Childrens Sermon Service

First Thoughts: In this Mark passage we see Jesus struggling once again with his old debate partners, the Pharisees. Many preachers seem to come down pretty hard on the Pharisees in their commitment to the rituals of the Jewish faith. But rituals are important in the church: they help orient us in the world, create sacred space, and give us a sense of identity. Good ritual addresses our very real need for connection and sacredness. The problem isn't with the rituals themselves, but when rituals become more important than actual needs. In preparation for your time with the children, I invite you to think of rituals that invite you into worship -- perhaps singing a certain hymn, reciting a certain prayer, or the way you receive communion. Now consider whether you are willing to adjust that ritual in order to respond to the needs of different people (or the changing needs in your own life). Can communion be done differently? Can we use a praise song instead of a traditional hymn? Can we use a body prayer rather than a spoken prayer? God can nourish us in many different ways if we are open to the possibility of shaking up our rituals a bit. How willing are you to "limber up" for the sake of real need? Carry your reflections with you in your time with the children.

Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 has box)
Leader 1: What do you have there, (name)?
Leader 2: I went out to a great restaurant last night. The food was great, but there was just too much. So I decided to bring some of it home. (looks troubled)
Leader 1: That sounds like a good idea. But you seem to be bothered. Is anything wrong?
Leader 2: When I left the restaurant, I saw a man on the sidewalk asking for change. I didn't have any change, but I did have this extra food. I thought about giving it to him, but...
Leader 1: But what?
Leader 2: His hands were dirty. And my mother told me I should never eat food with dirty hands. So I decided I would just keep the food myself. But now I'm not so sure.
Leader 1: Your dilemma reminds me a little of the Pharisees. They were also very concerned with doing things correctly and especially washing their hands. They were so concerned with it that they spent a lot of time making sure they used just the right water, washed their hands several times a day, and made sure they got it right.
Leader 2: My mom would have liked them!
Leader 1: But they were so concerned about washing their hands that they forgot to pay attention to the real needs of people around them. They felt that, if people didn't work just as hard at being clean, then that person didn't really deserve to be cared for. And so, even though they were trying to do God's will, they missed a piece of it.
Leader 2: Just like I didn't share my food with the man, even though I was pretty sure he was hungry.
Leader 1: Yeah. See, there's nothing wrong with washing your hands before you eat. It's a very good habit. But some things are even more important than that -- like showing kindness for others.
Leader 2: You're right. Right after church I'm going to go back to that street corner and give that man this food. I may even sit down and talk with him.
Leader 1: That's a great idea!

Teaching On Your Own: Guess where I went last night? I went to a great restaurant. The food was great, but there was just too much. So I decided I'd bring some of it home. (shows box) Do you guys ever bring home food from your favorite restaurant? But something happened last night that bothers me about this. When I left the restaurant, I saw a man on the sidewalk asking for change. I didn't have any change, but I did have this extra food. I thought about giving it to him, but his hands were dirty. And my mother told me I should never eat food with dirty hands. Does your mom tell you that too? So I decided I would just keep the food myself. But now I'm not so sure. What do you think I should have done? (wait for response) You know, this situation reminds me a little of the Pharisees. They were also very concerned with doing things correctly -- especially washing their hands. They were so concerned with it that they spent a lot of time making sure they used just the right water, washed their hands several times a day, to make sure they got it right. My mom would have liked them! But they were so concerned about washing their hands that they forgot to pay attention to the real needs of people around them. They felt that, if people didn't work just as hard at being clean, then that person didn't really deserve to be cared for. And so, even though they were trying to do God's will, they missed a piece of it. Just like I didn't share my food with the man, even though I was pretty sure he was hungry. There's nothing wrong with washing your hands before you eat. It's a very good habit. But some things are even more important than that -- like showing kindness for others. You know what I'm going to do? Right after church I'm going to go back to that street corner and give that man this food. I may even sit down and talk with him. What do you think about that?

Closing Prayer: Loving God, help us to become compassionate people, who see the needs of others and offer our care. Keep our hearts clean that we can reflect your kindness in the world. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this message in a home or classroom environment, spend some time discussing the idea of ritual with your children. Help them identify their own rituals at home: brushing teeth, making beds, taking a shower, and so forth. Next help them identify rituals in the school: saying the pledge of allegiance, going to lunch the same time, playing with certain friends during recess. Finally help them identify rituals in church: the songs they sing, the way you stand and sit at certain places, the people to whom they say hello. What is the purpose of ritual? Ritual creates structure in our day and gives us something we can count on. But now what would we do if an unexpected need came up? Do we stick to our ritual no matter what, or do we adjust to the need we see? For example, you always come home from school and spend an hour watching television. But your mom is cleaning the house. Or at school, you always play on the swings during recess, but your friend has a broken leg and can't play on them now. In church, we always walk down to the front to take communion, but a person in a wheelchair is visiting and they can't negotiate the aisle easily. Each of these scenarios represents an opportunity for us to step outside the regular way we do things and to give up our regular structure to respond to a need we see. As a craft idea, give your children supplies to create a homemade kaleidoscope. (Many instructions are available online or you can buy kits.) Explain that the kaleidoscope gives us a beautiful picture, just like rituals create a certain beauty in our lives. But shake it up and what happens? We get a different picture, equally as beautiful. Encourage the children to use the kaleidoscope in their prayer life, inviting God to show them new ways to be loving as needs arise. Close with a time of prayer.