What Goes In Must Come Out!
Children's sermon
Object:
none
First Thoughts: This is an interesting encounter between Jesus and Peter, as so many of their encounters are. Peter seems incapable of censoring himself when it comes to Jesus. Whatever is on his mind, whatever is bothering him, comes right out. This means that Peter receives a great deal of correction and (as today) reproof from Jesus. So the lesson we might glean from this is, in times of uncertainty, we do better just to keep our mouths shut. But we need to dig further before we settle on this conclusion. In our other reading this Sunday, from James 3:1-12, the Apostle Paul certainly does advocate controlling our tongues, but we note that he is speaking specifically to teachers -- those who are influencing others who are younger or weaker in faith than the teachers are. The situation between Jesus and Peter is altogether different. Jesus is Peter's teacher; it is correct for Peter to bring to Jesus whatever is on his mind. It gives Jesus an opportunity to see deeper into Peter's heart and to offer whatever remedy Peter most needs. So the recommendation this Sunday is twofold. First, when we find ourselves in a position of power or influence over another person, perhaps it is best for us to keep our conflict and confusion to ourselves. This requires wisdom and self-restraint on our part, and a commitment -- first and foremost -- to do no harm to those who depend on us. Second, though, we absolutely need somebody with whom we can share our struggles and conflicts, someone who is more mature than we are and who can reliably hear us and offer us guidance. Can you identify people in your life who depend on you to be wise and kind -- those for whom you practice restraint in your speech? How about someone in your life who can receive your unrestrained speech, and who can capably and lovingly offer you space for healing? If we are not able to clearly identify these people as separate groups, we run the risk of blending them together -- "teaching" those who we need to listen to and looking for support from those who need support from us. Carry your reflection with you in your time of teaching these children, mindful that they belong to the group relying on your care.
Props You Will Need: none
Teaching As A Team:
Leader 1: Hey (name), how are things going today?
Leader 2: Not so great. I had a fight with my younger sister and now I feel bad about it.
Leader 1: Oh no. What happened?
Leader 2: Well, she's been bugging me all week -- coming into my room when I'm trying to read or play a game. I tried to ignore it at first, but every day I just became angrier and angrier.
Leader 1: Wow. Did you talk to your mom about it?
Leader 2: No. My mom did seem to notice that I was upset about something and asked me if I wanted to talk, but I thought I could handle it myself. Anyway, yesterday when my sister came in my room again I finally lost my temper. I told her she was being a brat and I wanted her to just leave me alone.
Leader 1: That must have really hurt her feelings.
Leader 2: It did. She started to cry. I feel really bad about it, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore.
Leader 1: You know, it seems to me that you did just the opposite of what you might have done.
Leader 2: What do you mean?
Leader 1: Well, you were having a problem. You decided not to talk with your mom and ended up yelling at your sister. But instead you could have stayed quiet with your sister and talked to your mom. She could have helped you think of a kind way to solve your problem.
Leader 2: So I talked to the wrong person and kept quiet with the wrong person?
Leader 1: That's what it sounds like. You know, the Bible gives us some pointers about when we should talk about things and when we should be quiet. In the book of James, Paul tells Christians that when they're teaching somebody younger or weaker than themselves, they should always practice restraint in their speech. That means if they're feeling angry or confused, they should control themselves and be quiet.
Leader 2: I tried that! After a while it got too hard.
Leader 1: Yeah, but that's just the first part of our lesson today. In our gospel passage in Mark, Jesus was talking with his disciples about how he was going to be killed in Jerusalem. As you can imagine this really bothered his friend Peter and made him feel scared and angry inside. But instead of being quiet about it, Peter talked to Jesus. Jesus was able to straighten Peter out and help him understand that everything was going to be okay. In this case it was right for Peter to speak up, because Jesus was his teacher.
Leader 2: So you're saying that if I'm feeling angry with my sister, I should be quiet...
Leader 1: Because she's smaller than you, and you are her teacher.
Leader 2: But I SHOULD talk about it with my mother...
Leader 1: Because she's YOUR teacher and can help you figure things out.
Leader 2: You know, I like the idea of being a teacher to my sister. But I ALSO like the idea of having a teacher myself.
Leader 1: Yeah, it's nice to know that as we help others, others are also helping us!
Teaching On Your Own: Hey everybody. How are you guys? I'm not doing too great today. I had a fight with my little sister and now I feel bad about it. Do you ever have problems with a younger brother or sister? Well, mine was bugging me all week -- coming into my room when I'm trying to read or play a game. I tried to ignore it at first, but every day I just became angrier and angrier. My mom noticed that I was upset about something and asked me if I wanted to talk, but I thought I could handle it myself. Anyway, yesterday when she came in I finally lost my temper. I told her she was being a brat and I wanted her to just leave me alone. It really hurt her feelings and she began to cry. I feel really bad about it, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore. What do you think I could have done differently? You know, now that I think about it I did just the opposite of what I could have done. See, I decided not to talk with my mom and ended up yelling at my sister. But instead I could have stayed quiet with my sister and talked to my mom instead. She could have helped me think of a kind way to solve the problem. Maybe I talked to the wrong person and kept quiet with the wrong person. What do you think? You know, the Bible gives us some pointers about when we should talk about things and when we should be quiet. In the book of James, Paul tells Christians that when they're teaching somebody younger or weaker than themselves, they should always practice restraint in their speech. That means if they're feeling angry or confused, they should control themselves and be quiet. But if that's all we do it doesn't work, does it? I tried that myself but after a while it got too hard. The second part of our lesson is from the gospel of Mark. Jesus was talking with his disciples about how he was going to be killed in Jerusalem. As you can imagine this really bothered his friend Peter and made him feel scared and angry inside. But instead of being quiet about it, Peter talked to Jesus. Jesus was able to straighten Peter out and help him understand that everything was going to be okay. In this case it was right for Peter to speak up, because Jesus was his teacher. So if I'm feeling angry with my sister, I should be quiet because she's smaller than me, and I am her teacher. But I SHOULD talk about it with my mother because MY teacher and can help me figure things out. You know, I like the idea of being a teacher to my sister. But I ALSO like the idea of having a teacher myself. It's nice to know that as we help others, others are also helping us!
Closing Prayer: Loving God, help us to gain control of our talking so we know when to speak up and when to be silent. Help us gain in wisdom and kindness so our speech is always loving and uplifting. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-up Lesson: To reinforce this message in a home or classroom setting, ask the children to repeat to you the dilemma that Leader 2 was having. Ask them if they have ever had such a problem themselves. How did they resolve it? What might they do differently, keeping in mind the lesson today? Now spend some time helping the children think about who they are responsible for in their lives -- younger siblings, classmates, neighborhood friends, and even pets. Remind them that even if another person is their age, if that person is a bit less mature or is behaving in a way that is hurtful (bullying, teasing, and so forth), they might still be that person's teacher -- if they are trying to live according to Christ's example. Next, ask the children to identify people in their lives who are their teachers. Help them to think beyond their actual school teacher (since that is often the first association children make), and encourage them to think of wise people in their home or church environment. Now provide the children with four rectangles of descending lengths. Tell them to put the names of their "students" on the longest rectangle. They can put themselves on the next shortest, and their teachers on the third shortest. Now ask them to build a pyramid with their rectangles. Likely they will put the shortest rectangle on top, with the longest on bottom. Although this is typically the way pyramids are built, tell the children that this is a gospel pyramid, and teachers are servants of their students. Good teachers are strong and loving and offer support to students -- so the "teacher" rectangles should be beneath the rectangles of the students they serve. Help the children to rearrange their rectangles to make an upside-down pyramid that reflects this lesson. Ask them what needs to be put on that shortest rectangle (which should be on bottom now). It's God -- God is supporting the entire structure! Give them a large piece of paper on which to glue their pyramid pieces. You can spend some time reflecting on the meaning of the pyramid (what it means that we're supporting those beneath us, how does it change our attitude, encourage compassion in us, and so on) if you think the children need more reinforcement. Close your time with prayer.
Props You Will Need: none
Teaching As A Team:
Leader 1: Hey (name), how are things going today?
Leader 2: Not so great. I had a fight with my younger sister and now I feel bad about it.
Leader 1: Oh no. What happened?
Leader 2: Well, she's been bugging me all week -- coming into my room when I'm trying to read or play a game. I tried to ignore it at first, but every day I just became angrier and angrier.
Leader 1: Wow. Did you talk to your mom about it?
Leader 2: No. My mom did seem to notice that I was upset about something and asked me if I wanted to talk, but I thought I could handle it myself. Anyway, yesterday when my sister came in my room again I finally lost my temper. I told her she was being a brat and I wanted her to just leave me alone.
Leader 1: That must have really hurt her feelings.
Leader 2: It did. She started to cry. I feel really bad about it, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore.
Leader 1: You know, it seems to me that you did just the opposite of what you might have done.
Leader 2: What do you mean?
Leader 1: Well, you were having a problem. You decided not to talk with your mom and ended up yelling at your sister. But instead you could have stayed quiet with your sister and talked to your mom. She could have helped you think of a kind way to solve your problem.
Leader 2: So I talked to the wrong person and kept quiet with the wrong person?
Leader 1: That's what it sounds like. You know, the Bible gives us some pointers about when we should talk about things and when we should be quiet. In the book of James, Paul tells Christians that when they're teaching somebody younger or weaker than themselves, they should always practice restraint in their speech. That means if they're feeling angry or confused, they should control themselves and be quiet.
Leader 2: I tried that! After a while it got too hard.
Leader 1: Yeah, but that's just the first part of our lesson today. In our gospel passage in Mark, Jesus was talking with his disciples about how he was going to be killed in Jerusalem. As you can imagine this really bothered his friend Peter and made him feel scared and angry inside. But instead of being quiet about it, Peter talked to Jesus. Jesus was able to straighten Peter out and help him understand that everything was going to be okay. In this case it was right for Peter to speak up, because Jesus was his teacher.
Leader 2: So you're saying that if I'm feeling angry with my sister, I should be quiet...
Leader 1: Because she's smaller than you, and you are her teacher.
Leader 2: But I SHOULD talk about it with my mother...
Leader 1: Because she's YOUR teacher and can help you figure things out.
Leader 2: You know, I like the idea of being a teacher to my sister. But I ALSO like the idea of having a teacher myself.
Leader 1: Yeah, it's nice to know that as we help others, others are also helping us!
Teaching On Your Own: Hey everybody. How are you guys? I'm not doing too great today. I had a fight with my little sister and now I feel bad about it. Do you ever have problems with a younger brother or sister? Well, mine was bugging me all week -- coming into my room when I'm trying to read or play a game. I tried to ignore it at first, but every day I just became angrier and angrier. My mom noticed that I was upset about something and asked me if I wanted to talk, but I thought I could handle it myself. Anyway, yesterday when she came in I finally lost my temper. I told her she was being a brat and I wanted her to just leave me alone. It really hurt her feelings and she began to cry. I feel really bad about it, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore. What do you think I could have done differently? You know, now that I think about it I did just the opposite of what I could have done. See, I decided not to talk with my mom and ended up yelling at my sister. But instead I could have stayed quiet with my sister and talked to my mom instead. She could have helped me think of a kind way to solve the problem. Maybe I talked to the wrong person and kept quiet with the wrong person. What do you think? You know, the Bible gives us some pointers about when we should talk about things and when we should be quiet. In the book of James, Paul tells Christians that when they're teaching somebody younger or weaker than themselves, they should always practice restraint in their speech. That means if they're feeling angry or confused, they should control themselves and be quiet. But if that's all we do it doesn't work, does it? I tried that myself but after a while it got too hard. The second part of our lesson is from the gospel of Mark. Jesus was talking with his disciples about how he was going to be killed in Jerusalem. As you can imagine this really bothered his friend Peter and made him feel scared and angry inside. But instead of being quiet about it, Peter talked to Jesus. Jesus was able to straighten Peter out and help him understand that everything was going to be okay. In this case it was right for Peter to speak up, because Jesus was his teacher. So if I'm feeling angry with my sister, I should be quiet because she's smaller than me, and I am her teacher. But I SHOULD talk about it with my mother because MY teacher and can help me figure things out. You know, I like the idea of being a teacher to my sister. But I ALSO like the idea of having a teacher myself. It's nice to know that as we help others, others are also helping us!
Closing Prayer: Loving God, help us to gain control of our talking so we know when to speak up and when to be silent. Help us gain in wisdom and kindness so our speech is always loving and uplifting. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-up Lesson: To reinforce this message in a home or classroom setting, ask the children to repeat to you the dilemma that Leader 2 was having. Ask them if they have ever had such a problem themselves. How did they resolve it? What might they do differently, keeping in mind the lesson today? Now spend some time helping the children think about who they are responsible for in their lives -- younger siblings, classmates, neighborhood friends, and even pets. Remind them that even if another person is their age, if that person is a bit less mature or is behaving in a way that is hurtful (bullying, teasing, and so forth), they might still be that person's teacher -- if they are trying to live according to Christ's example. Next, ask the children to identify people in their lives who are their teachers. Help them to think beyond their actual school teacher (since that is often the first association children make), and encourage them to think of wise people in their home or church environment. Now provide the children with four rectangles of descending lengths. Tell them to put the names of their "students" on the longest rectangle. They can put themselves on the next shortest, and their teachers on the third shortest. Now ask them to build a pyramid with their rectangles. Likely they will put the shortest rectangle on top, with the longest on bottom. Although this is typically the way pyramids are built, tell the children that this is a gospel pyramid, and teachers are servants of their students. Good teachers are strong and loving and offer support to students -- so the "teacher" rectangles should be beneath the rectangles of the students they serve. Help the children to rearrange their rectangles to make an upside-down pyramid that reflects this lesson. Ask them what needs to be put on that shortest rectangle (which should be on bottom now). It's God -- God is supporting the entire structure! Give them a large piece of paper on which to glue their pyramid pieces. You can spend some time reflecting on the meaning of the pyramid (what it means that we're supporting those beneath us, how does it change our attitude, encourage compassion in us, and so on) if you think the children need more reinforcement. Close your time with prayer.
