10th 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: ISAIAH 5:1-7

READ: Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

MAKE: Build with blocks and then destroy your creation? Or make a cake and give it away without even a bite! How does it make you feel? Why would something be destoyed.

Creator God,

in you

all things

are made

new again

Amen

PSALM 80:1-2 and 8-19

READ:

Psalm 80: God’s shining smile

We’re here, Lord, calling to you –
Shine out, God of love!
How long, O Lord,
how long will your people suffer in the dark?

Remember how you carried us
and planted us in the land
like a vine, brought from far away.
It grew strong and deep and wide
but now it has been cut down!
May your light break through!
May your smile shine on us!

Open our eyes to new possibilities.
Give us new hope, Lord!
Give us strength from your right hand
and we praise you for ever more.
May your light break through!
May your smile shine on us!

Prayer by Rev. Purdie (lines removed that did not fit the RCL reading)

How does this Psalm make you feel? Show which emoji best describes how you feel.

SECOND READINGS: Hebrews 11:29-12:2

READ: Hero’s Rebels and Innovators by Karen Wyld, Jaelyn Biumaiwai

WATCH

OR READ from a Children’s Bible or the CEV version on Biblegateway

Do: How many of the people named can you find a Bible story about

Red Sea, walls of Jericho, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samual, Jesus.

Draw your favourite character that trusted God.

GOSPEL READING: Luke 12:49-56

READ: When Randolph Turned Rotten by Charise Mericle Harper

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

WONDER QUESTIONS: I wonder what you are passionate about?

How does it feel when others don’t feel the same?

I wonder what you liked about this Bible reading?

I wonder what you could leave out and still understand the Bible reading?

PRAY:

Following you is hard God

Thank you for being there

When i need help

Amen

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. If you find this page useful an acknowledgment is always appreciated. Thank you.

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

Sunday Reflection: on Luke 12:49-56 and Book Week

This week I caught up with a cousin I haven’t seen since his mother’s funeral, due to a family rift quite a few years ago. I looked into my father’s eyes, I caught up on so much that had happened in his own life and we talked memories and family patterns. Only 6 years ago, I had been in a similar situation with a cousin on the other side of the family. Yes, families come in all their messy splendour. Even within my own family of origin, earlier this year in trying to avoid unpleasantness I inadvertently created a greater rift than the one I was trying to avoid. So, on a very personal level this week’s Gospel reading was always going to grab hold of me. But especially it resonated because faith has been an issue within the family I created. It has hurt to have my children reject my faith and embrace the rhetoric of the community in which they function, rather than the one they were bought up in.

The author of Luke’s gospel knew what it meant to be both family and to break with tradition. These words resonate clearly to me 2,000 years later, and I am at once relieved and embraced by them, but I am also shocked. Having become used to the rhetoric of love it feels foreign to have discourse discussed, but maybe it is only because it is not dressed in parable, (eg Mary and Martha) these words are direct. It is a reminder that sometimes these families that we deal with need a soft hand and sometimes we need to be bold and forthright with them. Accepting the Christian Faith may not create the calm in their lives that they were expecting. Can our communities stand with the new “refugee” those coming to faith in a society that has rejected it. Can our faith communities, protect, substitute for family as well as teach, preach and outreach? Now more than ever in Australia do we need the example of the early church to guide our steps, our place in society has changed. How we are church matters.

Book Week in Australia is the 17th to the 23rd of August, This Week. This years theme is Reading is my Secret Power. https://vic.cbca.org.au/book-week

If we can’t go out to the schools and shops and share our faith stories, then we need to help our families and our faith communities to be better at sharing them. What a wonderful way to steal back from the community their event and use it for us. Why not have a Book Week at church, or encourage families to have a Bible Book night. Which character from which book would you dress up as? Yes you, this fun is not just for the kids, at school the adults dress up too. You could enhance this with great Bible story activities, Such as this Lego blocks idea from Sermon 4 kids https://www.facebook.com/sermons4kids/photos/a.201020513466/10157263195163467/?type=3&theater, for older kids you could watch these Bible Overviews https://thebibleproject.com/all-videos/ (yes i know it’s book week) such as this or these great ideas from Ministry to Children https://ministry-to-children.com/kids-sunday-school-games/#books or from Flame http://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/2012/10/books-of-bible-cups-game.html

Let me know what you do.

10th 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: ISAIAH 5:1-7

READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx4-MjP24VY Hugo and the Really Really Really Long String by Bob Boyle.

MAKE: What does it feel like when something doesn’t go the way it is meant to? Draw or show how it feels.

PSALM 80:1-2, 8-19

READ: The Gardner and the Vine by Andrew McDonough https://www.lostsheep.com.au/stories/the-gardener-and-the-vine/

Do the free download activity or buy the Activity Book for lots to do for everyone.

(Bring a picture of your child or get them to draw one of themselves to add to the free download)

SECOND READINGS: Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Do: How many of the people named can you find a Bible story about

Red Sea, walls of Jericho, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samual, Jesus.

Draw your favourite character that trusted God.

PRAY: (prepare before hand a piece of string to follow)

Prayerfully follow the string.

When will it end?

GOSPEL READING: Luke 12:49-56

READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHKpmz4Pk5E Hattie and Hudson by Chris Van Duson Hatties friend causes some divisions. Just like belief can.

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

PRAY:

Following you is hard God

Help me do it.

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.