for Sunday, February 24, 2013
2nd Sunday in Lent
Lent 2013
Year C
lectionary focus: Psalm 27
Good morning!
We are now in the Season of Lent. During Lent, we prepare for the Mystery and Joy of Easter by working on the disciplines of our faith. Last week we talked about being close to God through the discipline of prayer. We were reminded that we should pray and say Thank You to God for the good things He gives us. Not just for the food we eat, but for our family and friends, for anything good that we have or that happens. Today I’d like to continue talking about prayer by telling you about my dog.
My dog is a great dog. She is big and black and barks real loud to protect us from squirrels. But my dog does not like storms. When there is lightning and thunder, she starts to shake. She comes and stands real close to us. Sometimes she will even try to get into our laps…and she is much too big for that. Now being right next us, doesn’t mean my dog stops being scared. I think my dog just knows that being scared is not so scary when you are with someone.
People get scared too. I get scared. Each of those people out there get scared. (Nod to the congregation.) We are scared in the dark; we are scared of being left out; we are scared of being hurt; of getting in trouble; of people looking at us; being made fun of; and even storms. But the way to make being scared not so scary is to share our fear with God. When we pray to God and tell Him we are scared, we don’t stop being scared, but we feel comfort. We are reminded that even in scary times, God is with us. Throughout the Bible, we hear stories of God’s people being afraid. Today’s story is a prayer reminding us that through our prayers God will fill our hearts with courage and we will be strong and stand firm with God. Being scared is not so scary when we are with someone. And God is with you.
Will you pray with me? (This is an echo prayer: the leader says a line and the children repeat it.)
Dear God,
Help me remember
that when I am scared,
You are with me.
Help me remember
that when I am scared,
You are with me.
Thank You
for being with me.
Amen
We are not Christians alone.
My mission is to share, inspire, and encourage.
on the chancel steps 
I had a dog just like yours. her name was misty. I miss her. thank you for your story. I now have scaredy cats. I will use you basic idea w/ my cats. thank you.
Pets make great stories! I try to design these sermons so they can be adapted to fit the sermon-teller’s experiences. Peace to you and Misty and the cats!
Thank you so much for your Lent series! I’m new to our church’s Children’s Message & your blog is really a blessing for my first Lent with the them! The series for Lent is such a wonderful idea. Leading the children toward the glory of Easter, just like we adults are being led to that day. We started the series with a real baseball & wrote the word THANKS on it, tomorrow we’ll write COURAGE. Each child’s name goes in “the hat” each Sunday they are at Church and at the end of Lent — we’ll draw a name to see who gets our Prayer Ball. Thanks again!
Thank you Barbara for sharing! I am so glad that you have found a way to use these sermons to share God’s love with your children! I like your idea of using the baseball every Sunday…and wonder if it would be possible that at the end of Lent, every child gets a baseball! What a surprise that would be…and a great example that God’s love is for everyone. It certainly would fit the Easter lectionary of Acts 10:34 “I truly understand that God shows no partiality.” Hummm…just a thought.