God Always Forgives

Children’s Chapel

June 12, 2016
Proper 6C

Theme: God always forgives us.

Welcome: Children will enter quietly and sit together on the floor. Welcome all children and ask if there are any new friends today.

Preview the Story: How many of you have every said “I’m sorry” or have had someone tell you “I’m sorry.”  What do the words “I’m sorry” mean and why do we say it? Sometimes we may do something that hurts another person’s feelings either by what we say or do. We may do something that we know or maybe don’t know is not a good thing to do. We are made in God’s image, but we are human so that means that we are not perfect and that’s ok. We are God’s children and even when we do something that is not good, God still loves us and forgives us. Today we are going hear a Bible story about God’s forgiveness.

           

The Bible Story: (Read Aloud)

Luke 7:36 - 8:3

³⁶One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. ³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” ⁴¹“A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ⁴⁸Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Respond to the Story: In the story we just listened to Jesus has dinner with a Pharisee who in Jesus’ time was a very important religious man. A woman came in and began washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointing his feet with expensive oil. This may seem really strange if someone did this today. But in Jesus’ times, they wore sandals and their feet got dusty on the dirt roads that the people traveled. It was not strange for a person to be offered a bowl of water to wash their feet when they came to a person’s home. But the Pharisee did not offer Jesus a bowl to wash his feet. The woman who came into the room where Jesus was had done many things she for which she was very sorry. She recognized that Jesus was a very holy man. We know that Jesus is God’s Son and is God himself. When the woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears he knew that she was very sorry and he told her that she was forgiven. No matter what we do or say that may be hurtful or wrong, God always forgives us. We may feel great sadness for what we have done as the woman who cried over Jesus’ feet did. We can find peace and hope in knowing that God always forgives us.

Pray:  Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us as your children and for always being with us. Thank you for always forgiving us even when we have done something that hurts others. Help us to follow your ways of love. In your holy name, Amen.

Response Activity: Forgiveness craft

Elijah and the Widow

Children’s Chapel

June 5, 2016

Proper 5C

Introduction for Teachers:  Last week’s Bible story as well as this week’s story come from the Old Testament and center on the prophet Elijah. Elijah comes to the home of a widow and asks for something to eat. The widow shows that she has faith in God through trusting Elijah’s instructions to her.

Welcome: Children will enter quietly and sit together on the floor. Welcome all children and ask if there are any new friends today.

Preview the Story: In last week’s Bible story we heard a story about God’s prophet, Elijah who was a special servant of God. Elijah trusted in God and helped the people of Israel understand that there are no other gods but Yahweh. Today we will hear another Bible story about Elijah and a widow woman and how they both trust God.

           

The Bible Story: (Read Aloud)

1 Kings 17:8-24

⁸Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁹“Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” ¹⁰So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” ¹¹As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” ¹²But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” ¹³Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” ¹⁵She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

¹⁷After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” ¹⁹But he said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. ²⁰He cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” ²¹Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” ²²The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. ²³Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” ²⁴So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

Respond to the Story: In the Bible story Elijah comes to a widow woman and asks her to prepare him a little loaf of bread. She tells Elijah that she has barely enough to make bread for her and her son and that then they will die. Elijah responds by telling her that her grain will not run out nor will her oil. The woman shows great faith in the God of Elijah and does as Elijah says. The grain miraculously does not run out and the oil remains in the jar. But then the widow’s son becomes sick and dies. The widow asks Elijah why she has had such misfortune when she has trusted in Elijah and his God. Elijah takes the child to his own room and prays that God will restore the life of the child. God hears Elijah’s prayers and the child is alive. God loves Elijah and the widow and her son. God loves each of us too because we are his children. God provides for our needs and is always with us in good times, difficult times and everywhere in between. We can have faith like Elijah and the widow and know that God hears our prayers and provides for us.

Pray:  Thank you God for taking care of us, for blessing us with all of our needs and for calling us your children. Let us grow in our relationship with you through your Holy Spirit that we may live in peace and love with one another.  Amen.

Response Activity: “Elijah and the Widow” story board.

Psalm 8

Children’s Chapel

May 22, 2016

Proper 4C

Introduction for Teachers:  In our lesson today we will be looking at a reading from the book of Psalms. In the reading the author praises God for his creation drawing specific reference to how God created man to care for creation. As children of God we are made in his image and given many gifts and talents that are ignited by the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen each one of us as we serve God and care for his creation.

Welcome: Children will enter quietly and sit together on the floor. Welcome all children and ask if there are any new friends today.

Preview the Story: In last weeks Bible story we learned about a very special gift that is given to each of us because God loves all of us as his children. That gift is the Holy Spirit who is a part of God and lives in each of our hearts to strengthen and inspire us as we grow in God’s love every day. Today we will listen to a reading from the book of Psalms which is a collection of prayers and songs written to God.

           

The Bible Story: (Read Aloud)

Psalm 8

¹O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established;

⁴what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?

⁵Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.

⁶You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet,

⁷all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,

⁸the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Respond to the Story: In the chapter of Psalm that I just read to you, the author is praising God for the gift of creation. He says as God’s children God has “crowned [us] with glory and honor [and has] given [us] dominion over the works of [God’s] hands . . .” God has given us all of creation to care for. That’s a big job isn’t it? But God does not ask us to do this all by our selves. Just as we learned last week, God is always with us and through the power of the Holy Spirit he gives us certain gifts and talents from his own heart that give us the ability to care for his creation. God works through each of us his children to allow his love to flow into the world and to care for all of his creation. Just as the author of the Psalm we just heart had a grateful heart, we too may have grateful hearts knowing that God has made us his children and has given us the Holy Spirit to help us as we care for his creation.

Pray:  Thank you God for making us each one of us in your image and calling us all your children. Thank you for your creation and for your Holy Spirit who lives in one with you and your Son Jesus. Strengthen and inspire us through the power of the Holy Spirit to care for your creation. Amen.

Chapel Response Activity: Children will make a Psalm 8 craft. (Materials and supplies will be provided and set up for craft response activity.)