The people chain
Children's sermon
Object:
have the children link hands
Good morning. The Bible was written a long time ago. It
was written by people who knew God, and the New Testament was
written by people who knew God's Son Jesus. When the great
apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he said, "I handed
on to you ... what I ... had received...." He told the
Corinthians what he had been told.
That has been happening ever since. Parents almost always
tell their children about Jesus, and then when the children grow
up and have children, they tell their children. And so it goes
from one person to another until it has reached us here today!
I would like for all of us to get up and join hands. I'm
going to be at the very end and I want to tell the person next to
me something. That person will have to repeat the same thing
until it reaches the end of the line. (If there are not enough
children, involve some adults in this old game of "gossip.")
Okay. Now I want to begin. (At this point tell the child next
to you, "God loves you." Instruct, and perhaps you may need to
prompt, each child to pass on that good news. It is important
they keep it quiet enough so that others cannot hear. When the
last person has gotten the message, ask him or her to repeat it.
It is to be hoped that it comes out very close to "God loves
you.")
See how one person told another this good news. We have all
heard the good news from others. Probably parents or Sunday
school teachers told us. Before them, their parents or Sunday
school teachers told them. Before that there must have been
other parents or Sunday school teachers who told -- all the way
back to the time of Jesus!
In this Epiphany season, the good news about Jesus gets out.
First it happened to the wise men and then to the people Jesus
spoke to or healed. Then it happened as each apostle told
others, and they told still others. For 2,000 years people have
been telling this same good news that God loves you! The "news"
is not new -- unless you hear it for yourself. That is what
keeps this good news fresh and new.
Dear God: Thank you for parents and Sunday school teachers who
tell the good news to children and others. Amen.
was written by people who knew God, and the New Testament was
written by people who knew God's Son Jesus. When the great
apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he said, "I handed
on to you ... what I ... had received...." He told the
Corinthians what he had been told.
That has been happening ever since. Parents almost always
tell their children about Jesus, and then when the children grow
up and have children, they tell their children. And so it goes
from one person to another until it has reached us here today!
I would like for all of us to get up and join hands. I'm
going to be at the very end and I want to tell the person next to
me something. That person will have to repeat the same thing
until it reaches the end of the line. (If there are not enough
children, involve some adults in this old game of "gossip.")
Okay. Now I want to begin. (At this point tell the child next
to you, "God loves you." Instruct, and perhaps you may need to
prompt, each child to pass on that good news. It is important
they keep it quiet enough so that others cannot hear. When the
last person has gotten the message, ask him or her to repeat it.
It is to be hoped that it comes out very close to "God loves
you.")
See how one person told another this good news. We have all
heard the good news from others. Probably parents or Sunday
school teachers told us. Before them, their parents or Sunday
school teachers told them. Before that there must have been
other parents or Sunday school teachers who told -- all the way
back to the time of Jesus!
In this Epiphany season, the good news about Jesus gets out.
First it happened to the wise men and then to the people Jesus
spoke to or healed. Then it happened as each apostle told
others, and they told still others. For 2,000 years people have
been telling this same good news that God loves you! The "news"
is not new -- unless you hear it for yourself. That is what
keeps this good news fresh and new.
Dear God: Thank you for parents and Sunday school teachers who
tell the good news to children and others. Amen.
