We all fit!
Children's sermon
Object:
a jigsaw puzzle piece (preferably one for small
children)
Good morning! I wonder how many of you like to put puzzles
together? (Let them answer.) Good! I love puzzles. It's fun
to find one piece and see how it fits in exactly the right spot
and then keep doing that until I have completed a puzzle. When
it's all done, I'm ready to do another one. (As you tell the
children's sermon, piece the puzzle together. You could even
have some of the children help you with it.)
The church is like a human jigsaw puzzle! Each of us is like a piece of that puzzle. We aren't all pastors. That is a job for someone God has called to serve and lead the people of the church in worship. We aren't all organists. That is a job for someone God has called to serve and lead the people of the church in music. We aren't all Sunday school teachers. That is a job for someone God has called to serve and lead the people of the church in learning. But every one of us is a piece of the puzzle. We are all important. Every one of us is important. The church just wouldn't be complete without you! (Show how the puzzle you are working on is not yet complete.)
Today we remember one of the apostles whose name was Bartholomew. We don't know too much about him, but we do know that he was important. He was one of the twelve Jesus called as an apostle who was sent to tell the good news about Jesus and to spread the work of the church. We know so much more about some of the other apostles: Peter, James, John, and Paul especially. They might seem more important, but they were not. The church would not have been the same without Bartholomew. Without him it would have been like a piece of the jigsaw puzzle were missing. (By this point the puzzle you have been working on should be complete except for one piece. Show this to the children.)
Bartholomew reminds us that each of us is important to the church, just as each piece of the jigsaw puzzle is important. (Now put the final piece in the puzzle.) Without each other, the church would not be complete. I'm so very glad you are here this morning!
Dearest Jesus: You have called us to be a part of your church. Thank you for this important part each of us plays. Amen.
The church is like a human jigsaw puzzle! Each of us is like a piece of that puzzle. We aren't all pastors. That is a job for someone God has called to serve and lead the people of the church in worship. We aren't all organists. That is a job for someone God has called to serve and lead the people of the church in music. We aren't all Sunday school teachers. That is a job for someone God has called to serve and lead the people of the church in learning. But every one of us is a piece of the puzzle. We are all important. Every one of us is important. The church just wouldn't be complete without you! (Show how the puzzle you are working on is not yet complete.)
Today we remember one of the apostles whose name was Bartholomew. We don't know too much about him, but we do know that he was important. He was one of the twelve Jesus called as an apostle who was sent to tell the good news about Jesus and to spread the work of the church. We know so much more about some of the other apostles: Peter, James, John, and Paul especially. They might seem more important, but they were not. The church would not have been the same without Bartholomew. Without him it would have been like a piece of the jigsaw puzzle were missing. (By this point the puzzle you have been working on should be complete except for one piece. Show this to the children.)
Bartholomew reminds us that each of us is important to the church, just as each piece of the jigsaw puzzle is important. (Now put the final piece in the puzzle.) Without each other, the church would not be complete. I'm so very glad you are here this morning!
Dearest Jesus: You have called us to be a part of your church. Thank you for this important part each of us plays. Amen.
