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Guide to Children's Sermons: A Book Review
If you have followed this page for long, you know that I am not a big fan of children’s sermons. But, I am also aware that they are a non-negotiable part of many worship services. So, it is important...
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Year B - The Baptism of the Lord, First Sunday after the Epiphany (January...
The Baptism of the Lord offers an excellent opportunity to explore the sacrament of baptism with worshipers of all ages. Try some of the following:+ One minister emailed the entire congregation...
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Observing Lent and Easter in Year B (2015)
Some worship planners get a chance to look ahead to Lent and Easter just before or just after Christmas. For you, here is an overview of what is coming. The details will come as I/we work through the...
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Year B - 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (January...
This is a good week to peek ahead as you plan because both this week and next week include call stories. This week features the stories of Samuel’s call and Nathanael’s call. Next week features the...
View ArticleNo Name Calling Week - January 19-23, 2015
Looking ahead to the Sundays of January, I have been struck by the insistence of several texts that God works against prejudice and intolerance. On the Second Sunday after the Epiphany Philip must get...
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Year B - 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (January...
This is one of those embarrassment of riches weeks. There are at least two and possibly three call stories, encouragement from Paul to respond to our own calls to discipleship and a psalm about...
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Following "Jesus" Through Lent - Year B
As I enjoyed following The Wandering Wisemen (click here) during Advent, I began wondering if we might follow Jesus through Lent and even Easter. What if a congregation found a doll/statue/picture of...
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Year B - 4th Sunday after the Epiphany, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (February...
Deuteronomy18:15-20> The first question to this text is “what is a prophet?” The adults who think they know will benefit from listening in as you tell the children what a prophet is. For children a...
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Year B - 5th Sunday after the Epiphany, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (February...
Isaiah 40:21-31* For the sake of the children read this fromthe Contemporary English Version (CEV) or Today’s English Version (The Good News Bible or TEV) rather than the NRSV. The simpler language...
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Year B - Transfiguration of the Lord (February 15, 2015)
TRANSFIGURATIONToday is Transfiguration Sunday and it is all about the gospel story. All the other texts relate to it. So, let’s start with Mark’s account of the Transfiguration.Mark 9:2-9* The word...
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Years A,B,C - Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2015)
Other than Good Friday, Ash Wednesday is probably the day on which children are least expected or planned for in the sanctuary. The prophet Joel, however, insists that parents bring their children to...
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Epiphany A,B,C (Tuesday, January 6 or Sunday, January 4, 2015)
These texts are set for January 6 which in 2015 is on a Tuesday. The ideas here could be incorporated into a weeknight celebration that includes worship in a freer form than often followed on Sunday...
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Year B - First Sunday in Lent (February 22, 2015)
+ For children and adults who do not attend Ash Wednesday services, this is the beginning of Lent. So take time to define the word Lent (sounds a lot like lint, but is not), identify its purpose,...
View ArticlePlans for a Lord's Prayer Banner that Children Create During Worship
Melissa Flores-Bixler jumped off some ideas I offered for a series on the Lord's Prayer last summer to create a worship banner featuring a panel about each phrase of the Prayer with the children of her...
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Year B - Second Sunday in Lent (March 1, 2015)
The Lent Themes for Today+ Today’s featured cross may be the metal crosses on communion ware or the verbal ones in the communion liturgy. Or, it may be cross stickers reminding wearers to take up...
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Year B - Palm - Passion Sunday (March 29, 2015)
The readings, except for the gospel, for this Sunday are the same in all three lectionary years. Go to the links below to explore what has been posted for years A and C, then read on for additional...
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Year B - Holy or Maundy Thursday (April 2, 2015)
This is one of those Holy Days on which the lectionary readings are the same for all three years. But in each year of the cycle they suggest somewhat different emphasis. Here you will find all the...
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Year B - Good Friday (April 3, 2015)
If you have been focusing on the Gospel and the Old Testament stories of Year B during Lent, today’s story (with the Easter story) is the big story to which all the others have been leading us. For...
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Year B - Third Sunday in Lent (March 8, 2015)
Remember today is Time Change Sunday in the USA. Prepare to lose an hour’s sleep and get to the church on time!+ When I first suggested following a Jesus figure around the sanctuary for Lent I...
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Year B - Fourth Sunday in Lent (March 15, 2015)
In highly liturgical churches the fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare Sunday (or Rejoice Sunday) because of its focus on God’s grace. To highlight this and look forward to Easter in just three weeks, 1....
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