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.