for Sunday, September 19 (Proper 20, Year C)

Good Behavior
Luke 16:1–8a (Parable of the Shrewd Manager)

This week is a toughie for addressing children. Jeremiah is at his worst: There is no balm in Gilead. And even the Gospel has one of the most complicated parables. It’s a very adult story, barely explicable only by irony or its being exclusively about worldly concerns. But everyone should be able to address making choices about how to behave, and maybe how much clearer those choices should be when they’re not limited to concerns of this world. I have stopped at the parable rated red by the Jesus Seminar and left out what those Fellows understood as rationalization by the later church.

On the other hand, maybe this is an opportunity to draw together the Book of Amos, which skips around just two bits of misdeeds as alternate readings this week and next, and doesn’t get to God’s great call for justice.

Musical ideas: A great song from my long-ago youth, “I Want Justice” by Jim Moore (jimmoorecm.org) captures the whole book of Amos and is a great focus for discussion.

Especially if you have a chance to discuss with the adults the Christological turnaround, go ahead and use “There Is a Balm ...” (PH #394) for its connection to the persistence of hope in the experience of African-Americans.

for Sunday, September 12 (Proper 19, Year C)

Every Little Bit
Luke 15:4–10

There doesn’t seem to be much need to confuse kids with sinners and the attitudes of elite onlookers, except for one thing: Jesus addresses his jokes directly to his listeners, and neither tax collectors nor Pharisees would be expected to quite see the jokes of risk-taking shepherds and profligate hostesses. But perhaps most of that is best saved for discussion with the grownups.
• Think of how best to share classic games like Hide and Seek or Button, Button without getting overcompetitive. This lesson would also lend itself to discussing games from other cultures and from religious observances, such as hiding the matzoh at the Passover Seder.
• Hide examples of something that comes in two or three different sizes, such as Oreo cookies. When they’ve all been found — and before they get eaten — ask the finders which one is most important. Encourage the kids to recognize that even the minicookie out of the 100-calorie pack is important to the one who found it. In fact, a tiny treat is sometimes the tastiest.

There’s also lots of fun to be had in discussing the true nature of sheep, which have been called animals that spend their whole lives looking for ways to die.

for Sunday, September 5 (Proper 18, Year C)

Who Knows You Best?

Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18; Jeremiah 18:1–11

Watch out for any hint of a threateningly whimsical God. Emphasize opportunities to start fresh rather than destruction or punishment. Those are adult concepts that you’ll probably find don’t occur to kids without prompting.

• Here’s a perfect opportunity for Preaching Colors, perhaps using clay instead of crayons. You might also think about various forms of drawn or clay-molded charades, but avoid prescribing imagery or use of preforms, molds, and cookie cutters. Freehand is the most open to expression, and let the kids show the adults how to be free with it. Try also to balance transformation with obliteration of another participant’s original form.

• A conversation about creation and destruction in nature is also rich with possibilities — melting snowmen, the sculpting power of water, even the leaves that may soon be turning and dropping from trees in your area.

Musical ideas: The old hymn “Have Thine Own Way” makes classic use of the potter image, but may be best suited to letting the oldest generation of participants give it as a gift to the younger ones.

for Sunday, August 29 (Proper 17)

Head of the Line
Proverbs 25: 6–7; Luke 14: 1, 7–14

Kids are likely to identify very easily with the concepts of these readings, but perhaps not to hear that identification on simple reading because of the layers of culture embedded in the texts. Even Eugene Peterson, in The Message, mostly sticks to the enculturated presentation. But you might use this v.11 from the Luke: “‘If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.’”

• Try out some different seating arrangements and discuss which ones make it easier to follow Jesus’ advice — or make it completely unnecessary. If it’s convenient, include your traditional Sanctuary and discuss all of the seating there, including choir and chancel.

• You might even consider a game of musical chairs, or one by the normal rules and then another asking everyone to behave as Jesus suggests, especially if you make one seat extra special in some way.

• You could also work the eating-arrangements angle, especially if you have participants or neighbors — I think of some Indians or Koreans — who can share their eating customs of sharing rather than portioning.

There is an interesting tie back to the recent water discussions at the end of the Jeremiah, pertaining to the difference between living water and that collected in cisterns.
[Chess set by Kenyan artisans via serrv.org]

for Sunday, August 22 (Proper 16)

Sprinkler Time

Isaiah 58:9b-14

There’s no reason not to do baptism two weeks in a row, especially if you get dog days in August. But Isaiah’s understanding of the promise of “watered gardens” is so extravagant, I hope you can take this one outside and get a little splashy, though this of all sessions should be closely adapted to the local environment. See the lection from Jeremiah for next week for the difference between living water and that collected in cisterns.

• Without making anyone feel guilty, think about discussing the thirstier areas of the globe and problems such as irrigation for some while others have to fetch water for basic needs. If you live in a desert area and can include someone with expertise in serescaping, you have a wonderful opportunity. (The photos, btw, show seedling and mature Joshua trees in California.)

Props: Anything from a demure little table fountain to a pool would be generally appropriate, but be aware of environmental stewardship, and the need for a qualified lifeguard if there’s any chance of anyone going under.

Musical ideas: There are all kinds of water songs, from “Down By the Riverside” and “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” to formal baptism hymns. I’m not quite sure how one might use “Splish, Splash, I Was Takin’ a Bath,” but if you come up with something, please share it!

for Sunday, August 15 (Proper 15)

Full of God
Jeremiah 23:23–24

This is a week when listening closely may lead to confusion and even distaste. We adults have learned to focus, for instance, on the lovely image of the “cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews, but reading beyond that line raises some fairly bloody stories to consciousness.

And one simple line from Jeremiah, v.23, comes out with drastically different meaning from one translation to another, because of English words that have had to be supplied to make the Hebrew read: “Am I ... near by ... and not far off?” God demands to know in KJV or NRSV, and Peterson reads “Am I not ... near ... and not ... far off?” The Tanakh’s reading of both/and seems more consonant with the following verse, on God’s omnipresence. So let’s go from the inside out.

• If your community is comfortable, this is a great opportunity to rehearse and renew baptism. You can let kids get their hands on the technologies they’ve seen used — fonts, aspergills — and talk about symbolism vs. magic. Put enough clear pebbles in your font for each participant who wants one, and cover them with water. I’ve also used blossoms, such as from azaleas, or loose petals.
• Only the very brave will explore the pockets of participants, especially young men.
• Play Hide and Seek.

Props: My favorite baptism talisman is a small, flat, clear pebble of quartz. My first was molded glass for putting in the bottoms of vases.

for Sunday, August 8 (Proper 14)

Believe
Hebrews 11:1-3

It’s hard to say much of value about faith without mentioning fear and loss. But they are no surprise to children, no matter how we may try to shelter them. The good thing is that neither is faith a surprise to a child. The image of a newborn expressing faith in its cry for help comes from Alison Gopnik in The Philosophical Baby (2009). And the context of faith may provide the safest environment for children to name their fears and to learn that adults also know about fear and loss and how to survive it.

• What about a session of Preaching Colors, starting with just the darker crayons? Or you might invite each participant to draw a representation of God as seen with their “inside eyes.”

Props: Great opportunity to observe the faith of a baby, if you have one handy.

Musical ideas: Ending this worship on an upbeat is vital. A very direct application, and one that tends to stick in the ear and has hand motions (sign language), would be “What Went Right Today” by Joan Buzick (2006 Buz-Land Presentations). You could even focus on the sign for day as an excellent self-prompt to expect joy to come in the morning.

for Sunday, August 1 (Proper 13)

Treasures
Luke 12:13–21

Kids can almost always teach grownups something about value. Depending on their age and experience, they may or may not have concepts of intrinsic value, but even if they do, you might undermine it by showing them some well done chocolate coins and then letting them choose to eat them or not.

If you have an opportunity for adults to break off and talk seriously among themselves (and if they have established an environment of deep trust), you might give them an opportunity to talk about the rising acceptability of “wealth” in Western culture. It’s a challenging topic, though, so don’t do more than let it happen if your group wants it to.

Props: All kind of collections will be fun here, but only if the collector is willing and able to tell the love stories behind any item that piques a child’s interest. It’s also a good time for slide shows on a laptop or digital photo frame.

Musical ideas: Malvina Reynolds’s “Magic Penny” (1955)

for Sunday, July 25 (Proper 12))

Big Enough
Luke 11:1–13; Colossians 2:(6–)18

It’s probably pretty safe to assume that anyone who spends much time in any Christian church is going to pick up that church’s regular wording of the “Lord’s Prayer.” In fact, most advocates for “welcoming” churches recommend printing the prayer in full in the bulletin, or at least indicating where it can be found in the hymnal. I’m afraid that making a “lesson” of memorizing it tends to make its recitation a ritual rather than a prayer, so I don’t do it.

Talking through the contents of the Prayer, both here in Luke and the fuller version in Matthew 6, will certainly provide plenty of material for an unstructured worship practice. Look into other languages and other versions from communities with particular concerns. Discuss what other words might fit where and in what situations.

Props: The higher your pulpit, the better it’s suited to tours and discussions of the very practical concerns for acoustics in times before sound systems. Well, in addition to those of authority.

Musical ideas: If your group is really getting into the Prayer, there are any number of musical and poetical settings. Try choral and responsive readings to prompt attention to the content of the Prayer.

for Sunday, July 18 (Proper 11)

Smorgasbord!
Luke 10:38–42 (Martha and Mary)

If your church has recently shared a pot luck, or if you have a tradition of lavish and varied coffee-hour fare, you have a direct path into this story. Or ask participants to recall gatherings on the recent July 4th weekend.

Some interpretations of this story find Jesus rebuking Martha (some even call her behavior “sin”), but the Greek suggests that difference need not involve a value judgment. For instance, what Martha is worrying about is literally “service” — diakonos — the same as the call that the apostles answered. And Mary is said to have chosen only the “good” thing, not the “better” (in this case I take the KJV over NRSV). The story carries rich opportunities for reinterpretation, but for young participants the best bet is probably to stick with alternatives they will recognize.

Any kind of practice that involves mixing many elements into a single result will work here, such as telling a progressive story, perhaps about a party or meal. Or cross a game of drawn charades with Preaching Colors, using just one marker that individuals use in succession to draw what that color evokes for them.

You can also make use of Thanksgiving imagery, crafts, and traditional songs, such as “Old Hundredth.”

You could go in the direction of the Eucharistic meal, including the direction of a Seder, or simply sing “Let Us Break Bread Together” (PH 513).

Photo copyright 2008 James Steidl, via iStockphoto.com #5975069

for Sunday, July 11 (Proper 10)

A Good Guy
Luke 10: 25–37

One of the most difficult balances to strike as a parent today is the one between neighborliness and fearfulness. The best guide I know of was known in my family as “the uh-oh feeling”: One of the things kids get more clearly than we often give them credit for is when they can safely offer neighborly caring and when they should get help (including for themselves) from an adult who’s better equipped to provide it. If your group is old enough and you want to discuss the fine points of the parable — the significance of the passers-by being identified with an expectation of righteousness, and who the Samaritans were — trusting your instincts but doing what you are able to do may be a way to approach it.

A prayer practice triggered by the sound of a siren or other emergency signal (see the children's sermon) can be rehearsed in any number of ways. You can talk about how drivers yield to emergency vehicles and invite participants to share their own experiences with emergencies and first responders. You can adapt classic games like Statue tag. Or you can extend the practice to a more ordinary cue like saying “Gesundheit” or “Bless you” when someone sneezes, whether or not the sneezer is aware of the wish.

If you have emergency personnel in your church, or health workers, this is a great opportunity to honor them and ask them to share (as appropriate to the ages of participants) their experiences and feelings.

Musical ideas: “Jesu, Jesu” (PH 367) has a wonderful, swingy Ghanaian tune that even the very young should be able to pick up on the refrain. And, while the verse isn’t specifically about this parable, it will lead well into any discussion of what makes a neighbor.

for Sunday, July 4 (Proper 9)

Do What You Can
Luke 10:5–11

The main point I draw from the Gospel reading is that, whether or not the citizens of a town are receptive to the mission, they are to be told “The realm of grace has come near” (vv 9b, 11b; bks). The only difference between one town or household and another is their willingness to accept the grace offered to them. The tools of the mission are the same in every case, suited to the task. Whether the mission succeeds is more about the targets than the message, medium, or messenger.

If you choose to talk about the message rather than the tools, you can play a game of “telephone,” perhaps using the very phrase from the reading.

Props: The greater variety and mystery of tools you can offer for consideration, the richer your discussion will be, but keep them pretty simple to understand, like a darning egg. You could start with something ­familiar, like a hammer, and then go to tools that are more mysterious.

You might also consider gathering some tools that look the same but do quite different things, such as a collection of scissors or punches for scrapbooking. A similar point is made by a collection of similar tools for different special purposes, such as the scissors shown here.

Musical ideas: Why not go back and enjoy “If I Had a Hammer” (Pete Seeger and Lee Hays, 1949 etc.)?

for Sunday, June 27 (Proper 8)

Love Yourself

Galatians 5:13–14 also (1, 15–25); 2Kings 2:1–2, 6–14 or 1Kings 19:15–16, 19–21; Psalm 77:1–2, 11–20 or Psalm 16; Luke 9:51–62

The first clause of the “Great Commandment” is second nature, but we tend to neglect the second, on which the first depends for its parameters. Love in both directions is mostly intuitive for children, but it certainly helps them to receive love as a starting point.

Any Valentines Day craft is appropriate to this Sunday’s practice. But remember to encourage both receiving love from others and (especially grownups) loving oneself.

See how long the whole group can bear to look at each other looking as sad as they can, before someone breaks into giggling and it catches. Andrew Newberg (How God Changes Your Brain, 2009 Ballantine) says, however, that laughing isn’t as effective as smiling. See his discussion of the “eighth best way to exercise your brain” (pp.151–152).

You might even do an agape feast and discuss the four different words for love in Greek. Ask participants to suggest other English words that mean “love” to them.

Props: Valentines (old and new), candies, and all things heart-shaped. If you have live access to the Internet, see http://spontaneoussmiley.com, especially the “gallery” where new-found smiles are submitted every day.

Musical ideas: “What Went Right Today” by Joan ­Buzick includes 4 American Sign Language signs to remember and use (Wx2, R, T, day) (2006 Buz-Land Presentations). A story book and other materials are available at the Buz-Land Web site.

for Sunday, June 20 (Proper 7)

Ready or Not

Isaiah 65:1–2 (3–9) Other lections: 1Kings 19:1–4 (5–7) 8–15a; Psalm 42 and 43 or Psalm 22:19–28; Galatians 3:23–29; Luke 8:26–39

The single Hebrew word that says “Here I am” throughout the Bible is a lot of fun to teach and learn: hiNENnee. You can turn it into a noncompetitive game something like “Marco Polo”:

Clear your space of obstacles and ask participants to scatter throughout it, close their eyes (no need to worry about complete shielding), and turn around three times. While they keep their eyes closed, invite them to move around until they touch another person. When they do, each should say “hinennee,” and then quietly tell each other something that is important in their lives. Pairs stay together until they can identify each other. Then they can step apart, turn three times again, and go to look for another partner.

If you have older participants or those who aren’t comfortable moving around with eyes closed, help them to find spots in the midst of the game where they can sit and wait to be stumbled upon.

After the game runs its course, you can ask participants to share some of what they learned about and from each other.

Musical ideas: Anything about light, vision, or call, from “This Little Light of Mine” to “Be Thou My Vision.” See the Timbrels Web site for a back-translation of Spanish words to “Open My Eyes” that updates the language and emphasizes light.

for Sunday, June 13 (Proper 6)

Inside Out

Galatians 2:15–21 (Christ lives in you, and you live in Christ); other lections: 1Kings 21:1–10 (11–14) 15–21a or 2Samuel 11:26–12:10, 13–15; Psalm 5:1–8 or Psalm 32; Luke 7:36–8:3

You may find yourself counting on the children to not catch a word of this reading, especially the “Jews vs. Gentiles” implications. But the last verses, about living in Christ, provide a rich jumping-off. Don’t feel too compelled to explain the metaphors to young participants; they have rich interior lives that they’re unafraid of considering.

Young participants are also less likely than older ones to be concerned about the vulnerability of exposing their interiors. This is a great moment for learning from their innocence; take care not to allow older participants to squelch it.

Props: Any lined or reversible item of clothing or bedding will help you make the point. In fact, bedding layers or a duvet may be more demonstrative than clothing. If you have something with a nice lining but that is not obviously reversible, consider wearing it inside out, at least at the start. You could even announce that this week will be “inside-out day” and invite everyone to wear something with its insides showing.

Musical ideas: “Somos el Barco” (words and music by Lorre Wyatt; 1984) uses another metaphor to make the same point, and has the great advantage of blending Spanish and English.

for Sunday, June 6 (Proper 5)

Just Enough

1Kings 17:8–16 (the widow of Zarephath)
other readings: Psalm 146, Galatians 1:11–24, Luke 7:11–17

This is a great oppor-tunity to talk about sharing and to tell stories about sharing a special treat. Allow participants to preach to each other one to one, and then maybe to tell each other’s stories to the whole group.

Props: Look for an unusual item to be packed in single servings (my favorite irony is the prunes marketed as candy-like). Or maybe more to the point, bring the same food item packed in single serving — a little packet of carrot sticks, say — and in different multiserving packages — a pound of baby carrots and a two-pound bag of full-size carrots, or a bunch with greens intact. Be wary, however, of anything commonly allergenic.

Especially if you’re using the Reynolds song, consider giving each participant a penny or two and seeing where they wind up.

Musical ideas: Malvina Reynolds’s “Magic Penny” (1955) makes a great focus for this service. You can teach it, sing it, dance it, and preach it.

for Trinity Sunday (May 30)

Names

Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31 (Wisdom calls)
Psalm 8
Revelation 5:1–5 (2b “we boast in ... the glory of God”; 5b God’s love poured into our hearts)
John 16:12–15 (13 “‘When the Spirit of truth comes, ...’”)

The opportunities for playing with names are almost limitless. Encourage silliness as well as reverence and the concept of names reflecting relationship.

• Invite participants to share the names, titles, and nicknames used in their families and friend circles. Pet names can be an especially rich source of relationship, but be prepared for the affection-bearing putdown. It’s probably best not to allow participants to reveal the pet names of those not present, especially for young children to reveal what they’ve heard their parents call each other.
• Ask participants to share the secret names they call themselves, even if each only whispers it to one other person. Such names can found special bonds.
• The Hebrew name for Dame Wisdom is Hokhma. You can talk about how unwieldy that is compared to Sophia.

Musical ideas: “Tell Me Your Name” by Carolyn McDade (1998; on her CD “We Are the Land We Sing”)
“The Name Game” from the 1960s (“Banana fanna fo fanna,” etc.)

For starters

Megachurches ... praise bands ... “emergent church.” There seems to be a lot of experimentation going on these days, but most Worship practices still pretty much follow familiar patterns and use the language developed by adults over the millennia. They’re carefully scripted by professional theologians and designed like a school lesson plan, to make a predictable change in the feelings and the thinking, and if you’re lucky, the lives of a more-or-less passive audience. They may teach, preach, soothe, or arouse, but none of them are designed for very much listening, especially to the children.

Timbrels Worship is meant to reverse that direction. We have the Revised Common Lectionary to walk us through most of the Bible over three years. That’s a place to start. But what if that was the only thing firmly planned for a community gathered to worship? What if the person responsible for facilitating the gathering came with some ideas for music, prayers, and activities, even some props, according to what reading the Lections in advance made her/im think about? And what if, when the Scriptures were read, the grown-up, heard-it-before-and-thought-it-through community stayed quiet and asked the children first what songs or games or dances or stories they thought of? That will be participant-driven, minimally structured, Timbrels Worship.

Yes, this kind of Worship service will be hard to control, and the outcomes will be impossible to predict. It will not satisfy the needs of everyone in a community. It is not meant to replace the scripted Worship service. It is meant to complement that Worship practice, and over time to enrich it by engaging the community, and especially its children, in expressing their faith experiences together. In particular, it is meant to let the children show the grownups what they already, intuitively understand about God, instead of letting the grownups mark out the acceptable boundaries for a faith journey. It is meant for shared exploration. It is meant to let the Holy Spirit write the script, and maybe to write it in crayon.