Jesus said to the disciples, "'Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs....' Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing."
(From the Gospel)
(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)
(Read the quote, then each line slowly, with pauses to allow the children (and us!) to reflect on the questions.)
He says to let the children come to Him, because the Kingdom of God belongs to them.
What do you think of this? Jesus doesn't say that the Kingdom of God belongs to rich or clever or important people, but to children, who have no money, much to learn, and are not usually thought very important. But Jesus thinks they are so important that He says the Kingdom of God belongs to them!
I wonder why this is? Perhaps the reason doesn't matter. It is something very wonderful to think about though!
Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how important children are to You. Thank you for sharing your Kingdom first of all with them.
(Allow any spontaneous prayers, perhaps leading by example. 3-6 year olds relate most naturally to God through prayers of praise and thanksgiving; 6+ will have started thinking about their needs and the needs of those around them in prayers of intercession. Some children may also just want quiet time to speak with God in their hearts.)
(Sing a simple hymn or chant if your children like singing. Or even if they don't ;) This can also be done at the beginning. )
No comments:
Post a Comment