Wonderfully Made

For the Second Sunday after Epiphany

From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Scripture Reference: Psalm 139:13-16

Preparation: Bring an ink pad and small squares of smooth, white paper for making children’s fingerprints; or you may use your own pre-made thumbprints to hand out. You may also bring magnifying glasses to help the children study their fingerprints.

The Psalm for today is beautiful. Psalm 139, verses 13 and 14 read, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it” (nlt). God knew us even before we were born. He knows our every detail. He knows us inside and out.

Have you ever thought about what an amazing creation a human being is? There are so many parts to our bodies, and they usually all work together just the way they are designed to work. Our brains send the right signals to control the many functions in our bodies. Our bones support us, our muscles move us, and our skin protects us. We are wonderfully made!

What do you think is the best thing your body can do? Is the best thing being able to taste food with your tongue, or maybe to sing with your voice? (Let the children talk about what they think is the best.)

Our sense of touch is an amazing thing. Have any of you felt a fly or a mosquito land on your arm? That’s an extremely light touch to be able to feel. Our fingers are especially sensitive. Your fingers can feel the slightest little scratch on a smooth glass surface.

Look at your fingertips. Can you see your fingerprints? A fingerprint is the pattern of tiny bumps and ridges on the tip of your finger. Your fingerprints are unique; no one has the same fingerprints as anyone else. Up close, they are amazing. Some are swirls, some are circles or waves. And God knows every detail of each of us, down to the last fingerprint.

I’d like to give you each something to take home with you to remind you that you are wonderfully made and very special. (If you have a small number of children, you can let each do a fingerprint. Have someone help with the process, making sure they wipe their hands afterward.) I brought an ink pad and paper so that we could make fingerprints. (If you have a large number of children, you could quickly pass out pre-made thumb prints and encourage the kids to do their own prints at home.)

God made each one of you unique. There is no one in the world just like you. And God loves you for who you are. He knows everything about you down to your fingertips. Let’s thank God for doing such a wonderful job in creating you.

Prayer: Thank you dear Lord, our awesome Creator, for making us in such a wonderful way. Thank you for all of our senses and for making each one of us different and unique.