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I’ll ask you the same question that Jesus asked his disciples after they had heard this story; which son did what his father wanted him to do? (Wait for answers.) Yes, the first son did the right thing. Were these sons two-faced? (Wait for answers.) Yes. Both of them said one thing and did the opposite. The first son said the wrong thing and did the right thing. The second son said the right thing and did the wrong thing. In the end, do you think it’s more important to say the right thing or to do the right thing? (Let children respond.) Actions speak louder than words. Of course, the best thing would be to both say and do the right thing.
Continue reading Two-Faced
Year A – RCL – Proper 20
Scripture: Jonah 3:10-4:11
Marc Chagall’s “Jonah”
The Bible story of Jonah is a very curious one. God tells Jonah to go and talk to the people of a city where many are behaving very badly. Jonah doesn’t want to go. He’s afraid that they might hurt him if he goes there and tries to tell them to change their wicked ways. Jonah runs in the opposite direction, ends up being thrown into the ocean, swallowed by
Continue reading Loving Justice
Grudge the Rat has a new collection but it’s not a very healthy one. He’s collecting grudges. Every time someone hurts him, he slaps a bandage on his fur to remind him to never forget and never forgive. The grudges are piling up and he’s not feeling so good. But it’s so hard to give up a grudge! What’s a poor little pack rat going to do? Can he ever learn to forgive?
Scripture Reference: Matthew 18:21 – 35
In order to receive a
Continue reading A Pack Rat and His Grudge Collection
Year A – RCL – Proper 19
Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35
Once upon a time, there was a pack rat who had a large collection. He guarded his collection carefully. It had taken him a long time to build up this collection… years and years of adding to it until it was the biggest collection of its kind for miles around.
Image from MRKESSELL.COM
The trouble was, this was not a good kind of collection. It was not colorful marbles, or interesting buttons, or
Continue reading Giving Up the Grudge
Hamlet the Pig is running out of mustard, so he goes to plant more in the garden… by trying to bury a bottle of mustard. Hamlet learns a lesson about seeds and growing things, and he also learns how the kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed. God’s love in our hearts may start out small, like a seed, but it can grow so big that it helps those around us.
Continue reading Planting Mustard
For a young sheep, separation anxiety can cause a bit of panic. Baabara the Sheep needs some encouraging words. Romans 8 teaches her that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God
Year A – Proper 12
Scripture Reference: Romans 8:35 – 39
Separation – by Edvard Munch
Have you ever gotten separated from your parents? Maybe in a crowded place, you turned around and suddenly they were gone? And you looked all around, and couldn’t see them anywhere? Getting separated from the people you love can be very scary.
And right now, with a dangerous virus lurking about, we are being told to stay separated from friends and classmates. We are even supposed
Continue reading Separation Anxiety
Year A – Proper 9 – 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT) 18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
Have you ever met someone who says
Continue reading Cheating at Changing (and Chocolate)
Baabara the Sheep wants a job, but first she has to learn about wages. Grudge the Rat wants an easy job for lots of money. It’s best to find out the wages of the work before you agree to do the job. A hard but healthy job with a good wage is better than an easy, destructive job with a deadly wage. Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
Continue reading The Wages of Sin
Year A – Proper 8 – June 28, 4th Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 6:20 – 23 “In those days when you were slaves of sin you didn’t bother much with goodness. And what was the result? Evidently not good, since you are ashamed now even to think about those things you used to do, for all of them end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include
Continue reading What Are the Wages?
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