LESSON 28 LOST AND FOUND: PARABLES OF …stthomassunvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/GBC_Lesson28.pdfLESSON 28 LOST AND FOUND: PARABLES OF JOYFUL FINDING ... LOST aNd FOuNd: ParaBLES

Summary of Today’s StoryThe parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin tell how God rejoices when even one person turns his or her life around (“repents”) and is returned to God’s fold.

L E S S O N 28LOST AND FOUND:

PARABLES OF JOYFUL FINDING

Where You’ll Find Today’s StoryIn the BibleWe recommend the New Revised Standard Version Bible.

Luke 15:1-7 (Lost sheep)Luke 15:8-10 (Lost coin)

In Children’s BiblesIf you plan to use a children’s Bible for storytelling, write the page numbers of today’s story in the space below.

In Our Sunday LectionaryToday’s story is told in church on the following Sunday:

Year C: Proper 19

© 2012 By Joanna Leiserson. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.MorehouseEducation.org. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

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Weaving Our Story with the Biblical StoryMore on repentance! See how such joy comes with repentance,

and how repenting our lost-ness is so important for true joy to be found?

Many of the parables in Luke—which are found only in Luke—focus on these attributes of God’s salvation and our response as we appropriate these attributes into our own life and identity. For example, the stories of the lost sheep and lost coin, the prodigal son, the tax collector (contrasted with the Pharisee) and the good Samaritan together give us a sense of the universal scope of divine mercy and our own place in the world of divine Love.

Today’s parables are about a sheep that was lost and a coin that was lost, and about the shepherd who found the sheep and the woman who found the coin. Jesus tells us that the shepherd and the woman are like God who searches for us when we get lost. And we are like the sheep and the coin—not a very flattering picture of us! Neither sheep nor coins seek out God; in these stories, it is God who is the searcher for the lost ones.

We like to think that we seek God, as if God is lost! But do we really seek God? Do we seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness? Do we long for God as a thirsty deer longs for the running brook? Do we long for the living water of Christ? Or are we not more like sheep and coins as God scours the hillsides day and night and turns the world upside down looking for us? Do we do the same, looking for him?

Sometimes we just need to acknowledge that we are the ones who are lost in order to open ourselves to be found by God, by praying, reading the Bible, coming to church, loving God and loving each other. And how God rejoices when God finds us! Thanks be to God!

For Luke, Jesus brings a new age, which we see in Jesus’ all-encompassing invitation to accept God’s love and mercy and to share these qualities with the poor. Luke’s understanding of salvation incorporates the great ideals that we often associate with the Christian spiritual life, and he interprets these ideals in a grand and big-hearted way: divine mercy, compassionate love, utter vulnerability to God’s presence, total inclusiveness and welcome, wide-open and unquestioning hospitality.

Through all of these qualities of spirituality as we live them out in our daily life, we are woven into God’s beloved community.




The Episcopal ThreadIn our Prayer Book, the analogy of us as sheep, both lost and found, is everywhere.

In the confession for Morning Prayer, Rite I, we pray, “we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep...” (BCP, p. 41).

But in the Rite of Reconciliation of a Penitent (“private confession”), the priest, upon absolution, concludes the rite with: “Now there is rejoicing in heaven; for you were lost, and now are found; you were dead, and now are alive in Christ Jesus our Lord” (BCP, p. 451).

And finally, at our burial, the celebrant will let us go, commending our soul to God, by saying: “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant N. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming” (BCP, p. 499).

But these confessions of our nature as lost sheep are always tempered by the forgiving love of God, as the familiar hymn says:

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea, there’s a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty. There is welcome for the sinner, and more graces for the good, there is mercy with the Savior, there is healing in his blood.

—Hymnal 1982, #469/470

As Episcopalians, we recognize that we sin—that’s why we have General Confession in every Sunday—but we tend not to brood over it. Right after confession come these words: ■ Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all

your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ…and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. (BCP, 360).

By God’s saving work through Jesus Christ, we are always saved, always being saved and always will be saved. That salvation is assured by the God who has sought us out and found us, and we know that there is always “rejoicing in heaven” when we are reconciled to God. ■ In the Rite of Holy Baptism, the candidate

renounces Satan, all evil powers, and evil desires, and then promises to turn to Jesus Christ as Lord (BCP, p. 302).

However, when later we make our vows in the Baptismal Covenant, we acknowledge that our renunciations will not necessarily guarantee that we will never lose our way. So the celebrant will ask, “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?” And we answer, “I will, with God’s help” (p. 304). Like the lost sheep and the lost coin, we will always need God’s help, and God is always there to help us.




gatheringAs the children enter the room, engage them in a simple activity that relates to

today’s lesson. On page 8, you’ll find a Gathering Activity handout to use if you wish. Below are other suggestions.

Begin a campfire in the center of the room. In an empty space in your room, place some sticks and some red, orange and yellow tissue paper on top. As children enter, hand them a small piece of paper and a pencil or crayons. Have them draw or write something that keeps them from God. This could be matters at school, with family or friends, illness or problems with sharing. When they are finished, have them toss this paper into the “fire” and sit around the “fire.”

Older intermediate children can also be encouraged to sit around a “campfire” in friendship, fellowship and community with one another.

After all the children have arrived and had a few minutes of activity or fellowship time, gather them together and say a simple opening prayer, such as this one: ■ Our heavenly Father, we thank you that we can

come together today to worship you, to praise you, and to learn about your love for us and for all of your family. Guide us today as we learn from your Word, let us see your light in each other, and bring us the joy of your life and love. We pray to you in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord. Amen.

Telling the StoryRead today’s story aloud from a children’s Bible, showing the pictures, or tell the story in your own words.

Tell the stories with feeling and drama in your voice. These are wonderful stories of loss and return, filled with rejoicing. That is the whole point.

When you have finished telling the stories, proceed to your prayer time. Save any discussion of the lesson until Sharing time. Let the power of the stories sink into the hearts and minds of the children, without any intellectual analysis that might lessen their power.

PrayerSet up a small worship center in your room.

Materials:small table with a cloth to cover it2 candles or 1 large Christ candlematchesBiblecrossoptional: flowers (real, artificial or handmade by

the children)

Have the children set up a simple altar with the materials listed above. Invite them to place on the altar any drawings or crafts that they created during Gathering time. Then light the candles.




Read a verse or two of today’s scripture from a Bible so that the children connect the story they heard with the Bible, which is the word of God. If working mainly with older children, you might expand the reading to several verses.

Suggestions for the reading:

For younger children: Luke 15:4

For older children: Luke 15:4-7

Help the children become familiar with our liturgy by doing the reading as it is done in church. Read as follows:

Reader: A reading from the Gospel of Luke: (Read the selected passage.)

Reader: The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Invite the children to sit in a circle and join in prayer. Say a brief prayer yourself, then invite prayers from each child in the circle: ■ Invite prayers of thanks for God’s work in our lives

during the past week. Encourage them to mention both big and small ways that they see God working in them.

■ Welcome any prayers of concern or petition for themselves or for others, for God’s guidance or help in times of need or trouble.

■ Ask if anyone has had a birthday or celebrated a special day during the past week and give thanks for these special times.

■ End the prayer time by praying together the Lord’s Prayer.

Carefully extinguish the candles.

SharingPass out snacks and say a simple grace, such as:

■ Thank you, God, for everything you give to us: our family, our friends, our teachers, ourselves and the food that is set before us. Amen.

Or for older children: ■ Lord, we gather at your table and thank you for

all your creation: for this community of friends with whom we share your story, for this food set before us, and most of all, for your love and your assurance that even when we are lost, you will always find us. Amen.

This is an excellent time, while sharing a snack, to begin talking about the story that the children have just heard. ■ Invite children to share their feelings and reactions

to the stories of rejoicing. ■ Who do we identify with in these stories? Are we

the lost, or are we rejoicing with God? ■ Explore what it feels like to be lost. Have you ever

been lost–in a store? in a crowd? at a big event? What did it feel like? Who found you? What did it feel like to be found again?

■ What does it mean to be lost to God? Think about what we might do that separates us from God. Have there been times when we have chosen to do something that we know was wrong?

These stories—the lost coin and the lost sheep—are about God finding us, not us finding God. Ask children to think about how God must feel when we are apart from God. Think about how happy God feels when God finds us.




activities: arts, Crafts, games, drama, etc.

After Sharing, begin an activity to supplement and enhance today’s story. While the children are doing an activity, talk about the story so that they make the connection.

Suggested story-related activities are provided at the end of this lesson on pages 9-26.

Additional activity ideas can be found in the Appendix (also downloadable) where we’ve provided suggestions and directions for a variety of general activities that can be adapted to any lesson. Also included are outreach and service projects that can be done at any time.

MemorizationA good passage to learn is Luke 15:7, Jesus telling about joy in heaven.

Children may also be encouraged to learn the parts of the Holy Eucharist that we as the people of God say: the responses to the celebrant, the Nicene Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer after communion.

It would be most appropriate for this lesson to learn the Prayer of Confession, on page 360 of the Prayer Book if using Holy Eucharist Rite II.

Suggestions for ways to help the children with their memorization can be found on page 15 in the Appendix (also downloadable).

aCTIvITIES FOr ThIS WEEk’S SESSION




Weaving god’s Beloved CommunityGod’s beloved community is woven as our own stories connect

to the story of God and to the stories of the people around us.

As your time together draws to a close, take a few minutes to help the children summarize the story and say what they learned today. You may use Summary of Today’s Story on page 1, give your own summary, or draw out the children’s own wording by asking simple questions such as: ■ What stories did we hear today? ■ In our stories, what did the shepherd and the

woman with the coins feel at the end, when they found what they were looking for?

■ What does God do when we have done wrong and then come back to God?

Closing PrayerBefore the children leave, say a closing prayer to send them into the church worship service or

back to their homes with God’s love and blessing. The prayer can be very simple, such as this one: ■ O God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to be with

us and to show us your love for us. Send us now to our families and help us to love them and others as you so very much love us. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

End with a dismissal used in church, such as the Peace from the Prayer Book: ■ The peace of the Lord be always with you.

The children respond: ■ And also with you!


g aT h E r I N g aC T I v I T Y:F I N d T h E LO ST S h E E P

Look at all these animals! But where is your sheep? Circle the sheep, then color in the picture.

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W O O LY S h E E PPreschool

Children use cotton balls and construction paper to make a sheep.

Materials:black construction paper, 1 sheet per childcotton ballsscissorsgluethin ribbonwhite crayonsgoogly eyes, small

directions:Invite each child to make a sheep as follows:

1. With the white crayon, trace your hand on the black paper and cut out.

2. Cover the palm of the hand and half the fingers and thumb with glue.

3. Put cotton balls onto the glued sections. Let dry. If desired, do the same to the other side.

4. Glue a googly eye onto the middle of the thumb. This is the sheep’s head. The four fingertips, without cotton balls, are the sheep’s legs.

5. Cut around 8" of thin ribbon and tie around the “neck,” then tie the ribbon in a bow.

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W h aT ’S LO ST ?Elementary

Children each make two identical sheep from felt, pom poms and cotton balls, then put one of them on a tray and play a game in which one is taken away—but which one?

Materials:trayfelt squares of different colorsblack felt squaressmall black pom pomsgoogly eyescotton ballsscissorsglue

directions:Invite each child to make two sheep as follows:

1. Give each child two felt squares of the same color to make two identical sheep.

2. Cut the sheep’s body as an oval shape.

3. Glue googly eyes, a cotton ball for the tail and a small black pom pom for the nose. See illustration for model “sheep.”

4. Cut out two long strips of black felt, around 3" longer than the oval shape is wide, and glue each strip to the underside of the sheep, for the legs.

5. Put one of each pair of sheep on a tray. Keep the other one in front of you.

6. The leader or other helper takes away the tray and, out of sight of the children, removes one sheep. Then the tray is returned and shown to the children.

7. Children try to guess whose sheep is missing by comparing what is left on the tray with the sheep being kept on the table in front of each child.

8. Repeat until only one sheep is left.



LO ST S h E E PPreschool

In this game children close their eyes and while the leader silently picks one child to hide or to leave the room. Children then guess who is missing.

directions:1. Stand children in a circle, leaving at least two feet of space between each child.

2. Explain that in a moment they will all close their eyes. While there eyes are closed, you will silently tap one of the children on the shoulder. That child will be the lost sheep and will quietly leave the room. (An adult helper will need to accompany the child.)

3. After the child has left, with their eyes still closed, as the children to move around a bit (to mix up the group), then ask them to stop, open their eyes and guess which sheep is missing.

4. The child who correctly guesses gets to choose the next lost sheep (child or adult!) to leave the room.



CO I N r u B B I N g SPrimary, Elementary

When the children rub the paper with crayons, the coins that were hidden under the paper appear.

Materials:white or pastel papercrayonsvarious coins (If you have silver dollars, foreign coins or other rare coins, use these, too!)

directions:Invite each child to make a rubbing as follows:

1. Put a selection of coins under your paper.

2. Use the wide sides of crayons to rub across the paper, over the coins. The picture will show a beautiful outline of the coins.

variation:You can then take children around the church and find other objects from which they can take rubbings, such as carvings in the church.



W h O h a S T h E CO I N ?Preschool, Primary

In this game, children hide a coin from the coin-keeper, who tries to guess who’s holding it.

Materials:foil-covered chocolate coins

directions:1. Choose one child to be the coin-keeper. The other children are the mice who steal and hide the coin.

2. Have the mice sit in a circle. Then place a chair facing away from the circle, and have the coin-keeper sit there. Put a candy coin behind the coin-keeper, on the floor.

3. Silently tap a child in the circle. That child will sneak to the chair and snatch the coin, the return to his or her place in the circle.

4. Have all the children, including the one with the coin, hold their hands in a fist.

5. The coin-keeper turns around and has two guesses to find the mouse who “stole” the coin. The thief mouse gets to be the next coin-keeper.



h I d E- a N d -S E E k S h E E P a N d CO I N S

Preschool

Children search for marshmallow sheep and candy coins hidden in the classroom.

Materials:marshmallowssmall plastic sandwich or snack bagschocolate coins or candy Kisses®markers

Preparation: ■ Before class, put marshmallows in a bag—one per bag. ■ Hide the marshmallows and coins around the room. ■ Keep one marshmallow-in-bag and one coin to show. Keep another few to hide for children who have not

found any at the end.

directions:1. Tell the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Then say, “Now we have some sheep and coins that are lost.

They look like this. (Hold up the marshmallow and the coin.) They are somewhere in this room. Can you find them?”

2. When each child has found at least one of each—and you have guided some children to find the extras that you have hidden for them—invite the children to use the markers to decorate a happy face on the bags.



CO M Pa S S a N d M a PPrimary

Children make a map, with Jesus as true north, using a real compass and paper plates, and add their own decorations.

Materials:small compass, 1 per childgluemarkerscopies of the Jesus picture (p. 16), 1 per childwhite paper platesscissors

Preparation:Make a copy of the Jesus picture (p. 16) for each child.

directions:Invite each child to make a compass and map as follows:

1. Cut out and color the picture of Jesus.

2. Place the compass on center of the plate and glue it to the plate.

3. Find North on the compass, then glue the picture of Jesus to the plate at N (share the illustration above with children, if necessary).

4. Add the words Point to Jesus.

5. Draw your own decorations—reminders of Jesus—such as a heart, star (light of the world) or water (living water, baptism).



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g O d S E E k S Elementary, Intermediate

Children play an adaptation of the Hide-and-Seek game Sardines. Even when we hide, God searches us out and wants to find and join us.

You will need a large enough space with enough great hiding spaces. This may be another room or outdoors.

directions:1. Sardines is a backwards version from Hide-and-Seek in that It is the one who hides and all others search for It.

When It is found, the finders join It in It’s hiding place.

2. Choose one person to be It, the wayward sheep.

3. Everybody else are the finders (God). They stay in the room or close their eyes while the wayward sheep hides. Count slowly to 30, or 50, or whatever number you choose.

4. Everybody then separates to look for the wayward sheep separately. When one finds the wayward sheep, he or she quietly joins the sheep in hiding, until they are crowded like—sardines!

5. The game ends when the last person finds the hiding group.



W h O h a S T h E CO I N ?Primary, Elementary, Intermediate

Children play a game that’s a take-off on the story of the widow and the lost coin, hiding a coin in their hands while one person tries to guess who has it.

Materials:coin

directions:1. Pick one child to be Wilma the Widow. Have the other children sit or stand in a circle, with Wilma in the

center.

2. Give one of the children the coin. It doesn’t matter who holds the coin to begin with.

3. Have Wilma close his or her eyes and count aloud to 20.

4. The other children will pass the coin around until Wilma reaches the number 20. Then the coin passing stops. The coin will be in one child’s hand, but all hands should be closed-fist as if holding the coin, and held out in front of each child.

5. Have Wilma try to guess who has the coin. Three tries, then a new Wilma will be picked. If the correct child is chosen, the current Wilma plays again.



W h E r E I S T h E LO ST S h E E P? Preschool

Children try to guess where the sheep is hiding, each one taking a turn at hiding the sheep.

Materials:3 paper cups (the diameter at the top of cup should be larger than the sheep picture)sheep pictures (p. 21)optional: cotton or cotton ballsscissorsglue

Preparation:Make a copy of the sheep pictures (p. 21) and cut one out. If you wish, glue cotton to it.

directions:1. Line up the three cups, upside down. Lay the sheep down next to the cups.

2. Have children close their eyes for 10 seconds, putting hands in front of their face. While their eyes are closed, hide the sheep in one of the cups.

3. When they open their eyes, say, “The sheep is lost! Where is the sheep?” Have one child guess which cup the sheep is in.

4. If the child guesses wrong, have another child guess. The one who guesses correctly can hide the sheep during the next round.

5. Play until all children have had a chance to hide the sheep.



S h E E P P I C T u r EPreschool, Primary

Children use colored construction paper and cotton balls to make a sheep pasture enclosed with a heart fence.

Materials:cotton or cotton balls red, green and brown construction papersheep pictures (p. 21), 1 per childscissorsgluetransparent tape

Preparation: ■ Make a copy of the sheep page with the words We

Belong to God for each child. ■ Cut out a row of hearts from the red construction paper, one row for each child. The row should be as long as

the length of the construction paper.

directions:Invite each child to make a picture as follows:

1. Cut out the sheep pictures. Glue cotton or cotton balls on the bodies, for a wooly effect.

2. Glue the sheep to the green construction paper.

3. Glue the row of hearts along the bottom of the picture, making a heart “fence” for your sheep. Tape or glue the ends to the sides of the picture. You may also need to secure the bottoms of the hearts.

4. Cut out the sign, We Belong to God and glue it to the top of the picture.





We Belong to god


g O d’S S h E E PPreschool, Primary

Children make a sheep pen from construction paper and cotton balls.

Materials:sheep pictures (p. 21), 1 sheet per childcotton or cotton ballsbrown construction paper, 9" x 12", 1 sheet per childscissorstape or glue

Preparation: ■ Make a circle from the brown construction paper, 9" in diameter (the width of the paper), 1 per child. ■ For very young children, you may need to cut out this circle in advance. Make a copy of the sheep picture for

each child.

directions:Distribute the brown circles and invite each child to make a sheep pen as follows:

1. Cut a strip of brown paper around 1" wide and as long as the circumference of your circle.

2. Tape the strip around the circle to make a “fenced” sheep pen. You need only to tape the strip at intervals, so as not to leave large gaps.

3. Cut out the sheep pictures. Glue cotton or cotton balls to each side of the sheep, for a nice plump sheep.

4. Put the sheep in the sheep pen. If you lose one, look for it and put it back in the pen, just as God does for all of God’s “lost sheep”!



P O C k E T F u L O F J E S u S’ LO v EPreschool, Primary

Children make a pocket from construction paper, buttons and Velcro, then make shiny coins to keep securely in the pocket.

Materials:brown construction paperpocket shape (p. 24), 1 per childlarge buttons, 1 per childgluescissorssmall Velcro® strips, 1 per childcoin pictures (p. 25), 1 per childsilver or gold foilround shapes, such as wooden circles (available at craft stores) or poker chips, several per child

Preparation:Make a copy of the coin pictures and the pocket picture for each child. You may also need to cut a pocket shape for young children, from the brown construction paper.

directions:Invite each child to make a pocket as follows:

1. Use the pocket picture to outline the shape onto the brown construction paper. Cut out the picture.

2. Fold the picture where indicated, to make a pocket that closes.

3. Glue the sides of the pocket together.

4. Glue a button to the outside point of the pocket.

5. On the inside point and opposite that, place the two halves of a small strip of velcro, so that the pocket can close.

6. Cut out pieces of gold or silver foil and cover the round shapes.

7. Cut out the coin pictures and color if desired. Glue the pictures to the coins.

8. Put the coins in the pocket.





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P O C k E T B r E ad F u L L O F S h E E PPreschool, Primary

This activity is more of a snack than a craft. Children tuck not only “lost sheep” but “lost animals” in some pocketbread.

Materials:pita or pocket breadanimal crackers or goldfish crackersknife (for adult use only)

directions:1. Cut the bread in half.

2. Invite the children to stuff the bread with animal crackers, a “sheepfold” of edible animals.

Documents

LESSON 28 LOST AND FOUND: PARABLES OF …stthomassunvalley.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/GBC_Lesson28.pdfLESSON 28 LOST AND FOUND: PARABLES OF JOYFUL FINDING ... LOST aNd FOuNd: ParaBLES