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Finding Life

Children's sermon
Matthew 16:21-28
Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A
Object: 
a can of paint
Good morning! I am so happy to see you.

I want to tell you something that Jesus said and see if you catch the meaning of it. Jesus said, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." What do you think Jesus was saying to us? (let them answer)

Pretty hard to figure out, isn't it? But I brought along something that will help us. I brought a big can. Do you know what is in my can? (let them answer) That's right; it is paint.

I know a little about this paint. Living inside of the can is Perry Paint. I talked to Perry Paint the other day and I asked him how he liked living in a can. Perry said he just loved it. It was so warm and peaceful. Perry hoped he could stay in the can. But I said to Perry Paint, "You can't stay in the can. You were meant to be on a wall or on the side of a house. Perry Paint," I said, "you are supposed to make something very pretty and bright."

"I don't care," said Perry. "I like it in here where it is dark and I can sleep and no one is stirring me up or sticking a brush into me. Besides, I'll be all spread out from one end of the wall to the other. I want to stay together in this nice warm can."

Did you ever think a can of bright (yellow, blue, red) paint would feel like that? (let them answer)

Perry thinks he is saving his life, but really as long as he stays in the can he is losing his life. Perry was meant to bring joy and happiness with his bright color. But no one knows Perry exists. Saving his life by not being spread on a wall is losing his life.

Finally, I opened the lid. You should have heard Perry yell. I took a paint paddle and stirred him up, and he just moaned. I took my brush and stuck it in Perry, and he screamed bloody murder. I felt kind of sorry for Perry Paint until I spread him on the wall. All of a sudden I heard this very nice purring sound. I looked in the can and there was a smile on Perry Paint. "I love it," said Perry. "I was afraid to give my life up, but now I see what I was meant to be, and I am so happy to be giving my life to bring joy and happiness to others."

Well, that is the story of Perry Paint, but it can be your story as well. Some people are afraid if they give their life to Jesus they will lose it. But instead, when we give our life to Jesus we will find it will be made beautiful in our service to God.

Prayer: Help us to serve you gladly, O Lord. Amen.

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At Jesus' baptism God said, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." Let us so order our lives that God may say about us, "This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased."

Invitation to Confession:
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"Jan wasn't baptized by the spirit, she was baptized by spit," went the joke. Jan had heard it all before: the taunting and teasing from her aunts and uncles. Sure, they hadn't been there at her birth, but they loved to tell the story. They were telling Jan's friends about that fateful day when Jan was born - and baptized.


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The lectionary often begins a reading at the end of one poem and includes the beginning of another. Such is the case here. Isaiah 42:1-4 forms the climactic last stanza of the long poem concerning the trial with the nations that begins in 41:1. Isaiah 42:5-9 is the opening stanza of the poem that encompasses 42:5-17. Thus, we will initially deal with 42:1-4 and then 42:5-9.

Russell F. Anderson
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Isaiah 42:1--9 (C, E); Isaiah 42:1--4, 6--7 (RC); Isaiah 42:1--7 (L)
Tony S. Everett
Jenny was employed as an emergency room nurse in a busy urban hospital. Often she worked many hours past the end of her shift, providing care to trauma victims and their families. Jenny was also a loving wife and mother, and an excellent cook. On the evening before starting her hectic work week, Jenny would prepare a huge pot of soup, a casserole, or stew; plentiful enough for her family to pop into the microwave or simmer on the stove in case she had to work overtime.

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Bil Keane, the creator of the Family Circus cartoon, said he was drawing a cartoon one day when his little boy came in and asked, "Daddy, how do you know what to draw?" Keane replied, "God tells me." Then the boy asked, "Then why do you keep erasing parts of it?"1
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E-mail
From: KDM
To: God
Subject: Being Inclusive
Message: Are you sure, God, that you show no partiality? Lauds, KDM

The haughty part of us would prefer that God be partial, that is, partial to you and to me. We want to reap the benefits of having been singled out. On the other hand, our decent side wants God to show no partiality. We do yield a little, however. It is fine for God to be impartial as long as we do not need to move over and lose our place.
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I delivered my very first sermon at the age of sixteen. It was presented to a congregation of my peers, a group of high school students. The service, specifically designed for teens, was held on a Wednesday night. There were about 125 people in attendance. I was scared to death at first, but once the sermon got started I felt okay and sort of got on a roll. My text was 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, as some refer to it. The audience that night was very responsive to the sermon. I do not know why they liked it.
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One: When the floods and storms of the world threaten
to overwhelm us,
All: God's peace flows through us,
to calm our troubled lives.
One: When the thunder of the culture's claims on us
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One: When the wilderness begs us to come out and play,
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Your voice whispers
over the waters of life,
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha Shonkwiler
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Gathering (may also be used for Gathering on Epiphany 3)
A: Light shining in the darkness,
C: light never ending.
A: Through the mountains, beneath the sea,
C: light never ending.
A: In the stillness of our hearts,
C: light never ending.
A: In the water and the word,
C: light never ending. Amen.

Hymn Of Praise
Baptized In Water or Praise And Thanksgiving Be To God Our Maker

Prayer Of The Day

CSSPlus

Good morning, boys and girls. What am I wearing this morning? (Let them answer.) I'm wearing part of a uniform of the (name the team). Have any of you gone to a game where the (name the team) has played? (Let them answer.) I think one of the most exciting parts of a game is right before it starts. That's when all the players are introduced. Someone announces the player's name and number. That player then runs out on the court of playing field. Everyone cheers. Do you like that part of the game? (Let them answer.) Some people call that pre-game "hype." That's a funny term, isn't it?
Good morning! Let me show you this certificate. (Show the
baptism certificate.) Does anyone know what this is? (Let them
answer.) Yes, this is a baptism certificate. It shows the date
and place where a person is baptized. In addition to this
certificate, we also keep a record here at the church of all
baptisms so that if a certificate is lost we can issue a new one.
What do all of you think about baptism? Is it important? (Let
them answer.)

Let me tell you something about baptism. Before Jesus
Good morning! How many of you have played Monopoly? (Let
them answer.) In the game of Monopoly, sometimes you wind up in
jail. You can get out of jail by paying a fine or, if you have
one of these cards (show the card), you can get out free by
turning in the card.

Now, in the game of life, the real world where we all live,
we are also sometimes in jail. Most of us never have to go to a
real jail, but we are all in a kind of jail called "sin." The
Bible tells us that when we sin we become prisoners of sin, and

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