Katie Cuckoo Flies South
Children's Liturgy and Story
Call to Worship:
When a woman knelt before him and said, "Lord, help me," Jesus saw her faith and responded to her request. In our worship today let us explore the relationship between humility and faith.
Invitation to Confession:
Reading:
Matthew 15:21-28 (NRSV)
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. [22] Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." [23] But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." [24] He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." [25] But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." [26] He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." [27] She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." [28] Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.
Story:
When the Canaanite woman pleaded for Jesus' help, he was quite rude to her. But she was a woman who was full of both faith and humility and she knew she needed Jesus for her daughter, so she persisted.
This is a story about Katie Cuckoo, who is bullied by her foster family of Dunnocks because she is different, but who eventually has to swallow her pride and ask for their help.
Katie Cuckoo Flies South
Katie Cuckoo was fed up. She knew she didn't belong in the Dunnocks' nest, but she had nowhere else to go. Her brothers and sisters were really only step-brothers and sisters, for Katie knew she was not related to them. She just happened to share a nest with them. Or rather, as they never tired of pointing out to her, Katie shared their nest.
Katie had no idea why her mother had dumped her on the Dunnocks even before she was born. She only knew that when she had hatched, she had been different. She was much bigger than any of the Dunnock fledglings and that made her feel clumsy and awkward. And Katie was always hungry. All the baby birds were always hungry, but Katie had a ravenous appetite. She tried so hard to reach the food that Mother and Father Dunnock brought, that everyone in the nest accused her of being greedy.
Poor Katie! She wasn't really greedy, but she was so much bigger than the baby Dunnocks that she needed twice as much food to stay alive.
The Dunnock fledglings may have been smaller than Katie, but they were twice as mean. When Katie wasn't looking they would stab at her with their little beaks, and even Father Dunnock had been known to give Katie a good push just when she was sitting near the edge of the nest. He claimed it was an accident, but Katie wasn't so sure.
She had seen her own mother once or twice when her mother had deigned to visit and sit on a branch to view Katie from afar. At least, Katie assumed that was her mother. Not that the older bird ever spoke to her, but something about the way she looked reminded Katie of herself.
When Katie was really unhappy with all the bullying she received from her Dunnock siblings, she would make up romantic stories about her mother and how her mother would come by to rescue her one day. But it had never happened, and now that it was August Katie had a horrible feeling deep down in the pit of her stomach that her mother had abandoned her for good. She had seen the adult cuckoo flying far, far away, and Mother Dunnock had remarked grimly, "There she goes! Neglecting her duties. It's the same every year!" And she had sniffed and looked pointedly at Katie, who had shrunk a little under her gaze.
But that was a month ago, and Katie had grown big and strong during that month. She was ready to fly the nest and she knew exactly where she was going. She was going after her real mother and she didn't care if she never saw any of the Dunnocks ever again.
Katie flapped her wings and took off. She flew and she flew and she flew. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, so she just flew. But to her amazement, after many days she settled in a place far to the South where it was warm and sultry and where she found many other cuckoos. At last she was among her own folk, where she was accepted and welcomed.
Katie stayed there with her own, all through the winter. When spring came, she fell in love with a male cuckoo who urged her to fly back to England with him. Again, Katie couldn't help herself. She flew and she flew and she flew. She lost touch with the male cuckoo who flew much faster than she did, and no wonder, for when Katie arrived in England she knew she was heavy with eggs.
But Katie was so exhausted from her long flight that she had no energy left to build a nest. Besides, she had no idea how to build a nest and she had no-one to help her. There was nothing for it. She would have to swallow her pride and beg for help. Katie went to the only birds she knew. She found one of her step-sisters from the Dunnock family and humbly begged to lay an egg in her nest.
The Dunnock sister didn't want to help, but when she looked at poor, heavy Katie, bedraggled from her long flight and desperate to lay her eggs, the Dunnock sister was moved to compassion. "All right," she grudgingly agreed.
After that, Katie flew round all her Dunnock siblings and was able to lay an egg in each of their nests until she had laid all fifteen of the eggs which had grown inside her. Then she watched over the eggs from a distance, never interfering but needing to know how her eggs hatched.
When she was satisfied that each of her cuckoo children were being cared for well by their foster family (despite a little bullying), Katie took off again for the South, feeling very grateful indeed to her siblings, the Dunnocks.
Activity:
You need:
A large map of the world (this needn't be elaborate, but should at least have the outlines of the different continents)
Magazine pictures of people - some wealthy, some very poor, some in between, people with different types of jobs, and all races
Felt tips
Scissors
Lengths of ribbon
Glue
A large piece of paper
Tell the children today's gospel story in your own words. Ask the children why Jesus was reluctant to help the woman (because she wasn't of the same religion as Jesus and he thought God had sent him only to the Jews). Ask the children why they think Jesus changed his mind about helping the woman (because he had compassion on her and for her child and because of the woman's faith in him). Ask the children whether they know of anyone who is left out and if so, why that should be?
Finally, talk about which groups of people are left out and which countries they live in. Glue the map onto the middle of the large sheet of paper. Let the children cut out pictures of people and decide which countries they might live in. Glue the people on to the margins of the paper and glue ribbons from the country to the people of that country.
Across the top of the paper write the title, "God loves everybody. No-one should be excluded."
Intercession:
Inclusive God, in our church community help us to make sure that nobody feels left out. May we all have sufficient humility to ask each other for help whenever we need it.
Inclusive God, awaken the whole world to human needs and human rights, so that everyone may be properly included in the wealth of our world.
Inclusive God, help us to become sensitive to the feelings of others. May we become aware of cliques and refuse to allow them to develop, so that all are welcomed under your roof.
Inclusive God, just as you healed the Canaanite woman's daughter all those years ago, so we ask you to heal those of our families and friends who are sick. We name them before you ....
Blessing:
When a woman knelt before him and said, "Lord, help me," Jesus saw her faith and responded to her request. In our worship today let us explore the relationship between humility and faith.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes I'm too proud to ask for help, even when I desperately need it.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I allow myself to be put off by other people's negative responses.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I'm only prepared to ask for help from my own kind.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Matthew 15:21-28 (NRSV)
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. [22] Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." [23] But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." [24] He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." [25] But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." [26] He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." [27] She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." [28] Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.
Story:
When the Canaanite woman pleaded for Jesus' help, he was quite rude to her. But she was a woman who was full of both faith and humility and she knew she needed Jesus for her daughter, so she persisted.
This is a story about Katie Cuckoo, who is bullied by her foster family of Dunnocks because she is different, but who eventually has to swallow her pride and ask for their help.
Katie Cuckoo Flies South
Katie Cuckoo was fed up. She knew she didn't belong in the Dunnocks' nest, but she had nowhere else to go. Her brothers and sisters were really only step-brothers and sisters, for Katie knew she was not related to them. She just happened to share a nest with them. Or rather, as they never tired of pointing out to her, Katie shared their nest.
Katie had no idea why her mother had dumped her on the Dunnocks even before she was born. She only knew that when she had hatched, she had been different. She was much bigger than any of the Dunnock fledglings and that made her feel clumsy and awkward. And Katie was always hungry. All the baby birds were always hungry, but Katie had a ravenous appetite. She tried so hard to reach the food that Mother and Father Dunnock brought, that everyone in the nest accused her of being greedy.
Poor Katie! She wasn't really greedy, but she was so much bigger than the baby Dunnocks that she needed twice as much food to stay alive.
The Dunnock fledglings may have been smaller than Katie, but they were twice as mean. When Katie wasn't looking they would stab at her with their little beaks, and even Father Dunnock had been known to give Katie a good push just when she was sitting near the edge of the nest. He claimed it was an accident, but Katie wasn't so sure.
She had seen her own mother once or twice when her mother had deigned to visit and sit on a branch to view Katie from afar. At least, Katie assumed that was her mother. Not that the older bird ever spoke to her, but something about the way she looked reminded Katie of herself.
When Katie was really unhappy with all the bullying she received from her Dunnock siblings, she would make up romantic stories about her mother and how her mother would come by to rescue her one day. But it had never happened, and now that it was August Katie had a horrible feeling deep down in the pit of her stomach that her mother had abandoned her for good. She had seen the adult cuckoo flying far, far away, and Mother Dunnock had remarked grimly, "There she goes! Neglecting her duties. It's the same every year!" And she had sniffed and looked pointedly at Katie, who had shrunk a little under her gaze.
But that was a month ago, and Katie had grown big and strong during that month. She was ready to fly the nest and she knew exactly where she was going. She was going after her real mother and she didn't care if she never saw any of the Dunnocks ever again.
Katie flapped her wings and took off. She flew and she flew and she flew. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, so she just flew. But to her amazement, after many days she settled in a place far to the South where it was warm and sultry and where she found many other cuckoos. At last she was among her own folk, where she was accepted and welcomed.
Katie stayed there with her own, all through the winter. When spring came, she fell in love with a male cuckoo who urged her to fly back to England with him. Again, Katie couldn't help herself. She flew and she flew and she flew. She lost touch with the male cuckoo who flew much faster than she did, and no wonder, for when Katie arrived in England she knew she was heavy with eggs.
But Katie was so exhausted from her long flight that she had no energy left to build a nest. Besides, she had no idea how to build a nest and she had no-one to help her. There was nothing for it. She would have to swallow her pride and beg for help. Katie went to the only birds she knew. She found one of her step-sisters from the Dunnock family and humbly begged to lay an egg in her nest.
The Dunnock sister didn't want to help, but when she looked at poor, heavy Katie, bedraggled from her long flight and desperate to lay her eggs, the Dunnock sister was moved to compassion. "All right," she grudgingly agreed.
After that, Katie flew round all her Dunnock siblings and was able to lay an egg in each of their nests until she had laid all fifteen of the eggs which had grown inside her. Then she watched over the eggs from a distance, never interfering but needing to know how her eggs hatched.
When she was satisfied that each of her cuckoo children were being cared for well by their foster family (despite a little bullying), Katie took off again for the South, feeling very grateful indeed to her siblings, the Dunnocks.
Activity:
You need:
A large map of the world (this needn't be elaborate, but should at least have the outlines of the different continents)
Magazine pictures of people - some wealthy, some very poor, some in between, people with different types of jobs, and all races
Felt tips
Scissors
Lengths of ribbon
Glue
A large piece of paper
Tell the children today's gospel story in your own words. Ask the children why Jesus was reluctant to help the woman (because she wasn't of the same religion as Jesus and he thought God had sent him only to the Jews). Ask the children why they think Jesus changed his mind about helping the woman (because he had compassion on her and for her child and because of the woman's faith in him). Ask the children whether they know of anyone who is left out and if so, why that should be?
Finally, talk about which groups of people are left out and which countries they live in. Glue the map onto the middle of the large sheet of paper. Let the children cut out pictures of people and decide which countries they might live in. Glue the people on to the margins of the paper and glue ribbons from the country to the people of that country.
Across the top of the paper write the title, "God loves everybody. No-one should be excluded."
Intercession:
Inclusive God, in our church community help us to make sure that nobody feels left out. May we all have sufficient humility to ask each other for help whenever we need it.
Inclusive God, awaken the whole world to human needs and human rights, so that everyone may be properly included in the wealth of our world.
Inclusive God, help us to become sensitive to the feelings of others. May we become aware of cliques and refuse to allow them to develop, so that all are welcomed under your roof.
Inclusive God, just as you healed the Canaanite woman's daughter all those years ago, so we ask you to heal those of our families and friends who are sick. We name them before you ....
Blessing:
May you be filled with compassion
for those who are different
and welcome them into God's family.
And may the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you now,
be in your homes and in your families
and with all those whom you love
and for whom you pray,
now and always.
Amen.
