The soft touch
Children's sermon
Object:
hands of several volunteers
Good morning, boys and girls. I didn't bring anything with me today because I need some volunteers from our church family. (choose volunteers with a variety of hands -- smooth, rough, old, very young) I'd like our volunteers to stand up here and let the children see and feel your hands. (while they are looking at and touching the hands, continue the discussion) Hands are all very different. Some are very old and very wrinkled. Some are very young and tiny. Some people have very large hands. Some hands have very rough skin because they work outside or with strong tools and machinery. Some are very soft and smooth because they work inside with computers and pencils. Some hands are bent and painful with arthritis. Look carefully at these hands. Each one is different. (bring them back together when they have had time to see and touch the hands) Thank you to all the hands for volunteering to help us today.
Our lesson today talks about laying hands on people or healing people. Were all these people with hands doctors? (let them answer) No, they weren't. But each one of those hands is a healing hand. Jesus used his hands to heal people and so did his disciples. We all need the human touch to live and grow. We get the human touch from someone else's hands. When someone touches you with a hug or by holding your hand, it tells you that you are not alone. It says there is someone else who cares about you. We all need that kind of touch! Babies get it by being held. Young children like to be rocked. When they get hurt, they like to be hugged and held. Have you ever seen teenagers hugging and kissing? (let them answer) They need to be touched, too, to feel loved. Where else do you see touching? (let them answer) Some families hold hands as they pray before meals. Some churches have greeters. For some people, the only time they have their hand held or get a hug is at church. Hands are a way to share strength, love, and hope with those in our church family. So practice the human touch every day! It feels good and it heals.
Our lesson today talks about laying hands on people or healing people. Were all these people with hands doctors? (let them answer) No, they weren't. But each one of those hands is a healing hand. Jesus used his hands to heal people and so did his disciples. We all need the human touch to live and grow. We get the human touch from someone else's hands. When someone touches you with a hug or by holding your hand, it tells you that you are not alone. It says there is someone else who cares about you. We all need that kind of touch! Babies get it by being held. Young children like to be rocked. When they get hurt, they like to be hugged and held. Have you ever seen teenagers hugging and kissing? (let them answer) They need to be touched, too, to feel loved. Where else do you see touching? (let them answer) Some families hold hands as they pray before meals. Some churches have greeters. For some people, the only time they have their hand held or get a hug is at church. Hands are a way to share strength, love, and hope with those in our church family. So practice the human touch every day! It feels good and it heals.
