ideas for lenten OGHS children's sermons

I discovered that hidden (and when I say hidden, I mean that I had not noticed them before. . . ) in the PC(USA)'s website on the "how to promote" section, are quite a few children's sermons to use to promote the offering.
Check it out: http://www.pcusa.org/oghs/skits.htm

Good luck with your lenten children's sermons!

Children’s Message--OGHS—Who is my neighbor?

Well today is the second Sunday in Lent, and at Third Presbyterian Church, there is something that the children always do during Lent. Here is a hint (hold up fish bank). Every year we collect money in our fish banks for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. This year, the theme is, “Who is my neighbor?” and if you remember some of Jesus’ parables, you might remember that that is the question that was asked of Jesus before he told the parable of the Good Samaritan.

So I have been thinking a lot this week about that question—“who is my neighbor?”.

You may remember hearing about a big trip to Africa that Rod and my husband Robert made almost a month ago. When Robert got home, he was showing us pictures, and a few pictures really stood out to my daughter, Madeline, so I thought I’d show you her two favorites.

This one is of a big truck—isn’t it cool? This truck is used to dig big wells deep into the ground so that people can have clean water to drink. This truck was purchased for the Presbyterian Church of East Africa by the Presbyterian Church (USA) using One Great Hour of Sharing offerings. I love to think that thousands of kids saving their dimes and quarters on one side of the world were able to buy a truck that gave clean water to thousands of kids on the other side of the world!

The second picture is of the children of the pastor of a church in Kenya who Robert and Rod stayed with. The little girl, whose name is “Mercy”, is just a few months older than our daughter Madeline. Since they are the same age, Maddie has pretty much decided that Mercy should be her friend, so whenever we look at the Kenya pictures, we have to find the one of Mercy. Now I love the thought of having friends across the world. Even though Maddie and Mercy haven’t met, they have some things in common—they are both 3 years old and they are both Presbyterian! In the picture with Mercy is her 10 year old brother Solomon. Raise your hand if you are 10 years old. . . you already have some things in common with Solomon.

Who is our neighbor? The person next door? For sure, but perhaps our neighbor is also the person on the next continent.

In the story of the Good Samaritan, which told of people’s reactions to seeing a man who needed help, Jesus said that the neighbor was, “the one who showed him mercy.” In this case our neighbor is Mercy. . .and Solomon. . . and for that matter, boys and girls who get fresh water because of the well digging truck. . . and the thousands of people who are helped by our One Great Hour of Sharing offerings.

When we give to others—whether through OGHS or in other ways, we are being neighbors.

Let’s Pray: Loving God
Thank you for neighbors
The ones who live near us
And the ones across the globe.
Help us to act with generosity and mercy. Amen.

Children’s Message--Day by day

Jr. choir and Mrs. Lenti—I really like the new introit you did today! “Day by Day” has always been a favorite of mine.

I think it is especially appropriate for the start of Lent, a season of 40 days of preparation before Easter.

The song lists three things to pray for:
To see God more clearly
To love God more dearly
To follow God more nearly.

Every year at Lent, I try to focus on some aspect of my faith. One year, I read all of the gospels,. Once, I did journaling I have given things up and taken things on.

Earlier in the week when I was reading through the bulletin, and reading the lyrics to the junior choir introit, it struck me that perhaps this year, I could focus on the ideas in the song, “Day by Day”.

See God more clearly. I wonder if things would seem different if I tried to see God in every day things. Could I see God’s presence in nature? In people? In stories on the news?

Love God more dearly. I wonder if things would seem different if every day, I could remember that everything I have, everything around me was a gift from God. Would that help me to love, and show my love for God even more?

To follow God more nearly. God gave us lots of instructions. A whole book of them, in fact. It isn’t always easy to follow some of them. I wonder if things would seem different during Lent if I took more time to read God’s big instruction book, and tried harder to follow God.

Maybe you can come up with some challenges for yourself this year during Lent.

Let’s pray: Loving God
Help us to see you
To love you
And to follow you
This Lenten season. Amen.

Children's Message--A Clear Reflection (John 8:12)

Today, the title of Pastor Deborah’s sermon is “A clear reflection”. When I read the title, it reminded me of a thought I have been wanting to share with you.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”. Jesus is the light. Our job is to help shine that light.

When I was studying to be a Christian Educator, one of my lecturers** told us a neat story about mirrors. Mirrors reflect things. You can take a mirror and pick up a beam of light and reflect it anywhere. You can use a mirror to bring light to places that are dark.

We are kind of like Jesus’ mirrors. We are not the source of light. We just take the light and reflect it to places that need light. We are like Jesus’ little mirrors whenever we take action to bring Jesus to dark places.

When we bring a family a Christmas basket or pray for people who feel lonely or sing for people who might be sad, we shine the light of Jesus into dark places.

I would like to give you each a little mirror as a reminder that you can shine Jesus’ light into dark places.

Let’s pray: Loving, God, Thank you for Giving us
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Help us to be like mirrors—
Reflecting Jesus’ light and love
To the dark places in the world.
Amen.

**Inspiration for this children's sermon came from Amy Scott Vaughn from Princeton Theological Seminary Institute for Youth Ministry where she shared the story on which this is based, "The Mirror " from Robert Fulghum's "It was on Fire When I Lay Down on it."

I was able to purchase small mirrors (1 inch circles) at JoAnn Fabrics in packs of 10 for $.99.

Children’s Message, Sunday, January 28, 2007

Today after we leave worship, the adults will hear the story of God’s call to Jeremiah.

There are a lot of things that I like about this story.

Jeremiah was a kid when God called him. I like that because it helps remind us that God has great things planned for all people—not just the big and powerful.

God tells Jeremiah not to be afraid, because God is with him. I really like that part, because it reminds to us that we are not alone in the scary times—that God can be with us, too.

But I think my favorite part of this story is what God says to Jeremiah at the very beginning—he says, “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born. . . I appointed you a prophet. . . “ (1:5)

God had a plan for Jeremiah—a big plan as a matter of fact. And God has plans for us—OK—not as big as the plans that God had for Jeremiah, but plans none-the-less. And that is a thought that comforts me.


Let’s Pray: Loving God
You created us
You know us
You call us—
Help us to listen.
Amen.