A Feast Of Love
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A checkered dish towel or small tablecloth and a heart cut out of wood.
After greeting the children, I ask, "What does it mean to have an enemy?"
"It means there's someone who doesn't like you," Carla answers.
"That's right ... and it could also mean someone you don't like," I respond.
"We've been going through Psalm 23 for several weeks, and today we've come to the fifth verse. It begins, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ...' That's why I asked what it means to have an enemy. It's fairly common when someone doesn't like us for us not to like them either. And if someone dislikes us enough to pick a fight, it's pretty normal to feel like fighting back. Since we're talking about this, I'd like all of you to make a fist." I demonstrate by making a fist of my own.
"Now, while you hold those fists, I want you to tell me who it is that prepares a table for us?"
"God?" John questions.
"Yes, John. God prepares the table ..." As I speak, I unfold a checkered cloth and spread it on the floor in front of the children. "... and God sets that table with love." With these words I place a heart (cut from wood and painted red) in the center of the cloth.
"And you know, a really interesting part of this verse says that God prepares this table in the presence of our enemies. So, that's got to mean that if I have an enemy and God invites me to this table, God's probably going to invite my enemy too -- because, even though I may not like that person, God loves that person just as much as me! Wow!"
"While you think about that for a moment I need a couple of you, without opening your fists, to try to pick up this heart ..."
Several children immediately pounce. They quickly realize they cannot pick it up with their fists closed. But two of them start pushing on opposite sides of the heart, and manage to pick it up together.
"Aha! George and Donna managed to do it -- but only by working together. Let's think about that for a moment ... I wonder, would you two have helped each other if you were enemies?"
"Probably not," George answers.
"So," I ask all the children, "if George had an enemy and both George and his enemy were invited to this feast of love, what would they have to do in order to participate in the feast?"
"They'd have to open their fists and let go of their anger with each other," Matt answers. "Otherwise, they'd go away without any love," he continues. And once again I am blessed by the wisdom of a young theologian.
"That's right, Matt. In order to receive love," I suggest as I pick up the heart, "and in order to give love," I continue as I hand the heart to the child beside me, indicating she should pass it on around, "we have to open our fists; we have to let go of our anger; we have to be open to one another and love one another, even our enemies, in order to receive the love God freely offers."
Prayer: "Dear God, we thank you for the feast of love you place before us in every moment of our lives. We thank you for your son Jesus who came to show us how to live together, teaching us to love one another. Help us to have the courage to follow his example, loving everyone, even those who do not love us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."
"It means there's someone who doesn't like you," Carla answers.
"That's right ... and it could also mean someone you don't like," I respond.
"We've been going through Psalm 23 for several weeks, and today we've come to the fifth verse. It begins, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ...' That's why I asked what it means to have an enemy. It's fairly common when someone doesn't like us for us not to like them either. And if someone dislikes us enough to pick a fight, it's pretty normal to feel like fighting back. Since we're talking about this, I'd like all of you to make a fist." I demonstrate by making a fist of my own.
"Now, while you hold those fists, I want you to tell me who it is that prepares a table for us?"
"God?" John questions.
"Yes, John. God prepares the table ..." As I speak, I unfold a checkered cloth and spread it on the floor in front of the children. "... and God sets that table with love." With these words I place a heart (cut from wood and painted red) in the center of the cloth.
"And you know, a really interesting part of this verse says that God prepares this table in the presence of our enemies. So, that's got to mean that if I have an enemy and God invites me to this table, God's probably going to invite my enemy too -- because, even though I may not like that person, God loves that person just as much as me! Wow!"
"While you think about that for a moment I need a couple of you, without opening your fists, to try to pick up this heart ..."
Several children immediately pounce. They quickly realize they cannot pick it up with their fists closed. But two of them start pushing on opposite sides of the heart, and manage to pick it up together.
"Aha! George and Donna managed to do it -- but only by working together. Let's think about that for a moment ... I wonder, would you two have helped each other if you were enemies?"
"Probably not," George answers.
"So," I ask all the children, "if George had an enemy and both George and his enemy were invited to this feast of love, what would they have to do in order to participate in the feast?"
"They'd have to open their fists and let go of their anger with each other," Matt answers. "Otherwise, they'd go away without any love," he continues. And once again I am blessed by the wisdom of a young theologian.
"That's right, Matt. In order to receive love," I suggest as I pick up the heart, "and in order to give love," I continue as I hand the heart to the child beside me, indicating she should pass it on around, "we have to open our fists; we have to let go of our anger; we have to be open to one another and love one another, even our enemies, in order to receive the love God freely offers."
Prayer: "Dear God, we thank you for the feast of love you place before us in every moment of our lives. We thank you for your son Jesus who came to show us how to live together, teaching us to love one another. Help us to have the courage to follow his example, loving everyone, even those who do not love us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."
