The Grain Of Faith
Children's Liturgy and Story
Call to Worship:
We may sometimes feel as though we are too inferior and too insignificant to be of any use to God. But God can make the tiniest of seeds grow into a huge bush. In our worship today let us offer to God all that we can and ask him to use us as yeast to enable his kingdom to grow.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes I'm afraid of being too presumptuous or too proud.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I feel too small to be noticed by you.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the size of the Christian task.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Matthew 13:31-33 and 44-52 (NRSV)
He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; [32] it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
[33] He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
[45] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; [46] on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
[47] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; [48] when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. [49] So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous [50] and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[51] "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." [52] And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
Story:
We often fail to believe that we can make any difference, because we are too few or we don't have the right gifts. But Jesus changed the world with just twelve ordinary people who had no special gifts, who weren't leaders and who had very little education between them. All we need is a grain of faith that God will step in and help.
This is a story about that grain of faith.
The Grain Of Faith
The grain of faith was very tiny. It was so minuscule that it wondered whether anyone at all could see it or even sense it. Of course, there were advantages in being that small. The grain of faith could hop from one human being to another without ever being noticed. It could embed itself inside a human being, knowing that that human being would be none the wiser. But it was difficult for the grain of faith to announce itself to the world when it was no bigger than the tiniest seed.
One day, the grain of faith saw a likely human being. With a hop, a skip and a jump the grain of faith was soon deep inside that human being's heart. There it set to work, for it knew that given the right conditions, it could grow and grow and grow into a great tree of faith.
The water and the necessary manure came together. The chosen human being learned that her husband was seriously ill and might die. The grain of faith felt the enormous pain this created in the human being's heart. The pain was so terrible that it was accompanied by a great lake of tears.
'Hmm,' thought the grain of faith. 'Awful conditions, just right for me to grow. All we need now is a little warmth.'
But the warmth never came. The human being cried, "Why has this happened to me? What have I done to deserve this? Clearly God doesn't love me, therefore I hate God."
The grain of faith was very sad, but realised there was nothing to be done so hopped, skipped and jumped into another human being. This one was a child, so perhaps more ready for a grain of faith to grow.
The manure for the child was coming last in the Maths test and failing to win a place in the school football team, all of which happened on the same day. The lake of tears started as soon as the child reached home, together with a serious temper tantrum. The grain of faith was discouraged, especially when the child was scolded for his behaviour and not loved into a better frame of mind.
The grain of faith hopped, skipped and jumped on, firm in its belief that somehow, somewhere, there was a human being who would allow a grain of faith to grow.
Then the grain of faith spotted Carol. Carol was a Brownie, but her Brownie pack was under threat. Brown Owl was leaving to get married and there were no other grown ups to take over as leaders. Carol was disconsolate. "It's not fair!" she declared. "We like Brownies and we want to continue. Please God, make someone come along to help us."
The grain of faith saw its chance. With its hop, skip and jump it was soon inside Carol's heart. Carol shed a few tears at the thought of her Brownie pack disbanding, but then she began to think about what she could do to prevent that happening.
'At last!' thought the grain of faith. 'At last I've found a human being who might believe in God and believe in herself. Perhaps Carol will have the warmth needed.'
And Carol did. She decided there and then to write to the newspapers and the television, appealing for new leaders. Then she wrote invitation cards to all the parents of the Brownies in the pack, to invite them to come to a special meeting. Then she and her friends in the Brownies got together to make cakes for the meeting.
The grain of faith grew bigger and bigger and bigger. And as the grain of faith grew bigger, so Carol gained more and more confidence. She became certain that a new leader would be found and she convinced all of her friends. It wasn't long before the grain of faith was as huge as a tree and influencing the whole village.
Three leaders came forward for the Brownie pack and when Carol herself was too old for Brownies, she moved up into the Guides and became a junior Brownie leader.
"Who'd have thought it!" said all the people, amazed. "One little girl, and she made all this happen!"
The tree of faith grinned to itself and waved its branches. It was now so big and strong inside Carol that it knew Carol would go on to great things when she grew up.
And it was right.
Activity:
You need:
Paper
Paints or felt tips or crayons
Pitta bread
Rolls
Strong flour
Yeast
Sugar
Water
Two bread making machines
If possible, make bread with the children. If you don't have access to a kitchen, you may be able to bring a couple of bread-making machines. Talk about the yeast and how it makes the bread rise. Show the pitta bread which is unleavened and the rolls which are leavened and let the children feel and sample the difference.
Show how little yeast is needed to leaven a whole loaf. If you have the facilities to do so, let the children mix and knead the dough and then leave it to rise for the rest of the session. Take a look at it again before the children go home, so that they can see the risen dough.
If you don't have the facilities to do this, prepare at home one lot of dough in one of the bread making machines, so that you can finish cooking it during the session. With the other machine, let the children add the ingredients to make the bread and when the dough has started mixing, show them what it looks like. Hopefully the first machine will produce a beautiful loaf (and a wonderful aroma!) before they go home, so they can see the contrast between the early, unrisen dough and the finished loaf.
Talk about yeast and tell them (especially if there are only a few of them) that God only needs a few good people to bring in his kingdom. Tell them that each of them is very important to God in God's plan and that if everyone followed Jesus, God's kingdom would soon be seen on earth.
If you have time, give out the paper and paints and get the children to paint their own picture of God's kingdom.
Prayers:
God of the kingdom, may your grain of faith grow in our church until it is a strong tree, so that we can all experience the joys and delights of your kingdom here on earth.
God of the kingdom, help us human beings to share. May we relinquish our hold on what is ours, for the advantage of those who have very little. Remove the greed from human hearts, so that all human beings may share in the goodness of your kingdom.
God of the kingdom, take away our negativity and replace it with optimism and belief in your abilities. May we know that you are still active on earth and may we have the faith to help your kingdom come.
God of the kingdom, we pray for all who will shortly enter your kingdom, living there for ever. Comfort those who are left in mourning and help them to see that this is but a temporary separation. Give them faith to believe in life after death. We pray too for all who are sick, naming them before you for your healing touch ...
Blessing:
May the mustard seed of faith inside you
grow into a strong tree
and influence all with whom
you come into contact this week.
And may the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Be with you, be in your homes
And in your families,
With those whom you love
And with those for whom you pray,
Both now and always. Amen.
We may sometimes feel as though we are too inferior and too insignificant to be of any use to God. But God can make the tiniest of seeds grow into a huge bush. In our worship today let us offer to God all that we can and ask him to use us as yeast to enable his kingdom to grow.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes I'm afraid of being too presumptuous or too proud.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I feel too small to be noticed by you.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the size of the Christian task.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Matthew 13:31-33 and 44-52 (NRSV)
He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; [32] it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
[33] He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
[45] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; [46] on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
[47] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; [48] when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. [49] So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous [50] and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[51] "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." [52] And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
Story:
We often fail to believe that we can make any difference, because we are too few or we don't have the right gifts. But Jesus changed the world with just twelve ordinary people who had no special gifts, who weren't leaders and who had very little education between them. All we need is a grain of faith that God will step in and help.
This is a story about that grain of faith.
The Grain Of Faith
The grain of faith was very tiny. It was so minuscule that it wondered whether anyone at all could see it or even sense it. Of course, there were advantages in being that small. The grain of faith could hop from one human being to another without ever being noticed. It could embed itself inside a human being, knowing that that human being would be none the wiser. But it was difficult for the grain of faith to announce itself to the world when it was no bigger than the tiniest seed.
One day, the grain of faith saw a likely human being. With a hop, a skip and a jump the grain of faith was soon deep inside that human being's heart. There it set to work, for it knew that given the right conditions, it could grow and grow and grow into a great tree of faith.
The water and the necessary manure came together. The chosen human being learned that her husband was seriously ill and might die. The grain of faith felt the enormous pain this created in the human being's heart. The pain was so terrible that it was accompanied by a great lake of tears.
'Hmm,' thought the grain of faith. 'Awful conditions, just right for me to grow. All we need now is a little warmth.'
But the warmth never came. The human being cried, "Why has this happened to me? What have I done to deserve this? Clearly God doesn't love me, therefore I hate God."
The grain of faith was very sad, but realised there was nothing to be done so hopped, skipped and jumped into another human being. This one was a child, so perhaps more ready for a grain of faith to grow.
The manure for the child was coming last in the Maths test and failing to win a place in the school football team, all of which happened on the same day. The lake of tears started as soon as the child reached home, together with a serious temper tantrum. The grain of faith was discouraged, especially when the child was scolded for his behaviour and not loved into a better frame of mind.
The grain of faith hopped, skipped and jumped on, firm in its belief that somehow, somewhere, there was a human being who would allow a grain of faith to grow.
Then the grain of faith spotted Carol. Carol was a Brownie, but her Brownie pack was under threat. Brown Owl was leaving to get married and there were no other grown ups to take over as leaders. Carol was disconsolate. "It's not fair!" she declared. "We like Brownies and we want to continue. Please God, make someone come along to help us."
The grain of faith saw its chance. With its hop, skip and jump it was soon inside Carol's heart. Carol shed a few tears at the thought of her Brownie pack disbanding, but then she began to think about what she could do to prevent that happening.
'At last!' thought the grain of faith. 'At last I've found a human being who might believe in God and believe in herself. Perhaps Carol will have the warmth needed.'
And Carol did. She decided there and then to write to the newspapers and the television, appealing for new leaders. Then she wrote invitation cards to all the parents of the Brownies in the pack, to invite them to come to a special meeting. Then she and her friends in the Brownies got together to make cakes for the meeting.
The grain of faith grew bigger and bigger and bigger. And as the grain of faith grew bigger, so Carol gained more and more confidence. She became certain that a new leader would be found and she convinced all of her friends. It wasn't long before the grain of faith was as huge as a tree and influencing the whole village.
Three leaders came forward for the Brownie pack and when Carol herself was too old for Brownies, she moved up into the Guides and became a junior Brownie leader.
"Who'd have thought it!" said all the people, amazed. "One little girl, and she made all this happen!"
The tree of faith grinned to itself and waved its branches. It was now so big and strong inside Carol that it knew Carol would go on to great things when she grew up.
And it was right.
Activity:
You need:
Paper
Paints or felt tips or crayons
Pitta bread
Rolls
Strong flour
Yeast
Sugar
Water
Two bread making machines
If possible, make bread with the children. If you don't have access to a kitchen, you may be able to bring a couple of bread-making machines. Talk about the yeast and how it makes the bread rise. Show the pitta bread which is unleavened and the rolls which are leavened and let the children feel and sample the difference.
Show how little yeast is needed to leaven a whole loaf. If you have the facilities to do so, let the children mix and knead the dough and then leave it to rise for the rest of the session. Take a look at it again before the children go home, so that they can see the risen dough.
If you don't have the facilities to do this, prepare at home one lot of dough in one of the bread making machines, so that you can finish cooking it during the session. With the other machine, let the children add the ingredients to make the bread and when the dough has started mixing, show them what it looks like. Hopefully the first machine will produce a beautiful loaf (and a wonderful aroma!) before they go home, so they can see the contrast between the early, unrisen dough and the finished loaf.
Talk about yeast and tell them (especially if there are only a few of them) that God only needs a few good people to bring in his kingdom. Tell them that each of them is very important to God in God's plan and that if everyone followed Jesus, God's kingdom would soon be seen on earth.
If you have time, give out the paper and paints and get the children to paint their own picture of God's kingdom.
Prayers:
God of the kingdom, may your grain of faith grow in our church until it is a strong tree, so that we can all experience the joys and delights of your kingdom here on earth.
God of the kingdom, help us human beings to share. May we relinquish our hold on what is ours, for the advantage of those who have very little. Remove the greed from human hearts, so that all human beings may share in the goodness of your kingdom.
God of the kingdom, take away our negativity and replace it with optimism and belief in your abilities. May we know that you are still active on earth and may we have the faith to help your kingdom come.
God of the kingdom, we pray for all who will shortly enter your kingdom, living there for ever. Comfort those who are left in mourning and help them to see that this is but a temporary separation. Give them faith to believe in life after death. We pray too for all who are sick, naming them before you for your healing touch ...
Blessing:
May the mustard seed of faith inside you
grow into a strong tree
and influence all with whom
you come into contact this week.
And may the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Be with you, be in your homes
And in your families,
With those whom you love
And with those for whom you pray,
Both now and always. Amen.
