Miniatures. Bring Lego Batmen, Action Figures, and More. Bring a bible too with John 3:16-17 marked. From https://dskidsermons.com/2018/02/27/march-11th-2018-4th-sunday-in-lent/
Hi everyone! I’m so glad you are here today.
So a happy daylight savings time to each of you. I’m…pretty tired. How about you? Accept answers. When I get tired, it’s hard for me to focus. So I tend relax and instead play. And I like to play with…action figures. I brought some of my favorite ones to play with and, if it’s okay, I’d like to share them with you.
Walk through the different figurines. Explain who they are. Ask the kids HOW we know who they are.
Now all these figures are miniature. They’re smaller versions of what they might look like in real life. Since these are smaller versions of the big versions, these little versions can’t have all everything that the big versions have. This one doesn’t have all everything of Batman – but it does have the details that are important – the helmet, the symbols, the color of the suit. We know what they represent because they have bits and pieces that are the essential – that tell us who this character is.
Today, in our story about Jesus, we’re going to hear some verses that we might have heard before. And these verses, according to Martin Luther, can be described as the “gospel” in miniature. They’re from the gospel according to John. One verse is John 3:16 – that talks about who Jesus is and why Jesus came. I would also add the next verse to that as well, 3:17 – to show a bit of what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. These verses are the essential bits of the faith we all have, describes a little bit of how and why God loves us, and invites us to discover more about what being with Jesus is all about.
Because even though these verses are the gospel in miniature, that doesn’t mean that all we need is to memorize or know these verses and that’s it. These verses are not just “the right answer” to life and if we can repeat them back to someone, we’re okay. Rather, these verses about Jesus, God, love, belief, and life invite us to do more – to spend time figuring out what God’s love is actually is; to discover what belief and trusting God looks like; to spend a life in church, in worship, and in prayer – because when we focus on what’s essential, we learn more about what God wants our life to be about. And that journey…well…never ends but there is joy, peace, and a sense of purpose when we engage with our faith in that way.
Thank you for being here and I hope you have a blessed week.
Each week, I share a reflection for all children of God. The written manuscript serves as a springboard for what I do. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship on Fourth Sunday in Lent, 3/11/2018.