A refreshing drink
Children's sermon
Object:
An empty tin cup
A traveler walked across the desert and ran out of water. He got more thirsty as time went on. Before long all he could think about was getting a drink. He thought of how cool the water might be. As sweat rolled off his brow, he thought of a lovely lake and even thought he saw one straight ahead. But the lake he thought he saw was a mirage -- it was a trick of the atmosphere and his eyes making him think it was a lake.
But then he saw something that was no trick. He blinked and then rubbed his eyes to make sure they were not playing a trick on him. He saw a water bucket and a tin cup like this just sitting there ready for him to drink. He quickly grabbed the bucket and poured the whole thing over his head. He forgot all about taking a drink. Now he had wasted all the precious water and was cooler, but still as thirsty as ever. Things did not look good for this man because he was about to die of thirst.
I share this story with you because today is Ash Wednesday and we have an opportunity to go to God's bucket for the water of life. Today is the first day of Lent and it is a time to water our souls. Think of each week during the forty days ahead as a drink from Jesus for our souls. We don't pour it on us at once, but draw refreshment each week. It means that religion is not something we "get" at one time and then go on to other things. Instead it means that we get a little every day. We need God's grace with each passing day, just like we need to drink water every day. We wouldn't want to waste God's grace for us.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he said, "We urge you not to accept the grace of God in vain." The word "vain" means empty -- like the tin cup of the desert traveler.
Our prayer this Lenten season is that God would refresh our souls with the water of life -- Jesus.
Dearest Lord God: Give us the water of life. Help us to accept it to refresh us. Amen.
But then he saw something that was no trick. He blinked and then rubbed his eyes to make sure they were not playing a trick on him. He saw a water bucket and a tin cup like this just sitting there ready for him to drink. He quickly grabbed the bucket and poured the whole thing over his head. He forgot all about taking a drink. Now he had wasted all the precious water and was cooler, but still as thirsty as ever. Things did not look good for this man because he was about to die of thirst.
I share this story with you because today is Ash Wednesday and we have an opportunity to go to God's bucket for the water of life. Today is the first day of Lent and it is a time to water our souls. Think of each week during the forty days ahead as a drink from Jesus for our souls. We don't pour it on us at once, but draw refreshment each week. It means that religion is not something we "get" at one time and then go on to other things. Instead it means that we get a little every day. We need God's grace with each passing day, just like we need to drink water every day. We wouldn't want to waste God's grace for us.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he said, "We urge you not to accept the grace of God in vain." The word "vain" means empty -- like the tin cup of the desert traveler.
Our prayer this Lenten season is that God would refresh our souls with the water of life -- Jesus.
Dearest Lord God: Give us the water of life. Help us to accept it to refresh us. Amen.
