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Exegetical Aim: Teach the children how God views them.

Props: A cross that can be held and a hand mirror - the mirror will be viewed one child at a time. It is necessary that the cross fit within the height and width of the mirror.

Lesson: I have something with me open your coat or robe and take a look in the mirror - don't let anyone else see the mirror and it is rather odd looking ... I mean this is really odd looking. I don't know whether to laugh or scream! Close your coat. Who wants to take a look at it? (response) Direct the child where to sit or stand and then open your coat so that he/she alone can see himself/herself in the mirror. To child #1. Now just look at that! Have you ever seen anything like that in your life? (response) I mean ... It kind of has a funny thing sticking out the front of it, doesn't it? (response) I wonder what that's for? (response) Okay, you can sit down ... obviously you don't know what it is. Who else wants to take a look? (response) Direct the child to the correct position. To child #2. Now you take a look. I don't know what that is. Do you? I mean it looks kind of strange to me. Does it to you? (response) Look at that hairy head on it. It's all fuzzy and scraggily looking. Ah, you're no help. Sit down. Anyone else want to take a look at it? (response) Find a boy with short hair. To child #3. Now don't let it scare you. Are you ready? (response) Look at that! What in the world is it? (response) Look at those things sticking out the side. Do you have any explanation for those things? What are those things supposed to be? (response) If he laughs, affirm that they are funny. Okay, you can sit down.

Do you all want to look at this? (response) No, you don't want to look at this, do you? (response) You think you can tell me what it is? (response) Okay. Bring the mirror down in front of the children - the congregation will probably strain to see what it is - and move it around for each child to see him/herself, as you say Now look at that. Isn't that the weirdest thing you have ever seen in your life? Don't let it scare you. I don't think it'll bite. Now, if you can tell me what that is, you're smarter than I am.

Turn the mirror on yourself. You know what I think it is? I think it's a rascal that gets in a lot of trouble and always has to get himself out. That's what I think it is. Hold the mirror up toward the congregation and say to the kids: You know what your mom and dad see ... more of the same: Just a bunch of scraggly rascals. I mean ... when I look at them I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I want to show you another mirror. Bring out the cross and put down the mirror. The cross is kind of like God's mirror. When God looks at the cross, he sees himself. God the Father looks down from heaven and he sees God the Son, Jesus, suffering and dying on the cross. So this is God's mirror and he sees himself suffering for us and loving us.

Application: God wants us to do something with our mirror. He wants us to take his mirror and place it in our mirror place the cross in the middle of the mirror and then God wants us to take one more look. Hold the mirror in front of the children and move it around slowly so that each child gets a good look at him/herself with the cross in the way. This is how God wants us to see ourselves. No longer are we a bunch of funny--nosed, hairy--headed, goofy--eared rascals. We are the people for whom God died and that means he loves us very much. That's what God wants us to see.

Let's Pray: Father, we no longer see ourselves in the mirror; we see the girl or boy for whom Jesus died. And, that makes all the difference in how we see ourselves. Amen.

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Passion/Palm Sunday
Philippians 2:5--11

What If God Was One Of Us?

Exegetical aim: Jesus became like us.

Props: A baby doll and a rattle or some other baby toy.

Lesson: How many of you have a baby brother or sister? (response) How many of you at one time had a baby brother or a sister? (response) How many of you have ever seen a baby? (response) I think that takes care of all of us! When you talk to a baby, do they understand what you are saying? (response) What if I said, "Hey, baby, ten plus ten equals twenty"? What would he say? (response) How do you talk to a baby? (response) Let me hear you talk to a baby. (response) Sometimes, the only thing that a baby will understand is baby talk. It helps to have a toy, like a doll or a rattle, to get their attention. When my children make this part appropriate for your situation were babies, I talked to them in baby talk. I would look around and make sure no one was looking, and then I would say and do something silly. Babies understand that kind of talk, or at least they seem to, but they don't understand math and spelling and science, do they? (response)

Application: Let me ask you something: If God wanted to talk to us face to face and be with us, what do you think is the best way for him to do that? (response) We talk to babies with baby talk. We shake rattles and make silly faces to play with them because that's what they understand. How can a great God talk to us little people? (response) The Bible tells us that he became a person. Who is that person? (Jesus) He became Jesus so he could look us in the eye and shake our hands and be our friend. Just like babies who don't understand math, we would be all confused if God talked to us from heaven. He became one of us so we would understand him and love him.

Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for letting Jesus come and be with us; for letting him be like us. Now we understand your great love for us. Amen.

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