Children’s Message, Sunday, August 14, different—but the same (Matthew 15:21-28) 9th Sunday after Pentecost

Children’s Message
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Different—but the same (Matthew 15:21-28)

Before I talk to you today, I want you to take a moment and think of a person who you would describe as being “the same” as you. OK. Hold that thought in your mind while I tell you this story. . .


(this is my story--insert your own)
Many years ago, I worked with a partner of the Presbyterian Church in England. While I was there, I lived in the dorms of a missionary training college. Throughout the year, people came and went as they were studying and preparing to go out and do mission work. It was an international dorm, so there were people from over 40 countries there, so I got to know lots of different people.

One man that I will always remember is Do-Young, a pastor from Korea. One night as we were sharing our stories, I mentioned that I was a Presbyterian. Do-Young looked at me and said, “You are a Presbyterian?? Then we are the same!” Turns out he was a Presbyterian too.
Now I don’t know what you thought about when I asked you to think of a person who is the same as you, but before that conversation, I wouldn’t have described Do-Young as the same as me. He was a man, he was 15 years older, he was from Korea. . . but we were both Presbyterians, so he was right, in one very important way, we were the same!

Now, when the scripture is read later, you will hear another story about Jesus and a woman who was different from him. I want you to listen to how that story ends, and talk with your parents or the grown-ups that you came with today about what Jesus might have learned from that woman.

Let’s pray:
Loving God,
We thank you for the ways that you make us unique
And we thank you for the ways we are the same
Help us always
To respect and care for each other. Amen

Children’s Message--Sibling Rivalry—Genesis 37:12-28--Aug. 7--8th Sunday after Pentecost

Lots of us have brothers or sisters. I have a big sister. The story goes that when I was born and came home from the hospital, my sister got kind of jealous. She got pretty sick of people coming in and cooing at me and saying how pretty I was and bringing me presents and all of those other things that happen when a new baby comes. Eventually she got fed up, and, as the story is told in our house, finally told someone who was goo-goo-gaa-ing over me, that if they liked the baby so much, they could just take her home! I’ve heard other stories where big brothers or sisters were even craftier than my sister and offered to sell the new baby to visitors! Now, as you can imagine if you have a sister or brother, my sister eventually decided that I was OK and I could stay in the family.

Today’s Bible reading focuses on some brothers who even as grown men got jealous of their little brother. Joseph, known to many of us as the man with the coat of many colors, was the youngest son of Jacob, who we have been hearing about lots over this summer. Joseph had special dreams. When he told his brothers about his dreams, they didn’t like what he dreamed about. They got so jealous that they did sell him to get rid of him!!

Yes, Joseph’s brothers were mean, and they even sold him away to get rid of him. He ended up in jail, but eventually the very thing that got his brothers so mad—his dreams-- ended up being what saved him. It is funny how in families we get mad, we argue, we do things we sometimes feel really bad about, but we always hope that in the end, our love of each other, and our love of our families will be the most important thing for us.

Let’s pray:
Loving God
We thank you for the love of our families.
Help us to care for each other
And love each other
As you love us. Amen.

(This is a re-post of a 2008 message)