BEFORE THE SERMON
DRAMA: THE SUBSTITUE
CHILDREN’S CHURCH WORKER
(Bill smiles at the children)
Good morning, class. My name is Bill Harding, and I’ll be your substitute
teacher for children’s church today. Your regular teacher will be back next
week. She just needed a little rest. It seems she was starting to talk to the
hymnals.
(He begins to slowly walk back and forth in
front of the class as he talks) Now, before we begin, I probably should
confess I’m not used to working with children. It’s never really been … well,
how should I put it “ my calling” –
still, I promised your teacher I’d take over for her today, so here I am. (Mumbling under her breath in a prayer)
God, help me!
But please
don’t feel guilty because you’re making me miss out on the sermon, or because
I’m probably forfeiting a tremendous blessing just to sit in here with you
children. After all, it’s not your fault I couldn’t think of an excuse fast
enough when your teacher called me!
Next time,
though, she won’t catch me off guard. You see, I’ve written down a few
all-purpose excuses (Takes roll of paper
out of pocket, i.e., the adding machine tape with scribbles on it. Holding one
end of the roll of paper she let it roll) And I’ll be ready for her!
Now, then,
I see you’re all wearing name tags. That should help me a lot. (Pretends to be reading one of the children’s
name tags.) Uh ..Johnny? Is that
your name? (Brief pause) Well, first
of all, Johnny, I wonder if you would be so kind as to get down off the table?
Thank you and bring that chair down with you!
… Yes, I know the janitor put it up there, but I don’t think he really
meant for you to sit on it up there.
Now, what I
thought we’d do today is – (Looks around,
sees Mary’s hand is raised) Yes, Mary? You say Matthew is pulling your
ponytail? (To Matthew) Matthew, why
are you pulling Mary’s ponytail? (Pause)
You’re just seeing it if’s real? ..
Well, do here excruciating screams convince you? … Good! Now, then, why don’t
you move over there by Brian? …What’s that, Matthew? .. You say Brian always
hits you? … But Brian is wearing a suit. Everyone knows that little boys in
suits don’t hit! Now, go on .. Trust me.
(Smiles encouragingly) That’s right
.. go on. (He turns back to the rest of
the class, smiles, then quickly turns back toward Brian and Matthew) Brian!
What’d you do that for? … Well, I’m sorry, but that’s NOT how you say hello!
Matthew,
you can go sit over there by Carla.
Now, then …
where were we? (Pointing) Yes, Heidi?
…Johnny’s on the table again? (Turns and
looks) No, no, Johnny, you must stay down from there! … Look, you’ve got
the other children trying stunts now .. and that chandelier won’t hold
everybody!
And George,
please don’t invert your eyelids like that! Not only does it look awful, but they’ll
get stuck that way! Trust me. I know
these things!
And Joey, I
don’t think clip-on ties were made for your nose. Kindly put yours back on your
shirt! (Pause) What do you mean, it’s
stuck? .. Well, just unclip it! I mean, you certainly can’t go through life
with a red tie clipped to your nose! You’d look silly, and it’ll limit your
wardrobe!
(Suddenly holds ears and screams) Kevin!
(He closes her eyes, takes a deep breath,
then says slowly) Don’t you ever run your fingernails down a chalkboard
again! There are laws against that, you know!
Peter, why
are you stacking the chairs on top of each other like that?
… No, it’s not
time to go! We still have 20 minutes left! (Looks
at her watch) Well, actually, we have 19 minutes left, but who’s counting?
Joey,
haven’t you got that tie off yet? (Brief
pause) Well, come here, I’ll help you. (He pretends to unclip it from his
nose and attached it to his shirt) There! Now, doesn’t it look better on your
neck? … Please, go back to your seat …
and next time dress casual.
(Looks
toward rear of classroom) Rusty! Get away from the refreshments! (Brief pause)
What do you mean you didn’t touch them? I can see the Oreo bulges in your
cheeks from here! .. Well, go ahead and
finish the 10 you’ve already got in your mouth, then take your seat.
(To class) Hey! I know what! (He claps
her hands together in excitement) How about if I tell you kids a story? Would
you like that? (Pause) You would? OK,
then everyone come sit down in a circle… A circle, Tony, not a pile! … That’s
it, c’mon. Now, let’s see. I know you’ve all herd the story of how much Jesus
loves you, so I won’t … What that, Michael? (Brief pause) You’ve never heard about how He came to earth and was
born in a manger … then later gave His life on the Cross for you and me … No
one ever told you about Him?
I see
you’re wearing a visitor’s tag. Is this your family’s first Sunday here? (Brief pause) Oh, you did? You came
alone? You mean, you walked here by yourself? (Mumbles to herself) And to think I almost didn’t come because the
air-conditioning in my car wasn’t working!
Well, I’ll
tell you what, why don’t you sit over here by me, Michael, and I’ll tell you
and the class all about this Man called Jesus! (Smiles) He loves you very, very much, you know. He said, “Let the
little children to come to Me, for to them belongs the kingdom of God.” You
see, to Jesus there’s nothing quite as precious as childlike faith…and you kids
have a corner on the market!
Why,
Michael, you got up and walked to church this morning … ALL BY YOURSELF! You
didn’t know anyone here. You just knew you wanted to go to church. No wonder
Jesus loves the little children! Do you realize how many adults are still in
bed at this very moment just thinking of excuses why they can’t go to church?
The car’s too dirty, the lawn needs mowing, the fence needs fixed, nothing to
wear! Excuses!...Sometimes I think we adults have the corner on that market!
(Thoughtfully) And speaking of excuses ..
(Walks over and picks up the roll of
excuses from off the floor. Looks it over thoughtfully.) I guess I’ve been
collecting a few myself!
You know,
Michael, you may not understand this, but I think YOU were the teacher today.
INTRODUCTION
It is important to give children an
opportunity to worship - not like adults - worship like children. If anything
we adults should worship more like children. They are not bound by adult
sensibilities like we are. They are free to worship God is Spirit and Truth. I
am not saying we should act like children in worship, but we ought to have the
same spirit as children do in worship. And, we ought to always provide worship
that is designed with them in mind. “Well my kids sat in worship with me from
the time they were in diapers.” Maybe so, but was that best for them? We ought
to encourage children in worship because God’s word says:
Isaiah 55:10-11
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields
seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my
mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
And it also
says,
Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is
heard through the word about Christ. (Have Gideon share Bible verses)
The worship we adults provide and
the way we preachers preach does not allow children to “hear” the message in a
language they can understand.
THE TEXT
Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He
said to them, "Let the little children come to me,
and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the
kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put
his hands on them and blessed them.
T H E C O N T E X T
BEFORE THE TEXT
Mark 10:1-12 Is
it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? Jesus basically says - marriage for a
man and woman is God’s design and is binding before God. Once again man has
taken something beautifully created by God and messed it up otherwise there
would be no need to ask the question. As a child of divorced parents and
divorced grandparents on my dad’s side and many divorces throughout my family,
I am painfully aware of how many people divorce has effected. This is only one
of God’s designs for us that is a better way to live that we have messed up,
and even Jesus leaves the possibility open under certain circumstances. (slides
on divorce in America) The point is, he is saying we often mess up God’s
design, why did we have to grow up and figure out ways around God’s law? Why
can’t we just stay like little children and do what we are suppose to do?
AFTER THE TEXT
A rich man wanted to know how to get into the kingdom of
heaven. “Keep the commandments.” “I
have, ever since I was a child.” “When you were a child you relied on me, let’s
see if you still rely on me like you did when you were a child. Go sell
everything you have and come follow me - like you used to before you got all
that stuff that keeps you away from me.” He went away sad because he had a lot
of money and didn’t want to give it up.”
Mark 10:24-27
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of God." Why is it hard for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle assuming it was a very large needle? The camel can’t fit through because of its
humps. The first hump is not living the way God designed and the second hump is
living the way we designed - first hump, divorce as an example / second hump, a
rich man as an example. The space between the humps could get through to the
kingdom of God (that is those with childlike faith) but we have grown these
humps that prevent many form getting through to God’s kingdom. We must become like little children. Jesus
took that even further and said we must become younger than little children -
we must become babies - we must be born again. 26 The disciples were even
more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 27
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with
God; all things are possible with God."
In other
words, we must become like Michael - that regardless of what the adults (the
ones who mess things up) are doing, he is going to be near his eternal father.
In fact, you can almost hear Michael praying with the simplicity of a child as
he says,
You're a good good father - It's
who you are, it's who you are, it's who you are
And I'm loved by you - It's who I
am, it's who I am, it's who I am.
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