Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Lent 2 cont
from Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43)
The stories are scripture. Tell the stories! They're God's stories. But...the countenance change, the demon and the child....sometimes when I tell the stories of scripture to kids in my desire not to lie to them, sometimes I find myself balking a little and I have to ask why. If I'm afraid of something that our culture doesn't perceive as "true," if I'm afraid of growing false hope, if I'm afraid that God will disappoint them, then I have to look seriously at my own faith in Him whose story I'm telling.
Telling God's story to a child presents an opportunity to reclaim my child-like faith not dismiss it.
The Transfiguration
8 days. Is that important? Jesus only took 3 friends. Is that?
There are OT references to booths. Are there stories that go with that?
Stories of Moses. Stories of Elijah. Of all the men in the scriptures, all the stories to reference - why did God send those two men? We have the story of Moses' face when he came down from the mountain, Elijah being taken up in the cloud. Are there other stories about a cloud? Are there other stories about people going up on a mountain to pray or about someone's countenance changing?
These three men who go up with Jesus hear Moses and Elijah and Jesus talking about Jesus dying in Jerusalem. This is an amazing story but Jesus' 3 friends don't tell anyone about this amazing encounter. They kept a secret. Why was it a secret? How do you know when to keep a secret and when to share it?
A voice from the cloud. "This is My Son. And I have chosen Him. Listen to Him" Are there other stories like this? Clouds? Listen to my son?
Jesus Healing the Boy
This story happens the very next day when the four of them came off the mountain. We don't hear about Jesus' face shining like Moses' did when he came down from the mountain (I wonder why) but a big crowd meets them.
Why was Jesus so impatient with these people? Did it have anything to do with what had just happened? He still healed the child then He gave him back to the father. They were amazed at God's greatness. Moses had been impatient, hit the rock and people saw God's greatness but Moses hit it too many times and got in trouble. Jesus didn't.
That same story from the 3 disciple's perspective? From the other disciples' perspective? From Jesus'? From the father's? The child's? The onlookers?
Why a child? Why not a grown-up? Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father. The healed child was still stuck in the world with these grown-ups that Jesus was so impatient with.
Jesus Sad over Jerusalem
Jesus had friends among those who had previously argued with Him. They were trying to warn Him, to keep Him safe. How did they know? They weren't on the mountain. Jesus was on a journey to reach a goal. He healed people all along the way to where He was going without losing sight of His goal. Or was that part of the goal?
When God gets mad, He gets mad but in this case Jesus' response is different. Jesus wanted to gather these people like a hen would gather her chicks but they wouldn't let Him, they resisted Him. Isn't He God? Why didn't He just make them do it! The image of hen & chicks is such a cool image! Did you ever spend time with chickens? What do we know about chickens...
He says, "I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' " (a reference to Psalm 118: 26). When do you hear that phrase, "I won't do this unless you do that."
Where does this incident fall in relationship to the children praising Him? Didn't that happen on the way to Jerusalem, too?
The stories are scripture. Tell the stories! They're God's stories. But...the countenance change, the demon and the child....sometimes when I tell the stories of scripture to kids in my desire not to lie to them, sometimes I find myself balking a little and I have to ask why. If I'm afraid of something that our culture doesn't perceive as "true," if I'm afraid of growing false hope, if I'm afraid that God will disappoint them, then I have to look seriously at my own faith in Him whose story I'm telling.
Telling God's story to a child presents an opportunity to reclaim my child-like faith not dismiss it.
The Transfiguration
8 days. Is that important? Jesus only took 3 friends. Is that?
There are OT references to booths. Are there stories that go with that?
Stories of Moses. Stories of Elijah. Of all the men in the scriptures, all the stories to reference - why did God send those two men? We have the story of Moses' face when he came down from the mountain, Elijah being taken up in the cloud. Are there other stories about a cloud? Are there other stories about people going up on a mountain to pray or about someone's countenance changing?
These three men who go up with Jesus hear Moses and Elijah and Jesus talking about Jesus dying in Jerusalem. This is an amazing story but Jesus' 3 friends don't tell anyone about this amazing encounter. They kept a secret. Why was it a secret? How do you know when to keep a secret and when to share it?
A voice from the cloud. "This is My Son. And I have chosen Him. Listen to Him" Are there other stories like this? Clouds? Listen to my son?
Jesus Healing the Boy
This story happens the very next day when the four of them came off the mountain. We don't hear about Jesus' face shining like Moses' did when he came down from the mountain (I wonder why) but a big crowd meets them.
Why was Jesus so impatient with these people? Did it have anything to do with what had just happened? He still healed the child then He gave him back to the father. They were amazed at God's greatness. Moses had been impatient, hit the rock and people saw God's greatness but Moses hit it too many times and got in trouble. Jesus didn't.
That same story from the 3 disciple's perspective? From the other disciples' perspective? From Jesus'? From the father's? The child's? The onlookers?
Why a child? Why not a grown-up? Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father. The healed child was still stuck in the world with these grown-ups that Jesus was so impatient with.
Jesus Sad over Jerusalem
Jesus had friends among those who had previously argued with Him. They were trying to warn Him, to keep Him safe. How did they know? They weren't on the mountain. Jesus was on a journey to reach a goal. He healed people all along the way to where He was going without losing sight of His goal. Or was that part of the goal?
When God gets mad, He gets mad but in this case Jesus' response is different. Jesus wanted to gather these people like a hen would gather her chicks but they wouldn't let Him, they resisted Him. Isn't He God? Why didn't He just make them do it! The image of hen & chicks is such a cool image! Did you ever spend time with chickens? What do we know about chickens...
He says, "I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' " (a reference to Psalm 118: 26). When do you hear that phrase, "I won't do this unless you do that."
Where does this incident fall in relationship to the children praising Him? Didn't that happen on the way to Jerusalem, too?
Lent 2: LFC: O & Q & KFW
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Look at what God said to Abram. Imagine him a father, sharing this story with the child God gave him.
Imagine carrying a promise of God without heirs to share that promise with. Imagine looking up at the stars on a clear night. Imagine God saying those words to you after years of trying and failing to have children. Not sure this is the time for a star activity unless it involves standing outside after dark marveling at a star-filled sky. I think the science of stars for children would be distracting. They didn't have that when God spoke it. For grown-ups it might add depth.
Note what this passage says about faith.
Yes, God made a promise and God kept His promise but note God's reference to Ur. Notice how God is so much a part of Abram's story - his life story- and all the personal stories he will share with his children.
• Psalm 27
Remember David who killed Goliath? Can you imagine David being afraid? David wrote this to God.
There's lots of imagery for different aged kids in this Psalm. Light. Hiding places. Safe places. God's house. Songs to sing when we're afraid. Trust. Feelings. Enemies. Lies.
When do you feel the way David feels? What does your heart say to you? When your heart is afraid, what can you say to your heart?
God is...
• Philippians 3:17-4:1
Paul called the people he was talking to, "Brothers & sisters." Children have brothers & sisters. He called them to follow his example. He tells them to pay close attention to those who live "according the the pattern we gave you". That is one of the roles teachers & grown-ups in general play in the lives of children.
We get frustrated when we have to tell children something over and over...So does God, so did Jesus, so did Paul except that we are those children.
We learn that young children are sensitive to the emotional environment we create. This hard-nosed apostle Paul is talking about people who live like enemies of the cross of Jesus. They worship whatever their stomach tells them. They brag about what should make them ashamed. He tells us they're going to die, with tears in his eyes addressing people who are like family to him.
What images does it conjure in your mind to be a citizen of heaven? How about in older kids?
We "can hardly wait" for someone to come from there - Jesus. That feeling is something kids know.
vs 21 "He has the power to bring everything under his control. By his power he will change our earthly bodies. They will become like his glorious body." "Power" "Everything"
"My brothers and sisters, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord's strength. [How?] I love you and long for you. Dear friends, you are my joy and my crown." You have more emotion. But how should I stand firm in the Lord's strength? Is it something I can translate for children? Does this involve skills that children can learn? When do children need to be able to stand firm in the Lord's strength? How will they do that?
• Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-43
In Luke we can pick between the story of the transfiguration & Jesus healing the boy with the evil spirit or Jesus being sad about Jerusalem. Each is a story.
As I recall, the transfiguration ties into the feast of booths in the OT. I once cleaned house for a rabbi & his wife. They built a "booth" from sticks in their backyard every fall for the Feast of Booths. I was in my 20's but having been a well-churched Protestant child who built forts in the woods, I was pretty fascinated. Let's put these three stories in the next post.
Look at what God said to Abram. Imagine him a father, sharing this story with the child God gave him.
Imagine carrying a promise of God without heirs to share that promise with. Imagine looking up at the stars on a clear night. Imagine God saying those words to you after years of trying and failing to have children. Not sure this is the time for a star activity unless it involves standing outside after dark marveling at a star-filled sky. I think the science of stars for children would be distracting. They didn't have that when God spoke it. For grown-ups it might add depth.
Note what this passage says about faith.
Yes, God made a promise and God kept His promise but note God's reference to Ur. Notice how God is so much a part of Abram's story - his life story- and all the personal stories he will share with his children.
• Psalm 27
Remember David who killed Goliath? Can you imagine David being afraid? David wrote this to God.
There's lots of imagery for different aged kids in this Psalm. Light. Hiding places. Safe places. God's house. Songs to sing when we're afraid. Trust. Feelings. Enemies. Lies.
When do you feel the way David feels? What does your heart say to you? When your heart is afraid, what can you say to your heart?
God is...
• Philippians 3:17-4:1
Paul called the people he was talking to, "Brothers & sisters." Children have brothers & sisters. He called them to follow his example. He tells them to pay close attention to those who live "according the the pattern we gave you". That is one of the roles teachers & grown-ups in general play in the lives of children.
We get frustrated when we have to tell children something over and over...So does God, so did Jesus, so did Paul except that we are those children.
We learn that young children are sensitive to the emotional environment we create. This hard-nosed apostle Paul is talking about people who live like enemies of the cross of Jesus. They worship whatever their stomach tells them. They brag about what should make them ashamed. He tells us they're going to die, with tears in his eyes addressing people who are like family to him.
What images does it conjure in your mind to be a citizen of heaven? How about in older kids?
We "can hardly wait" for someone to come from there - Jesus. That feeling is something kids know.
vs 21 "He has the power to bring everything under his control. By his power he will change our earthly bodies. They will become like his glorious body." "Power" "Everything"
"My brothers and sisters, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord's strength. [How?] I love you and long for you. Dear friends, you are my joy and my crown." You have more emotion. But how should I stand firm in the Lord's strength? Is it something I can translate for children? Does this involve skills that children can learn? When do children need to be able to stand firm in the Lord's strength? How will they do that?
• Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-43
In Luke we can pick between the story of the transfiguration & Jesus healing the boy with the evil spirit or Jesus being sad about Jerusalem. Each is a story.
As I recall, the transfiguration ties into the feast of booths in the OT. I once cleaned house for a rabbi & his wife. They built a "booth" from sticks in their backyard every fall for the Feast of Booths. I was in my 20's but having been a well-churched Protestant child who built forts in the woods, I was pretty fascinated. Let's put these three stories in the next post.
Wordless revisited
You know, you can use any picture, group of pictures, or book with pictures that show action to let a child tell the story. You just do what you do without words - without prompts. You can use pictures to show first, middle, last. You can do history chronology w/pictures. Which came first the story picture of Adam, David, or Jesus? Turn on a video with no sound. Flip through a story in utter silence and, at the end, ask your small people "what did you like?" "What didn't you like?" You can ask who or what a wordless story is about. Where? When? Why? But you don't have to. Have some fun.
A story has a beginning, middle, end. A story has action. A story has a main character. Sometimes it has time, place, why, what, so what...
Think about a story without words. Children see wordless stories everyday - meaning the course of someone's actions where the words aren't necessarily directed at them.
See how many different things you can teach without words. See if you can do a whole class without words...
A story has a beginning, middle, end. A story has action. A story has a main character. Sometimes it has time, place, why, what, so what...
Think about a story without words. Children see wordless stories everyday - meaning the course of someone's actions where the words aren't necessarily directed at them.
See how many different things you can teach without words. See if you can do a whole class without words...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
2nd thoughts...
So I'm having 2nd thoughts about committing to 3 years of posting from the liturgy looking for kids in the scriptures. Maybe I'll post through the season of Lent 2010. How about that... You have the tools to explore this. You really don't need my thoughts and observations. I'm going to try VERY hard to keep it VERY simple and not elaborate or explain much.
Consider exploring this little exercise with your CM team or parents or leaders or any interested party. Whether you try it as an individual or as a group I expect you'll see something you never noticed before. If you do it with a group, you'll have the advantage of other people sharing what they see: a small enough group so everyone gets to actively participate, a large enough group so you have LOTS to think about.
There might be other ways to explore this. Make a bulletin board. Let people bring in a 3x5 card with one observation from the text each week - one observation about children.
We're looking for kids: not only specific references in the text but, "Were they there to hear this?" How would a family respond? How did the event, law, proverb affect the children? When God's prophetic words came to pass how did that affect the children? Who was responsible? When God continually called His people to repentance and they refused and the children suffered, whose fault was that? How does grown-up faithfulness & unfaithfulness affect children?
Look for words, images, stories that children can relate to ie. God is my fort, my safe place, my hiding place. As a child I always had a secret fort. Maybe that's why I especially like the Psalms that describe God that way.
Remember that this little exercise isn't really about children. It's about God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and His perspective on children. Is ours the same? Is it different? How do we respond?
Consider exploring this little exercise with your CM team or parents or leaders or any interested party. Whether you try it as an individual or as a group I expect you'll see something you never noticed before. If you do it with a group, you'll have the advantage of other people sharing what they see: a small enough group so everyone gets to actively participate, a large enough group so you have LOTS to think about.
There might be other ways to explore this. Make a bulletin board. Let people bring in a 3x5 card with one observation from the text each week - one observation about children.
We're looking for kids: not only specific references in the text but, "Were they there to hear this?" How would a family respond? How did the event, law, proverb affect the children? When God's prophetic words came to pass how did that affect the children? Who was responsible? When God continually called His people to repentance and they refused and the children suffered, whose fault was that? How does grown-up faithfulness & unfaithfulness affect children?
Look for words, images, stories that children can relate to ie. God is my fort, my safe place, my hiding place. As a child I always had a secret fort. Maybe that's why I especially like the Psalms that describe God that way.
Remember that this little exercise isn't really about children. It's about God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and His perspective on children. Is ours the same? Is it different? How do we respond?
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