Rebecca S. Ramsey's Blog, page 30

God Loves Us from the “Inside Out”- Including ALL Our Feelings

Good morning girls and boys. I’ve got a guessing game for you. I’m thinking of a movie. The first line is:  “Do you ever look at someone and wonder, ‘What’s going on inside their head?’  Well, I know.  Well, um, I know Riley’s head.”

That’s right. I’m thinking of “Inside Out”. Inside Out is about a girl named Riley who is uprooted from her life in the Midwest and moves to San Francisco, and all her emotions are in an uproar as she tries to get used to all the new things. 

(Introduce emotions by showing a pic of each of the characters from the movie and having them guess which is which. Just google it to find the pics.)

Raise your hand if you’ve had this feeling this weekend. (Call each one individually and let kids raise their hands.)

Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger

Yes, things in our days-in our lives- change all the time, so part of being human is that our feelings change too. That’s how God made us.

We can see in the Psalms that it’s okay to talk to God about all your feelings.

(Now read each line from a psalm below, letting them identify which feeling each line expresses.)

83- My God! I’ve had it with them!    Blow them away! Knock the breath right out of them, so they’re gasping for breath, gasping, “God.” (Anger)

96- Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,Animals, come dance,Put every tree of the forest in the choir—13 An extravaganza before God as he comes (Joy)

12-How much longer will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How much longer will you hide yourself from me? (Disgust)

17-Deadly enemies surround me; they’re around me now, wherever I turn(Fear)

39-Hear my prayer Lord, and listen to my cry; come to my aid while I weep. (Sad)

Feelings change all the time. But the thing that doesn’t change? God is present with us through each one. God stays right with us and listens-even when it’s too hard for our parents. God can help us through them, the happy and the sad.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for staying with us through the easy times and the hard times. We’re so glad you’re there, God. We love you. Amen.

Jesus Does Math with Fish and Bread- Multiplication When We Need It

(In this Children’s Sermon, I refer to visiting the Church of Multiplication in Israel. You can leave this part out if you want or you can include it.)

Good morning, girls and boys. I brought something to show you. Anyone know the answer to this flash card? 4 x 2 = ? What do you call this kind of math? Multiplication. We take 4 and we multiply it 2 times, we get eight. Four grew twice as big. That’s multiplication. Did you know that when I went to Israel last spring, I visited a church called the Church of Multiplication? It was in the village of Tagbha and something big happened when Jesus was there. It was so wonderful that they built a church there. I wonder if you can guess what happened by looking at the church.

This is the church. They have a courtyard and in the middle they have an olive tree, surrounded by five bowls, -which kind of look like the bread they have there. The tree has a little pool around it, and in the water, there are fish. Inside the church, underneath the altar is a rock, and in front of the rock there is a picture made out of little bitty tiles, of fish and loaves.

Yes, Jesus was teaching a crowd of people. It grew late and the disciples knew the crowd was hungry, so they said, Jesus, send them away, so that they can find food. And what did Jesus say, “You give them something to eat.” “We don’t have enough money to buy” Jesus said, “Go see what you have. They found 5 loaves and 2 fish. The people sat down. Jesus blessed and broke the food and MULTIPLIED IT. There was so much left over it filled 12 baskets full.

I love this story because it reminds me of something very special that God can do for you and for me. That when I’m trying to be close to God, God can take what I have and multiply it, make it grow, if I ask God to. If I am trying to be brave to stand up for someone, for example. I can say “God, I’m a little brave, but not brave enough. Would you help me? And God will. God will multiply my braveness, so that I can do what God wants me to do. If I’m trying to be generous, but I’m feeling stingy with what I have, I can ask God to help me multiply my generosity, and God will. That’s a wonderful gift!

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for helping the good things grow in our lives when we ask for your help. We love you, God. Amen.

Being Good Doesn’t Earn Us a Rose Garden- A Lesson from Alexander and His Terrible Day

Good morning, girls and boys. Or maybe I should ask if it is a good morning. Sometimes we have good days and sometimes we don’t, no matter what. I brought with me a book to share this morning that’s kind of about that. It might be one you know.

It’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst. I’m not going to read the whole thing because it’s long. But you can tell what it’s like from the first page:

I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He says he might move to…? (Let kids respond.)

Raise your hand if you’ve had a day like that, where you think you might want to move to Australia.

What if we really try har to follow all the rules? Is that a way to skip bad days?

What if we really put all our energy into loving each other and loving God? What if we’re the best Christian we can be? Is that a way to skip bad days?

No, even if we follow all the rules, even if we try really hard to be good, even if we love God with all our might, if we’re the best Christian we can be, we still will have bad days. We’re humans and we live with humans so things won’t always go our way. And somedays we notice this more than others. So what can we do?

We can remember that we are loved and treasured by God and by our family and church family and friends. We can remember this day won’t last forever. We can get out our frustration and talk with God and other people. Who does Alexander tell? (Let kids respond.) Yes, he tells his mom. She says some days are like that, even in Australia.

Let’s pray: Dear God, when we have a bad day, help us talk with people we love, and get our frustration out. And when others around us are having a bad day, help us be patient and understanding. Help us love each other the way you love us. We love you, God. Amen.

April Fish! A Children’s Sermon for When Easter and April Fool’s Day Collide

Welcome! You’ve happened upon my children’s sermon for Easter of 2018, either accidentally or by because you were looking for it. Either way, I hope it’s helpful to you!

Just a note before I share it, when I write out the script that I hope to give (sometimes I forget parts or the Spirit – or the kids- lead me in different directions) I write out all the words I plan to say, partly because I want to be sure to adhere to the 3-6 minutes time slot it’s given, and writing out all the words makes it easier for me to see if it’s likely that I can do that or not.

Easter won’t again fall on April Fool’s Day until the year 2029, but it might come close, (or you might use it in a different way) so here’s my children’s sermon for Easter of 2018.

Good morning, girls and boys and Happy Easter! Easter is the biggest happiest celebration the church has, celebrating God’s powerful, mysterious love for us and I’m so glad you’re here today for the party.

You know what I love about Easter this year? Today is also what day- April Fool’s day: the day we play fun tricks on each other – to surprise each other. In France it’s called April Fish. You draw a picture like this of a fish and tape it to someone’s back when they’re not looking. When they find it you say, Surprise! April Fish!

This is perfect for Easter, because a fish is a symbol for believing in Jesus! So people are walking around on Easter marked with a fish on their backs!

I would imagine that God loves that, because God is a god of surprises! When God sent Jesus it was one surprise after another.

People thought God would send a king, but surprise, he came as a baby to a poor family. Was it a trick? No. Just God being God.

People thought he’d hang out with religious people, but surprise, he picked out people that everyone else thought were unimportant, forgotten, bad. Was it a trick? No, Jesus being Jesus.

People thought he’d talk like the religious people. But surprise, he said things like if you want to really be rich, get rid of your stuff so you’re not attached to things and can be attached to God. Was it a trick? No, Jesus being Jesus.

Even when the world tried to kill God’s son- when they put him on a cross and killed his body, people thought it was over. But surprise! You can’t kill God’s love. It’s that powerful! Was it some kind of trick? No. God being God.

God raised Jesus back to show the world that it couldn’t kill God’s love for them, no matter what. But also- surprise! He came back for each of us. To walk beside us as we do the hard things to try to live like Jesus. We wear his love like the fish on our backs- marked by a God who loves us and delights in surprising the world. To celebrate that I have some chocolate fish candy to share with you

Let’s pray: Dear God, thank you for surprising the world with a love so BIG that the world can’t kill it, or even understand it. Help us remember to live in that love- and share it with others. We love you God. Amen.

 

Here’s an extra treat for blog readers. I wish I could give you chocolate, but since I can’t, enjoy this Poisson d’Avril postcard!

People Are a Mix of Good and Bad- a Lesson from David Gets in Trouble

How children love this book! I think I know why! (And it’s not just because David forgets to put on pants and walks down the street in his underwear!) Everybody gets in trouble. Everybody can relate.

Good morning girls and boys. I brought a book with me that I’d like to share with you this morning. Someone may have read it to you when you were little. It’s by David Shannon and it’s called David Gets in Trouble. I’ll read it quickly but you can enjoy a copy on our Children’s Hallway.

Read the book to them. (It’s short.)

I wonder if there is a character that acts like you in the story. Have you ever said any of these things or done any of these things? It was an accident! Do I have to? I couldn’t help it! Me, too. (Allow children to respond briefly.)

I wonder if there’s a character that acts like God in the story, and if so, how? (Allow children to respond.)

People aren’t all good or all bad, are they? No. Everyone has good moments and not so good moments- gifts and struggles. And it’s the same way when we come to church- just like in today’s Bible story.  We have things that we bring to God and to church that are really good. And we have things we need God to help us with- and we need our church to help us with. We come with our mix of good and bad, to be with God and try to do better. And isn’t that a good thing!

Let’s pray: Dear God, We come to you, knowing that we have good moments and bad moments. Help us as we learn to follow you more closely. Thank you for loving us no matter what. We love you too, God. Amen.

 

An afterthought: The week after I shared this children’s sermon, I blogged about something a child said in response to it that ministered to me- but that the congregation didn’t hear. Check it out here.

The Lost Cause of Trying to Earn God’s Love through Perfection: What Roy Riegels Has to Teach Us

When I learned that our Sunday sermon was going to be about grace I remembered this book and used it during our children’s sermon. Several years later, our sports loving kids are still picking it up from the display case in our children’s gathering room. They can’t get enough of this story because they can identify with it so well!

Good morning! I brought a book to share with you this morning. It’s written by Dan Gutman and illustrated by Kerry Talbott and it’s called, The Day Roy Riegels Ran the Wrong Way. Guess what it’s about.

(Let kids respond.

Transfiguration Sunday and a Message from Spoon

Spoon is another favorite book of mine. It is short enough to read during a children’s sermon and was a nice fit with the sermon for Transfiguration Sunday.

Good morning, girls and boys! I brought a book that’s a new favorite of mine. It’s Spoon, written by Amy Krause Rosenthal and illustrated by Scott Magoon. Even though it doesn’t talk at all about God, I think it’s kind of a parable. I want to read it to you, and as you listen, see what message God might be telling you through this story.

Read the whole book. (It’s short and hilarious and wise!)

I wonder what messages you heard. (Allow children to respond.)

Today is Transfiguration Sunday. Did you listen to the scripture we’re celebrating? When Jesus went up on a mountain, and as he was praying, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and they talked, and Jesus began to glow.

Maybe Jesus glowed because there he was, doing what God planned for him to do, being exactly who God planned for him to be.

You know, that’s God’s hope for all of us, for little Britton, who was dedicated today and for everyone in this room, that we will not pretend to be people we aren’t, (like Spoon tried to do) but be fully who God made us to be inside.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “you look so happy, you’re glowing!”? I think it’s like that with us too. When we can be on the outside who God made us truly on the inside, we glow too. And I bet that makes God really happy.

Let’s pray: Dear God, help us remember that we are special to you, just like you made us. We don’t need to try to be like others. We just need to be the best we can, at who you created us to be. We love you, God. Amen.

The Importance of Forgiveness and Asking for Help: Insights from The Day the Crayons Came Home

People, I can’t tell you how much I LOVE THIS BOOK! When I learned that our main sermon was going to be about the importance of asking for help and forgiveness in the kingdom of God, I knew that this book would be a great vehicle to help the kids think and talk about that.

Here’s the script I planned to give for the children’s sermon:

Good morning, girls and boys. Today I brought with me a new favorite book of mine. It was written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, and its called The Day the Crayons Came Home. It’s a funny book, and it also reminds me of the today’s scripture. I’m going to read just a little of it, but I’ll put a copy in the children’s gathering room so that you can read the whole thing. After I finish reading some of it, let’s talk about it.

One day, Duncan and his crayons were happily coloring together when a strange stack of postcards arrived for him in the mail.

(Now I read a few postcards from the book. I chose to read the ones from Maroon, Pea Green, and then Turquoise.)

Duncan was sad to learn of all the crayons he’d lost, forgotten, broken or neglected over the years. So he ran around gathering them up. But Duncan’s crayons were all so damaged and differently shaped than they used to be that they no longer fit in the crayon box. So Duncan had an idea. He built a place where each crayon would always feel at home. (Show the picture of the crayon box and what the crayons say.)

I wonder what you hear God saying to you in this story. (Allow children to respond.)

I hear God saying that God’s kingdom is for all of us! His box is a home for the broken and lost! For the forgotten and neglected! For the ones whose lives has been chewed up and spit out on the carpet! For all of us!

Oh those crayons had been through so much!  But they all did something that the scripture reminds us to do when we feel forgotten or different or broken, when we’ve made mistakes or had mistakes happen to us: ask for help! Our scripture says that Jesus knows what our life is like- he was here too-  So let’s walk right up to him and get what Jesus is so ready to give. Take the mercy, the forgiveness, accept the help. That’s a wonderful thing to remember!

Let’s pray: Dear God, thank you for loving us all the time- when we feel lost or broken or different, when we’ve made mistakes or when sad things happen to us. Help us remember to ask you for help when we need it and for forgiveness when we do wrong. Thank you that you are our home where we are all welcome, no matter what. We love you, God. Amen.

 

* Just an after thought: the Monday after I shared this book in worship, a stylishly dressed grandmother marched in my office and grabbed me by the elbow. “Thank you for sharing that book,” she said. “I have to tell you, I’m a broken crayon. More broken than most. Some days it seems like only a paperclip is holding me together.”

I am too! We all are, aren’t we?

Hooray for a God who gathers us up when we’ve made mistakes or when bad things happen to us. Thank goodness we have a God who build us a home where all are welcome, no matter what!

The Chaos Is Coming! One Must-Do for Fighting the Kudzu Craziness of Back to School

Careful now! If you stand still very long in a South Carolina field, a kudzu vine just might curl its little fingers around your ankles, shimmy up your legs and arms and dress you up in a kudzu suit from head to toe! Take a good look at the photo and see what I mean. I took it yesterday- right in the middle of town on my walk to work (near the intersection of Faris and Cleveland of Greenville, if you’re local and wondering), making sure I didn’t edge my toes off the sidewalk! (I just got back from vacation and my vine-battling super suit is probably still in the dirties.)

Whenever kudzu raises up on its vine-y legs and proclaims victory over a field, it’s a sign to me that it’s almost time to go back to school. I had to laugh as I passed by it, because that’s such a perfect symbol to me for the coming chaos of the season.

If you don’t have school age kids yet, you might not get it. But if you do, then I bet you can see what I mean. The chaos starts off tiny and harmless – what’s a few trips for school supplies and clothes that fit and aren’t covered with stains? You say YES OF COURSE because you want your child to be ready! You want your child to be ready for school, ready for life! This year holds such promise for them. They’re older now and they have so many choices! And everyone is doing everything! But before you know it, homework has started, as has carpool and soccer and church and piano and cub scouts and dance and art and who knows what else and they’re all great choices! And you look around and you see the green vines tightened around your arms and legs and your whole family is dressed in kudzu suits, all wrangled and tangled and tied down. And maybe no one is laughing as much as you wish they would. Or maybe the kids are laughing, but you’re not. No fair!

Every year I tell myself the same thing. (Sometimes I listen and sometimes I roll my eyes and tell my know-it-all-self to shut up.) I tell myself, “Self, get thee and thy husband to the coffee shop and set some goals and direction, before thy year takes off and leaves thee lost and bitter and twisted.”

I’ve found that the coffee priority/goal/direction setting date is a good idea (nice job, know-it-all-self!) whether I have kids at home or not. Go to the coffee shop with your person (or take yourself on a fancy date, if you’re on your own) and buy some really nice coffee and ask yourselves some important questions about the year ahead. Questions like…

What do I want our home to be like in the evenings this year? How can we make that happen?
What about the weekends? What do we want most weekends to include? How can we make that happen?
What restores my child’s spirit and joy? How can I make this part of our weeks?
How am I going to encourage my child’s spiritual growth?
What life skills do I want to work on this year with my child which might help our house run more smoothly?
What goals do I have this year for my relationships with my spouse and with other adults, apart from the kids?
How do I want to grow personally this year?
How can I become more grateful and generous this year? How can I help my children develop these characteristics too?

Decide on your questions ahead and write down what you come up with. You could have a monthly date to reconnect and see how it’s going. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t plan things, they often don’t happen.

And then I find myself in a kudzu suit, and I’d rather wear something more comfortable.

Blessings to you! And good luck with getting those kids back to school!

 

 

 

The Circle of the Church Year

Hi Godly Play Teachers! Welcome to the Circle of the Church Year, our Godly Play lesson for this Sunday, August 5.

This is one of my favorite lessons of the year. The calendar makes so much sense that I think we should teach it to adults as well!

The lesson comes with wondering questions. I’ll include them in your class folder as well.

Hints for the Create-a-gift-for-God time:

For younger children:

1. Younger children are already learning about calendars and enjoy displaying what they know. Why not go ahead and print on a paper for each child, “Thank You God, for Our Church Year!” Then they could write out the month names and draw things beside each month that they are thankful for…Like a birthday cake on their birthday month. Snow by January. A Valentines heart by February. Kites by March (or basketball, for March Madness!)  This is a perfect time to reinforce the special times that the church celebrates on their own calendars- and what time of the year in which they occur.

2. If a younger child wants to make his own calendar, why not? It doesn’t have to be a calendar like we could make. Younger children often like writing their numbers. It would be fun to have different calendars on hand to talk about different ways we keep record of time. I can see lots of inroads for discussion on the church’s calendar with this.

3. Here’s another idea that would be great for younger children- and let’s them practice their knowledge of what color goes with what season, etc.  Take a look at it!

4. Why not play with the colors of the church calendar (purple, green, red, white). Here’s a pinterest site with lots of ideas especially great for younger children, but enjoyable for older as well! (It will make you happy just to look, I promise!) The bead necklace version of the calendar is great!

 

For older children:

The children could make their own rendition of the Godly Play Calendar with a paper plate, a color copy (that I can provide if you tell me by Wednesday), a brad, and a fun foam arrow. Susan D. came up with this, and it works great!

Enjoy!