Prayer And Bumblebees
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A church bulletin; a picture of a bumblebee, a stuffed animal bumblebee, or a puppet bumblebee.
"Every week the hard-working folks in our church office put together a bulletin for our worship service. It gives us a guide to follow so we know what's coming next. It tells us the page numbers of the hymns, provides the words for the call to worship, the scripture, and the benediction. It tells us who is doing what, when, in the service. You can see, even if you can't read yet, that there's quite a list of things in the bulletin this morning. There's an anthem, a prelude, a postlude, the offering, communion, two sermons, four hymns, and SIX prayers! Wow! Six prayers! That's quite a lot compared to everything else, isn't it? That makes prayer look pretty important in the worship service, doesn't it?
"Prayer is important, you know. And not just during a worship service. Prayer is important every day in our lives. Jesus knew that. When we read about him in the Gospels we find he prayed both with other people and by himself. He went to the garden to pray (Mark 14:32); he went into the hills to pray (Matthew 14:23); he went to the wilderness to pray (Luke 5:16). Jesus talked with God a lot.
"When you talk with someone, especially if you ask a question, do you expect the other person to answer?" The children nod affirmatively.
"But unless you stop talking yourself, the other person won't be able to speak. You have to stop talking and listen if you are going to hear the other person's part of your conversation, don't you?" The children again nod their agreement.
"I think sometimes we forget that part of prayer needs to be listening too. If we do all the talking, how can God answer? Have you ever thought about that? Prayer isn't just talking to God; it is also listening to God.
"Sometimes, when it seems like a prayer is unanswered, it may be because we aren't listening. Or maybe we don't know how to listen. Maybe God is answering in a way we can't hear with our ears. Maybe we need to listen with our other senses. Have you ever listened with your eyes?" This suggestion elicits giggles from the assembled children.
"That may sound silly," I continue, "but I had an experience like that just last month. I was sitting at the edge of some woods listening for God. I had already done my talking. I had asked God to help me with something I had to do that seemed absolutely impossible. Now I was sitting there listening. The sun was setting and everything was quite still. Then suddenly two giant black and yellow bumblebees flew into the weeds in front of me.
"How many of you have ever seen a bumblebee?" I ask. Several children raise their hands. Others look uncertain, so I hold up the picture I have brought.
"This is what a bumblebee looks like," I tell them. The puzzled looks disappear from the uncertain children's faces.
"The bees I saw were almost as big as my thumb! As I watched them I remembered reading that from everything scientists know about flying, bees really shouldn't be able to fly. Their big round bodies are just too big to be lifted by their tiny little wings. But bees DO fly.
"You know, it surprised me to see these bees so late in the evening. There were no flowers around that part of the woods. In fact, the bees' presence didn't make any sense at all until I remembered why I was there. I had come to spend some time in prayer. And now it seemed as if God was using the bees to answer my prayer -- if only I would listen.
"God wasn't taking any chances with me either. God sent two bees so I'd be sure to notice. But to get the message, I had to listen with my eyes.
"Probably you're wondering what that message was. The bees reminded me that supported by God's love, anything is possible. Even bees can fly!
"God speaks to us in many wonderful ways. But we can't hear if we don't listen. And sometimes we need to listen with something other than our ears. Sometimes it's important to listen with our eyes."
"Prayer is important, you know. And not just during a worship service. Prayer is important every day in our lives. Jesus knew that. When we read about him in the Gospels we find he prayed both with other people and by himself. He went to the garden to pray (Mark 14:32); he went into the hills to pray (Matthew 14:23); he went to the wilderness to pray (Luke 5:16). Jesus talked with God a lot.
"When you talk with someone, especially if you ask a question, do you expect the other person to answer?" The children nod affirmatively.
"But unless you stop talking yourself, the other person won't be able to speak. You have to stop talking and listen if you are going to hear the other person's part of your conversation, don't you?" The children again nod their agreement.
"I think sometimes we forget that part of prayer needs to be listening too. If we do all the talking, how can God answer? Have you ever thought about that? Prayer isn't just talking to God; it is also listening to God.
"Sometimes, when it seems like a prayer is unanswered, it may be because we aren't listening. Or maybe we don't know how to listen. Maybe God is answering in a way we can't hear with our ears. Maybe we need to listen with our other senses. Have you ever listened with your eyes?" This suggestion elicits giggles from the assembled children.
"That may sound silly," I continue, "but I had an experience like that just last month. I was sitting at the edge of some woods listening for God. I had already done my talking. I had asked God to help me with something I had to do that seemed absolutely impossible. Now I was sitting there listening. The sun was setting and everything was quite still. Then suddenly two giant black and yellow bumblebees flew into the weeds in front of me.
"How many of you have ever seen a bumblebee?" I ask. Several children raise their hands. Others look uncertain, so I hold up the picture I have brought.
"This is what a bumblebee looks like," I tell them. The puzzled looks disappear from the uncertain children's faces.
"The bees I saw were almost as big as my thumb! As I watched them I remembered reading that from everything scientists know about flying, bees really shouldn't be able to fly. Their big round bodies are just too big to be lifted by their tiny little wings. But bees DO fly.
"You know, it surprised me to see these bees so late in the evening. There were no flowers around that part of the woods. In fact, the bees' presence didn't make any sense at all until I remembered why I was there. I had come to spend some time in prayer. And now it seemed as if God was using the bees to answer my prayer -- if only I would listen.
"God wasn't taking any chances with me either. God sent two bees so I'd be sure to notice. But to get the message, I had to listen with my eyes.
"Probably you're wondering what that message was. The bees reminded me that supported by God's love, anything is possible. Even bees can fly!
"God speaks to us in many wonderful ways. But we can't hear if we don't listen. And sometimes we need to listen with something other than our ears. Sometimes it's important to listen with our eyes."
