The Mustard Seed
Children's sermon
Story Time At The Altar
86 Messages For Children
(Ask the children's choir or congregation to sing "Hymn of Promise" by Natalie Sleeth, #707, The United Methodist Hymnal.)
Our story this morning is one that Jesus told, like a hymn of promise we just sang. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, smallest of all the seeds, but inside is life that grows into a tree" (vv. 3l-32 paraphrased).
(Distribute mustard seeds or have an apple for cutting.)
Alice asked, "How does life come from what we cannot see?"
Her mother said, "Bring me an apple." (Cut open an apple to show the children.) "What do you see?"
Alice said, "Small seeds."
Mother cut open a seed. "Now what do you see?"
Alice said, "Nothing!"
Mother replied, "We call growth that we cannot see God's gift of life, as the hymn said, 'In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed an apple tree, in the cold and snow of winter there is a spring that waits to be, a dawn in every darkness, in our death, a resurrection, God's victory!' We call the things we cannot see 'mysteries.' "
Talk together: Tell me something you know is there but you cannot see it. Talk about wind and love and God.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for mysteries that only you know, and thank you for seeds and trees and Jesus' stories. Amen.
Our story this morning is one that Jesus told, like a hymn of promise we just sang. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, smallest of all the seeds, but inside is life that grows into a tree" (vv. 3l-32 paraphrased).
(Distribute mustard seeds or have an apple for cutting.)
Alice asked, "How does life come from what we cannot see?"
Her mother said, "Bring me an apple." (Cut open an apple to show the children.) "What do you see?"
Alice said, "Small seeds."
Mother cut open a seed. "Now what do you see?"
Alice said, "Nothing!"
Mother replied, "We call growth that we cannot see God's gift of life, as the hymn said, 'In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed an apple tree, in the cold and snow of winter there is a spring that waits to be, a dawn in every darkness, in our death, a resurrection, God's victory!' We call the things we cannot see 'mysteries.' "
Talk together: Tell me something you know is there but you cannot see it. Talk about wind and love and God.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for mysteries that only you know, and thank you for seeds and trees and Jesus' stories. Amen.
