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Order of Service

Gathering
Opening Hymn: "Come Children, Join to Sing"
Opening Remarks
Responsive Sentences
Prayers
Fairy Tale of Serendip
Prayers of Serendipity
Hymn: "God, Who Put the Stars in Space"
Proclaiming the Word
The Workers in the Vineyard (A Participation Story)
Dedication
Offering
Hymn: "We Thank Thee, Lord, for All Thy Gifts"

Work of the Planning Committee

1. Read over the entire service together, making changes to fit your group.
2. The success of this service depends upon a good, flexible adult leader. In telling the story of the Workers in the Vineyard, the story teller wants the audience to participate, needs their help to put across the story and should be prepared to improvise on the basis of their ideas. He/ she should encourage creative responses from the audience. He/she should tell the story in the midst of the audience. When the people on the left are asked to become grapevines, the leader should encourage each child to respond in his own way. You might say, "All these grapevines look alike. We need different kinds;" or, comment on unique ideas, "Oh, look, here's a tall one," etc. To make this participation story successful, the leader should insert questions to elicit a diversity of responses. He/she might ask the workers, "Are you getting tired?" "How are you doing the work now?" "How can you speed up your work so we can get all these grapes gathered?" It takes a gifted leader to convey the idea that the audience responses are not just gimmicks, but part of the story and that their responses help create the story.
3. This storyteller should also be able to put across the fairy tale, "The Three Princes of Serendip" and lead the group from this story into prayer. So, the main job of the planning committee will be to select this leader. Who is the best storyteller they know? Who will be able to involve the audience?
4. The suggested hymns are from a Scottish hymnal and may be unfamiliar to your group. Either learn these together or choose or write others.
5. If it is possible to decorate the room in which this service is held, have the children draw Serendipity pictures - pictures of wonderful things that have happened to them that were unexpected.

Bargaining With God

Opening Hymn: "Come Children, Join to Sing"

Leader:
Welcome to our children's liturgy. Have you ever tried to bargain with God? Have you ever said a little prayer: "God, if you'll let me pass this test, I promise to study next time." Or, "God, if you'll get me out of this scary place, I promise to go to Sunday School and always be
good." Or, "God, if you'll let me get well from this sickness, I won't ever hit my little brother again."

Did it work? Were you able to bargain with God? This is the theme of our worship together today.

Response Sentences

Leader:
So often we come to God with a list of things we want.

People:
Make us aware in this hour of what we already have.

Leader:
So often we are jealous of what others possess.

People:
Help us relax and enjoy the abundance of gifts that are ours.

Prayers

Leader:
As the background for our prayer time together, I want to tell you a fairy tale. This fairy tale comes from the lands of Persia, Ceylon, and India, and is called "The Three Princes of Serendip."

Long, long ago in a land far off at the end of the earth called Serendip, there lived three princes full of wisdom and great learning. They are sent by their father, the King, to find a secret formula which will rid the seas surrounding their country of dragons. For years they journey seeking the formula. Along the way, all sorts of unexpected rewards come their way because of their kindness and knowledge and courage. They receive jewels and kingdoms and beautiful princesses to marry and gold and palaces. They never find the formula, but instead find wonderful and magnificent things not sought for. In the end, even though they have failed in finding the formula, they even manage to rid the seas of dragons.

We have a word in our dictionary, "serendipity," which comes from this fairy tale. It means, "The gift of finding valuable things not sought for."

Let's sit quietly now and think about the things in our lives that have happened wonderfully and unexpectedly ... all the good things that have happened to you that were not planned ...

Heavenly Father, help us to trust you. Like the three princes of Serendip, may we live with kindness and courage. Make us aware of the many wonderful, unexpected gifts you have already given us in our lives. Amen.

Hymn: "God, Who Put the Stars in Space"

Proclaiming the Faith: Workers in the Vineyard

Even Peter, the great disciple of Jesus, tried to bargain with God. One day he said to Jesus, "Master, we have given up, everything to follow you - our homes, our families, our friends, our work, everything. What reward will God give us? How will he repay our goodness?

In answer to his questions Jesus told a story, a story about some workers in a vineyard. Will you help me tell that story now?

Once a man owned a very fine vineyard that gave a wonderful harvest of grapes. Grape harvest came in August or September just before the rainy season began. One day the farmer noticed the first grapes were beginning to get ripe. (Will the front row(s) on my left stand up and be the grapes growing?)

Then more grapes ripened. (Next two rows on left stand up. Leader encourages them to take shape of grapevines.)

The farmer realized that all his grapes were getting ripe at the same time. (Everyone on left stand up.) You are the grape harvest. This is the finest harvest of grapes that the farmer has ever had. Vines were weighed down to the ground by great bunches of fat, juicy grapes. (Leader encourages group to make creative responses.)

This harvest has to be gathered quickly before the heavy rains come or the farmer will lose his entire crop.

The farmer needed a great many workers to pick the grapes, so he went into town to hire men from those who vaited in the marketplace for any work that was to be had. The farmer went right at sunrise. The best workers were already there. These were good workmen who were ready to bargain for the best wages they could get for a day's work. Day's work began at sun-up and went until sun-down. The farmer was a fair and just man, so he offered a denarius to the man for a full day's work. This was a generous offer. It was a good day's pay for a laborer. The men agreed to go and they set off for the farm. Will the last two rows on the right please stand up? You are the good laborers who agree on the full day's work. How can you show us that you are the best workers? You see all those grapes over there? (Indicate left.) You are going to have to work very hard to gather all those fat bunches of grapes in your baskets.

The farmer checked the fields about nine o'clock. Only a portion of the grapes had been gathered. (One row on the left or half a row can sit down to indicate grapes picked.)

So the farmer went back to the marketplace again looking for more men to work. He found some and hired them at once. (Two more rows on right back stand up.) You are the pretty good workers who started at nine o'clock.

Later the farmer checked the vineyards again. All the men were working well, but still only a small portion of the grapes had been picked. (Few more on the left sit down, as indicated by the leader.) You have been picked.

Again the farmer went to the marketplace. It was nearly midday, but there were still men there waiting for work. (Some men on the right stand up.) These were also hired for work. They helped a great deal but still only a portion of the grapes were picked. (More on the left sit down.)

It went on like this all day. The farmer had to hire more men in the afternoon. (Others on the right stand up as hired workers.) Now the vineyard was buzzing with busy workers, gathering grapes as fast as they could. (Few more on the left sit down.) But still there were a lot more bunches to be picked.

Now it was almost five o'clock. There was only an hour left for work before sundown. The farmer went again to the marketplace, for every minute mattered. He was surprised to find some men lolling there. These were the men that no one would hire. Times were bad and even good workers were often out of work. These men were not very strong and could not work very hard. They seldom got any work at all. They, too, had wives and children to feed and to clothe. The farmer felt sorry for them and sent them to the vineyard. (Remainder of persons on the right stand up.)

At six o'clock the long day's work ended. All the grapes had been picked and the harvest was saved. (All the remainder of grapes on the left sit down.)

Now the farmer came out of the house and lined the laborers up for their wages.

First he paid those who were hired last one denarius apiece. (These workers sit.)

Then he paid those hired at noonday - one denarius. (They may sit.)

Next he paid those hired during the morning - one denanus. (They may sit.)

Finally he paid those who had worked from sunup to sundown - one denarius. You have been standing a long time. How do you feel about this? Do you think it is fair?

Neither did those workers. They became very angry.

The farmer asked, "Why are you angry?" What would you have said (To workers left standing on right)?

The laborers shouted, "We want a fair wage. We've slaved all day in your vineyard. We've sweated through the heat of the sun for twelve solid hours and you gave us the same pay as those lay-abouts who've only done one hour's work. We want our rights!"

The farmer answered, "You seem to think I have cheated you. I have done no wrong. Didn't you agree with me to do a day's work for one silver denarius? That is exactly what I paid you. You kept your part of the agreement. I have kept mine. This was our bargain. What are you grumbling about? Because I paid all the other men the same as you? But that's my business, not yours. Can't I do what I like with my own money? Why should you complain just because I choose to be generous. Are you full of envy, just because I was kind to the other workers? You have gotten exactly what you bargained for. (Remaining workers sit.)

This was a strange story for Jesus to tell, wasn't it? It turned everything upside-down. God is like the farmer. He loves to be generous. Those who bargain with him get only what they bargain for. Those who simply trust in him receive far more than they could ever deserve or expect. Those who expect nothing receive more than they could ever dream of.

This was Peter's answer. It is foolish to think we can bargain with God. We can only trust in him and rely on his goodness and generosity.

Leader: Let us now bring our gifts and offerings.

Offering

Closing Hymn: "We Thank Thee, Lord, for All Thy Gifts"