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.