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Choose from the following children's sermons:
- What is Holy Week?
a kid's talk explaining Holy Week
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
(see below)
- Loving and Serving Others, based on the Holy Thursday practice
of foot-washing, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
(see below)
- They All Left
Jesus,
on the theme of the Tenebrae, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
(please scroll down)
- Exodus and Salvation, Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
(please scroll down)
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What is Holy Week?
a kid's talk explaining Holy Week
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
Do you know what
this week is? (It’s Holy Week.)
And what makes it
Holy? (Easter is at the end of the week.)
What difference does
that make? (Easter is a Holy day.)
So, why don’t we
call the week before Christmas Holy Week? (This one might ‘stump’
them.)
Well, let’s try and
figure it out. What does Holy mean? (Perfect. Pure.)
Something is Holy
when it is like God or helps us recognize God. Things are made holy by
their association with God. And this week, we remember the most
important story about God’s love for us. That story makes this week
Holy.
But anytime we
recognize God becomes a Holy time. Not just today and not just this
week, but next week, too. We gather here tonight because we know God
is here. And because God is here, it is a Holy Night. And if we
gathered every night of every week, then every night would be holy –
although I’m not sure we’d get this many people every night of every
week!
But we can learn to
recognize God in other times and in other places so that every day
becomes holy to us, can’t we?
Let’s pray:
God, help us to
see you here tonight so this will be a Holy Night. Help us to remember
your story this week so this will be a Holy Week. Help us to recognize
you in other places too, so they can become Holy as well. Amen.
Loving
and Serving Others
a children's sermon based on the practice of foot-washing
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: basin filled with water, towels
Share the story of the foot-washing with the children.
Then, bring out the basin filled with water and several towels. Explain
that in first century Judea, the host had their guest's feet washed as they
entered the house. In our culture it is not very common to have the guests
feet washed, but instead, we often wash our hands, especially before a meal.
Ask for a volunteer to have his/her hand washed by you. While you wash the
child's hands, explain how Jesus washed the disciples' feet and how much of an
impact it had on them (and us) that Jesus chose to be our servant though he
could have chosen to be our master.
Ask the child, how he experienced this
ritual and then ask if they would be willing to do it to another child. Repeat
this three or four times
Prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you that you
taught us to love and care for each other; the foot or hand-washing today
showed us how much you must care for your disciples. Help us to care for
one another with that same kind of love. Amen."
They All Left
Jesus
A children's sermon on the theme of the Tenebrae
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: 3 candles
The basic idea of this children's sermon is a simplified Tenebrae service.
Pick two or three representatives and tell in your own words the story of how
they let Jesus down.
The most dramatic representatives are Judas, and Peter. Tell the
kids how they failed Jesus; explain that you will extinguishing a candle for each of
the persons that you share about that left him.
Before you extinguish the last candle, tell the kids that all of his
friends and family left him; in fact, he had no one to support him or speak for him during
his trial. Ask the kids if they would have stuck with Jesus. Then ask them if
they would hav stuck with him even though that would have meant certain death. But
even if we wouldn't have stuck with Jesus; he would have forgiven us, as he also forgave
Peter.
Explain that you are extinguishing the last candle as a symbol for Jesus'
death on the cross, which happened on Good Friday. Tell them that the story didn't
end there, that the candle of Christ will be lighted again--on Easter morning, but that
for now, we want to remember the death of Christ. For Jesus loved us so much that he
was willing to become human and even to die a painful death. That's how big his love
is for you and me.
Prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your great love for us.
Thank you for coming to live among us as a human being; and even to die for us.
Forgive us where we have failed you and left you behind. Amen."
Exodus and Salvation
A children's sermon for Holy Thursday
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Props: flashlights, a piece of matzah, a few pieces of toast or bread distributed all
over the sanctuary before-hand.
Explain to the children, that on this day our Lord and his disciples celebrated the
Passover feast. Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate the Passover Feast.
The unleavened bread (show a piece of matzah) is an important part of this
celebration.
Tell about the important part children play in the seder celebration to this very day.
Have the kids do the customary "Search And Removal of Chamez." (Give
children some flashlights, darken the room and charge them with finding pieces of leavened
bread which you previously hid throughout the sanctuary. Have them put the
pieces of bread in a basket).
Hold up the basket and tell them about the significance of the unleavened bread, i.e.
that there was no time to let the yeast rise in the frantic preparation for the exodus.
Re-tell in your own words the story of the Exodus.
Finally, make a connection between the Passover / Exodus and God's plan of salvation
through Jesus--the Lamb of God.
Prayer: "Dear God, we thank you for leading your people out of slavery in
Egypt. We thank you for saving us too through Jesus, your Son. Help us to
always remember the great things you have done for us. Amen."
