Lenten Lock-In

Lenten Lock-In

Each year, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, holds a Lenten Lock-In on a Friday night during, you guessed it, LENT!  The church school department of this lovely seaside congregation is small but mighty.  There are some disadvantages to having a maximum of 15 children in the entire Christian Education department, but there are many pluses as well.  Smaller numbers enable some programming that would be too cumbersome with larger groups.  For example, the Lenten Lock-In is open to children from second grade on up.  Since the program is small, the children know each other well and they get along like family (in a good way, most of the time).  There is plenty of adult supervision and the mix of ages has never been an issue.

The program for the evening includes a variety of crafts, games and activities each year.  Snacks are served.  Children get ready for sleeping bags and a movie is shown.  Most of the children are asleep by the time the final credits roll.

One year, the group made Empty Tomb Cookies.  They made the cookies in the evening, and discovered their sweet surprise before going home in the morning.  Here is the recipe:

EMPTY TOMB COOKIES

Ingredients and Needed Items:
1 cup whole pecans
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
zipper baggie
3 egg whites
wooden spoon
Pinch salt
duct or wide masking tape
Bible

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. After Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Invite the children to smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. When Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Ask a volunteer to add the egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read I John 3:16.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Taste it and also put a pinch into the bowl. This represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27a.

Ask a volunteer to add 1 cup of sugar. The sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Take turns beating with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. The color white represents the purity in God's eyes, of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 & John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Take turns dropping batter by teaspoon onto wax paper or parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. With tape, seal the oven door. Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Leave the cookies in the oven, or tomb, until the next morning.

The next morning, open the oven and take a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!  On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

The boys and girls at the Lenten Lock-In enjoyed this interactive activity immensely, and will no doubt help them to remember the details of the Easter story.

The Temptation of Christ



Israeli Wilderness

Sunday, February 17, 2013
Lent 1C
The Temptation of Christ
Luke 4:1-13

Good morning, everyone!  This morning we're going to talk about a big word--temptation.  Temptation, or being tempted, is when you want to do something even though you know it's not the best choice.  For example, let's say you are standing in line at the post office with your mom or dad, and the person in front of you drops a ten dollar bill and doesn't know it.  You might be tempted to pick up the money and keep it.  But the better part of you knows to keep the money would be wrong.  It does not belong to you.  You know who dropped it.  To keep the ten dollars would be stealing.  So you say to the person in front of you, "Excuse me, but you dropped some money," and all is well.

That flicker of thought that goes through your mind to pick up the money and quietly slip it into your own pocket is called temptation.  All of us are tempted to make wrong choices now and again.  Even Jesus was tempted! 

After Jesus' baptism, he went into the wilderness all by himself to pray.  He was there for forty days and forty nights--almost a month and a half!  He prayed and prepared himself to begin his ministry of preaching and teaching to the people about God.  He didn't even eat during these forty days and forty nights.  At the end of his pilgrimage in the wilderness, the Bible tells us he was tempted by the devil.

As I said, he hadn't eaten for almost a month and a half, so he was really, really hungry.  He noticed some smooth stones that looked like loaves of bread on the ground.  The devil said, "I know you're super hungry.  Turn these stones into loaves of bread, if you are the Son of God, that is."  Jesus was tempted because he had never been so hungry, but he answered, "No.  Man does not live by bread alone."  Jesus knew he shouldn't use his power for selfish reasons.  Jesus knew God sent him to do more important things.

Next, the devil told Jesus that Jesus could have power over all the kingdoms of the world--all of the armies, and castles and riches--Jesus could have it all.  He could be the boss of everybody and everything!  He just needed to do one, tiny thing.  He would have to worship the devil instead of the one, true God.  Jesus said, "No.  The Scripture tells us to worship the Lord, and to serve only God."  Jesus knew that God was the One truly in charge, and that to be faithful to God was right; to follow the devil, even for all the money and power in the world, would be absolutely wrong and lead to misery.

The devil took one, last shot at tempting Jesus away from what he was meant to do and be in this world.  The devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, and lifted him up to the very tippy-top of the Temple.  He said, "Okay now, show me your stuff.  Throw yourself down from this high place, and let's watch God save you."  Jesus said, "No.  It is not right to test God in such a way."  Jesus knew his power was not for show, but to do good and bring people to God.

The devil gave up, and Jesus got to work, teaching and preaching about God, God's love and forgiveness, and showing people how to be God's faithful servant.

Everyone is tempted to do the wrong thing now and again.  Making the good choice to say "No" to temptation is what Jesus did, and what we can do, too.  But when we sometimes make the wrong choice, Jesus understands and promises to forgive us so that we can move on and make the right choice the next time.

Let's pray.
Dear God, it helps us to know that Jesus went through the same kinds of things in life that we go through.  Help us to make good choices like Jesus did.  And when we make mistakes, please forgive us and help us to do better next time.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

The Greatest of These Is Love

The Greatest of These Is Love
Ordinary 4
I Corinthians 13:1-13

Good morning, boys and girls!  There is a story I read on the Internet that I'd like to share with you this morning.  It goes like this...

There was an anthropologist who had been studying the life and customs of a tribe of people in Africa.  He worked for months and months.  Finally, he was ready to go home and compile all of what he had learned into a book.  He had some extra time before leaving for the airport, so he suggested a game to a group of children who were there to say "Good-bye."

The scientist took a basket and filled it with fruit.  He put the basket of fruit under a tree about 50 yards from where the children were gathered.  He went back to the group and drew a line on the ground.  He explained that they should wait behind the line for his signal.  When he said, "Go!" they should all run to the basket.  Whoever got there first would win the fruit.

The man said, "On your marks, get set, Go!"

At the signal, "Go!" all the boys and girls held each others' hands and ran off toward the basket together.  When they all arrived at the same time, they shared the sweet fruit.

The anthropologist was super surprised.  "Why did you all run together, when one of you could have won all of the fruit?" he asked.

A young girl answered, "How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?"

The Bible tells us that love is the greatest gift of all.  The African children in the story understood that lesson and taught it to the anthropologist!

Let us Pray:
Dear God, We know that all good gifts come from you, and the greatest gift is love.  Help us to love one another as you have loved us.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Body of Christ

The Body of Christ
Epiphany 3C
January 27, 3013
I Corinthians 12:12-31
Prop: A bag filled with various types of shoes

Good morning, girls and boys!  I brought something with me to show you this morning.  Let me see now...(pull one shoe out of the bag, and converse something like this, tailoring your banter for the types of footwear you have in your bag).  Who can tell me what this is?  It's a shoe, that's right!  What kind of shoe?  It's a sneaker, right.  When would you wear a shoe like this one?  Most of the time, right?  You might wear it to school, or to the mall, or to a casual restaurant.  This is probably your every day shoe.

Let's see what else is in my bag here.  (Pull out a shoe very different in purpose from the first.)  Who can tell me what this is?  It's a roller skate!  When would you wear this shoe?  When you want to go roller skating, of course!  Would you wear this shoe to school or to the mall or out to dinner?  Probably not.  And would you wear the sneaker to roller skate?  It wouldn't work very well, would it.

Here's another shoe...it's a flip-flop.  These you wear at the beach or in warm weather.  You couldn't wear this flip-flop roller skating, either.  And you probably wouldn't wear it in the snow.  Your toes would get awfully cold!

And here we have a what?  A snow boot, that's right!

(You get the idea.  Go through 5-6 various types of shoes.  Emphasize that they each have a different purpose.  Finally, when you feel it's time to make the Big Point...)

So, each one of these shoes is different from the other.  Each shoe has its own purpose and is used for different things.  And yet they all have something in common...they are all shoes!  They all protect your feet while you're doing whatever you do, whether going to school or roller skating or walking to the beach (etc.).

Well, would you believe that the Church is like this bag of shoes?  Each person in the church has his or her own purpose.  We are each blessed with different gifts that we can use in God's work to help make the Church strong.  Some of us are wonderful singers, some are terrific leaders.  Some of us know when someone is feeling down and needs a hug or a word of encouragement.  Some of us are teachers, some of us are students, some of us make delicious cookies, some of us love to eat!  We have folks who are good at math and can keep track of the church spending.  Some like to clean and help keep the church spic and span.  Some of us can smile in a way that makes all the rest of us feel the light of God in our souls. 

God has made each one of us different, and yet we are all Christians.  We all believe in God and love Jesus.  We all are living as Jesus' disciples.

We are all different so that together we can build the body of Christ, because if we were all the same, there would be a lot of work that would never get done around here!  Wasn't God clever to create such a great system?

Let's Pray:

Dear God, We thank-you that we have shoes for our feet, and pray for those who do not.  We thank-you for making us the Body of Christ.  Help us to carry out our role to the best of our ability.  In the name of Jesus, the head of the Church, we pray, Amen.

The Wedding at Cana

Ordinary 2
The Wedding at Cana
Scripture: John 2:1-11

Birthday parties are lots of fun, aren’t they?  Sometimes birthday parties are held at a person’s home, and sometimes the party is someplace like a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, a zoo, a park or even McDonald’s.  Most birthday parties have balloons, some have games, but every birthday party I have ever been to has a cake or cupcakes, which are really just little cakes, right?  Besides the birthday boy or girl, the cake is the central highlight of the party!  It’s when everyone sings “Happy Birthday,” and the person of the day gets to make a wish and blow out the candles!  And every guest’s eyes light up when he or she is handed a piece to eat.  Yum!  Can you imagine a birthday party where they run out of cake?  That would be disastrous!!

One time, Jesus was a guest at a wedding.  His disciples and Mary, his mother, were also at the wedding.  Well, during the party after the ceremony, they ran out of wine.  A wedding without wine was like a birthday party without cake!  It was a disaster!  The host would be terribly embarrassed, and be known from that moment on as the one who didn’t buy enough wine for his daughter’s wedding.

Mary felt sorry for the host and didn’t want him to be embarrassed in front of all his friends and family.  She told Jesus, “They have run out of wine,” as if she expected him to do something about it.  Jesus told his mother, “I’m not ready.”  But Mary had more confidence in Jesus than he seemed to have in himself.   (Moms are like that.)  She told the servers to do whatever Jesus told them to do.

Nearby were standing six stone water jars—big things, about this tall (show about 3 feet with your hands).  Jesus told the servers to fill the jars with water, which they did.  Then he said, “Draw some out of one of the jars and take it to your boss, the head server.”  When the boss tasted the water, it had turned to wine—the best wine of the party!  He was impressed, and the party was saved.

This was the first miracle that Jesus performed.  It was not the most important or impressive miracle, but it was the first.

Let’s Pray.  Dear God, we thank-you that Mary believed in Jesus and encouraged him to begin his ministry at the Wedding at Cana.  Help us to be bold disciples.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Baptism of Jesus

The Baptism of Jesus
January 13, 2013
Luke 3:15-17, 21, 22
Prop: Your church's baptismal font, filled with water

Good morning, boys and girls!  (Show the font.)  If you have ever seen this before, please raise your hand.  This is called the baptismal font.  Font.  That's a funny word, isn't it?  We don't hear it very often.  It means receptacle, or container.  Let's all say it together, OK?  Font.

A receptacle, or font, usually contains something in it.  The baptismal font holds water, and we use it when we baptize people.  If you were baptised in this church, then this font was used during your baptism!

Jesus was baptised just before he started his teaching ministry.  The font that was used when Jesus was baptised was not a small receptacle--he was baptised in the Jordan River!  And the person who baptized Jesus was his cousin, John.

Before Jesus was baptized, people wondered if maybe John was the Messiah God had promised.  But John was quick to set the record straight.  He told the people, "I baptize with water, as a symbol, but one who is more powerful than I is coming.  I am not worthy to untie his sandals!  He will baptize you with the real thing--God's Holy Spirit."

Jesus went to his cousin John at the Jordan River and asked to be baptized.  John lowered Jesus into the water and said a prayer.  The Bible tells us that then heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit came down like a dove.  And a voice came from God, saying, "You are my son, the Beloved; with you I am very happy."

With that, Jesus was ready to begin his ministry.

Let's Pray:  Dear God, We thank-you for faithful people like John, and like Jesus.  Help us to be faithful, too.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Gift of Christmas

Sunday, January 6, 2012
Epiphany Sunday
Matthew 2:1-12
Prop: Wrap the baby Jesus figure from a manger scene as a small gift, complete with box, paper and ribbon

Good morning, everyone!  Happy New Year!  And Happy Epiphany!  On the church calendar, today is Epiphany, or 3 Kings’ Day.   January 6 is the day we remember and celebrate the kings, or wise men, coming to visit Jesus.

 You may remember the story—There were wise men who studied the stars living way East of Bethlehem.  They studied the stars, and one night they noticed a new one in the sky.  They knew this meant a king had been born.  So they decided to follow the star and meet the new-born king.  Long story short, the star led them to Jesus.  The wise men bowed down and worshipped Jesus, and gave him precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  These were the first Christmas presents!  We still give and receive Christmas presents today, don’t we!

Speaking of Christmas presents, I was taking down my tree yesterday and found this gift tucked way underneath, in the back.  I guess it got overlooked on Christmas morning when we were unwrapping everything else.  I think we should open it now, don’t you?  It’s rather small, but they say, “Good things come in small packages.”

I suppose we should read the tag.  It says:

“To: The World
  From: One Who Loves You.”

OK, we’ll take off the ribbon, and remove the paper, and open the box and, what is it?  Earrings?  A watch?  No, look!  It’s the baby Jesus!  My goodness, in all the excitement of Christmas, I almost forgot to open the most important gift of all—God’s gift to each and every one of us—the gift of a Savior, Jesus!  So gold, frankincense and myrrh were NOT the first Christmas presents after all—Jesus was!

Let’s Pray.

Kind of giving God, we thank-you for the greatest gift the world has ever known—the gift of your love and forgiveness given to us through your Son, Jesus Christ.  May we always keep him at the center of our lives, at Christmas and all year long.  Amen.