Children's sermon--Ordinary time

Wow--it has been a long time since I have added a post. Because of the end of the year, there have been lots of recognitions, etc, that have eaten into children's sermon times, or had other program staff members giving them.

Here is one from a few summers ago that I liked for the lull that many churches face in the summer. . .

Children Sermon
(Originally delivered August 24, 2003)

Good morning boys and girls! Do you know what today is? It is the 21st Sunday in ordinary time! Did anyone buy me a present? Is anyone going home for a fancy dinner tonight with a nice ham and all the family around?

Ordinary time. Its name alone doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? In the church we have seasons just like we do in life. What are some of the seasons of the church? (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany Lent, Easter, Pentecost. . . ) For over half of the year we are in ordinary time as a church. Ordinary time is the phrase that they use to describe the time when there is no specific season happening.

I think days like today kind of feel like ordinary time. It is the end of a relaxing summer. Lots of long days of playing outside or sitting out in the sun. Everyone’s looking ahead a few weeks to when things really get going—rally day, the start of school—not much going on now, but boy, oh boy, in a few weeks, things will really get going!

Yesterday, I was listening to a CD, and the singer sang a song with this chorus, “There’s no time like the present, there’s no present like time.” * And I thought about it. There is no time like the present. No tome like now—today, right now. . . and no present like time. I thought about that too. I have gotten some great presents in my life, but some of the most wonderful gifts I have gotten were when people I loved spent time with me—like when my mom was really busy but she stopped everything to play a board game with me when I was little, or when I got a few hours to spend with a friend who had moved away when she was visiting.

Special days like Christmas and Easter are really wonderful, but if we didn’t have ordinary days—ordinary time, they wouldn’t feel quite as special. So today, I am thankful for the present of time—the present of ordinary time.

Let’s pray:
Dear God,
Thank you for Special days. . . . . . .And thank you for ordinary days.
Help us to remember that every day . . . . . . .Is a gift from you
Amen.

*From the David LaMotte Live CD, "Good Tar"