The Ten Commandments

Children’s Chapel

October 1, 2017

Bible Reference: Exodus 20: 1-20

Theme: The Ten Commandments

·         Welcome: Welcome all and ask if we have any new friends. Introduce new friends.

·         Church Traditions and Liturgical Calendar:

Who can tell me what liturgical season we are in right now. If you take a look at our liturgical calendar you will see that we are right in the middle of Ordinary Time. The color we use for this time is green so you will see that the cloth on our Children’s Chapel altar is green. You will also notice that in big church the altar frontal, church dressings, and clergy stoles are green.  Who would like to move the arrow on our liturgical calendar? (Allow one child to come up to the calendar to move the arrow forward one week.) The arrow is now pointing to the seventeenth green square.

·          Lighting of candles

(As one adult lights the altar candles, say.) We light these candles to remind us that Christ is the light of the world. We also remember that God is always with us, that Jesus lives in our hearts and that we are inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit. Before we begin our Bible lesson today, let us pray the Collect or prayer of the week.

·             Children’s Collect for October 1st:

Let Us Pray:

Heavenly Father, give us all of your grace, that we may receive your abundant treasure of love

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who

lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for

ever and ever. Amen.

·         Introduction: In today’s Bible story we will continue to read in the Old Testament book of Exodus about Moses and the Israelites. We remember from last week’s Bible story that Moses and the Israelites were wandering I the desert when the Israelites began to complain that they had no food or water. God provided for the Israelites needs by giving them manna or bread from heaven and living water from a rock. Even though God had taken care of all of the Israelites needs and had lead them away from the slavery they once lived in under the Egyptian Pharaoh, the Israelites still had a hard time following God, so God sent called Moses up on to a mountain. Let’s listen and see what happens next.

·         Bible Story: (Read Aloud) “The Jesus Storybook Bible” pp.105-107

With Children in grades 1-5, have several children volunteers read aloud to the others.

·         Bible Reference:

Exodus 20:1-20

Then God spoke all these words: ²I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ³you shall have no other gods before me. ⁴You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, ⁶but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. ⁷You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. ⁸Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. ⁹Six days you shall labor and do all your work. ¹⁰But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; there fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

·     Response: The Israelites were grumbling and beginning to take things into their own hands instead of trusting God, so God brought Moses up onto Mount Sinai in order to give him a set of rules or commandments for the Israelites to follow. There were ten rules that God gave to Moses which are called the Ten Commandments or God’s Law. These commandments are very important because God not only gave them to Moses and the Israelites, but also to all of us. But do you know what happened? The Israelites were unable to follow God’s law perfectly, and, you know what, neither can we. The good news is that God sent his son Jesus, many years after Moses. Jesus, as God, was the only one who could ever perfectly follow all of God’s laws. Jesus taught us how to love God and one another. Jesus also died upon the cross for all of us who are unable to follow God’s law perfectly so that we could always live with God forever. 

Let us pray.

·        Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give thanks for your son Jesus who came into the world to show us how to love you and each other. We give thanks that you love each of us so much that Jesus was sacrificed upon the cross so that we who can not perfectly follow your commands may live with you forever. Strengthen us daily in your love, that we may be able to love one another as you love each of us. In your holy name, Amen.

·        Response Activity will be provided.

Moses Leads the Israelites into the Wilderness

Children’s Chapel

September 24, 2017

Bible Reference: Exodus 16: 2-15

Theme: Moses Leads the Israelites into the Wilderness

·         Welcome: Welcome all and ask if we have any new friends. Introduce new friends.

·         Church Traditions and Liturgical Calendar:

Who can tell me what liturgical season we are in right now. If you take a look at our liturgical calendar you will see that we are right in the middle of Ordinary Time. The color we use for this time is green so you will see that the cloth on our Children’s Chapel altar is green. You will also notice that in big church the altar frontal, church dressings, and clergy stoles are green.  Who would like to move the arrow on our liturgical calendar? (Allow one child to come up to the calendar to move the arrow forward one week.) The arrow is now pointing to the sixteenth green square.

·          Lighting of candles

(As one adult lights the altar candles, say.) We light these candles to remind us that Christ is the light of the world. We also remember that God is always with us, that Jesus lives in our hearts and that we are inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit. Before we begin our Bible lesson today, let us pray the Collect or prayer of the week.

·             Children’s Collect for September 24th:

Let Us Pray:

Heavenly Father, help us to not be worried about earthly things, but to love things that come from heaven. Even as we live with the things of this world help us to always remember that your love is forever and is what gives us peace and hope. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

·         Introduction: In today’s Bible story we will continue to read in the Old Testament book of Exodus about Moses and the Israelites. We remember from last week’s Bible story that Moses and the Israelites escaped from the Pharaoh’s army because God parted the Red Sea allowing them to cross to safety on the other side. The Israelites rejoiced in God’s provision, but as they traveled into the wilderness with Moses, they began to grumble. Let’s see what happens next.

·        Bible Story: Read Aloud: “The Jesus Storybook Bible” p. 100-103

With Children in grades 1-5, have several children volunteers read aloud to the others.

Bible Reference: Exodus 16: 2-5

·        Response: In the Bible story we just listened to, Moses led the Israelites into the wilderness where there was nothing to eat or drink. The further they went into the desert the Israelites began to complain to Moses about the conditions they were living in. I think I probably would be upset too that I had followed Moses into this land where I had nothing to eat or drink. How about you? You may start to think like the Israelites thought. If it were me I would definitely complain and say that perhaps it would have been better if I had just stayed in Egypt instead of following Moses. It’s easy to understand the Israelites and their frustration because we would feel the same way. The good news for the Israelites and for us too is that God knows this about us. He knows that we are not perfect, that we complain and grumble when we are uncomfortable. He knows we may even get angry with him, yet he loves us anyway. He loved the Israelites so much that he provided them with food and living water from heaven and took care of all of their needs. In the same way, God loves us and gave us his son who gives us spiritual food and living water that through him all of our needs are taken care of now and forever. Let us pray.

·    Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for providing for all of our needs even as we grumble and complain. Strengthen us in your love and help us to remember that even when we feel we are all alone, you are always with us. Amen

·        Response Activity will be provided.