Resources for Christian Education

Written for Sunday, November 10, 2013

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary Year C

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Scripture: Luke 20:27-38
[ Summary: Sadducees ask Jesus trick question about heaven. ]

Supplies Needed: No supplies are needed.

ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
To get things started, I’d like to do a quick game with you where you repeat everything I say.
Ready? [whisper: I’ll know you’re ready when you say “ready”]
Ready? (Ready?)
[say in a dull voice]: Red (red), blue (blue), green (green), green (green), green (green), green (green).
[say in a lively voice]: Now, what’s the color of grass? (Now, what’s the color of grass)
[Note: They might not repeat you. They might actually answer you with “Green!”]
Okay, that was the game! Thank you for playing and I need you to not repeat me anymore.
[If they actually repeated you, tell them this]: I just tried to trick you. Often times, people will forget that they are supposed to be repeating everything I say and instead they’ll switch to answering the question and say, “Green!”
[If they answered your question with “Green” say]: Did you notice that I tricked you? Since you were supposed to repeat everything I said, you were supposed to say “Now, what’s the color of grass.” But don’t feel bad, most people fall for it…(whisper: even the adults in the congregation)
But, that wasn’t very nice of me – was it – to try and trick you?

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

In today’s scripture story, we hear about a group of religious leaders, called the Sadducees, who were trying to trick Jesus in a very mean way with a question.
They were asking him a question about what happens after we die.
If Jesus answered with a yes OR a no, then they could make fun of him and then tell other people that they shouldn’t listen to Jesus because he wrongly answered their question.
But Jesus knew they were up to no good and did not fall for their trick [add if it’s true: Just like (some of) you didn’t fall for my trick.]
So, instead of talking about what happens after we die, Jesus talked about how God is with us and loves us right now because God is the God of the living, not of the dead.

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

Jesus’ answer is important because it helps us to remember that God cares for each of us very much right now
This is one of the reasons why we come to worship, and go to Sunday school and pray: So that we can get to know God better right now.
And, as we know God better, it means that we can pay attention to God’s help and love and healing right now.
And by knowing God’s help and love and healing right now, we can then share God’s help, love and healing with those around us right now.
So, instead of waiting until we die to experience heaven, we can experience heaven right now AND share it with those around us!
And that is the good news for today.

CLOSING Prayer

Let's pray. This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,
Dear God,

Thank you for being the God of the living…,

…for loving us…

…and for being with us…

…right here and right now.

Amen

Posted November 2, 2013
Written by Nathanael Vissia

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