Children Activities for 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Curated children’s ministry resources and sermons (object lessons) for Sunday Readings from SermonWriter, Ministry-to-Children, Religion Teacher and other sources.
Curated children’s ministry resources and sermons (object lessons) for Sunday Readings from SermonWriter, Ministry-to-Children, Religion Teacher and other sources.
This is a good time to think about the way we think and act toward each other. Are we merciful as God is merciful to us? In the first reading David has the opportunity to kill Saul, but he does not do it. In the second reading Paul tells us we shall bear the image of Christ. In the gospel Jesus tells us we must love our enemies, forgive each other, and stop judging.
THEMES: The mercy of God, Forgiveness, The cost of being judgemental
Recommended Handouts
Sunday Bulletin
What is love all about? For the young, love is a warm emotion. For the mature, love is a commitment that transcends feeling. In Luke, however, Jesus proposed another meaning for love: graciousness towards enemies.
Enemies can be divided into those who dislike us and those whom we dislike. Jesus addressed the former. There are people in the world who hate us Christians simply because we follow Jesus. We can show kindness to those people as a way to invite them to change their hearts (and become one of us!). However, the latter (the people we dislike) are harder to address. And, the words of Jesus still stand.
How can we treat our enemies with honest graciousness? Start with identifying ways. Create a “Love of Enemies” poster. Have your family members cut out pictures of enemies (from newspapers and magazines) as a means to identify those who hate. Brainstorm ways to treat enemies with kindness. Write those ways on the poster. Use the poster was a way to discuss love of enemies.
Packet is for Gospel of Matthew, but can be used for Luke’s version, too. PDF packets with handouts designed for Sunday School students in preschool through 4th grade.
Group Activities › Coloring Page › Crossword › Decoder › Fill in the Blank › Word Search › Worship Bulletin
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
SOURCE: SUNDAY CONNECTION (LOYOLA PRESS) – All Rights Reserved
Love of Enemies
SOURCE: LECTIONARY RESOURCES (RCL Benzinger) – All Rights Reserved
Imagine what the world would be like if we all took this to heart and made it our guiding light. Today let us pray for strength to do all we can to love those we don’t get along with, pay attention to those in need, and be kind and merciful to one another.
Materials needed:
Objects suggested: Items for a king or queen’s costume, such as a crown, a staff, or a robe; an armchair
EXCERPT: (Put on the royal costume and sit in the arm chair.) What do I look like to you? (Pause for kids to identify that you are a king or a queen.) That’s right. Pretend I’m the ruler. And what does a ruler do? (Pause for responses.)
A ruler makes rules. Only, I think I need some help with the rules. So let me ask you…
Those were some interesting rules you all came up with. Today we’re reading in the Bible about something Jesus, our King, said was important to do. Many people call this “The Golden Rule.” (Invite kids to share if they know what it is.)
Objects suggested: Candy bar. Share with children, if appropriate.
EXCERPT: Let’s see what we can learn about this word – generosity. Imagine that you and your friend were given a candy bar. You take the candy bar, unwrap it, and break it into two pieces. Oops, one piece is much larger than the other. Which piece do you give to your friend?
If you choose to give your friend the larger piece you are a generous person. You know about generosity. We could say that generosity is when you give something to another person without expecting to receive anything in return.
We can be generous in many ways. Let’s make a list.
Objects suggested: Before worship, ask a child to volunteer to “play tag” with you during the children’s sermon. Explain what it will look like (see below in the “Ask” section). Briefly demonstrate and practice.
EXCERPT: Have you ever played tag with just ONE other person? It might look a little like this: [ “Play” tag with volunteer. Both of you should sit there and alternate tapping each other on the shoulder and saying, “You’re it.” Feel free to vary the tempo between tagging each other as well as increasing and decreasing one’s enthusiasm of the tag. Do this for a good 20 to 30 seconds. ] So what do you think –
Keep in mind this idea of tag being more fun when there’s more people playing it we talk about today’s scripture story. In today’s story, we hear Jesus teach his disciples how to respond to their enemies. The lessons he gives them are very difficult things to do and even think about. He tells them to love their enemies…
SOURCE: Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University; “Build. Plant. Grow.” = a free faith formation resource which aligns with the Liturgical Year of the Roman Catholic Church. The accompanying video is NOT associated with Markkula Center.
Lifetimes: the beautiful way to explain death to children
SOURCE: Worshiping with Children: A blog by Carolyn C. Brown, a Certified Christian Educator in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA).
A grandfather explains to his grandson that the Golden Rule means you “treat people the way you would like to be treated. It’s golden because it’s so valuable, and a way of living your life that’s so simple, it shines.” The book reveals versions of the Golden Rule found in many cultures and religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam. Following the Golden Rule is something everyone can do, which means that every person—old or young, rich or poor—can help make the world a better place.
Opening Question: Have you ever seen the Golden Rule applied? How did it change the situation? The people involved?
In the story for the first reading, Katie beat her friend Allison in a game of “King of the Hill.” The war was on!
Bridge Question: What makes someone a good winner? A good loser? How can competitive games break up friendships?
The story for the gospel continued mounting Katie’s and Allison’s spat. Both girls spread their venom to their friends, reaching the point no one wanted to have anything to do with either girl. In the end, they discovered true strength in forgiveness.
Closing Question: Think about your friends and your enemies. How can you get closer to your friends? How can you turn your enemies into friends?
A Moms Choice Awards Recipient, The Golden Rule is a “fantastic book which teaches and inspires youngsters to bekind. Penned in rhyme, with a lyrical cadence, this book is well written andhas a powerful message that will ring true with kids on many levels. The GoldenRule is fun to read and is sure to become a favorite with parents, teachers,caregivers and children”…Children’s Literary Classics Seal of Approval Review