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Being Easter-Minded

Hamlet the Pig is snout-deep in a bowl of beans when his lunch is interrupted by a challenge to be “Easter-Minded.” What can that mean, and what can three little beans teach him about the resurrection? Join Hamlet and Baabara the sheep in an Easter message about thinking ahead to the new life of Easter.

John the Moon-Baptist

A children’s message for the 3rd Sunday of Advent. RCL Year B. Scripture Reference: John 1:6-8

Hamlet the Pig trots outside in the cold of December to search the skies for… John the Baptist? Why does he think that the moon is John the Baptist? Might it have something to do with John 1:6-8? “John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.” (NLT)

See script below for reference: – Dec. 10, 2020:

Hamlet: Hey! That’s too

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The Rat Who Would Be King

What are the qualities of a good and respected leader? Do they shout? Do they bully their citizens into compliance? Or are they gentle and wise? Grudge the Rat is practicing his “kingship” acceptance speech. He is determined to be a loud and bossy king… until his friend, Baabara the sheep, points out that kings aren’t elected. And respected leaders aren’t necessarily bossy. Grudge the Rat learns some valuable lessons about the often-overlooked “Fruit of the Spirit,” Gentleness.

Scripture reference: Galatians 5:22 –

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Loving Justice

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

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A Pack Rat and His Grudge Collection

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

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Giving Up the Grudge

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

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Cheating at Changing (and Chocolate)

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

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The Wages of Sin

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

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Father’s Day – A Higher Love

Baabara the sheep asks about a difficult Bible verse in Matthew chapter 10 where Jesus tells his followers, “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples.” We love our fathers, but should we love them more than God. What is the highest love?

Staring or Preparing?

 A 5-minute children’s sermon for Ascension Sunday is embedded below. You have permission to use this video to augment an online Sunday service broadcast.

What should we be doing while waiting for Jesus to return? Simply staring up at the sky? After Jesus ascended to heaven on Mount Olivet, the disciples were left standing there, staring and reluctant to move until a couple of angels appeared. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been

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