LUKE 8:26-39 – 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 and for the Word of God.

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.

FIRST READING: 1 KINGS 19:1-4(5-7) and 8-15a

READ: The Koala who Could by Rachel Bright

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

DRAW: those occassions when you feel or have felt frightened and unsure about what happens next.

PRAY

God,

in your presence,

there is nothing to fear,

Amen

PSALMS 42 AND 43

READ:

Psalm 42: As a deer

As a deer longs for flowing streams (cup your hands and pretend to drink)
so longs my soul for you, my God. (clench both fists, put one in front of the other, then turn each hand in the opposite direction)
My heart is trampled down,(stamp your feet)
crushed and broken. (pretend to crush something under a foot)
Tears fall, throat dry, (wipe away a pretend tear)
I thirst for you. (cup your hands and pretend to drink)
Deep calls to deep (cup your hand around an ear)
as waves crash over my head. (put your hands over your head)
I am lost and alone. (give yourself a hug)
The enemy calls (cup your hand around an ear)
    “Where is your God?!” (look suprised)
Why are you down, my heart? (hang your head)
Every day God’s grace surrounds
    you, (give yourself a hug)
every night God’s song sings in you. (gently rock)
Hope in God, my help and my God! (point to yourself)
Praise will rise again. (do a starjump)

Words can be found here, actions by me

and

Psalm 43: A walk of faith

I was wandering around pointlessly, (wonder aound)
frustrated with all the wrong that’s done. (stamp your foot)
God of light, send out your light! (raise your hands)
God of truth, be a beacon of truth! (shield your eyes)
You lit my path and I walked toward you. (walk in a straight line forward)
I came to worship, (fold your hands in prayer)
and I found the greatest joy of all. (do a starjump)

Words can be found here, actions by me

These Psalms were believed to be originally together as one Psalm, you could read them together without stopping

DRAW an image from either Psalm that speaks to you.

SECOND READING: GALATIANS 3:23-29

READ: Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev

WATCH:

a Storypath suggestion

SING

PRAY

Father God

Thank you that you love me enough

to want me to be

in your family

Amen

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 8:26-39

READ: Miles of Smiles by Karen Kaufman Orloff

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion

MAKE: cut out a person shape or buy a people shape from a craft store such as RIOT or sometimes The Reject shop. On one side draw the man Jesus first met, on the other side draw the man he became after meeting Jesus.

Play with toys that transform into other things for eg: https://www.myer.com.au/p/transformers-transformers-generations-legacy-ev-deluxe-assortment or blocks or play doh etc.

SENDING HYMN 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.

I have qualifications in Education, Theology and Children’s Spirituality, and have worked as a Children and Families Worker in a city church. I use simple and easily found ideas to help you share the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) readings. This is a ONE STOP SHOP where I have done the sifting for you to find theologically and developmentally appropriate material for your congregation or family, saving you time from sifting through many websites, facebook , pinterest, instagram, and blog posts.

Remember to point out the colour changes in church this week. We are now in the longest season of the liturgical year. So green will be the liturgical colour until the end of November. What does the colour remind you of?

How wonderful that you have bought your young child to church, don’t waste this opportunity to share the faith stories and experience the wonder of worship.

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.

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 piece 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: 1 KINGS 19:1-4(5-7)

READ:MY First Read-Aloud Bible by Batchelor and Boshoff p. 98 First paragraph

DRAW or PLAY the story of Elijah waking up to find food

PLAY: make a picnic, with play foods of good things to eat to give us energy OR Draw on a paper plate good food that gives us energy.

PRAY GRACE

THANK YOU GOD

FOR THE FOOD

WE EAT

AMEN

PSALMS 42 AND 43

READ: http://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-42-as-a-deer.html

and http://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-43-a-walk-of-faith.html

SHOW on your face or draw the way Psalm 42 makes you feel

DRAW the light that shines in Pslam 43. How does this make you feel?

SECOND READING: GALATIANS 3:23-29

READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94aMwnfIQ0o Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-june-23-2019/

SING: https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/to-be-like-jesus/

OR https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/to-be-like-jesus/

PRAY

Father God

Thank you that you love me enough

to want me to be

in your family

Amen

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 8:26-39

LISTEN: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/letusattend/october_21_2012_luke_826_39_told_for_younger_children

READ: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

note how what the caterpillar became after meeting all those good things to eat just as the man in today’s story changed when he met Jesus.

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 8:26-39

2nd Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Revised Common Lectionary: ideas to involve even the youngest.

2nd Sunday after Pentecost C: Ideas to help you share this weeks RCL readings with the 3’s and under.