Sharing in God's Riches for Everyone

Christ Episcopal Church

Children’s Chapel

September 25, 2016

Proper 21C

Theme: Sharing In God’s Riches

Bible Reference: 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Introduction: Good morning girls and boys! Do we have any new friends today? (Welcome new friends.) I am so happy to see everyone here! Today girls and boys we are going to hear two stories about sharing. Before we listen to each of these stories, I would like to hear in your words what sharing means to you. Let’s put on our thinking caps and think for just a moment lets think about what it means to share. When you have an idea, raise your hand. (Allow responses.) You all have a wonderful understanding of what it means to share! You are right that sharing means that we give something that we have to another person so that they have a little bit too. Sharing can also mean that we give of our time to another person who may need our help doing something or who may need someone to visit with them. Another way that we can share is to give of our special gifts and talents in order to be a service to another person or persons.

Bible Story: Today in our Bible reading the apostle Paul talks about what it means to share in God’s kingdom. In his letter to Timothy Paul says, “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.” Paul says in his letter to Timothy that to store up riches that we have here on earth is silly. He also says it is better to share our riches with others and to do good for God so that we can store up treasure in heaven. I wonder what Paul means. Let me share another story with you that may help explain what Paul is saying.

Read Aloud: “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” 

Response: In the story of “The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza” the hen asks for help from all of her friends to make a pizza. But what happens? No one wants to help her! The Little Red Hen could have said, “Well, I just will eat the whole pizza by myself!” But what does the Little Red Hen do? You are right! She shares the pizza with all of her friends even when they have not helped her. Later when the hen asks for help to wash the dishes do her friends help her? Yes! They are happy to help. Let’s look back again at what Paul said in his letter to Timothy. He said, “Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous.”  Sharing of our possessions or of our time or of our talent is not always easy. We may want to keep everything for ourselves, or we may not want to give our time or talent to help someone else. The Little Red Hen shared her time, talent and pizza with her friends even when they did not want to help her. She showed her friends love even if they didn’t really deserve it. She could have been angry at her friends and she could have kept all of the pizza but instead of storing up everything for herself, she was generous with her friends and shared her riches. What treasure did the Red Hen share so generously with others? You’re right!  She shared her pizza, her time and talent AND she also shared her love. In return the friends were able to eat the yummy pizza and they also gained an even greater treasure which was the love they were given so graciously by the Little Red Hen. In the same way, God generously and graciously gives us his love.  Paul says that when we are sharing ourselves whether we share something we have or we share our time or our talent, we gain a great treasure which is found in participating in God’s love and grace for everyone.

Pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the the many blessings you so graciously give to each one of us. Help us to trust in you so that your love may be shared with others through the gifts you have given us. In your holy name, Amen.

Response Activity (Crafts, Singing, or Another activity will be provided.)