Children's Sermon Jan 16 Isaiah 49:5-6

The texts this week reflect a Big God that dreams big for the world. Isaiah, for a few weeks now, has been talking about a promised presence and light to the nations and Jesus' is bringing the same message of salvation in his time and in ours. One of my favorite blogs is out of Union Presbyterian Seminary that is a resource on Children's Literature Biblically and theologically (here's the link http://storypath.wordpress.com). For this week the suggested picture book is God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams. It's a simple, yet well done message about God's love and care for the world and our call in it. Here is my children's sermon for this week using and adapting this resource. The first one is a children's sermon for 'in worship' time so it is brief. The second one is for a children's time where kids leave the worship space during the sermon for their own sermon time. Feel free to use in your worship setting! I found the picture book at my local library. If you can't find it, print photos of children from around the world and talk about how God has promised a light to all nations--to al the world and what that might look like.

Children's Sermon #1 (within in Worship)
Gather—
Do you ever daydream? Or remember night dreams?
What do you dream about?
What do you think Jesus dreamt about while he was here on earth?

Book Experience— I found the picture book at my local library. If you can't find it, print photos of children from around the world and talk about how God has promised a light to all nations--to al the world and what that might look like. 

Share a few pages from the God’s Dream book. It is the time of Epiphany, the season in the church where we talk about God's light being in the world and our call to be a light in the world. Did you hear our scripture for today from Isaiah? He is speaking for God and says, "I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."  God loves the world and sent Jesus to be a light showing that God’s love is for all. We are called by God to be lights too in how we treat one another and how we share the story of Jesus coming to the world. What are ways we show this or do this? 

Accept answers and highlight our call in the world. Explain to children that offering our prayers for others is one way we can love and care for the world anytime, anywhere. Hand out pieces of paper (could be shaped like clouds to symbolize dreams) and tell kids that they can write a prayer for the world or their dream for the world on the paper. Invite them to place this is the offering later in the service. You could also use their prayers for the prayers of the people time. Get creative!

Pray--God your dreams of peace and love for the world offer us hope. Thank you for loving us and being with us always. Thank you for being our light and help us to be lights for others. Amen

Children's Sermon #2 (Children's worship time)
Gather—
Do you ever daydream? Or remember night dreams?
What do you dream about?
What do you think Jesus dreamt about while he was here on earth?

Reading Experience--God’s Dream by Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams
Introduce book and tell a little bit about Tutu then read story
Reflection Questions:
What did you notice about what the other believes God dreams about?
How do you feel about God’s dreams?
Do you think the author left any out?
How do you know who loves you?
What would it be like if we could really hold hands with people from all over the world?
How do we learn about people in different parts of the world?
How do we reach out to those who may need to hear about God or experience love and care from other people?
Relate this also back to the offering our prayers up as a way of showing God's love and care in the world anytime and anywhere.

Bible Verse-- Read Isaiah 49:5-6
And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— (6) he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
**option here is to work on memorizing the second part of verse 6 or Isaiah 42:6 which is similar.

"God’s Dream is about a world in which all of God’s children join hands in peace, reconciliation and unity. Even though we come from different lands, have different eyes and skin, and talk to God in different ways, we are still brothers and sisters. By “sharing, loving, caring” and “knowing we are family” we can “make God’s dream come true.”  We have been called to be light to others, to care for them and share our lives with them." (quote from Children's Literature: A Resource; above link).

Activity--Prayers for the world…
Hand out pieces of paper (could be shaped like clouds to symbolize dreams) and tell kids that they can write a prayer for the world or their dream for the world on the paper. Invite them to place this is the offering later in the service. You could also use their prayers for the prayers of the people time. Get creative!

Pray-- God your dreams of peace and love for the world offer us hope. Thank you for loving us and being with us always. Thank you for being our light and help us to be lights for others. Amen

Materials: cut up slips of paper, colored pencils or markers, Bible, God’s Dream book

**use and adapt as needed for your setting giving credit where credit is due and not duplicating for profit purposes.