Mary and Martha

KFW  July 21, 2013

Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42; pages 366-371 in the Spark Bible)

Narrator: One day, Jesus and his disciples were traveling.  Along the way, Jesus decided they would stay and visit with their friends, Mary and Martha.  Mary and Martha were sisters.  They lived together in a house and got along well, most of the time.

While Jesus visited with them, Mary sat on the floor and listened to Jesus teach.

Martha, on the other hand was very busy.

Martha: I don’t have time to sit down!  I need to bake bread!  I need to cook fish and serve Olives!  I need to clean these floor mats (shakes one out)  Jesus’ visit with us should be very special.

(Looks over at Mary) PSST!  Help me with the cleaning?

Mary: (briefly looks at Martha and then turns back to look at Jesus)

Martha: AHEM!

Mary: (looks again and looks back)

Martha: she could at least help me get the bread and fish ready!  All of these people to feed and she isn’t helping one little bit!  She knows how to use a broom!  She could stir this pot!  GRRR!  All of this company and I am doing all the work!

Narrator:  Finally, when she was still working and Mary sit sat, Martha couldn’t take it anymore.  She came into the room where Jesus was teaching, interrupted what he was saying, put her hands on her hips and said angrily:

Martha:  Mary!  PLEASE get UP and HELP me!  (looks at Jesus) Jesus—tell Mary to get up and help me!

Jesus: (quiet for a moment)  Martha, Martha.  You are worried about every little thing.  You are busy, busy, busy, and never stop moving.  Thank you for your work to make my visit comfortable, but you do not need to worry about all of those things!  Mary has decided to sit and listen to me.  That is a good decision.

Martha:  Maybe I SHOULD sit down and listen to what you have to say, at least for a minute.

Narrator: so she sat and listened and that was a good decision.

What did we learn?  Sometimes the best way to care for others and to hear God in our lives is to Be still and listen.

Notes for parents and further thoughts

I would argue that this is one of those easier stories in the gospel to address--but it's easy to be fooled by its simple lesson.  Even as I sit here typing, the irony hits me.  I had a very hard time sitting down and finding time to script out the lesson this week, as we were in the throws of potty training and I was grading papers for the last college class I'm teaching and preparing for Splash.  Mary and her ability to sit and listen to Jesus is enviable, so many of us think.  Lucky lady that she was able to do that!  That's when we have to remind ourselves--hers was an active CHOICE.  She chose to sit and listen, though surrounded by things to do.  Cooking, cleaning, and even work may seem like necessities, but when I remember to ask myself, "Will 15 minutes of scrubbing my bathroom impact my kids as much as 15 minutes of praying together or reading the bible together?  Is grading this paper having the same kind of positive influence on that student as spending the same amount of time sitting and listening to my husband talk about his day or my kids babble?"

As a good friend said in her blog today as she was talking about kids and their priorities as occasional distractions, "Maybe God's mercies are actually IN the distractions -- the butterflies and stars.  Maybe God is trying to show us that He is doing something NEW all around us, but we're just not walking around with an attitude of wonder...and expectation...and hope."

My goal this week is to put down the computer a bit more, allow myself to grow spiritually through potty training (more on that later!) and to remember to listen to what Jesus has to tell me--through butterflies and stars, baby screeches and those few silent moments in my life.  It's time for ME to remember to "Be still and know that he is God" and to model this behavior for my children, before they start thinking that God calls us to be more like Martha than Mary!

The Good Samaritan

KFW July 14, 2013

The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37 (Spark bible p. 360-365)

Clever man:  I’m a smart man and know ALLL the rules.  I think I know them better than this Jesus person—I think I can trick him into giving a wrong answer.  Oh TEACHER!  What must I do to live forever with God?

Jesus:  What do the commandments say?

Clever man: The commandments say you should love God with everything you have.  And you should love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.

Jesus: that’s the right answer!  Live like this and you’ll live with God forever.

Clever man:  so, Jesus, who is my neighborhood.

Jesus:  Let me tell you a story.  A man was traveling down a scary and rocky road by himself.  All of a sudden, a group of men jumped out.  They stole his money and hurt him, and left him by the side of the road.  He moaned and groaned in pain.  He couldn’t get up. 

Priest: [walks by, humming.  Sees the man.]  OH! [moves to the other side of him and keeps walking]

Man/Woman: [walks by, humming.  Sees the man]  Oh umm I’m late.  I must get going [ runs/moves quickly by the man].

Samaritan:  [Walks by, sees the man].  OH!  [stops]I am so sorry you are hurt.  Here are some bandaids.  Let me wash your owies. Here, have something to eat.  Let’s go over to that hotel so you can get some rest and relax. 

Jesus: The man had to leave for a few days, and so he paid the hotel owner to help take care of the hurt man while he was gone.  He wanted the hurt man to get better.  So which of these three people was a neighbor to the man who was hurt?

Clever man:  The one who stopped to help him.

Jesus:  God wants us to help everyone.  People of every size, shape, and color and from every country are important to God.  Happy people, sad people, scary people, people who are easy to love and people who are not easy to love.  Now, go and be like the Samaritan and help everyone who needs help.

What are some ways you can help your neighbors this week?  Let’s start making our “love your neighbor jars” together!  [I have small mason jars for each family—I hope I have enough!]

The Story of Namaan (Draft 1)

In preparing for this week's KFW, I started looking for new ways to approach the text (2 Kings 5:1-14, pages 150-151 in the spark bible).  While I haven't found new ways to introduce it or share it yet, I was in for a bit of a shock.

I had no idea that Leprosy was still a disease that took so many lives, especially in Asia and Africa yet today.  The worst part?  While it is easily transmitted, it is easily CURED.  Yes, cured.  With the right treatments, even the skin discoloration that indicates the beginning of the disease can disappear over time--and loss of limbs and sight are entirely preventable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtIgXbi4m1c

Once upon a time there was a rich and powerful soldier by the name of Namaan.  People respected him and he had everything he could ever want--money, power, servants of his own--except he had Leprosy.  Leprosy is a disease that slowly turns your skin different colors and then makes toes, fingers, hands, legs fall off and eyes go blind.  Namaan was afraid.  One day, Namaan's servant said, "it's too bad you cannot go see the prophet nearby in Israel.  He could cure you--I KNOW he could!" Namaan told his boss, the King of Aram, and the King told him "Go!  I will send a letter with you to the King of Israel explaining the situation, and money to make sure that you are healed by this prophet!"

When Namaan met with the king of Israel and gave him the letter, he tore his robes, yelling "why did the King of Aram send you here?  I'm not God.  I can't heal you.  Does he think that by paying me I can do miracles?"  Then he remembered the prophet, Elisha, was nearby.  "Go see Elisha, the prophet.  He may be able to help you."

Namaan arrived at Elisha's door, with other soldiers and horses waiting, but Elisha only sent out a messenger to talk with Namaan. “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

Namaan was angry.  He had come alllllll this way to see a prophet, and brought him money to have him wave his hands over the spots and watch them disappear.  Namaan wasn't even seen by the prophet!  Not only this, but he was also told to go wash in the stinky, dirty river there--the Jordan--and SEVEN TIMES??  What difference does the number of times make?  Weren't the rivers nearer his home cleaner?  Better for healing?

His servants spoke to him, and said "If Elisha had asked to do something difficult, wouldn't you have done it?  Wouldn't you have walked up mountains, swam across oceans, eaten bugs or even played the quiet game for HOURS? Go and wash--it's simple--and you will be healed! 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet and his servant had told him to, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

What did Namaan learn?  Sometimes God asks us to do something that seems easy, but requires faith.  Sometimes God asks us to trust and to listen to people who usually have to listen to us.


...so what else do you think is important to share with children from this story? Do we try it with puppets?  Talk with them about how leprosy is still a disease around today and we, as caring christians, could have something to do with bringing healing to others in Christ's name?  I'm up for all new ideas you can throw at me!

Following Jesus

KFW—June 30, 2013

Following Jesus (Luke 9:51-62)

[Set up:  Have Jesus up at the front to start, with readers spread around the room.  Children will follow Jesus around the room]

Narrator:  One day, Jesus and his disciples were walking along the road to Jerusalem.  Can we walk behind Jesus as he travels?  Join me!

At each village, people called out for Jesus.

GREEK CHORUS:  (can you join me and call out for Jesus?  Jesus!)  Jesus!

Narrator: Jesus called out to each person he met. 

Jesus:  Follow me  (Greek chorus:  FOLLOW JESUS!)

Reader 1:  I will follow you wherever you go!

Jesus:  Every animal has a place to call home, but I go from place to place. (points to reader 2)  Follow me! (Greek chorus:  FOLLOW JESUS!)

Reader 2:  Wait!  I need to bury my father who just died.

Jesus:  The dead have no worries anymore.  Think about the living and tell them about God.  (points to reader 3)  Follow me! (Greek chorus:  FOLLOW JESUS!)

Reader 3:  I will follow you!  Oh, but first I need to go back and tell my family goodbye.

Jesus: No one who says they will follow, but turns around to look at his old life is ready to tell others about God.

Narrator:  What did Jesus ask the three people to leave behind?  He asked them to leave behind homes, family, and everything they knew!  Which do you think would be the hardest?  What did they gain by following Jesus?  What can you tell others/your friends about following Jesus?

NOTES-- for parents, further thoughts, and children's sermon

Oh, this is yet another 'easy' text.  Coupling this one with the Old Testament readings on Elijah and being asked to leave everything behind (including cooking their oxen that helped run the farm before leaving) in order to follow God's calling, we start to see a theme--and that is that following our calling and Jesus is costly.  This is no simple and easy thing.  Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship" (and Bonhoeffer's life in general) comes to mind when we talk about this subject.  Though not all of us will be called to lay down our lives as martyrs, all of us are called to give up our lives to God for his will.

I guess the place to start with all of this for children is to talk about the idea that appears in the new testament reading--freedom, and that with that freedom comes responsibility.  Salvation is the greatest kind of freedom, but it also comes with responsibility--the responsibility to share the good news of Jesus and to give up what we want so that we may share more of his story.

Banquet with Simon

Banquet with Simon (Luke 7:36-8:3, spark bible p. 354-357)

Narrator:  One day, Jesus was invited to dinner at Simon’s house.

Simon:   (to the kids) Can you help me welcome Jesus?

Jesus knocks

Simon:  Welcome! (Kids: welcome)  Thanks for coming, Jesus (Kids:  Thanks for coming, Jesus!)

Narrator:  Jesus was ready to eat, when he heard a woman at the door.  When she saw Jesus, she started to cry.  The woman was known to have done many wrong things.

Woman:  Booo Hooo!  Sniff!

Jesus: Please pass the grapes

Narrator: The woman bent over Jesus’ feet and cleaned them dry with her tears.  Drip, drip drip (Kids:  drip, drip, drip!)

Jesus:  Please pass the cheese.

Narrator: the woman dried the tears on his feet with her long, dark hair.  Wipe, wipe,  wipe.  Can you wipe like the woman did?  (Kids:  wipe, wipe, wipe).  The woman was kissing Jesus’ feet and rubbing them with oil.

Simon:  I didn’t invite that woman!  What is she doing?

Narrator:  Simon was angry.  Jesus cleared his throat and told a story.

Jesus:  Two people owed the bank money.  One person owed a bank 500 coins.  The other person owed the bank 50 coins.  The bank canceled payments for both people.  Who was more thankful?

Simon:  The one who owed more money, right?

Jesus:  I’m like that bank.  I forgive and forget big and little mistakes (puts hand on woman’s head)  She needs a lot of forgiveness, so she shows me great love.  You are my host, but you didn’t greet me as a special guest.  You have little mistakes for me to forgive, so you give me only a little love.

Narrator:  Jesus turned to the woman.

Jesus:  Dry your eyes, friend.  I forgive all you’ve done wrong.  You have a strong faith.

Narrator:  Simon had learned a very important lesson.   All people are important and equal to Jesus.  Jesus forgives and forgets mistakes of all sizes. 

If Jesus were coming to your house, how would you get ready for his visit?  What would you do or ask when he came to your house? 

Thoughts for Grown ups

I'll admit it--I'm just thankful this week isn't about a miraculous healing.  Sharing this story with the children is a bit more straightforward.  It's good news we can all take home--God is loving and caring.  Jesus forgives us, no matter how large or small our mistakes.  I also love the way Jesus draws attention to this and gently corrects Simon here.  It reminds me of the Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) at my son's school.  Here, he focuses on the beauty of the woman's actions before addressing Simon's approach and correcting.  I think it's a reminder we can all use--God loves even those we find un-loveable and it's important to look for beauty and redeeming qualities, viewing others how God might see them.