Don't Lose Your Marbles!
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A muslin bag filled with marbles, part of which are corralled together in a net bag.
As the children group themselves on the chancel steps, I hold up a muslin bag and shake it. The contents give off a telltale clicking sound. "Do you know what I have in this bag?" I ask.
"MARBLES!" the children reply with evident glee.
"That's right, and I'm going to need a little help here. Melissa, would you hold these?" I hand her part of the marbles which are secured in a net bag. Then I turn to Tommy and ask, "Would you hold these?"
He extends one hand to take the muslin bag. However, this is not what I have in mind. "You may want to use both hands, Tommy," I suggest. As he puts his hands together, I pour into them the contents of the bag -- loose marbles.
"Now," I address all of the children, "why did I ask Tommy to use both hands?"
"So he wouldn't spill his marbles," Ted answers.
"That's right, Ted," I agree. "But Melissa didn't need two hands to hold the other marbles. How are Tommy's marbles different?"
"Tommy's are loose!" several children reply in chorus.
"That's right," I continue, "so he needed both hands to hang on to them."
"Have any of you ever heard the expression, 'You must have lost your marbles'?"
Several children nod affirmatively. I ask one of them, "What does it mean?"
"That you don't know where they are," he answers. Once again I am reminded how concretely and literally young children think. Jason, who is older, waves his hand wildly to get my attention. I nod to him and he says, "If you've lost your marbles it could mean you've gone crazy."
"Yes, it could mean you had some real marbles and actually lost them. But often when people say, 'You've lost your marbles,' it's an expression that means you've done something really crazy.
"I know some people think I'm crazy for bringing marbles to church. But I brought them today because I want to talk to you about 'self-control.' What does it mean to have 'self-control'?"
"Not to go crazy," Terry says matter-of-factly, emphasizing the word "not."
"Yes," I reply. "It has something to do with making a choice about how we behave. Sometimes it takes a lot of self-control to make the right choice, to do the right thing, particularly when our friends may be encouraging us or daring us to do something we know isn't right. For example, what would you do if someone hit you?" I ask.
"I'd tell someone," Timothy answers.
"That's a good thing to do, Tim. And a lot safer than hitting the person back. What did Jesus say to do if someone hit you on the cheek?"
"He said to turn the other cheek, too," John replies.
"That's right, John. And that seems sort of crazy, doesn't it? But it reminds us that we have a choice, and while it is easy to respond to anger with anger, to violence with violence, to hatred with hatred, Jesus asks us to keep our cool, to make a choice to do the right thing -- to follow his example and respond to anger, hatred, and violence with love, understanding, and compassion. Sometimes the right choice is not an easy choice, and sometimes we need help to stay in control of ourselves. Who helps us do that?"
"Our parents," Mary answers.
"Jesus," Bobby says.
"The church?" Jennifer asks.
"Yes, our parents help us make right choices, as do Jesus and our church family," I affirm. "When we don't feel courageous or strong enough to make the right choice on our own, we can call on our family and friends for help and we can turn to Jesus and God in prayer. Well, I want to give you an opportunity to practice self-control right here in church this morning. I want every one of you to take a marble." At this suggestion, there is a noticeable intake of breath from some of the adults in the sanctuary.
"Now, this is VERY important ..." I stop speaking until I have made eye contact with every child present. Then I continue: "I want you to have enough self-control that you don't play with your marbles until AFTER church -- and whatever you do, don't drop them during the rest of our worship service. If you think you might have trouble, you can ask your mom or dad to hold your marble for you until later.1
"Okay, let's have a prayer before you go. God, thank you for the gifts of the spirit, which include self-control. Thank you for giving us the wisdom, direction, and courage it takes to make the right choices. Help us always to remember that we CAN choose how we behave. We offer this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen."
1. Because the Youth Choir sang at our early service on this Sunday, the average age of the children was considerably older than at the second service. During early worship, five marbles were dropped and went bouncing across the sanctuary's hardwood floors, under the pews, to the back of the church. The younger children, during the second service, did not drop a single marble.
"MARBLES!" the children reply with evident glee.
"That's right, and I'm going to need a little help here. Melissa, would you hold these?" I hand her part of the marbles which are secured in a net bag. Then I turn to Tommy and ask, "Would you hold these?"
He extends one hand to take the muslin bag. However, this is not what I have in mind. "You may want to use both hands, Tommy," I suggest. As he puts his hands together, I pour into them the contents of the bag -- loose marbles.
"Now," I address all of the children, "why did I ask Tommy to use both hands?"
"So he wouldn't spill his marbles," Ted answers.
"That's right, Ted," I agree. "But Melissa didn't need two hands to hold the other marbles. How are Tommy's marbles different?"
"Tommy's are loose!" several children reply in chorus.
"That's right," I continue, "so he needed both hands to hang on to them."
"Have any of you ever heard the expression, 'You must have lost your marbles'?"
Several children nod affirmatively. I ask one of them, "What does it mean?"
"That you don't know where they are," he answers. Once again I am reminded how concretely and literally young children think. Jason, who is older, waves his hand wildly to get my attention. I nod to him and he says, "If you've lost your marbles it could mean you've gone crazy."
"Yes, it could mean you had some real marbles and actually lost them. But often when people say, 'You've lost your marbles,' it's an expression that means you've done something really crazy.
"I know some people think I'm crazy for bringing marbles to church. But I brought them today because I want to talk to you about 'self-control.' What does it mean to have 'self-control'?"
"Not to go crazy," Terry says matter-of-factly, emphasizing the word "not."
"Yes," I reply. "It has something to do with making a choice about how we behave. Sometimes it takes a lot of self-control to make the right choice, to do the right thing, particularly when our friends may be encouraging us or daring us to do something we know isn't right. For example, what would you do if someone hit you?" I ask.
"I'd tell someone," Timothy answers.
"That's a good thing to do, Tim. And a lot safer than hitting the person back. What did Jesus say to do if someone hit you on the cheek?"
"He said to turn the other cheek, too," John replies.
"That's right, John. And that seems sort of crazy, doesn't it? But it reminds us that we have a choice, and while it is easy to respond to anger with anger, to violence with violence, to hatred with hatred, Jesus asks us to keep our cool, to make a choice to do the right thing -- to follow his example and respond to anger, hatred, and violence with love, understanding, and compassion. Sometimes the right choice is not an easy choice, and sometimes we need help to stay in control of ourselves. Who helps us do that?"
"Our parents," Mary answers.
"Jesus," Bobby says.
"The church?" Jennifer asks.
"Yes, our parents help us make right choices, as do Jesus and our church family," I affirm. "When we don't feel courageous or strong enough to make the right choice on our own, we can call on our family and friends for help and we can turn to Jesus and God in prayer. Well, I want to give you an opportunity to practice self-control right here in church this morning. I want every one of you to take a marble." At this suggestion, there is a noticeable intake of breath from some of the adults in the sanctuary.
"Now, this is VERY important ..." I stop speaking until I have made eye contact with every child present. Then I continue: "I want you to have enough self-control that you don't play with your marbles until AFTER church -- and whatever you do, don't drop them during the rest of our worship service. If you think you might have trouble, you can ask your mom or dad to hold your marble for you until later.1
"Okay, let's have a prayer before you go. God, thank you for the gifts of the spirit, which include self-control. Thank you for giving us the wisdom, direction, and courage it takes to make the right choices. Help us always to remember that we CAN choose how we behave. We offer this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen."
1. Because the Youth Choir sang at our early service on this Sunday, the average age of the children was considerably older than at the second service. During early worship, five marbles were dropped and went bouncing across the sanctuary's hardwood floors, under the pews, to the back of the church. The younger children, during the second service, did not drop a single marble.
