Sweet Chariot

A Children’s Sermon on Sadness (from Barefoot in the Snow)

Biblical Reference:  2 Kings 2:1-12

Preparation:  Bring an illustration or a short video clip of a chariot for reference.

Does anyone know what a chariot is? Can you describe it to me? (Let children offer answers.) It’s a two-wheeled cart that a horse pulls. The driver stands at the front of the chariot holding onto the reins to guide the horse. In Old Testament times, riding horseback or driving a chariot were the fastest ways to travel.

In the Old Testament, 2 Kings, chapter 2, talks about the prophet Elijah and the way that he went up to heaven. The Bible says that Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot! And not only that, the chariot was made of fire and the horses that pulled it were fiery horses! What a way to go! I don’t know of anyone else who has gone up to heaven in a fiery chariot, do you?

Have you ever felt like it would be nice if Jesus would just scoop us up in his arms and carry us up into heaven? When things are going badly for us; when we’re feeling really sad or nothing seems to go right, it would be great to just take the day off and spend it with Jesus in heaven.

What do you do when you’re feeling sad? Do you talk to someone? Do you pray? (Let children answer.) When I’m feeling sad, it sometimes helps if I sing. There’s an old song about a chariot that people have sung over the years when they felt sad. Maybe you’ve heard this song before. The chorus goes like this:

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

And one verse goes:

I’m sometimes up, and sometimes down

Coming for to carry me home

But still my soul is heavenly bound

Coming for to carry me home

Will you sing it with me? The congregation can help, too. We’ll sing the chorus, the one verse, then we’ll all sing the chorus again. Let’s try it. (Sing with children and congregation.)

Prayer: When we’re feeling lonely or sad, Lord, hold us close. We thank you for always being there for us and for giving us a heavenly home to look forward to.

Key Words: Loneliness, Grief, Prayer, Sorrow