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Adult Object Lesson

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 22:33-43, Jer. 23:1-6, Psalm 46 and Col. 1:11-20

The power in starting over.

Today’s object is a song that most people in your congregation will know if they grew up or reared children anywhere between 1960 and the 1997. That should cover most of your congregation!

It is a song designed to be annoying and therefore it is great fun for children. It was featured on popular children’s shows. Ask your adults to remember the thrill of annoying their parents.

You can learn the song here.  9 minutes of it. I dare you to listen to the end.

You see, This Is the Song that Never Ends. It just goes on and on my friends. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was. And they’ll continue singing it forever just because. This is the Song that Never Ends . . . .

Which brings us to Christ the King Sunday.

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the Church year. It brings us as God’s people to a predictable end.
Jesus suffers and dies. Jesus the King of the Jews.

But is this really the end?

Let’s look at each of today’s lessons.

We start with Jeremiah’s admonition to religious leaders who create separation among the people who live under their authority. (Hmm!)

We move on to the poignant cry for help in Psalm 46 that ends with the quiet reassurance. “Be still and know that I am God.”

The letter to the Colossians promises strength at the same time that it warns of suffering.

And then we read the wrenching story of Jesus on the cross. His parting words are words of acceptance and love for those who are dying with him—and for those who are killing them.

Jesus leaves none of them without hope. God will be there for them. Promise.

Each passage is a story of strength found in starting over, trying again, figuring out where we went wrong, returning to the source of all our strength, and the assurance that God will be there to guide us.

It’s the end of the Church Year.

But come back next week. We’ll start all over again.

Assure your congregation that one of God’s promises is redemption. That means there is always a second chance—a chance to make things right with God and with one another.

Have fun with your congregation. Sing The Song that Never Ends. If you can manage, segue into a hymn that reinforces the theme of today’s message: We will find strength in God’s acceptance and redeeming love over and over again.

Just As I Am, Without One Plea would work.

Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
with many a conflict, many a doubt,
fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
sight, riches, healing of the mind,
yea, all I need in thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thy love unknown
hath broken every barrier down;
now, to be thine, yea thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

So would the Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth which is finding its way into hymnals.

Hymn Of Promise Hymn 

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

19 Nov 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 21:5-19, Malachi 4:1-2a, Psalm 98, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

medium_5079163335Wait A Minute or Two…or a Millennium or Two

Revere, Work and Rejoice

There is an inter-weaving element in each of this Sunday’s Lectionary Readings. What do we do while we wait?

Waiting is a big part of life. Ask any expectant mother. Ask any traveler. Ask any schoolchild, patient, or road-raged driver.

The need to wait is a given. While it is an annoyance to modern thinking, waiting was once woven into our culture. All the stories from long ago were told around the hearth while people waited for the sun to rise or winter to end.

The object today can be a timer or alarm clock. As you begin your talk set your timer for however long you think your lesson will be. Add a minute or two.

You’ll be talking while you wait for the alarm to sound.

The Jews listening to Jesus were waiting for the Messiah. Today we are waiting for his return.

Talk about the ominous nature of Jesus’ message. Their beloved temple would be destroyed. When? They wanted to know.

Malachi has a similar message of gloom. But he leaves them with a promise. Those who revere the Lord will know righteousness. They will leap like calves from the stall as other are reduced to stubble. Revere the Lord while you wait.

Paul and the apostles address waiting Thessalonians to keep busy. Work. The end may be near but we still have to work. Work while you wait.

Psalm 98 gives another tip for those who wait upon decisions that lie in the hands of God alone.

Rejoice.

By the time you’ve made these points you should still have a minute or two left before your timer or alarm goes off. What should your congregation do while they wait?

Ask them to sing a joyful hymn—of their choice. Or ask them to tell a story. Let them practice using their waiting time for good.

Any questions? Ask them to wait ’til the end of the service. :-)

photo credit: eflon via photopin cc

12 Nov 2013

Adult Object Lesson—Luke 6:20-31

All Saints Sunday: The Rocky Road of Sainthood

At last we have the Reformation and Halloween out of the way. A few days have passed since November 1, the actual All Saints Day. Perhaps we can put aside the Halloween hoopla and stop to remember that all of these traditions were once important to the faithful.

The reason we dwell on ghosts and goblins at Halloween is because we once spent more time thinking about the afterlife. All Saints and All Souls Days were part of our faith. We were honoring the faithful who have gone before—remembering to once again honor them and pray for them and perhaps thinking ahead to our own fate and relationship with God.

In the Lutheran tradition, we believe in the sainthood of each believer–even those who struggle with their faith. That’s most of us at one time or another. Remembering the faithful who have walked their faith journey before us helps to bring us all back into the fold.

teddybearToday’s object is a worn child’s toy—a rag dog or teddy bear that has seen lots of loving.

Have a beloved child’s toy in hand as you address the qualities that Luke writes about today.

Ask your adult congregation to think back to their childhoods and their relationship with a favorite doll or stuffed toy. Reread the scripture. It’s a parallel to Matthew’s Beatitudes.

Look at that rag doll. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.—But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”

Remember those pretend tea parties, “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.—Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.”

Remember the times when you felt scared, excluded, or lonely at night and clutched your toy under the covers. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.—Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.”

Remember when an older sibling might have grabbed your favorite toy and taunted you with a game of keep-away. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.”

Now remember why you never threw away that dusty toy—the toy that bore your childhood worries—the toy that helped you learn to love.

Since it is All Saints Sunday, ask your people to remember the real people who came to replace our toys as we grew in faith and faced difficult challenges—our parents, teachers, friends and role models. They may have all become tired and tattered from heavy-duty loving. They are the people who brought us close to God and they are worth an annual prayer of remembrance.

Close with the final verses of today’s gospel:

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

photo credit: PiggBox. via photopin cc

28 Oct 2013

Adult Object Lesson-Luke 16:19-31

waterThe Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

This parable is one of the most memorable to me from my childhood. I had an old Sunday School paper given to me by an elderly church member that showed poor Lazarus with the dog under the table. The image spoke to me and I thought a lot about this story with its other rich images—the rich man enduring the agony of Hades and the poor man seated comfortably with honor in heaven.

The definition of a parable, taught to us as children, is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is a story about how we value wealth. When weighed against the danger of losing our place in God’s kingdom, how important are our possessions?

That’s a big subject. How do we cover such vast territory with an object lesson?

Let’s consider one of the most valuable things in the world—something we are accustomed to having provided to us for free.

Drinking water.

Our object is the $2 bottle of (name your favorite brand) water.

Bottling individual portions of water for sale changed the way we view and value everyday drinking water.

Water was once provided for free in restaurants. You didn’t have to ask. Water was placed before you. Now you not only have to ask, you ask at the risk of the upsell. “Would you like seltzer water or (name the brand)?” You can sense the disappointment when you say—tap water will be fine.

I once stayed in a hotel where they had in the room’s minibar $6 bottles of water imported from Scandinavia. H2O is H2O, still one of my companions just had to sample it.

Since water is now sold in easy to carry containers, you see them everywhere. Whoever cleans your sanctuary is liking to collect a few bottles from the pews—unheard of 20 years ago.

Professional performers who might have hidden a cup of water to wet their whistle between numbers, position a bottle of water in plain sight. Product placement!

Teachers report that students feel they must have water with them in the classroom. “Stay hydrated” is a popular mantra. “Very important” usually follows the advice.

The offer of water was once an expectation of hospitality. When I was a child, hiking in the country, it was not unusual to be offered water as we passed a farmhouse.

Water fountains were once frequent appointments in public buildings. It was so important to all human beings that even if we didn’t want to share, we provided separate fountains for the people we were looking down upon — the Lazaruses of our day. “Whites only” or “Colored” signs were attached.

We have a new set of nuisances or problems all because of bottled water (including disposing of the used bottles). Because it now has a measurable value to us, we now think about water very differently. The common tin cup hanging by the well is no longer good enough for anyone.

Owning our bottles of water makes us part of our culture. We feel rich and accepted when we are always armed with H2O. As common as water is, we have made it a commercial status symbol.

That immediately affects the way we share. We are tempted to keep our purchased bottles for ourselves. Let everyone buy their own bottles of water.

And yet, water is something none of us can live without.

How important is it for us to have water? How important is it for us to reach heaven?

The rich man is begging for the opportunity to leave Hades for just one day to warn his brothers to share their water.

An earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

photo credit: toastforbrekkie via photopin cc
23 Sep 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 14: 25-33

blindfoldJesus Advises His Followers
It’s Going to Be Tough Going

If anyone thinks for a moment that following a Christian life is a recipe for happiness, think again.

Jesus is clear that He asks a great deal of those who follow Him. It’s not going to be easy.

This passage contains some harsh words. Jesus actually talks about hating your family!

This week’s object is a blindfold. (This week’s lesson could work with older children, too.)

Arrange in advance to have a volunteer from your congregation who is articulate. Have him or her wear a blindfold and try to follow you as you move around the chancel or part of the church—following nothing but your voice.

Ask him or her how it feels. Give them time to consider their experience. The answers might not come right away.

Perhaps they longed to grab hold of a family member or friend. Perhaps they longed to just sit down and find something they could do that might be easier. Perhaps they were tempted to peek. Perhaps they will describe how all their attention—every faculty—was focused on just one thing—following you.

That’s the kind of devotion Jesus expects of his followers. He wants no distractions—not family, not work, not studies or hobbies. None of the usual excuses. He wants us to be ready with every molecule of our existence to follow.

Pick up that cross.

photo credit: stars alive via photopin cc
03 Sep 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 14:1,7-14, Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16

candy dishThe Importance of Hospitality

Today’s object is a bowl of candy—mixed hard candies would be good.

Early in the service, (not close to communion), invite your congregation to come forward and choose a piece of candy. Engage them in conversation as they do. Comment on their choices or perhaps their reluctance to choose. Suggest what you might like. Respond when they say thank you. Someone might ask for two. Allow them. Share a story about the candy. Make sure everyone is satisfied.

You can just ask everyone to file forward or you can be creative and ask certain people to choose first. Just make whatever you do complement your message.

Use the experience to talk about hospitality.

Hospitality is the common theme of today’s lessons. In the Gospel, Jesus refers to the accepted protocol of honoring guests. Hebrews commends the practice of hospitality. Proverbs teaches the recipients of hospitality a lesson in grace.

As your congregation returns to their seats to enjoy their treat, talk to them about hospitality in today’s world and in ancient Israel.

Life was a bit different then. Travel could be dangerous and unpredictable. A crippled beast of burden, lack of water, an unexpected illness or accident, sudden changes in the weather—all could be life-threatening. Hospitality was expected.

But there is another reason for hospitality. It was entertaining. There were no newspapers, radios, or TVs. People worked at home and traveled rarely. The sight of a stranger on the horizon meant an evening of good conversation, news from far away. Perhaps they would be carrying exotic things.

There was something in it for everyone.

Ask your congregation what hospitality means to them today and how they might feel if a stranger knocked on their door expecting a meal and lodging.

Meals are a common setting in scripture, culminating in the ritual that commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus’ sacrifice.

Talk about what Jesus and the disciples learned around the dinner or banquet table, preaching on the hills of Galilee, and after the Resurrection—when Jesus shares a meal in Emmaus and cooks fish on the shore as he waits for the disciples to anchor their fishing boat. Remind them of meals with tax collectors, the wedding feast in Cana, the visits with his friends in Bethany, and the hospitality he enjoyed on occasion with richer friends.

Talk about your own meal experiences. The family dinner (or the parish dinner) is where we learn to work together. The home table is where we learn manners and to carry a conversation. We learn how to treat guests. The church can be a place to learn these things, too.

There is a scene in the classic movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, where the Finch Family sits down to eat together. A young friend of Scout’s, a boy from less fortunate circumstances, is invited to join them. The boy is overwhelmed by the feast put before him. Scout responds in critical amazement as he pours a pitcher of syrup over his food. She is stopped by her father and the housekeeper and deeply embarrassed.

A similar scene might be repeated in our families as our children learn how to treat guests.

  • How do we treat the strangers in our midst? Are they made truly welcome? Truly valued? Truly equal at the table? At the Eucharist?
  • Do we engage them in conversation, eager for news from other places? Do we make our church homes places they will feel comfortable returning to?
  • Do we seek only members who can contribute or who are like us? Do we welcome those who cannot contribute in the ways we expect?
  • What might we learn from our visitors?

Hospitality must be modeled. You just did this with you candy exercise!

In practicing hospitality we are modeling godly behavior. Are we doing a good job?

photo credit: Bill on Capitol Hill via photopin cc
26 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 13:10-17

medium_2697879034The Letter of the Law

In today’s lesson, Jesus heals a terribly crippled woman. One would think that everyone would be overjoyed for the woman. But no, the keepers of the law ranted.

Couldn’t this miracle have waited until the Sabbath was over? Why didn’t Jesus send her away with a promise to meet up with her later, when the law allowed for miraculous healings.

Jesus sets the leaders straight. The work is sometimes more important than the letter of the law. Lighten up, folks. The woman is healed. Let’s rejoice with her—not make her feel guilty for finally finding relief from a life-long ailment.

The synagogue leaders were actually a bit embarrassed. This visiting teacher had outperformed them. They feel fenced in. To applaud Jesus was to highlight their shortcomings. They don’t know how to react. They retreat to the letter of the law.

We can be flexible in our interpretations as long as the end is a godly end. The law should serve its own purpose. Healing the sick is a good purpose—lawful on any other day of the week.

There is strength in being able to bend—to stoop down from our high positions of authority and do some hands on good in the world. Flexibility within the law can be a way of keeping the intent of the law.

Today’s object is a stalk of asparagus.

Have a few so you can demonstrate a chef’s trick.

The bottom of an asparagus stalk is often stiff and stringy. Sometimes it’s white and you can see the tough parts. Sometimes it’s not so easy to see.

The base of the stalk is not tasty and it is difficult to chew. It’s rather useless, but that’s the way asparagus comes!

Cooks are faced with a few choices:

  • Cook the asparagus as is and let people figure out for themselves what’s inedible.
  • Make an executive decision! Chop off the ends arbitrarily with a chef’s knife.
    OR
  • Use a chef’s trick. Just snap the end of the asparagus. The worthless part of the asparagus will snap off and you will be left to serve the tender and flavorful part the vegetable—the part that bends without snapping. The flexible part is the useful part.

If you are still inclined to be a stickler for using the whole stalk of celery, you can always throw the ends in the vegetable stock. It’s up to you. Use your best judgment when doing the work of the Lord.

So there, that’s our metaphor for today’s interpretation of God’s law.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc
20 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 12:49-56

footballhelmetGearing Up for the Battle

The gospel this week is kind of tough to understand. Read it a few times and you may conclude, “I guess you had to be there.”

Jesus speaks with tired frustration to his disciples. The Crucifixion is looming. He can see it coming. He’s been preparing his followers, but He tires of their inability to understand what is so clear to Him.

He is apprehensive. Why aren’t they?

So Jesus take a few desperate stabs at preparing the faithful for the difficult days that He knows are coming not just in His life but in theirs (and ours) as well.

He delivers an unpleasant message.

What? The church will not be a group of happy campers forever?

Here’s a possible way to demonstrate the various points that Jesus touches upon.

Have a young person come forward wearing some sort of sports gear. Just a helmet can work—or a baseball cap and bat. Choose a sport that your congregation relates to— football, baseball, hockey. Make sure that your model appears ready to play. That’s why a helmet is better than just a jersey. Idle fans wear jerseys. You want to create the sense that your  guy or gal is ready for action.

We’ll use football as an example.

Ask your people to identify what they might expect when they see someone wearing a football helmet.

Answers might be fall weather, cheerleaders, rough talk, hot cider in the stands. Surely someone will say something about the battle they hope to witness. This is your opening to talk about teamwork and division, peace and competition.  You can talk about the pressures of competition and the mission of winning. Mention the fear of defeat or even the fear of pain. And there is always the hope of a glorious victory.

All of this was probably on Jesus’ mind when He spoke the words of today’s gospel.

You can continue this discussion as long as you like. Lead its direction. Talk about strategizing within the team and the tensions that might result. Jesus is telling us that working together can be hard!

Foreshadow next week’s lesson and talk about the umpires and referees (judges).

We know all of this will happen from the moment we see players appear in uniform.

And if we don’t, Jesus wants to know why we can’t see what’s right in front of us.

By the way, how is your church’s teamwork these days?

OK, everyone. Put your helmets on!

photo credit: Monica’s Dad via photopin cc
12 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Christ Knocking

Someone’s Knocking at Your Door

Luke 12:32-40

ChristKnocking-WarnerSallmanToday’s object lesson is one of the most famous American paintings of Christ. Warner Sallman, a commercial artist in Chicago, painted several religious paintings in the early 1900s that are universally part of our faith imagery.

One of these is Christ Knocking at Heart’s Door.

This week turns the table on the Adult Object Lesson of a few weeks ago. In that lesson the Scripture had us knocking on Christ’s door. Now we are asked to listen for Christ’s knock on our door.

Many churches have a print of this painting hanging somewhere in their church.

It never hurts to point out a few things about the painting.

  • Christ is standing among the briars and thistles of the world.
  • A major light source of the painting is Christ’s heart.
  • The door between us is solid but there is a grill for us to see through. We can check things out before we open the door.
  • The door has no handle. We must open the door from the inside.

A discussion of this painting goes nicely with this week’s gospel which ends by placing a good bit of the responsibility for our relationship with Christ squarely on our shoulders.

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

You can use the song Someone’s Knocking at Your Door to accompany this lesson.

Or you can use “Into My Heart”

Into my heart, Into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come in today, Come in to stay
Come in to my heart, Lord Jesus

07 Aug 2013

Adult Object Lesson: Luke 11:1-13

medium_4359212372Lord, teach us to pray.

Today’s object is a door or perhaps a knocker. You’ll want to be able to physically knock in some way or other as you teach today’s object lesson.

The subject today is prayer.

Prayer or conversation with God is foundational to faith. Yet so many people feel inadequate when it comes to prayer.

Today’s gospel starts with this inadequacy. “Lord, teach us to pray.”

The disciples plead with Jesus for help in talking to God. There was no door between them and God. They could reach out and touch him. Yet, they felt inadequate.

Jesus gives them a brief example of prayer using the words that have come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer. However, Jesus knows that the problem is not the words but the attitude we have when we stand at the door and knock. He quickly moves on by telling a story.

Knocking on a door, as any salesperson knows, is frightening. You don’t know what might happen or whom you might encounter. You might be turned away—rejected. There is no worse feeling. It’s feels a bit safer when we know who is behind the door.

Jesus knows our fear.

He tells the story about the man who was embarrassed that he was ill-prepared to welcome a guest. The man didn’t let his shortcomings stop him from trying. It may help to remind your learners that in biblical times it was a true embarrassment to be unable to meet the needs of a stranger asking for hospitality. Modern hearers of this word will be tempted to side with the neighbor who was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night.

The man in Jesus’ story was humiliated when he went to a neighbor at the most inopportune time. When the neighbor tried to turn him away, he persisted. He was willing to risk his honor, pride and reputation to knock again and again on the neighbor’s door until his plea was answered. Jesus wants us to have that same need to knock on His door no matter what our state.

Today’s passage ends with a promise from Jesus. It’s still all about knocking on the door.

Have your learners repeat the passage once or twice. Some will know it by memory.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened”

It’s not a bad passage to memorize. It will come in handy when we reach out with all our feelings of inadequacy to knock on God’s door. We don’t know what will happen when the door opens. But we DO know who is waiting to open the door! We knock with God’s permission and promise — and that’s half the battle. He has already helped us. He gave us the words to use. And we need to nurture our faith to be able to receive the answer.

Here is another visual help. Most of us pass this reminder every day in our neighborhoods and perhaps even our own homes. We see it on TV in every manner of home — Christian and non-Christian.

f0208-03It’s a standard door design dating to colonial America—the cross and Bible door. The pattern forms the cross on top and open Bible below. Your adult learners can think of this passage when they see this door—and before they knock on it!

Opening photo credit: JohnnyEnglish via photopin cc
23 Jul 2013