Snow Angels
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A wooden manger with straw in it.
"There's something on the steps this morning, taking up a LOT of room. What is it?" I ask.
"A manger!" respond those children who recognize it from Christmases past.
"Why is it on the chancel steps?" I continue.
"To celebrate Advent?" Sally questions.
"Yes," I reply, "to celebrate Advent, a time of waiting for someone to come. For whom are we waiting?"
"Jesus!" the children answer, with eagerness that gives a special energy and urgency to their voices.
"Yes, we're waiting for Jesus. This is December, it's Advent, and we're waiting for Jesus. But it doesn't feel like December, does it?" The children shake their heads negatively.
"It's gotten so warm the last two days it feels like spring," I suggest. "Yet, just last Monday, didn't we have snow and ice?" All the children nod to indicate "Yes."
"And, on Tuesday it was so cold it was hard to go outside even with a coat on. Now, today, some of us have come to church in short sleeves. In fact, some of you," I continue as I smile at Mary who is wearing a sleeveless dress, "have come with NO sleeves!
"Even so, the snow earlier this week caused me to remember times I had enjoyed playing in the snow when I was your age. What is your favorite thing to do in the snow?" I throw the question out for general responses, which come thick and fast.
"Sled!" several children announce with obvious glee.
"Make a snowman!" two more offer.
"Play in it!"
"Make snowballs!"
"Have snow fights!"
"Build snow forts!"
Their answers keep flying. These children are involved and obviously enjoy snow.
"Have any of you ever made a snow angel?" I ask.
"Oh, yes!" come many positive assurances.
"That used to be one of my favorite things to do in the snow," I continue. "Of course, I lived in Nebraska when I was your age, and the part we lived in was very flat. So, even though I had a sled, the only way I could use it was with another person. One of us had to pull the sled while the other one rode. That was a lot of work for the one doing the pulling, so we never did it for very long.
" 'Angel' comes from the Greek word angelos, which means 'messenger,' " I tell them. "Sometimes God sent angels as messengers to tell human beings things God wanted people to know. Many of you remember the story of the shepherds who were in their fields watching their sheep. It was night, which meant it was dark. But suddenly there was a very bright light and an angel told them not to be afraid, that he had only come to tell them God's good news: that that very day, in the city of David, the Messiah had been born. Wow! That must have been quite an exciting experience! Imagine being visited by an angel -- especially one with such good news!" The children's faces brighten as their imaginations go to work.
"You know," I continue, "there's something of an angel inside each one of you. Just like the angel that visited the shepherds that night, you can be God's messengers every time you tell someone about Jesus. Maybe the next time you make a snow angel, you'll remember that angels are God's messengers and think about what message of good news and great joy you might bring to the world."
"A manger!" respond those children who recognize it from Christmases past.
"Why is it on the chancel steps?" I continue.
"To celebrate Advent?" Sally questions.
"Yes," I reply, "to celebrate Advent, a time of waiting for someone to come. For whom are we waiting?"
"Jesus!" the children answer, with eagerness that gives a special energy and urgency to their voices.
"Yes, we're waiting for Jesus. This is December, it's Advent, and we're waiting for Jesus. But it doesn't feel like December, does it?" The children shake their heads negatively.
"It's gotten so warm the last two days it feels like spring," I suggest. "Yet, just last Monday, didn't we have snow and ice?" All the children nod to indicate "Yes."
"And, on Tuesday it was so cold it was hard to go outside even with a coat on. Now, today, some of us have come to church in short sleeves. In fact, some of you," I continue as I smile at Mary who is wearing a sleeveless dress, "have come with NO sleeves!
"Even so, the snow earlier this week caused me to remember times I had enjoyed playing in the snow when I was your age. What is your favorite thing to do in the snow?" I throw the question out for general responses, which come thick and fast.
"Sled!" several children announce with obvious glee.
"Make a snowman!" two more offer.
"Play in it!"
"Make snowballs!"
"Have snow fights!"
"Build snow forts!"
Their answers keep flying. These children are involved and obviously enjoy snow.
"Have any of you ever made a snow angel?" I ask.
"Oh, yes!" come many positive assurances.
"That used to be one of my favorite things to do in the snow," I continue. "Of course, I lived in Nebraska when I was your age, and the part we lived in was very flat. So, even though I had a sled, the only way I could use it was with another person. One of us had to pull the sled while the other one rode. That was a lot of work for the one doing the pulling, so we never did it for very long.
" 'Angel' comes from the Greek word angelos, which means 'messenger,' " I tell them. "Sometimes God sent angels as messengers to tell human beings things God wanted people to know. Many of you remember the story of the shepherds who were in their fields watching their sheep. It was night, which meant it was dark. But suddenly there was a very bright light and an angel told them not to be afraid, that he had only come to tell them God's good news: that that very day, in the city of David, the Messiah had been born. Wow! That must have been quite an exciting experience! Imagine being visited by an angel -- especially one with such good news!" The children's faces brighten as their imaginations go to work.
"You know," I continue, "there's something of an angel inside each one of you. Just like the angel that visited the shepherds that night, you can be God's messengers every time you tell someone about Jesus. Maybe the next time you make a snow angel, you'll remember that angels are God's messengers and think about what message of good news and great joy you might bring to the world."
