Listening
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A plastic bag containing sunflower seeds.
"Why are you here this morning?" I ask the children who have assembled on the chancel steps -- at my invitation. My question is met with silence and wide-eyed uncertainty as laughter erupts from the congregation.
"My goodness!" I exclaim. "Has my question left you speechless? Why did you come up to the steps just now?" I inquire, fully expecting at least one child might say, "Because you asked us to." But whether it's a case of it's-early-on-a-summer-morning-and-I'm-not-awake-yet or simply an unusual shyness for this bunch, the children remain silent.
"Could it be that you came up here to listen to something?" I continue. Finally a few heads nod in agreement. Then I hold up a bag I've brought with me and ask the children what it contains.
"Sunflower seeds!" several reply.
"Well, suppose I wanted to plant these seeds to grow sunflowers," I suggest. "What would happen if I just went out and scattered them on the ground?"
"The birds would eat them!" comes the response.
"That's right," I agree. "Birds like sunflower seeds. What if I threw them into some rocks?"
"They wouldn't grow," the children assure me.
"No, they can't grow in rocks. Seeds need dirt in which to grow. What if I threw them into a field that was already full of weeds and thorns?"
"They might grow, but they'd have trouble because of the other stuff," says one child.
"So, what do I have to do to be sure they take root and grow into sunflowers?" I ask.
"Plant them in soil that doesn't have other stuff growing in it and that isn't full of rocks." These children catch on quickly.
"So, what you're telling me is that I need to be careful where I plant them; that I need to put them in good soil. Did you know that Jesus told a story like this, about a person who went out to plant seeds? Some of it spilled on the ground and, sure enough, the birds ate it, just as you suggested they would. And some of the seeds fell among rocks where they sprouted but couldn't sink their roots in to really grow. So, when the sun came out, the plants in the rocks withered and died. Some of the seeds fell among thorns and the thorns choked out the plants that sprouted. But some of the seeds fell on good soil, soil that had been prepared to receive them. What do you think happened to those seeds?"
"They grew!" There was no doubt in this response.
"That's right, they grew. And the person who planted them got a good crop. But there's something else about this story that is interesting. Did you know that when Jesus told it he really wasn't talking about planting seeds at all?" This brings surprised, puzzled looks to the children's faces. "What Jesus was talking about was listening; he was talking about what you all came up here to do." The children look more puzzled than ever; after all, metaphor is a difficult concept sometimes, at any age.
"Let me explain. In Jesus' story, the seeds are words, God's words. The soil is people like you and me. It's important for us to be good soil so God's words can take root in us and grow. So the question then is, how can we be good soil? How can we receive the words of God?"
"By listening?" one child asks.
"Yes, by listening," I agree. "And just as the soil has to be prepared to receive the seed, we have to be prepared to listen, to receive the words of God, whether they come to us through the Bible or through another person.
"You know, God speaks to us in many ways, and not always with actual words. Sometimes God speaks to us through the beauty of a sunset or through the kindness of another person. But we won't hear God unless we are aware, unless we are ready to listen.
"How many of you have ever had someone say to you, 'You aren't listening to me!' " Several hands go up in response. "Who has said that to you in the past?" I ask, suspecting I know the answer.
"My parents," comes the unanimous reply.
"And have you ever said that to them?" Some of the children look shocked at this suggestion, but others nod agreement. "How do you feel when someone doesn't listen to what you're trying to say to them?" The children agree they don't like it.
"It's important to pay attention when someone wants us to listen, just as we want people to pay attention to us when we want them to listen. And it's the same way with God. God always listens to us; sometimes we don't listen to God. If we don't listen, we are like the hard ground, or the rocks, or the soil growing thorns; if we don't listen, God's words cannot take root in us and grow into the love and compassion which are its fruits."
I thank the children for coming and we have a short prayer before they go back to their seats: "God, thank you for giving us the ears to hear your words, the eyes to see your words, the hands to feel your words. Thank you for making us good soil in which your words and your love can sprout and grow as we share them with one another. Amen."
"My goodness!" I exclaim. "Has my question left you speechless? Why did you come up to the steps just now?" I inquire, fully expecting at least one child might say, "Because you asked us to." But whether it's a case of it's-early-on-a-summer-morning-and-I'm-not-awake-yet or simply an unusual shyness for this bunch, the children remain silent.
"Could it be that you came up here to listen to something?" I continue. Finally a few heads nod in agreement. Then I hold up a bag I've brought with me and ask the children what it contains.
"Sunflower seeds!" several reply.
"Well, suppose I wanted to plant these seeds to grow sunflowers," I suggest. "What would happen if I just went out and scattered them on the ground?"
"The birds would eat them!" comes the response.
"That's right," I agree. "Birds like sunflower seeds. What if I threw them into some rocks?"
"They wouldn't grow," the children assure me.
"No, they can't grow in rocks. Seeds need dirt in which to grow. What if I threw them into a field that was already full of weeds and thorns?"
"They might grow, but they'd have trouble because of the other stuff," says one child.
"So, what do I have to do to be sure they take root and grow into sunflowers?" I ask.
"Plant them in soil that doesn't have other stuff growing in it and that isn't full of rocks." These children catch on quickly.
"So, what you're telling me is that I need to be careful where I plant them; that I need to put them in good soil. Did you know that Jesus told a story like this, about a person who went out to plant seeds? Some of it spilled on the ground and, sure enough, the birds ate it, just as you suggested they would. And some of the seeds fell among rocks where they sprouted but couldn't sink their roots in to really grow. So, when the sun came out, the plants in the rocks withered and died. Some of the seeds fell among thorns and the thorns choked out the plants that sprouted. But some of the seeds fell on good soil, soil that had been prepared to receive them. What do you think happened to those seeds?"
"They grew!" There was no doubt in this response.
"That's right, they grew. And the person who planted them got a good crop. But there's something else about this story that is interesting. Did you know that when Jesus told it he really wasn't talking about planting seeds at all?" This brings surprised, puzzled looks to the children's faces. "What Jesus was talking about was listening; he was talking about what you all came up here to do." The children look more puzzled than ever; after all, metaphor is a difficult concept sometimes, at any age.
"Let me explain. In Jesus' story, the seeds are words, God's words. The soil is people like you and me. It's important for us to be good soil so God's words can take root in us and grow. So the question then is, how can we be good soil? How can we receive the words of God?"
"By listening?" one child asks.
"Yes, by listening," I agree. "And just as the soil has to be prepared to receive the seed, we have to be prepared to listen, to receive the words of God, whether they come to us through the Bible or through another person.
"You know, God speaks to us in many ways, and not always with actual words. Sometimes God speaks to us through the beauty of a sunset or through the kindness of another person. But we won't hear God unless we are aware, unless we are ready to listen.
"How many of you have ever had someone say to you, 'You aren't listening to me!' " Several hands go up in response. "Who has said that to you in the past?" I ask, suspecting I know the answer.
"My parents," comes the unanimous reply.
"And have you ever said that to them?" Some of the children look shocked at this suggestion, but others nod agreement. "How do you feel when someone doesn't listen to what you're trying to say to them?" The children agree they don't like it.
"It's important to pay attention when someone wants us to listen, just as we want people to pay attention to us when we want them to listen. And it's the same way with God. God always listens to us; sometimes we don't listen to God. If we don't listen, we are like the hard ground, or the rocks, or the soil growing thorns; if we don't listen, God's words cannot take root in us and grow into the love and compassion which are its fruits."
I thank the children for coming and we have a short prayer before they go back to their seats: "God, thank you for giving us the ears to hear your words, the eyes to see your words, the hands to feel your words. Thank you for making us good soil in which your words and your love can sprout and grow as we share them with one another. Amen."
