CHILDREN – 33rd Sunday of Year A

OBJECTS: Read an Emily Dickinson poem to the children.

Emily Dickinson is a famous American poet who lived a rather unusual life. As an adult she rarely left her home and during the time that she lived “hidden away” she preferred wearing white dresses. She wrote nearly two thousand poems, but she hid most of her poems away as well. Only five of her poems were published during her lifetime. After she died her sister found her poems and they were published into books of poetry.

How fortunate for the world that her poems were found and that others valued them enough to see that they were published. All of the poems of Emily Dickinson have now been published and thousands of readers take pleasure in the beauty and rhythm of her words.

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SOURCE: Sermon Writer

OBJECT: Large colorful cut-outs of a circle, triangle, and square.

Let’s talk about shapes. I’ll show you some examples. Here is a shape that is a continuous rounded line. Do you know what it is?  Yes, a circle.

This shape has three sharp points. What is it? Yes, a triangle.

Now a shape that has four sides connected to each other and all the sides are the same length. Yes, this is a square.

There are many other shapes as well, but these three are the most common and we see by looking at them that each one is unique and recognizable. You can’t mistake a circle for a square.

Your life also has a shape. You have a unique gift that is yours alone. It is something that you love to do and are able to do well. That is called your talent; you may have more than one. Your talent or talents shape your life.

Jesus tells a story in the Bible about three people who were given an amount of money. Two of the people used the money well and made it increase while the other person hid his money in a hole in the ground where it did no good and did not increase.

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OBJECT: None

If you’ve been watching the trees you know that fall is here. As the weather starts to get colder the trees get ready for winter by dropping their leaves – and in the case of some trees, dropping their seeds all over the ground.

I have a special tree in my yard that’s sort of a favorite – and so I have mixed feelings this time of year. I love to watch the leaves turn colors, but I hate to see them all drop off. But as for the seeds, I’m always glad to see them fall. Do you know why? (What happens when a plant’s seeds get scattered?)

That’s right! Every year when my favorite tree drops its seeds it helps to make new trees. And so what started as one tree in my yard has become four! Every year we seem to have more. What a waste it would be if that tree never dropped its seeds.

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SOURCE: Sermon Writer