Don't Curl Up!
Children's sermon
Object: This week’s object is an activity for everyone to join in.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! But first, I have a question for you. Have you ever been afraid of something? (Let them respond.) Maybe you heard a sound at night and didn’t know what it was, so your imagination starts making up things in your mind that were scary. Has that ever happened? (Let them respond.) Or maybe you saw a show that had things in it that were scary. Has that happened? (Let them respond.) And we just had an election, so maybe you heard people say things that were kind of scary to you. Has that happened? (Let them respond.) Sometimes things happen that do make us feel afraid, don’t they? (Let them respond.) I think we all get scared sometimes. Jesus’ friends even got really scared one day. Let me tell you that story.
One day, Jesus and his friends were talking, and Jesus told them that something was about to happen to him that was going to be pretty bad. He tried to explain it, but they all started to get scared. One of Jesus’ friends asked him, “When is that going to happen? Tell us!” Jesus told them that no matter what happened, God was going to take care of them, so they didn’t need to worry. He told them that if they heard people say mean things they should not be afraid. He told them that if they saw people arguing and fighting, they should not be afraid. He told them that no matter what they saw happen, they should not be afraid because God loved them, and everything would be okay. Jesus told them to not be afraid over and over. I wonder why he told them that so many times. Does anyone have an idea why he told them so many times? (Let them respond.)
I think it’s because Jesus knew what happens when we are afraid of something. Let me show you what happens. Let’s pretend we just heard something that kind of scares us and see what happens. Let’s all sit like this for a moment. (Sit normally.) We start out just sitting here feeling fine, but now let’s all do this. (Hold your hands in front of you and rub your hands together like you are stressed.) Sometimes we look like this when we are scared, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And now do this. (Fold your arms in front of you with your hands gripping your shoulders.) Sometimes when we are scared, we look like this, don’t we? Now try this. (Fold your legs up and kind of bend over them.) We are looking pretty scared now, aren’t we? (Let them respond.) Sometimes, when we get really, really scared, we just kind of do this. (Have them copy you as you wrap your arms around your legs, tuck your head down, and curl up into as small of a ball as you can.) When we get really scared, sometimes we just curl up and worry about what is going to happen to us, don’t we? (Let them respond.) We just worry about what is going to happen to us, and don’t think about anything else at all, don’t we? (Let them respond as you all uncurl and sit naturally.)
That is why the people who wanted to get rid of Jesus really liked to scare people. They knew that if they scared everyone enough, they wouldn’t stop and think what God wanted them to do. They wouldn’t think if what they did helped other people or if it hurt other people. If people were scared enough, they would do whatever the people who didn’t like Jesus told them to do. So, they scared people so they could make them do what they wanted.
I have one more question for you. Jesus said there were two important things he wanted everyone to do. One of them was to love God. Who remembers what the other thing was that he wanted everyone to do? (Let them respond.) He said he wanted us to love each other, and take care of each other, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) And I think that is why Jesus told us so many times to not be afraid. He knew that, if we were afraid, we would do this. (Have everyone curl up in the tight ball again.) Now, if we are all curled up, worrying, it’s going to be pretty hard for us to be able to help someone else, isn’t it? (Let them respond as you pretend to try and reach out without uncurling yourself.) If we are going to be able to help other people, what do we need to do? (Let them respond as you guide them to slowly, bit by bit, uncurl yourself and stretch out your arms like you are going to give a hug.) We need to not be afraid, so we can think about how we can help them the way God wants us to help them, don’t we? (Let them respond.)
Just like Jesus’ friends, there are people today who want to make us be afraid, because they believe we will do whatever they want us to do and not think about what God wants us to do. They want us to be like this. (Have everyone sit down and curl up nice and tight.) But Jesus wants us to be like this. (Have everyone uncurl, stand up, and stretch out like they are giving a big hug.) Sometimes things will happen that might still scare us a bit. But if that happens, I hope we can remember our story and not do this (curl up). but do this, (stand uncurled) so we can do what God wants us to do and help each other not be so afraid.
I hope our story will help us remember that God created us to take care of each other. Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! But first, I have a question for you. Have you ever been afraid of something? (Let them respond.) Maybe you heard a sound at night and didn’t know what it was, so your imagination starts making up things in your mind that were scary. Has that ever happened? (Let them respond.) Or maybe you saw a show that had things in it that were scary. Has that happened? (Let them respond.) And we just had an election, so maybe you heard people say things that were kind of scary to you. Has that happened? (Let them respond.) Sometimes things happen that do make us feel afraid, don’t they? (Let them respond.) I think we all get scared sometimes. Jesus’ friends even got really scared one day. Let me tell you that story.
One day, Jesus and his friends were talking, and Jesus told them that something was about to happen to him that was going to be pretty bad. He tried to explain it, but they all started to get scared. One of Jesus’ friends asked him, “When is that going to happen? Tell us!” Jesus told them that no matter what happened, God was going to take care of them, so they didn’t need to worry. He told them that if they heard people say mean things they should not be afraid. He told them that if they saw people arguing and fighting, they should not be afraid. He told them that no matter what they saw happen, they should not be afraid because God loved them, and everything would be okay. Jesus told them to not be afraid over and over. I wonder why he told them that so many times. Does anyone have an idea why he told them so many times? (Let them respond.)
I think it’s because Jesus knew what happens when we are afraid of something. Let me show you what happens. Let’s pretend we just heard something that kind of scares us and see what happens. Let’s all sit like this for a moment. (Sit normally.) We start out just sitting here feeling fine, but now let’s all do this. (Hold your hands in front of you and rub your hands together like you are stressed.) Sometimes we look like this when we are scared, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And now do this. (Fold your arms in front of you with your hands gripping your shoulders.) Sometimes when we are scared, we look like this, don’t we? Now try this. (Fold your legs up and kind of bend over them.) We are looking pretty scared now, aren’t we? (Let them respond.) Sometimes, when we get really, really scared, we just kind of do this. (Have them copy you as you wrap your arms around your legs, tuck your head down, and curl up into as small of a ball as you can.) When we get really scared, sometimes we just curl up and worry about what is going to happen to us, don’t we? (Let them respond.) We just worry about what is going to happen to us, and don’t think about anything else at all, don’t we? (Let them respond as you all uncurl and sit naturally.)
That is why the people who wanted to get rid of Jesus really liked to scare people. They knew that if they scared everyone enough, they wouldn’t stop and think what God wanted them to do. They wouldn’t think if what they did helped other people or if it hurt other people. If people were scared enough, they would do whatever the people who didn’t like Jesus told them to do. So, they scared people so they could make them do what they wanted.
I have one more question for you. Jesus said there were two important things he wanted everyone to do. One of them was to love God. Who remembers what the other thing was that he wanted everyone to do? (Let them respond.) He said he wanted us to love each other, and take care of each other, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) And I think that is why Jesus told us so many times to not be afraid. He knew that, if we were afraid, we would do this. (Have everyone curl up in the tight ball again.) Now, if we are all curled up, worrying, it’s going to be pretty hard for us to be able to help someone else, isn’t it? (Let them respond as you pretend to try and reach out without uncurling yourself.) If we are going to be able to help other people, what do we need to do? (Let them respond as you guide them to slowly, bit by bit, uncurl yourself and stretch out your arms like you are going to give a hug.) We need to not be afraid, so we can think about how we can help them the way God wants us to help them, don’t we? (Let them respond.)
Just like Jesus’ friends, there are people today who want to make us be afraid, because they believe we will do whatever they want us to do and not think about what God wants us to do. They want us to be like this. (Have everyone sit down and curl up nice and tight.) But Jesus wants us to be like this. (Have everyone uncurl, stand up, and stretch out like they are giving a big hug.) Sometimes things will happen that might still scare us a bit. But if that happens, I hope we can remember our story and not do this (curl up). but do this, (stand uncurled) so we can do what God wants us to do and help each other not be so afraid.
I hope our story will help us remember that God created us to take care of each other. Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
