Angels and talking about Michaelmas

Ever feel like you agree to something because it seems very logical and a good idea at the time, only to find out how HARD it will be later when you sit down to do it?  This week’s story is exactly like that.  As we sat down to talk about lessons a few months ago, all the of the stories related back to things we had already talked about for the season or covered later for Reformation Sunday.

Shirley mentioned that Sunday, September 29 was called the “Feast of the Archangels” and, specifically, was Michaelmas or St. Michael’s Sunday so we could do something “on the Angels.”  Do you realize how very little the spark bible and children’s resources cover actual biblical stories on angels?  I found one with Michael eventually(though he's not mentioned by name the in kid's bible version)—and it’s one of my favorites for kids who are scared.

God Rescues Us

(Daniel 3:19-30 pp. 180-183 in the Spark bible)

Have you ever been scared?  REALLY scared?  When I was a little girl, I was scared of sleeping away from home.  I remember that when I visited my grandparents who lived FAR away, they had this picture hanging on the wall in the room where I slept:

My grandma always told me that it was there to remind me when I was scared that no matter what, there were angels watching over my every step.  Today’s story is kind of about that.  I need your help to tell this story—can you help me with some words and motions?

Once there was a king named Nebuchadnezzar.  Wow, that’s a big name!  King Nebuchadnezzar thought he was a very important man.  So important, in fact, that he made a BIG gold statue made of himself.  Can you stand tall and proud like a statue?  You all look wonderful!

Well, King Nebuchadnezzar did more than have a statue made—he wanted everyone to bow down to his statue and worship him!  He asked everyone “BOW!  BOW before my statue!”  But three brave men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, said “no!  We will not bow down before you or your statue.  We only worship the one true God.” 

King Nebuchadnezzar was MAD.  He was sooooo mad, his face scrunched up like this (can you make this face?) and he turned so red and angry that he almost turned purple!  Wow, that’s mad!  “NO one disobeys the king!” yelled Nebuchadnezzar.  The king said:

“You!  Tie them up and throw them into the fiery furnace!  Turn up the heat and the flames to SEVEN times hotter than normal!”

WOW!  It was hot!  The king couldn’t resist though—he HAD to peek inside and see how they were doing.  He was very surprised!  Can you make a surprised face for me?

“I thought we threw three men in there!”  he shouted.  “but I see FOUR men walking around in there.  They’re not even tied up!  They’re fine.  WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

The extra man in the furnace was an angel named Michael who was sent by God to protect the three men from the fire.

The king FLUNG open the door (can you fling open the door?)  He flung open the door of the hot, fiery furnace and called “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out right now!”

When they came out, everyone noticed that the fire hadn’t hurt them.  They didn’t smell like smoke even! King Nebuchadnezzar was amazed, realizing what had happened.

“Your God sent an angel to protect you.  You disobeyed me and faced death rather than worship someone other than God.  I declare that no one in any country can say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because no god can do what their God can do.”

The angel Michael was with them, protecting them from evil and the fire.  Have you ever felt protected by angels?  God promises us that his messengers will be with us always, much like my grandma used to tell me about!  

Two Masters

This one was hard, honestly, and I drew mainly from the Spark version.  I mean, what do you say to kids to talk about using earthly goods to store up heavenly rewards??Do you even talk about that or just talk about serving only one master? I wanted to focus more here on the benefits of serving others and serving God than on using money to manipulate, as serving fits well with the JLF that will have taken place at our church the day before. 

KFW  September 22, 2013

Two Masters (Luke 16:1-13; pp. 384-385 in the spark bible)

What does it mean to serve God—do you know?    Jesus wanted to help his disciples learn to serve God, so he told them a story:

Narrator:  Once upon  a time there was a rich man

(Rich man jingle coins in his pocket)

Narrator:  He had someone who worked for him and took care of his money

(Rich man hands his coins over to a manager)

Narrator: But this man was greedy and cheated the rich man so he could get more money for himself

(manager starts to put the money into a piggy bank, but we see him put some of the money in his own pockets)

Narrator: When the rich man found out what the worker had done, it made him VERY ANGRY.  GRRR!

Rich man:  (shocked!)  I can’t trust you!  Show me how you took so much of my money, and then leave!

(Manager turns his pockets inside out, while the rich man makes a sad face, slumps body posture, etc.)

Narrator:  The worker wasn’t honest.  He tried to serve the rich man and himself.  Jesus told the disciples

Jesus:  “My friends you must always be honest in what you do. Decide what is most important to you, because you can’t serve God and be greedy serving yourself at the same time.”

What are some ways you have served others this week? What are some things you have been tempted to keep for yourself instead of share or give to others?

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin

KFW—September 15, 2013

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin (p. 374-377 in the Spark Bible)

Have you ever been out somewhere with your mom and dad and couldn’t find them all of a sudden?  Jesus has two stories about lost things for us today.  I need your help with some motions though, okay?  So listen carefully and help me when I ask for you.

Jesus told a story about sheep.  Can you be sheep for me?  Say BAAA! Once there was a shepherd who had 100 sheep.  WOW that’s a lot of sheep!  How loud do you think 100 sheep are?  Baa as loud as 100 sheep (BAAAA!)  YIKES!  That’s loud! This shepherd loved all 100 of his sheep—the big ones, the little ones, the quite ones, the loud ones, the good ones and the silly ones.  They were his sheep and he loved them. 

Every day this shepherd counted his sheep to make sure they were all safe.  One day he counted…”90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99—OH NO! only 99 sheep!” How many are missing?  ONE.  How quiet would one sheep sound?  That’s quiet!  So the shepherd left the other 99 sheep together at home and went to look for the one lost sheep.  The shepherd listened for the lost sheep to Baa! Can you listen with me?  He looked in all the places that sheep might get stuck or in trouble.  It was taking him awhile.  Can you help me listen and look for the sheep? (Have one of the adults agree to baa very quietly for the kids to listen for, put a sheep on the wall somewhere to “find”)  He found it!  Can you say with me, “I found it!”   Then he called all of his friends and neighbors and said “come on over!  I found my lost sheep!  Let’s have a party!”

Jesus told another story.  This one is about a coin.  Once there was a woman who had saved up 10 little silver coins. Can you count them with me?  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9—Do you think that she said “oh, I still have 9, it’s okay that one is missing? “  No, she didn’t!  She lit her lamp, even though it was very late at night, and she started sweeping.  Can you help me sweep with your pretend broom?  SWEEP, SWEEP! She swept the house from top to bottom.  She looked over and under everything until (FIND THE COIN UNDER THE RUG) There was the lost coin!  I found it!  I found it!  She was so happy, that she had a party! 

God is like the shepherd and the woman, you know—Jesus tells us—He says even if you are one and lost, even if you baa very quietly or have walked away from him, he will come and find you and rejoice!