Everything is mine, but what I really want
is you! all of you! everything you have and are!
Don’t muck around with me.
Following Christ is not a hobby, it is all or nothing!
You can live in prison or live free –
you have to choose!”

rewrtten by Rev. Purdie

How does this Psalm make you feel? Draw it, or point out an emoji that shows how you feel.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 11:1-3 and 8-16

WATCH

If you made a podium (like you see on the Commonwealth or Olympic Games) whom would you put on it? and in what order to show they had been faithful to God?

PRAY

(Close your eyes)

I can’t see you God but I know you’re there

Amen

GOSPEL READING: Luke 12:32-40

READ The Beginner’s Bible or another Children’s Bible.

RESPOND

Carolyn C Brown in Ministry Matters suggests that there are 3 people in these readings to look out for.

“Three prepared people are noted: servants prepared for their master’s return from a wedding feast at any hour; a homeowner prepared for a thief whose approach is known; and a Christian prepared for God’s presence”.

Can you find them in the reading?

What would they look like? Can you draw them?

I wonder why God wants us to be prepared?

PLAY: What do you need to get ready, pack a bag, what would you put in it? Draw those things. Or pack a real bag or a dolls bag. For example: What would you need to be ready for Kinder?

What would you need to be ready to go shopping?

What would you need to go to the park?

What would you pack for a holiday?

What did you pack to get ready to go to church?

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.

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: Isiah1:1, 10-20 0Use all of our senses for the Lord

READ: a Board book on senses such as https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-by-eric-carle-9780241959565 or https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/see-touch-feel-by-roger-priddy-9781783417452

DO: SEE Play i-spy,

TOUCH: have a touching bag full of different textures to touch or a touching book where you have pasted different surfaces such as velvet, foil, crepe paper etc on each page to feel.

HEAR: Close you eyes, what do you hear, The choir? the minister? etc.

TASTE, a small snack for eating during the service.

SMELL: Bring some containers with different smells, perhaps some small aromatherapy bottles (WARNING: many of these are toxic if swallowed so keep them away from your children )

PRAY: Thank you God for the TASTE (say your favourite food)

Thank you God for the SMELL (name your favourite smell)

Thank you God for the SOUND (name your favourite sound)

Thank you God for what i FEEL (say what you like to feel)

Thank you God for what i See (say what you like to look at)

Amen

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23.

Psalm 50: The courtroom drama

from http://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-50-true-worship.html

Make a sad face, either show me a sad face, or draw a sad face or make a sad face mask using a plastic plate. How do you feel when someone is angry at you?

SECOND READING: Hebrew 11:1-3, 8-16

READ: For a Recap of the Abraham story TRY The Beginners Bible: The Visitors pp.46-51

OR My First read a loud Bible, Three strangers pp.24-25 and Isaac, pp.26-27

For they idea of Faith in general Try Horton Hears a Who by Dr Seuss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgPcAxkxoio

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

PRAY

(Close your eyes)

I can’t see you God but I know you’re there

Amen

GOSPEL READING: Luke 12:32-40

READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0xRprBpQy4 William Wakes Up by Linda Ashman a suggestion by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-august-11-2019/ tater at 1.10 and finish at 8.30.

PLAY: What do you need to get ready, pack a bag, what would you put in it? Draw those things. Or pack a real bag or a dolls bag. For example: What would you need to be ready for Day Care?

What would you need to be ready to go shopping?

What would you need to go to the park?

What would you pack for a holiday?

What did you pack to get ready to go to church?

PRAY

Use a torch or your phones light. Turn it on and say

I am ready Lord

To find you

even in dark places.

Amen.

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.

Tag: Luke 12:32-40

9th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Revised Common Lectionary: ideas to involve even the youngest.

9th Sunday after Pentecost Year C: Ideas to help you share this weeks RCL readings with the 3’s and under.