Tuesday, March 16, 2010
switching places
Reverse Sunday School (emerging children's ministry and youth ministry at digital orthodoxy.com - Australia, I believe.) Interesting perspective? These articles are from '09 and before including some Lent & Easter material. I don't think I ever posted them but maybe. If not, enjoy!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Lent 5
Isaiah 43:16-21 (NIRV)
The passage starts revisiting a story - not just a story but a story from Israel's past. He reminds them that Israel's enemy was "blown out like a dimly burning flame" - an image that's easy to show children. Then God says, "Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep on thinking about them. I am about to do something new. " Sometimes, even children need to hear that.
The imagery is wonderful. The desert. The need for water. God's lavish promise of water. The animals. God's desire for us to sing His praises. It probably requires an appreciation for dry sandy desert places and a deep appreciation for water. (Most of us take water seriously for granted.) What can you do with your kids to recreate that need? Children were part of the community of faith that experienced God's blessing and God's wrath, the oppression of His enemies and God's deliverance and the emotional environment there. Children were there.
Psalm 126 (NIRV)
Again, a reference to a story in Israel's past that children would have experienced - an unpleasant memory, if you will. But they came home. God brought them back home. Not even sure the grown-ups or children were part of a generation to remember "home" but they were part of a community that God promised to deliver and there were children there to experience His promise fullfilled. An emotional experience. And other nations saw what God did.
Lots of emotion in this psalm. Planting with tears. Reaping with joy. A promise of success when you don't think it's possible. There's water in this Psalm, too. The water cycle. Rain is good! In a desert culture the fact that water is critically necessary for survival is "in your face" so to speak. The kids were there to experience all of this. They experienced the desert every day. They were there in that emotional environment, too. Why do you suppose people cry when they plant their gardens in a hot dry land? Where does the rain come from? How does the rain make them feel?
Philippians 3:4b-14 (NIRV)
Paul lists all the ways he has to trust in himself. Most of us could write a list like that: credentials, experience, skills, strengths, gifts, education, who we know...the list goes on. Paul's credentials made him especially well equipped for the job God gave him even apart from God's call on his life. Plus he seems to be one of those "perfect" people. But because of Christ Jesus he calls all of this "nothing". Some translations refer to it as "dung". I do believe that's the word they use in the original but I'm not a Hebrew scholar. I have friends who could give you more contemporary graphic language for that. And yes, as used here, it's that strong - appropriately so. You can go back to the original and look but I believe that's the context of "nothing" and "garbage" here.
Paul says I would trade all of my credentials and qualifications - all that's good about me- to know Jesus better. He talks about "being right with God" having to do with constantly trying to get to know Christ better. We use the word "faith." We use it all the time. We try to explain it or give it meaning but I'm not sure how much real meaning it has for kids (or anyone) until they experience "faith" and they experience interacting with God - getting to know Him better. Some people of faith balk at talk of experience and emotion but here it appears that the focus is on faith meaning "always wanting to get to know God better". Can't kids relate to that? If Christianity is relational - not a religion- can you have a relationship without experience and emotion? We believe without seeing. To believe without seeing, without experience, without emotion, is great faith. Paul saw, he experienced, and I do believe he was a very emotional man.
Paul was a champion even as he was writing Philippians but his attitude was that he wasn't there yet. He had to keep pressing on to know God better. After all that Paul had walked through, it still wasn't yet within the Apostle Paul's grasp. Verse 13-14 (I actually like other translations better for this passage) "Brothers and sisters, I don't consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. [again, forgetting the past] I push hard toward what is ahead of me. I move on toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus himself. " For kids who are heavy into sports, that's the imagery here. Playing to win. There is a time to remember the past and it's stories in order to know God better and a time to let it all go in order to know God better.
John 12:1-8
Here is the story of Mary pouring perfume on Jesus' feet. You could just tell the story or act it out. There are characters (people) in this story from other familiar-to-children stories in the Gospels. Did you ever try presenting a series of stories (over a 6-8 wk period) that focus on the same character(s)? All the stories about Mary, Martha, Lazarus. All the stories about Judas - especially for older kids who feel like they've heard that story "a million times". If we hear all the stories about that person what can we learn about them? What can we learn about God- Jesus? Father? Holy Spirit?
So here they are eating dinner together. It might help to understand the customs that the people in the story would have been familiar with. Why not take a tiny "expensive" bottle of perfume and pour it on someone's feet. See what happens. See what insights you'd gain doing it that you wouldn't get just listening to the story. I'd bet money that your kids will remember. Every time they walk into your room and they can still smell that smell, they'll remember. You can act it out. You can use a huge basket of play money and think about what it could buy for you. How much money does the average person in your church earn in a year? What can they buy with that much money? What could it buy for someone poor? Trade all of it for a tiny bottle of smelly perfume to pour on Jesus' feet. Act out the story and see where it takes you. Not to downplay the girl characters and stories of scripture but did you ever stop and think that there are lots of "guy stories" in the scriptures? Lots of parts, lots of roles for boys. Lots of roles for strong women, too. The scriptures have lots to teach us about lots of things.
The passage starts revisiting a story - not just a story but a story from Israel's past. He reminds them that Israel's enemy was "blown out like a dimly burning flame" - an image that's easy to show children. Then God says, "Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep on thinking about them. I am about to do something new. " Sometimes, even children need to hear that.
The imagery is wonderful. The desert. The need for water. God's lavish promise of water. The animals. God's desire for us to sing His praises. It probably requires an appreciation for dry sandy desert places and a deep appreciation for water. (Most of us take water seriously for granted.) What can you do with your kids to recreate that need? Children were part of the community of faith that experienced God's blessing and God's wrath, the oppression of His enemies and God's deliverance and the emotional environment there. Children were there.
Psalm 126 (NIRV)
Again, a reference to a story in Israel's past that children would have experienced - an unpleasant memory, if you will. But they came home. God brought them back home. Not even sure the grown-ups or children were part of a generation to remember "home" but they were part of a community that God promised to deliver and there were children there to experience His promise fullfilled. An emotional experience. And other nations saw what God did.
Lots of emotion in this psalm. Planting with tears. Reaping with joy. A promise of success when you don't think it's possible. There's water in this Psalm, too. The water cycle. Rain is good! In a desert culture the fact that water is critically necessary for survival is "in your face" so to speak. The kids were there to experience all of this. They experienced the desert every day. They were there in that emotional environment, too. Why do you suppose people cry when they plant their gardens in a hot dry land? Where does the rain come from? How does the rain make them feel?
Philippians 3:4b-14 (NIRV)
Paul lists all the ways he has to trust in himself. Most of us could write a list like that: credentials, experience, skills, strengths, gifts, education, who we know...the list goes on. Paul's credentials made him especially well equipped for the job God gave him even apart from God's call on his life. Plus he seems to be one of those "perfect" people. But because of Christ Jesus he calls all of this "nothing". Some translations refer to it as "dung". I do believe that's the word they use in the original but I'm not a Hebrew scholar. I have friends who could give you more contemporary graphic language for that. And yes, as used here, it's that strong - appropriately so. You can go back to the original and look but I believe that's the context of "nothing" and "garbage" here.
Paul says I would trade all of my credentials and qualifications - all that's good about me- to know Jesus better. He talks about "being right with God" having to do with constantly trying to get to know Christ better. We use the word "faith." We use it all the time. We try to explain it or give it meaning but I'm not sure how much real meaning it has for kids (or anyone) until they experience "faith" and they experience interacting with God - getting to know Him better. Some people of faith balk at talk of experience and emotion but here it appears that the focus is on faith meaning "always wanting to get to know God better". Can't kids relate to that? If Christianity is relational - not a religion- can you have a relationship without experience and emotion? We believe without seeing. To believe without seeing, without experience, without emotion, is great faith. Paul saw, he experienced, and I do believe he was a very emotional man.
Paul was a champion even as he was writing Philippians but his attitude was that he wasn't there yet. He had to keep pressing on to know God better. After all that Paul had walked through, it still wasn't yet within the Apostle Paul's grasp. Verse 13-14 (I actually like other translations better for this passage) "Brothers and sisters, I don't consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. [again, forgetting the past] I push hard toward what is ahead of me. I move on toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus himself. " For kids who are heavy into sports, that's the imagery here. Playing to win. There is a time to remember the past and it's stories in order to know God better and a time to let it all go in order to know God better.
John 12:1-8
Here is the story of Mary pouring perfume on Jesus' feet. You could just tell the story or act it out. There are characters (people) in this story from other familiar-to-children stories in the Gospels. Did you ever try presenting a series of stories (over a 6-8 wk period) that focus on the same character(s)? All the stories about Mary, Martha, Lazarus. All the stories about Judas - especially for older kids who feel like they've heard that story "a million times". If we hear all the stories about that person what can we learn about them? What can we learn about God- Jesus? Father? Holy Spirit?
So here they are eating dinner together. It might help to understand the customs that the people in the story would have been familiar with. Why not take a tiny "expensive" bottle of perfume and pour it on someone's feet. See what happens. See what insights you'd gain doing it that you wouldn't get just listening to the story. I'd bet money that your kids will remember. Every time they walk into your room and they can still smell that smell, they'll remember. You can act it out. You can use a huge basket of play money and think about what it could buy for you. How much money does the average person in your church earn in a year? What can they buy with that much money? What could it buy for someone poor? Trade all of it for a tiny bottle of smelly perfume to pour on Jesus' feet. Act out the story and see where it takes you. Not to downplay the girl characters and stories of scripture but did you ever stop and think that there are lots of "guy stories" in the scriptures? Lots of parts, lots of roles for boys. Lots of roles for strong women, too. The scriptures have lots to teach us about lots of things.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Lent 4
Joshua 5:9-12 (NIRV)
Whether or not you want to talk about circumcision is up to you but it was physical evidence that you were born into a covenant faith community. In most Christian communities Baptism has taken the role (is that the word?) of circumcision. For older kids that discussion would take you into other parts of scripture.
God taking away "... the shame of being laughed at by [Egypt]..." Most kids know what it's like to be laughed at. Consider the story without superimposing who or what Egypt "represents". Just look at the story.
This passage is rich with the stories of Egypt, leaving Egypt, the first Passover and all the passovers between (how many would that be?), the manna, the promise of deliverance, the promise of land that would be their own. It's rich with sensory experience: eating food grown from their own land, harvested by their own hands ... how did all that translate through the eyes of the children? How old were they when they experienced all of this and what had they experienced before? How about their parents? Their grandparents? How old were those who had childhood memories of Egypt? Of trekking through the desert? Of almost making it to the promised land and turning around to wander again? And how did all of this affect the children?
Psalm 32 (NIRV)
Forgiveness. Confession. Freedom from guilt. Prayer. "When troubles come like a flood..." I love that phrase! There's that hiding place again, safety.
Picture a child surrounded by people singing praises to God for saving them from something that just happened.
God's promise to teach & guide & watch over. I'm guessing most kids were familiar with bridles and bits and stubborn animals when those Psalms were written.
Throughout this Psalm there are verses about honesty and doing what's right.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NIRV)
"So from now on we don't look at anyone the way the world does." What does that mean? Better yet, what does that look like? Sound like? Feel like? "At one time we looked at Christ in that way. But we don't anymore." How does the world see Christ? How do we see Him?
New & old. Brought back to God. Not holding someone's sin against them. Official messengers begging someone to "Come back to God." Jesus makes it possible for us to come back home to God.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Who are the people we avoid? Who are the people we won't eat with? Jesus sat down and ate with them.
The story of the lost sheep isn't included. But would you risk the safety of 99 living creatures in your care to go out looking for one when you know there are predators lurking in the dark? And these weren't people, these were "just" animals. Farmers are familiar with losing an animal here and an animal there.
The parable of the Lost Son is a story to tell. What questions can you ask that will encourage kids to explore the story, ponder the story, talk about the story and the people in the story rather than looking for the "right" answer? What observations do they make? About each of the boys? About the father? About God? Do you know anyone who had a story like that to tell?
Whether or not you want to talk about circumcision is up to you but it was physical evidence that you were born into a covenant faith community. In most Christian communities Baptism has taken the role (is that the word?) of circumcision. For older kids that discussion would take you into other parts of scripture.
God taking away "... the shame of being laughed at by [Egypt]..." Most kids know what it's like to be laughed at. Consider the story without superimposing who or what Egypt "represents". Just look at the story.
This passage is rich with the stories of Egypt, leaving Egypt, the first Passover and all the passovers between (how many would that be?), the manna, the promise of deliverance, the promise of land that would be their own. It's rich with sensory experience: eating food grown from their own land, harvested by their own hands ... how did all that translate through the eyes of the children? How old were they when they experienced all of this and what had they experienced before? How about their parents? Their grandparents? How old were those who had childhood memories of Egypt? Of trekking through the desert? Of almost making it to the promised land and turning around to wander again? And how did all of this affect the children?
Psalm 32 (NIRV)
Forgiveness. Confession. Freedom from guilt. Prayer. "When troubles come like a flood..." I love that phrase! There's that hiding place again, safety.
Picture a child surrounded by people singing praises to God for saving them from something that just happened.
God's promise to teach & guide & watch over. I'm guessing most kids were familiar with bridles and bits and stubborn animals when those Psalms were written.
Throughout this Psalm there are verses about honesty and doing what's right.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NIRV)
"So from now on we don't look at anyone the way the world does." What does that mean? Better yet, what does that look like? Sound like? Feel like? "At one time we looked at Christ in that way. But we don't anymore." How does the world see Christ? How do we see Him?
New & old. Brought back to God. Not holding someone's sin against them. Official messengers begging someone to "Come back to God." Jesus makes it possible for us to come back home to God.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Who are the people we avoid? Who are the people we won't eat with? Jesus sat down and ate with them.
The story of the lost sheep isn't included. But would you risk the safety of 99 living creatures in your care to go out looking for one when you know there are predators lurking in the dark? And these weren't people, these were "just" animals. Farmers are familiar with losing an animal here and an animal there.
The parable of the Lost Son is a story to tell. What questions can you ask that will encourage kids to explore the story, ponder the story, talk about the story and the people in the story rather than looking for the "right" answer? What observations do they make? About each of the boys? About the father? About God? Do you know anyone who had a story like that to tell?
Monday, March 01, 2010
Mind & Spirit in the UK.
Children's Work from the Church of England in the UK
A new book by Ivy Beckwith (I haven't read it)focusing on story, ritual & relationship. She also wrote Postmodern Children's Ministry. It opened up my thinking quite a bit. In my opinion, the book is very much a prophetic call to the Church.
Children's Work from the Church of England in the UK
A new book by Ivy Beckwith (I haven't read it)focusing on story, ritual & relationship. She also wrote Postmodern Children's Ministry. It opened up my thinking quite a bit. In my opinion, the book is very much a prophetic call to the Church.
Lent 3
Isaiah 55:1-9
Remember that "all" and "everyone" includes children.
You could create a shopping activity for kids from verse 1 & 2 but to make it really meaningful kids would have to do something challenging-but-not-impossible to earn whatever they would exchange for a snack - a salty snack to make them thirsty. I found myself wondering how do we "buy" without money to buy or buy without price. Wouldn't that make it just a give away? If so, then why not say, "Free food!" Or is there something more here?
From verse 2. Spend your money on bread, spend your labor on that which brings you satisfaction. Eat what is good. All that makes sense to me but I found myself recoiling a little at "delight yourselves in rich food." I don't want to tell kids that but it's there. Does that mean we add meat, gravy, wine sauces, butter cookies, baklava & chocolate creams to our snack? Why is it there? Luxury you don't have to buy? Example of God's rich love, lavish giving, and goodness? Why am I recoiling at "delight yourselves in rich food..."If you're not used to it, it can make you sick. If you are used to it, you probably have the $ to buy it but maybe I'm being too practical.
Psalm 63:1-8
Thirst & water are here again in this Psalm.
Dry, tired land. Do you know of any dry, tired land nearby? Photos of a desert or dry worn-out land would work, too. Water. Why do we need it? Why does the land need it? What happens when you water a dry, weary land? Can you show it over a couple weeks time?
What is a sanctuary? What does it mean to find sanctuary? Can you recreate the experiential "safe place" of that?
Do you praise God with your children for His love ? With lips? Words and song? Even toddlers can play with the idea of praising lips, singing lips, happy lips. Play with lifting hands, praising hands, praying hands, happy hands, helping hands.
What is a blessing? Do you bless God? Do you bless one another? Do you bless the children in your care? By name? Does your pastor?
Do you call on God's name? Which name will you call today? Father? Shepherd? Teacher? Lord & ruler? Counselor? For a child? What names does your child know for God? Names that he/she can relate to? Names that he/she can call?
What is a rich feast to a child? More than enough of the foods you love? Which foods and drink would make a rich feast for your children? Do these passages lose meaning in a culture already as rich as ours?
Do you think about God when you lay in your bed? Do your children? What do they think about?
When did God help you? Do your children know when God helps them? Did you ever feel safe under the shadow of His wings and sing a happy song? Does God have wings like that chicken Jesus talked about?
"My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Did you ever see a clingy child or animal? If something clings to your sweater (a piece of lint, a static-y kleenex) or your pant leg (a burdock) what does it look like? What does it feel like to cling to something? A blanket? A teddy bear? A mom? How do you feel when someone holds you up with their strong hand? When do you need them to do that? When are you happy for them to do that?
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
This passage starts with a reference to an OT story. Do you see a pattern of references to OT stories in Paul's epistles? In the gospels of Jesus?
All...all...all...a huge group of people - all ages- experiencing that trek out of Egypt together, experiencing all that God did or the effects of all that God did. They felt the affects of saying "Yes" to God and saying "No" to God. What was that like for the children?
At what point do you introduce good & evil? Early, so they grow a healthy fear of things they should fear? Later, so they understand about making choices? Early so you train them to make those good choices whether they understand the why or not?
School-aged children understand about testing. "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." Alike, but different from the tests you take in school. Something to talk about.
How young can a child understand "test"? I will ask you a question. If you answer correctly or if you do the right thing, I will give you an M&M.
Can you use testing as a teaching tool? Depending on how you use it, what does it teach? Should we test as part of Christian formation because God tests us? Does He test us to facilitate learning (to help us see areas where we're weak and help us fix them) Does He use it to re-enforce and condition us to make the correct choice? Does He test us to show us our weaknesses or set us up to fail? To celebrate winners? To rank us? To see if the teaching methods work? To grade the teachers? What do the stories of scripture tell us about God's testing?
Luke 13:1-9
From a teaching and learning perspective it might be interesting to look at how Jesus questioned his listeners - when He answered His own questions and when He didn't.
Is there story background to go with the first verses of this section that teach us about the repentance Jesus is talking about?
To how young an audience can you tell or re enact the story of the fig tree? Can you do it without interpretations or explanations? It's a wonderful story to act out!
Remember that "all" and "everyone" includes children.
You could create a shopping activity for kids from verse 1 & 2 but to make it really meaningful kids would have to do something challenging-but-not-impossible to earn whatever they would exchange for a snack - a salty snack to make them thirsty. I found myself wondering how do we "buy" without money to buy or buy without price. Wouldn't that make it just a give away? If so, then why not say, "Free food!" Or is there something more here?
From verse 2. Spend your money on bread, spend your labor on that which brings you satisfaction. Eat what is good. All that makes sense to me but I found myself recoiling a little at "delight yourselves in rich food." I don't want to tell kids that but it's there. Does that mean we add meat, gravy, wine sauces, butter cookies, baklava & chocolate creams to our snack? Why is it there? Luxury you don't have to buy? Example of God's rich love, lavish giving, and goodness? Why am I recoiling at "delight yourselves in rich food..."If you're not used to it, it can make you sick. If you are used to it, you probably have the $ to buy it but maybe I'm being too practical.
Psalm 63:1-8
Thirst & water are here again in this Psalm.
Dry, tired land. Do you know of any dry, tired land nearby? Photos of a desert or dry worn-out land would work, too. Water. Why do we need it? Why does the land need it? What happens when you water a dry, weary land? Can you show it over a couple weeks time?
What is a sanctuary? What does it mean to find sanctuary? Can you recreate the experiential "safe place" of that?
Do you praise God with your children for His love ? With lips? Words and song? Even toddlers can play with the idea of praising lips, singing lips, happy lips. Play with lifting hands, praising hands, praying hands, happy hands, helping hands.
What is a blessing? Do you bless God? Do you bless one another? Do you bless the children in your care? By name? Does your pastor?
Do you call on God's name? Which name will you call today? Father? Shepherd? Teacher? Lord & ruler? Counselor? For a child? What names does your child know for God? Names that he/she can relate to? Names that he/she can call?
What is a rich feast to a child? More than enough of the foods you love? Which foods and drink would make a rich feast for your children? Do these passages lose meaning in a culture already as rich as ours?
Do you think about God when you lay in your bed? Do your children? What do they think about?
When did God help you? Do your children know when God helps them? Did you ever feel safe under the shadow of His wings and sing a happy song? Does God have wings like that chicken Jesus talked about?
"My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Did you ever see a clingy child or animal? If something clings to your sweater (a piece of lint, a static-y kleenex) or your pant leg (a burdock) what does it look like? What does it feel like to cling to something? A blanket? A teddy bear? A mom? How do you feel when someone holds you up with their strong hand? When do you need them to do that? When are you happy for them to do that?
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
This passage starts with a reference to an OT story. Do you see a pattern of references to OT stories in Paul's epistles? In the gospels of Jesus?
All...all...all...a huge group of people - all ages- experiencing that trek out of Egypt together, experiencing all that God did or the effects of all that God did. They felt the affects of saying "Yes" to God and saying "No" to God. What was that like for the children?
At what point do you introduce good & evil? Early, so they grow a healthy fear of things they should fear? Later, so they understand about making choices? Early so you train them to make those good choices whether they understand the why or not?
School-aged children understand about testing. "No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." Alike, but different from the tests you take in school. Something to talk about.
How young can a child understand "test"? I will ask you a question. If you answer correctly or if you do the right thing, I will give you an M&M.
Can you use testing as a teaching tool? Depending on how you use it, what does it teach? Should we test as part of Christian formation because God tests us? Does He test us to facilitate learning (to help us see areas where we're weak and help us fix them) Does He use it to re-enforce and condition us to make the correct choice? Does He test us to show us our weaknesses or set us up to fail? To celebrate winners? To rank us? To see if the teaching methods work? To grade the teachers? What do the stories of scripture tell us about God's testing?
Luke 13:1-9
From a teaching and learning perspective it might be interesting to look at how Jesus questioned his listeners - when He answered His own questions and when He didn't.
Is there story background to go with the first verses of this section that teach us about the repentance Jesus is talking about?
To how young an audience can you tell or re enact the story of the fig tree? Can you do it without interpretations or explanations? It's a wonderful story to act out!
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