The Silent Language
Children's sermon
Open My Eyes
More Children's Object Lessons
Object:
a small pane of glass.
Purpose: To help children see things in a new way.
Material: You will need a small pane of glass.
Lesson: What do you see in my hand? ... Your first answer might be simply, ''A piece of glass.'' But look again and think about how you might use this piece of glass. What do you see? ... If you were a homeowner, you might see a pane of glass for a broken window. If you have fish in the house, this might be a cover for a fish bowl, to keep the goldfish in and the cat out. If you like to garden, you might see this as a protection for a table top upon which a flower pot might be placed. If you were an artist, this could be a surface upon which to mix some colors if you were painting with oil paint. This piece of glass is a very simple object and yet it can have different meanings to just as many different people.
I find that very interesting. We can learn something about people just by seeing how they make use of what is around them. And how we use the things that we have tells other people something about us. Now, as Christians, we want people to see that we are followers of Jesus, and that means using what we have for the good of others as well as for ourselves. That is part of what we mean by stewardship.
We come to church to try to see things in a new way, to see things as God sees them. And the closer we come to seeing
life as God wants us to see it, the closer we come to finding true life. So, keep your eyes and ears and heart and mind open here. What you find in church may surprise you; and it may help you see life in a different way. And that may change the way you use all the things you will have in life.
Possible Times To Use This Illustration In The Home:
• When you need to replace a broken window.
• When your child is working with paints.
• When your child rebels against going to church.
Scriptural Background: ''For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord'' (Isaiah 55:8).
Material: You will need a small pane of glass.
Lesson: What do you see in my hand? ... Your first answer might be simply, ''A piece of glass.'' But look again and think about how you might use this piece of glass. What do you see? ... If you were a homeowner, you might see a pane of glass for a broken window. If you have fish in the house, this might be a cover for a fish bowl, to keep the goldfish in and the cat out. If you like to garden, you might see this as a protection for a table top upon which a flower pot might be placed. If you were an artist, this could be a surface upon which to mix some colors if you were painting with oil paint. This piece of glass is a very simple object and yet it can have different meanings to just as many different people.
I find that very interesting. We can learn something about people just by seeing how they make use of what is around them. And how we use the things that we have tells other people something about us. Now, as Christians, we want people to see that we are followers of Jesus, and that means using what we have for the good of others as well as for ourselves. That is part of what we mean by stewardship.
We come to church to try to see things in a new way, to see things as God sees them. And the closer we come to seeing
life as God wants us to see it, the closer we come to finding true life. So, keep your eyes and ears and heart and mind open here. What you find in church may surprise you; and it may help you see life in a different way. And that may change the way you use all the things you will have in life.
Possible Times To Use This Illustration In The Home:
• When you need to replace a broken window.
• When your child is working with paints.
• When your child rebels against going to church.
Scriptural Background: ''For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord'' (Isaiah 55:8).
