The Temple library
Children's sermon
Object:
a library card
Good morning, boys and girls. Have any of you ever been to a story hour at a library? (let them answer) Some of you have. What do you get to do after you listen to stories? (let them answer) Take out books! Very young children can take out books at a library. Sometimes they just write your name on the card when you take out books. But sometimes they give you your very own library card like this one. (hold up the card) Some libraries have computers that use a special tool that "reads" the number on your card and it zaps it right into the computer. Have any of you seen those computers at libraries? (let them answer) What can you tell me about a library? (let them answer) It has lots of books. It's quiet sometimes. It has videos. Sometimes it has a story hour. Did you know you could ask questions at a library? (let them answer) Very large libraries have what they call a research department. You can call on the phone and they will look up the answer for you. What kinds of questions do you think people ask? (let them answer) What would be your question? (depending on time available, let them share their questions) I really like to ask questions, but I would have more fun finding the answer myself than calling the library and asking them to find the answer.
Our lesson today is about Jesus asking a lot of questions. Jesus probably asked the same kinds of questions that you do. But when Jesus was a boy, there were no libraries like we have now. There were no pretty books to look at. There were just parts of the Bible copied on special scrolls and kept at the Temple. There was no research department to call when you had a question. One time Jesus was visiting the Temple. His family left, but Jesus stayed there for three days asking all kinds of questions. Many of the men in those days knew a lot about the Bible and they spent a lot of time discussing it. Instead of gathering in the morning at a restaurant, they gathered at the Temple. It was, for Jesus, like going to a library -- all those men who knew all those things Jesus wanted to know. Jesus even surprised some of them with all the hard questions he asked and the things he said to them. Do you think Jesus would have liked our libraries today? (let them answer) I think Jesus would have spent a lot of time learning lots of things from books and asking lots of questions. So, it's okay to ask questions. That's how we learn!
Our lesson today is about Jesus asking a lot of questions. Jesus probably asked the same kinds of questions that you do. But when Jesus was a boy, there were no libraries like we have now. There were no pretty books to look at. There were just parts of the Bible copied on special scrolls and kept at the Temple. There was no research department to call when you had a question. One time Jesus was visiting the Temple. His family left, but Jesus stayed there for three days asking all kinds of questions. Many of the men in those days knew a lot about the Bible and they spent a lot of time discussing it. Instead of gathering in the morning at a restaurant, they gathered at the Temple. It was, for Jesus, like going to a library -- all those men who knew all those things Jesus wanted to know. Jesus even surprised some of them with all the hard questions he asked and the things he said to them. Do you think Jesus would have liked our libraries today? (let them answer) I think Jesus would have spent a lot of time learning lots of things from books and asking lots of questions. So, it's okay to ask questions. That's how we learn!
