Site Index
?
Written for Sunday, March 17, 2013
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Lectionary Year C
For .pdf of this message click here
Scripture: John 12:1-
View all Children’s
Time Messages
View previous
Children’s Time Message
Supplies Needed: No supplies needed.
ASK (a.k.a The Onramp Section)
- Good morning!
- What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
- Do you remember who gave it to you? Raise your hand if you remember [don’t ask for names. Just a show of hands]
- Have you ever given a gift to that person that was as good as the gift that they gave you?
- Probably not, right? It’s difficult to give good gifts, isn’t it? Especially to those who are good gift givers themselves.
TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)
- The same was true for the people who received the gifts of belonging, healing and forgiveness that Jesus offered them. It was very rare that anyone gave Jesus a gift back.
- But in today’s story, we hear of someone who DID give Jesus a gift. And, it was a very expensive gift.
- It was so expensive that it cost a whole year’s worth of work.
- It was so expensive that one of Jesus’ disciples complained about it. Can you imagine someone complaining about a good gift that you gave? That’d be pretty rude, wouldn’t it?
SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)
- So this story was making me think about how might we give gifts to Jesus.
- One of the things that came to mind was how much the gift cost in time: One year’s worth of wages.
- When we give someone our time, that can show them how much we appreciate them.
- One way that we can give Jesus the gift of our time is to spend time here on Sunday mornings and at home in the evening reading and learning about the stories of Jesus.
- Another way that we can give Jesus the gift of our time is to practice paying attention to God in prayer in the same ways that Jesus did.
- And that’s the good news for today: That we can give Jesus a really good gift, and that good gift is our time.
- Then, as we give Jesus our gift of time, then we are more able to receive and experience the gifts of belonging, healing and forgiveness that Jesus offers to everyone who is around him.
CLOSING Prayer
- Let's Pray. This is a repeat-
after- me prayer.
Dear God,
Dear God,
Thank you for Jesus.
Thank you for Jesus.
Help us to give him the gift of our time…
Help us to give him the gift of our time…
…and in so doing…
…and in so doing…
…help us to learn…
…help us to learn…
…more about you.
…more about you.
We pray these things in your name,
We pray these things in your name,
Amen.
This material is the copyrighted property of rfour.org. Please use, improve and share this material.
But do not ever sell it.
