Learning to Swim
Children's sermon
Object:
water wings or a floatation ring (the sillier-looking the better)
First Thoughts: The gospel of John is a difficult treatise even for scholars to understand. This passage has often been distilled into a simple meaning in our churches that our belief in Jesus saves us from hell. But that is misleading to the original text. Although a traditional teaching usually focuses on the afterlife, from the entirety of Jesus' teachings and actions we understand that salvation is to be practiced in our daily life -- the issue of redemption isn't only (or even mostly) about what happens when we die but about how we are to live. Consider for a moment: How does being a Christian impact the decisions you make on a daily basis? Does it affect the way you spend your time, how you choose to spend your money, the attitudes you try to cultivate, and the ones you try to correct in your life? For this lesson we want to help expand the tradition of this salvation teaching for our children, helping them to ask the question: How does Jesus not only deliver me from death at the end of my life, but deliver me into more abundant living right now?
Props You Will Need: water wings or a floatation ring (the sillier-looking the better)
Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 will be wearing some sort of swimming aid apparatus)
Leader 1: (Name), what are you wearing?
Leader 2: My water wings. I'm never taking them off again! I had quite a scare yesterday.
Leader 1: What happened?
Leader 2: I was playing out at the pool, hanging out in the shallow end. We were hitting a ball back and forth, when one of my friends hit it really far. I was chasing the ball when suddenly I realized -- I had gone too far! Suddenly I was in the deep end.
Leader 1: Oh, and you can't swim?
Leader 2: No! I guess I panicked a little. I started kicking and trying to keep my head above water.
Leader 1: But what happened?
Leader 2: The lifeguard saw me. She came in and got me out of the water.
Leader 1: Yeah. I can see why you're a bit shaken up. But, (name), you know there's no water in here.
Leader 2: (looking around fearfully) Right, but there COULD be. You know, like a flash flood or maybe the water pipes could break....
Leader 1: If you're scared of the water, there's something else you could do besides wearing water wings all the time. You could take lessons! You know, your story reminds me of our passage today from John. Jesus said that God sent him in the world to save the world and to rescue it from danger.
Leader 2: So Jesus is like a lifeguard!
Leader 1: Right. But Jesus doesn't stop with only pulling us out of deep water. Jesus also teaches us how to live. Life can be scary sometimes, just like being in deep water for the first time. But God doesn't want us to be afraid all the time.
Leader 2: Like walking around in water wings?
Leader 1: Right. God wants us to learn how to live in faith. So Jesus' teachings are all about how to live without fear. If you take swimming lessons, soon you won't be as afraid of the water -- you might even think it is fun. And if we take life lessons from Jesus, soon we find that life isn't so scary. It's an adventure.
Leader 2: So where would I go to take lessons?
Leader 1: To learn swimming, you go back to the pool. To learn living, you start right here!
Teaching On Your Own: (wearing flotation apparatus) Hi everybody! See what I have on today? My water wings. I had something scary happen to me yesterday and now I'm never taking the water wings off. You want to hear what happened? I was playing out at the pool, hanging out in the shallow end. We were hitting a ball back and forth, when one of my friends hit it really far. I was chasing the ball when suddenly I realized that I had gone too far! Suddenly I was in the deep end and I can't swim! I guess I panicked a little. I started kicking and trying to keep my head above water. But then the lifeguard saw me. She came in and got me out of the water. So now I'm wearing these water wings. My mom told me I didn't need them inside, but I'm scared that I might suddenly find myself in a flash flood or the water pipes might break. I guess I'm afraid of the water now. You'll never believe what ELSE my mom said -- she said I should take swimming lessons! What do you think? Does that sound like a good idea to you guys?
I was thinking about it when I started reading our Bible lesson for today. In our passage today Jesus said that God sent him in the world to save the world and to rescue it from danger. Like the lifeguard! But Jesus doesn't stop with only pulling us out of deep water. Jesus also teaches us how to live. Life can be scary sometimes, just like being in deep water for the first time. But God doesn't want us to be afraid all the time. God wants us to learn how to live in faith. So Jesus' teachings are all about how to live without fear. If you take swimming lessons, soon you won't be as afraid of the water -- you might even think it is fun. If we take life lessons from Jesus, soon we find that life isn't so scary. It's an adventure, which means I can take my water wings off! All I need to do is take swimming lessons at the pool and life lessons here at the church, with you guys.
Closing Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to save us -- not only to rescue us from danger but to teach us to live in love and in faith. Help us each day to learn the lessons you have for us and to help us be strong swimmers in your love. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson at home or in a classroom setting, continue the discussion about taking lessons. Ask the children to relate their own experience with learning new things: riding a bike, swimming lessons, and so on. Particularly emphasize those lessons that involve some amount of fearfulness. What made it safe to learn the lesson? A parent, a teacher, a lifeguard, was there to "rescue" them if necessary? Help them understand that, as we grow as Christians, sometimes the lessons we learn are scary too. But we're not alone in our learning. God is always there to help us, and our fellow Christians are there for us too. Read John 3:16-17 and discuss the imagery of a saving Jesus. Talk about some of the life lessons God teaches us: turn the other cheek, don't worry about tomorrow, love your enemy, and defend the weak and poor. What are the dangers associated with these lessons? If we conquer our fear and learn these lessons, we become strong "swimmers." We will learn to live life powerfully and lovingly and without fear. In fact, one day, WE can become the lifeguards to help rescue other people from danger. For a craft, provide each child with a styrofoam craft ring or another item that is reminiscent of a lifesaving float. On the top of the float, encourage the children to write "Jesus Saves!" and on the bottom "Jesus Teaches!" Provide a string so the float can be hung up and either put it on your classroom Lent tree or send it home with your children.
Props You Will Need: water wings or a floatation ring (the sillier-looking the better)
Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 will be wearing some sort of swimming aid apparatus)
Leader 1: (Name), what are you wearing?
Leader 2: My water wings. I'm never taking them off again! I had quite a scare yesterday.
Leader 1: What happened?
Leader 2: I was playing out at the pool, hanging out in the shallow end. We were hitting a ball back and forth, when one of my friends hit it really far. I was chasing the ball when suddenly I realized -- I had gone too far! Suddenly I was in the deep end.
Leader 1: Oh, and you can't swim?
Leader 2: No! I guess I panicked a little. I started kicking and trying to keep my head above water.
Leader 1: But what happened?
Leader 2: The lifeguard saw me. She came in and got me out of the water.
Leader 1: Yeah. I can see why you're a bit shaken up. But, (name), you know there's no water in here.
Leader 2: (looking around fearfully) Right, but there COULD be. You know, like a flash flood or maybe the water pipes could break....
Leader 1: If you're scared of the water, there's something else you could do besides wearing water wings all the time. You could take lessons! You know, your story reminds me of our passage today from John. Jesus said that God sent him in the world to save the world and to rescue it from danger.
Leader 2: So Jesus is like a lifeguard!
Leader 1: Right. But Jesus doesn't stop with only pulling us out of deep water. Jesus also teaches us how to live. Life can be scary sometimes, just like being in deep water for the first time. But God doesn't want us to be afraid all the time.
Leader 2: Like walking around in water wings?
Leader 1: Right. God wants us to learn how to live in faith. So Jesus' teachings are all about how to live without fear. If you take swimming lessons, soon you won't be as afraid of the water -- you might even think it is fun. And if we take life lessons from Jesus, soon we find that life isn't so scary. It's an adventure.
Leader 2: So where would I go to take lessons?
Leader 1: To learn swimming, you go back to the pool. To learn living, you start right here!
Teaching On Your Own: (wearing flotation apparatus) Hi everybody! See what I have on today? My water wings. I had something scary happen to me yesterday and now I'm never taking the water wings off. You want to hear what happened? I was playing out at the pool, hanging out in the shallow end. We were hitting a ball back and forth, when one of my friends hit it really far. I was chasing the ball when suddenly I realized that I had gone too far! Suddenly I was in the deep end and I can't swim! I guess I panicked a little. I started kicking and trying to keep my head above water. But then the lifeguard saw me. She came in and got me out of the water. So now I'm wearing these water wings. My mom told me I didn't need them inside, but I'm scared that I might suddenly find myself in a flash flood or the water pipes might break. I guess I'm afraid of the water now. You'll never believe what ELSE my mom said -- she said I should take swimming lessons! What do you think? Does that sound like a good idea to you guys?
I was thinking about it when I started reading our Bible lesson for today. In our passage today Jesus said that God sent him in the world to save the world and to rescue it from danger. Like the lifeguard! But Jesus doesn't stop with only pulling us out of deep water. Jesus also teaches us how to live. Life can be scary sometimes, just like being in deep water for the first time. But God doesn't want us to be afraid all the time. God wants us to learn how to live in faith. So Jesus' teachings are all about how to live without fear. If you take swimming lessons, soon you won't be as afraid of the water -- you might even think it is fun. If we take life lessons from Jesus, soon we find that life isn't so scary. It's an adventure, which means I can take my water wings off! All I need to do is take swimming lessons at the pool and life lessons here at the church, with you guys.
Closing Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to save us -- not only to rescue us from danger but to teach us to live in love and in faith. Help us each day to learn the lessons you have for us and to help us be strong swimmers in your love. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson at home or in a classroom setting, continue the discussion about taking lessons. Ask the children to relate their own experience with learning new things: riding a bike, swimming lessons, and so on. Particularly emphasize those lessons that involve some amount of fearfulness. What made it safe to learn the lesson? A parent, a teacher, a lifeguard, was there to "rescue" them if necessary? Help them understand that, as we grow as Christians, sometimes the lessons we learn are scary too. But we're not alone in our learning. God is always there to help us, and our fellow Christians are there for us too. Read John 3:16-17 and discuss the imagery of a saving Jesus. Talk about some of the life lessons God teaches us: turn the other cheek, don't worry about tomorrow, love your enemy, and defend the weak and poor. What are the dangers associated with these lessons? If we conquer our fear and learn these lessons, we become strong "swimmers." We will learn to live life powerfully and lovingly and without fear. In fact, one day, WE can become the lifeguards to help rescue other people from danger. For a craft, provide each child with a styrofoam craft ring or another item that is reminiscent of a lifesaving float. On the top of the float, encourage the children to write "Jesus Saves!" and on the bottom "Jesus Teaches!" Provide a string so the float can be hung up and either put it on your classroom Lent tree or send it home with your children.
