Peanuts For Breakfast
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
None, though two possibilities include a cereal bowl and a donut.
It seemed to me, as I thought about this text, that the best way to get its message across to young children would be to discuss with them what they each ate for breakfast; surely they would not all have eaten the same thing. But I failed to factor in one detail of the morning's activities: during the church school hour there was an all-church breakfast. Of course, by the time I realized this, my route to helping the children discover the meaning of the text was already planned, so I followed it despite the unexpected turn events had taken. It is the nature of grace that following my intuition, what my heart said was right, did, in fact, accomplish the desired objective.
As soon as the children have come to the front of the sanctuary, I ask how many of them went to the breakfast that morning. Virtually all of them raise their hands. "I wonder if you all had the same thing to eat," I continue. "How many of you had eggs?" No hands are raised. "How many of you had bread?" Still no hands. "Surely you didn't have cereal?" I question, trying to recall if cereal was even available.
Like a bubble rising to the top of a pool of water, a word suddenly bursts from several of the children simultaneously: "Donuts!" No wonder I have not suggested the right thing -- by the time I had gotten to the breakfast, all the donuts were gone. Of course they ate donuts -- and, of course, all of them ate the same thing. It was time to bring in other breakfasts.
"Today was a special day at our church, when we all ate breakfast together. But on a usual day, what do you eat for breakfast?" I ask hopefully. "Cereal," comes the reply -- from every single child present. "Okay," I think to myself, "We can use this ..."
"I got up really early this morning," I continue. "I was very hungry, so I had a bowl of cereal before I came. When you eat cereal, what do you put on it?"
"Milk," comes the again unanimous response.
"I put milk on mine too. Do you put anything else on yours?" I ask.
The children look thoughtful, even a bit perplexed, as they ponder what else one might put on one's cereal. "Do you mean to tell me I am the only person here who puts peanuts on her cereal in the morning?"1 Surprised, the children laughingly agree.
Having gotten across that difference between us, I go on to point out others. I note that their shoes are all different, their hair colors and hair cuts are different. I ask them to look around the congregation and note the differences they see in the people gathered for worship.
"We don't all look alike," I suggest as they continue to look around. "We don't all eat alike. We don't all sound alike. We probably don't all think alike. God has created us with differences. And yet we are all God's children. We are all a part of this community we know as church, gathered here to worship God -- the God who made us to be who we are and to love one another just as we are, for that's how God loves us."
1. I really did at that time!
As soon as the children have come to the front of the sanctuary, I ask how many of them went to the breakfast that morning. Virtually all of them raise their hands. "I wonder if you all had the same thing to eat," I continue. "How many of you had eggs?" No hands are raised. "How many of you had bread?" Still no hands. "Surely you didn't have cereal?" I question, trying to recall if cereal was even available.
Like a bubble rising to the top of a pool of water, a word suddenly bursts from several of the children simultaneously: "Donuts!" No wonder I have not suggested the right thing -- by the time I had gotten to the breakfast, all the donuts were gone. Of course they ate donuts -- and, of course, all of them ate the same thing. It was time to bring in other breakfasts.
"Today was a special day at our church, when we all ate breakfast together. But on a usual day, what do you eat for breakfast?" I ask hopefully. "Cereal," comes the reply -- from every single child present. "Okay," I think to myself, "We can use this ..."
"I got up really early this morning," I continue. "I was very hungry, so I had a bowl of cereal before I came. When you eat cereal, what do you put on it?"
"Milk," comes the again unanimous response.
"I put milk on mine too. Do you put anything else on yours?" I ask.
The children look thoughtful, even a bit perplexed, as they ponder what else one might put on one's cereal. "Do you mean to tell me I am the only person here who puts peanuts on her cereal in the morning?"1 Surprised, the children laughingly agree.
Having gotten across that difference between us, I go on to point out others. I note that their shoes are all different, their hair colors and hair cuts are different. I ask them to look around the congregation and note the differences they see in the people gathered for worship.
"We don't all look alike," I suggest as they continue to look around. "We don't all eat alike. We don't all sound alike. We probably don't all think alike. God has created us with differences. And yet we are all God's children. We are all a part of this community we know as church, gathered here to worship God -- the God who made us to be who we are and to love one another just as we are, for that's how God loves us."
1. I really did at that time!
