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A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- Please line up according to height. Now arrange yourself by first name; now by age. The world arranges us in different ways and has its own idea about who is first. In our Gospel, Jesus talks about being humble and not going for the highest place at a banquet. In God's love, each of you is the greatest because God loves each of you very, very much. God also tells us to love one another, so we also see each other as the greatest.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- In today's Gospel, Jesus heals a woman who has been bent over for many years. We can begin to imagine how painful it was for her to live for all those years by walking around the church bent over. Jesus sees her suffering and heals her, so she praises God. But the religious leaders complain because Jesus healed her on the Sabbath. We know that the Sabbath is a day for us to meet God, and the woman meets God in her healing. God meets us all the time and brings us blessings.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- I'm sure you noticed that you're sitting in a different place today. Are you comfortable? Many of us don't like change. In today's Gospel, the people don't respond well when Jesus asks them to change. But Jesus promises to be with us no matter what. Sometimes we just need a change in perspective, and Jesus is always with us.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- Today's Gospel talks about treasure, so we're going to hunt for the great treasure we have from God, grace. Where do you think we can find it? You're right: in the baptismal font, in the piano, in the Bible, in the oil and communion on the altar, and in the door of the church. There is grace everywhere we look and in all these people. The grace of God is a great treasure.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- I need your help today. Please tell me how to pray. You are right to start by thanking God and to pray for the things we need. It's like Jesus in our Gospel who tells the disciples to thank God for being God, to ask for our daily bread, to ask that we not be tested, and to ask for the things we need.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- Today's Gospel is about Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. Mary is listening to Jesus while Martha is working, so Martha comes to Jesus and asks him to make Mary help her. Which is more important, the Bible with Jesus' words or the broom we use to clean up here at church? Jesus both wants us to listen to him and sends us out to do the work of the Gospel, so both the Bible and the broom are necessary for us to answer the call to love God and love our neighbor.

A children's conversation by Intern Pastor Andy Flatt-Kuntze -------------------------------------------------------- Today is my last Sunday, and we're going on a field trip. Our first lesson says that God is going to give us a commandment, so we're going to look around the church to find it. We looked all over, but didn't find it, so we'd better look at the lesson again. It says that the commandment is not far away; it's in our mouths and in our hearts. The commandment God puts in our hearts is to love God and love one another.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- In today's Gospel, Jesus has 70 followers put on their shoes and go out to the people. They are called apostles, which means "sent out." Jesus sends each of you out as well. We sometimes think the most important thing is to come to church, but it's much more important for us to go out and share the message of God's love. God blesses your shoes so you can go out as apostles.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- In today's Gospel, Jesus cannot get the people excited about following him, and the disciples want to have fire rain down on them, but Jesus stops them. He says that the Holy Spirit will do its work at the right time. It's important for us to remember that the spirit is there for all people at the right time.

A children's conversation by Intern Pastor Andy Flatt-Kuntze -------------------------------------------------------- This is the first Sunday of common time, and we are surrounded by our green paraments. In our first reading we hear about God extending a hand to God's people, even though they have been rebellious. Later in worship, we extend our hands in peace and welcome each other to worship.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- Today is Ascension Sunday. In our Gospel and lesson from Acts, Jesus goes up into heaven after being with the disciples for 40 days, and they stand there looking up because they don't want to loose Jesus again. Do you think we could reach up and get Jesus back from heaven if we used this big grabber? You're right; no matter how long we made it, we couldn't grab Jesus. But the truth is that Jesus is still with us in the Holy Spirit. This is the gift God gives us today and every day.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- In our Gospel, Jesus is sitting on the beach while the disciples are out fishing. They haven't caught anything, so Jesus has they let down the nets on the other side, and the catch lots of fish. The story is not so much about the number of fish they catch but about God's abundant and steadfast love that is always with us.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- If you're sad or hungry or people yell at you, you don't feel blessed. However, in our Gospel Jesus calls the poor and hungry blessed. When I was ordained 29 years ago, a friend that I didn't like very much gave me this painting, and it has blessed me ever since. God blesses us when we don't expect it. So here I have a shell lei for each of you, and I have a bunch more so you can give them to others and bless them.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- In today's Gospel, Jesus and the disciples go out fishing with a net and catch lots of fish. Then Jesus says from then on they will fish for people. We don't want to go out with a net, catch people in the net, and drag them to church. Just like the disciples encircled the fish with their net, we can encircle people with the net of God's love.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- You all have a favorite excuse. In our first lesson, Jeremiah tells God he cannot answer God's call because he's too young, but God tells him that God chose him and prepared him before he was born, and Jeremiah answers the call. God loves each of us, no matter what excuse we give.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- All the candles on the Advent Wreath are lit, so we know Christmas is coming soon. Over here with have a Christmas tree with Chrismon ornaments--symbols of Christ. There is a butterfly for the resurrection, a candle to symbolize the list of Chris, and the Chi-Rho that forms the first letters of "Christ" in Greek. All together, the tree tells us the story of Jesus.

A children's conversation by Pastor Jeff Lilley -------------------------------------------------------- I have a problem because I forget things, especially my keys, and I can't find them today. Sometimes God sends signs to help us remember things. Jesus talks about that in the Gospel today. Today we have a special sign, the Advent Wreath, that tells us Jesus and Christmas are coming. There are four candles, and when they are all lit, we know that Christmas is just around the corner and Jesus is coming again.