Wombat Love
1 February 2015
Epiphany 4B
10: 00 a.m. Sung Solemn Children’s Mass
Trinity Episcopal Church
Ashland, Oregon
FIRST READING (Deut 18:15-20, adapted from the Easy-to-Read version)
A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (Doo-ter-ON-o-mee)The Prophet Moses said, God will send to you a prophet. This prophet will come from among your own people, and he will be like me. You must listen to him. God will send you this prophet because that is what you asked him to do. When you were gathered together at Mount Horeb, you became frightened and said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of God again! Don’t let us see that great fire or we will die!’ God said to me, ‘What they ask for is good. I will send them a prophet like you, one of their own people. I will tell him what he must say, and he will tell the people everything I command. This prophet will speak for me, and I will punish anyone who refuses to listen.’” …
Listen to what God is saying to us.Thanks be to God.SECOND READING (1 Corinthians 8:1-13, adapted from the Easy-to-Read Bible)A Reading from First Corinthians (Core-IN-thee-uns)You wrote to me asking about eating meat from animals that people have killed and offered in worship to false gods. You claim in your letter “we all know that such worship is meaningless.” So far, so good. But then you say that this means it’s all right to eat such meat. I don’t think so.When we think we know things, often we become proud and forget other people. But when we love people, we are helpful to them. People who think they know everything often don’t know much at all. But love itself brings knowledge: if you love God, God knows you.Here is what I say about eating such meat: idols are false. They are nothing, really. … But not all people know this. Some people who used to worship false gods might feel uncomfortable when offered meat that has been placed before idols. They still might feel it belongs to the false god and worry it is wrong to eat it. And when they eat it, they feel guilty.
Food cannot make us closer to or farther from God. We are free to eat or not eat things… But be careful with your freedom. What you decide to do may hurt people worried about such things. … If someone who thinks eating such things is wrong sees you eating it, and then does it too, you have encouraged them to go against what’s in their hearts. And that’s just wrong. This weak brother or sister—someone Christ died for—might be lost because you insisted on rubbing their faces in how you understand things.
You are doing wrong against your brothers and sisters in Christ by such action. You hurt them by causing them to do things they feel are wrong. And you are also hurting Jesus.
Listen to what God is saying to us.Thanks be to God.THE GOSPEL (adapted from Mark 1:21-28, in The Message Bible)The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint MarkGlory to you, Lord Christ.Jesus and his followers entered the village of Capernaum. When the day of rest arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the worship place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching. It was strong and confident, not unsure and always and quoting someone else like the religion scholars. Suddenly, while still in the worship place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out. Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!” News of this traveled fast and was soon all over the countryside, Galilee.The Gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Gathering time with the Godly Play Children (using props and stuffed
animal toys):
What is this? (A brain)
What is this? (A heart)
What is this? (a mirror)
What is this? (a dumbbell)
A brain, a heart, a mirror, a dumbbell.
Here is Leo, the Lion. He is very strong. Which of these is his? (a dumbbell)
Here is Kelly the Koala. A Koala is a bear from Australia. They are very, very cute. Very, very beautiful. Which of these is hers? (the mirror)
Here is Ellie the Elephant. Elephants never forget things. They are very very smart. Which of these is Ellie’s? (the brain)
And here is Wanda. What is she?
(A Wombat.)
Do you remember the story of Wombat
Divine from Christmas last year?
Wombats protect themselves with
their behinds. They are stubborn.
What do you remember about Wombat in
that story?
That’s right. Wombats are kind.
Wanda is loving. Which of these is Wanda’s? (the heart).
Smarts, beauty or cutes, strength,
love and kindness….
From the stories we read today,
which of these do you think is the most important?
Do you like it when other people
treat you kindly, and try to help you?
How do you feel when you help
someone else? Defend them? Support them?
How do you feel when you argue with
them? When you win an argument with
them? When you lose one?
Which of these: strength, smarts, looks, or heart do you think
is the most important? Leo, Ellie,
Kelly, and Wanda—they are all good.
Jesus loves all of them. He made
all of them.
Strength, Smarts, Looks, and
Heart. Which do you think Jesus thought
was the most important?
Children’s Creed (Standing)
Q: Do you trust in God, Parent of all, who made
us and all the world?
A: We
trust in God.
Q: Do you trust in Jesus, God’s Son,
who was always God and yet became one
of us,
to show us the way and make up for us
with God
for the bad things we have done,
who died for us, then rose from the
dead, now sits with God,
and one day will come back to set all
things right?
A: We trust in Jesus.
Q:
Do you trust in the Holy Spirit, God in daily life,
who makes all things alive,
guides us and helps us know what’s
right,
and gives us strength and courage to do
it?
A: We trust in the Holy Spirit.
Q: Do you trust in the Church, that has always
taught
and teaches today about God, and
that
Baptism is the way we accept God’s
forgiveness,
And that we should have a hope that
We will come alive again like Jesus after
we die,
And live forever after.
A: We trust in the Church. Amen
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