Worship Tools

Worship Outline

Additional Scriptures 

Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114; Romans 14:1–12 

Prelude 

Welcome 

A simple way to express the Mission Initiative Invite People to Christ is to give a special welcome to guests and invite them to be part of your worshipping community. It is helpful to point out the pastor and other local leaders, so visitors know who to go to for information or answers to their questions. 

Call to Worship: Matthew 18:21-35 

Our focus scripture today is about mercy and forgiveness. Being merciful is an expression of our discipleship. God was the first to exemplify mercy through forgiveness of our sins. The hymn, “God Forgave My Sin in Jesus’ Name,” reminds us of the gift and our response. 

Hymn of Forgiveness 

“God Forgave My Sin in Jesus’ Name” CCS 627 

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own. 

Invocation 

Merciful and Loving God, we come to this worship grateful for your generous gift of grace and mercy. We pray our hearts and minds will be open to your presence with us. Amen. 

Response 

Scripture Reading: Psalm 114 

Suggest reading from The Message version of the Bible. 

Confession 

We confess we have been like the sea, and River Jordan. 

In the silence which follows, contemplate these questions: 

• When have you run away from God? 

• When has God been merciful to you? 

Silence 

Time for meditating on the scripture and questions. 

Hymn of Confession 

“Kyrie Eleison” CCS 184 

OR “Soften My Heart”  sing twice CCS 187 

Focus Moment 

Mercy has the characteristics of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Give a few examples of responding to an offense with forgiveness, e.g., a puppy snaps at you and you are kind and careful and do not hit the dog; your friend teases about someone’s hair, later apologized, and the child forgave your friend; a brother or sister accidently trips you and you don’t yell or hit in response. Explain that these were choices made to act with mercy. Can we name hurtful or harmful things that have happened to us and how we were able to respond to the hurt with kindness? 

It is also important to know mercy doesn’t mean the offense is ignored. Some hurtful things need to be talked out, so they aren’t repeated. Working things out with the other person can be done with kindness and compassion while still making it clear that the hurtful behavior is not acceptable. This is mercy. 

Have the group listen for examples of mercy in the sermon. Invite them to share what they heard after the sermon. 

Sermon 

Based on Matthew 18:15–20 

Reflection and Feedback 

Invite participants to share examples of mercy they heard in the sermon and other insights they gleaned about mercy while listening. 

Disciples’ Generous Response 

Statement 

Read the text of “As Saints of Old,” CCS 620 

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes 

Prayer for Peace 

Light the peace candle 

Moment of Silence 

Prayer 

Our gracious Lord and friend, 

We seek you in the silence because you speak to our hearts. 

We seek you in your magnificent world because we have so much to learn. 

We seek you through all people, because we need to discover the ways of peace. 

We seek you in our work, because you call us to serve. 

Accept our praise for your gracious goodness. 

Bless our best desires and yearnings for peace as we are guided to discover your ways. 

We pray in the spirit of the prince of peace. Amen. 

—Darlene Caswell 

Hymn 

“If by Your Grace I Choose to Be” CCS 587 

OR “What Does the Lord Require of You?” CCS 580 

Consider dividing into 3 groups, each assigned to one line of the song. Have each group sing their line by themselves; then, combine all 3 groups and sing at least twice. 

Sending Forth 

 O Lord our God, have mercy on us and heal us according to our faith which is in Christ.  

—Alma 10:99, adapted. 

May we have strength, kindness, and courage to act in merciful ways. 

Postlude 

Sacred Space: Small-Group Worship Outline

Gathering

Welcome

Ordinary Time runs from Pentecost to Advent. This part of the Christian calendar is without major festivals or holy days. During Ordinary Time we focus on our discipleship as individuals and as a faith community.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.

Light the peace candle.

Loving God, in the quiet of this holy place we hear the peace you intend for all of creation. Our thoughts can rise as our spirits rest. The hope in our hearts is refreshed by the richness of this fellowship.

Let there be peace on Earth.

Hear our prayer for peace for the nations of this world. May your peace fall on all the fighting factions that have forgotten your love is for all. Touch the hearts of the decision makers and power holders with humility and compassion. Rekindle the light of your peace where poverty and prejudice so often extinguish hope.

Let there be peace on Earth.

With all the gentleness we are learning, we hold up your people: the ones with illnesses that cloud the mind or weaken the body, the ones who are grieving, the ones who are struggling in fractured relationships or challenging circumstances. We uphold them all.

Let there be peace on Earth.

O God, do not let us be content with lifting our prayers. As we call on you, let us also dare to lift our voices, our hands, and our resources to your mission of peace.

Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.

Amen.

—Claudia Schooler

Spiritual Practice

Holy Listening

Read the following to the group:

The Enduring Principle we are focusing on today is All Are Called. We believe all people have unique gifts, and we receive opportunities in community to share our giftedness. By practicing Holy Listening, we can learn more about the gifts people share in community, how they feel called to serve, and how we can support one another in discipleship and ministry.

Read the following to the group:

Ask the person next to you to join you in conversation. Find a spot to get comfortable and face one another. You will take turns sharing what you see as your giftedness and how you feel called to share that giftedness with others. It can be anything: friendship, music, compassion, reading aloud, laughter, or tidying up. You each will have three minutes to share. During this time the listener will listen and nod but not comment. At the end of the three minutes, the listener may respond with this one sentence. “I noticed that…” Then switch places and repeat.

Read the following to the group: Before you start this exercise please repeat this prayer with me. “Help me be wholly present to this person.”

You may begin your conversation.

Start the timer. After three minutes let the listeners say a one-sentence response and then ask them to switch places.

Start the timer again.

When each person has shared, invite the group to share reflections on this spiritual practice.

Sharing Around the Table

Matthew 18:21-35 NRSVue 

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

—Matthew 18:21-35 NRSVue 

In the Gospel of Matthew, reconciliation is a continuing theme. For the author, one of Christ’s primary aims is shalom—wholeness—and that includes the wholeness of community. How do we restore people who have been removed from community, whatever the reason? When Peter asks how many times he is required to forgive fellow Christ-followers, Jesus responds with an exaggerated number—seventy-seven times. Shalom asks us to make room for the offender to return. Forgiveness becomes the process the victim(s) and community move through with the hope of restored relationship and renewed shalom. Shalom also calls us to practice forgiveness so that our own wholeness can be restored.

Jesus then leads the disciples into a teaching moment using a parable about the kingdom of heaven. He often used such parables to show how God’s preferred vision for the world differs from current reality. In this story, Jesus uses the forgiveness of debt as a metaphor for sin. A king has a slave who owes him an absurd amount of money, and the king prepares to sell the slave and their family. But when the slave pleads for mercy, the king forgives the debt. That same slave then encounters another slave who owes a much smaller—though still significant—amount. The second slave begs for mercy just as the first slave had, but this time the plea is rejected, and the debtor is thrown into prison. When the king hears of this, he is enraged, rebukes the forgiven slave for not extending the mercy they received, and hands them over to be tortured.

Community of Christ’s Enduring Principle, Grace and Generosity, calls us to respond to God’s freely given grace by extending that grace to others. We pass on what we have learned from God and the example of Jesus by living these teachings. Christ’s call to shalom continually invites us back into community, and we, in turn, are called to make room for the mistakes of others—offering forgiveness seventy-seven times—because God calls us to be a people of grace.

Readers may wonder whether this parable implies that if we fail to forgive as God forgives us, God will withhold grace and punish us. Does this mean Christians must forgive everyone, no matter the harm, even without repentance or change? This interpretation does not align with our understanding of God’s nature or God’s grace. More likely, the parable uses exaggerated imagery to shock the audience into seeing forgiveness in a new way. This scripture should never be used as a weapon to pressure someone into forgiving before they are ready, or to demand forgiveness for monstrous wrongs committed against them. Forgiveness is often a long process that requires healing. Reconciliation, if desired, must also be mutual. Healthy boundaries are often an essential part of reconciliation and community wholeness for all involved.

Questions

1. Matthew emphasizes restoring community. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt removed or left out of a group? Was there someone who helped welcome you back? If not, what might that gesture of restoration have meant to you?
2. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not always the same. How can practicing forgiveness—even when reconciliation isn’t possible or safe—contribute to shalom and personal wholeness? 
3. Forgiveness can heal even when the wrong is unacknowledged. Have you ever forgiven someone who didn’t know they hurt you—or learned later that someone forgave you without you realizing you caused harm? How did that unspoken wrong, and its forgiveness, shape the relationship or your own healing?

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response.

This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:

God of our discipleship, As we navigate our world of debt and consumerism, help us to save wisely, spend responsibly, and give generously. In this way may we prepare for the future and create a better tomorrow for our families, friends, the mission of Christ, and the world. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

Closing Hymn

CCS 77, “Gather Your Children”

Closing Prayer

Optional Additions Depending on the Group

• Communion
• Thoughts for Children

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture

Choose one scripture to read from this selection: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39.

Invitation to Communion

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

We share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings (select one):

• 515, “In These Moments We Remember”
• 516, “Coming Together for Wine and for Bread”
• 521, “Let Us Break Bread Together”
• 525, “Small Is the Table”
• 528, “Eat This Bread”

Bless and serve bread and wine.

Thoughts for Children

“Filling the Shalom Basket”

Scripture focus: Matthew 18:21–35 (forgiveness and restoring community)

Materials: A small empty basket or bowl, several smooth stones or puzzle pieces with simple words drawn on them (e.g., kindness, sorry, help, try again, friend, grace, forgive). 

Invite the children to gather with you.

Say:

Hello, I’m so glad to see you! Today, Jesus teaches us something important about forgiveness and how it helps us live together in peace. I want to show you something.”

Hold up the empty basket.

This basket is called our Shalom Basket. ‘Shalom’ is a big word that means peace, wholeness, and everything working together the way God hopes it will. Sometimes, things happen that make our shalom feel… a little empty.

Show the empty basket.

Maybe we get left out. Maybe someone says something that hurts our feelings. Or maybe we hurt someone without meaning to. How has that happened to you?

Invite the children to call out examples of times someone gets hurt or left out (keep simple: “sharing toys,” “someone said something mean,” “someone didn’t listen,” etc.).

Jesus tells a story about forgiveness—about how God gives us big, huge forgiveness, and invites us to share that forgiveness with others. Forgiveness doesn’t always mean everything goes back to the way it was right away. But it does help fill our hearts back up with peace.”

Place the stones or puzzle pieces in front of the children.

I have these special ‘Shalom Stones.’ Each one has a word that helps bring peace back into the world.

Invite children, one at a time, to pick up a stone and place it in the basket.

As they place their stone, say aloud together: “This helps bring shalom.”

Examples:

• Kindness—“Kindness helps bring shalom.”
• Sorry—“Saying sorry helps bring shalom.”
• Forgive—“Forgiving helps bring shalom.”
• Try Again—“Trying again helps bring shalom.”
• Help—“Helping each other brings shalom.”
• Friend—“Being a friend brings shalom.”

As the basket fills, show how it becomes “whole” again.

Look how our Shalom Basket is getting fuller! That’s what forgiveness does—it helps fill up the broken places in us and in our friendships. Forgiveness doesn’t always mean we become best friends again right away. 

Sometimes we need time. Sometimes we need to set boundaries. But forgiveness helps our hearts stay soft and open so shalom can grow.

Hold the basket with all the stones now inside.

Let’s say a little prayer:
God, thank you for loving us and forgiving us. Help us share forgiveness, kindness, and shalom with others this week. Amen.”

Take a look at our Shalom Basket. Every time you forgive, or say sorry, or help someone—you’re putting more shalom into the world!

Sermon Helps

Exploring the Scripture

Today’s passage in Matthew explains another teaching of Jesus on community relationships. In earlier verses (vv. 15–20) a specific process is outlined for use when one member of the community sins against another. Starting at verse 21, Peter then asks how many times he must forgive a member of the church who sins against him. One rabbinic tradition says three times. Peter was generously offering seven times. Jesus’ answer, involving the holy number seven, implies that forgiveness is beyond counting. There is no scorekeeping. Forgiveness is unlimited.

The parable of the unforgiving servant that follows (vv. 23–35) is full of hyperbole (exaggerations). It is meant to shock the listener. For example, the 10,000 talents owed by the slave represents an impossible amount; a single talent represented many years of wages for a slave. There was no possible way the servant would ever be able to repay the debt. His promise to do so is absurd. The king’s willingness to listen to the slave’s plea and then forgive the entire debt is unbelievable. Who would show such mercy?

Then the story progresses and the forgiven slave confronts another slave who owes him money (a much more reasonable amount, 100 denarii, with one denarius equivalent to one day’s wage). The servant demands payment from his fellow slave who also begs for mercy and extra time to repay the debt. The unforgiving servant refuses and has the slave thrown in prison. When the king is told of this action, he denounces the first slave and sends him to be tortured until the debt is paid. The king says, “Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?” (v. 33).

By sharing this parable, Jesus explains the importance of mercy and forgiveness. We are constantly experiencing God’s mercy and can never repay the debt. Nor is God asking for repayment. It’s about grace. As the body of Christ, we are called to be merciful with one another. Our ability to forgive one another is to be patterned after divine forgiveness.

This forgiveness is different from seeking justice. We might imagine that God’s forgiveness has underpinnings in justice; but in this parable, it is grounded in God’s mercy. Forgiveness is a release, not a denial of the offense. It does not necessarily mean to forget.

What is the cost of an unmerciful, unforgiving heart? One former prisoner of war asked another, “Have you forgiven your captors yet?” The second man responded, “I will never do that!” The first man replied, “Then they still have you in prison, don’t they?”

Central Ideas

1. If you are keeping score, you are not forgiving.
2. God’s forgiveness is limitless.
3. Following the divine pattern, the body of Christ is to be merciful with one another as sacred community, doing the hard work of forgiveness.
4. God’s people are merciful.

Questions for the Speaker

1. With whom do you identify in the parable? Why?
2. We know we should forgive. What makes this so difficult?
3. Is God’s forgiveness conditional?
4. What has been your experience with mercy and forgiveness?
5. How can those who receive God’s mercy pay it forward to their debtors?
6. How might the Lord’s Prayer be illustrative of today’s passage?
7. What is genuine (true) forgiveness?

Lessons

Adult Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 18:21–35 

Lesson Focus

Jesus teaches about forgiveness in a parable. 

Objectives 

The learners will… 

• explore the context of Matthew’s story. 
• derive principles of forgiveness from the story. 
• apply those principles to life today. 

Supplies 

• Bible  
• Community of Christ Sings (CCS) 

Notes to teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 18:21–35 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew), p. 104, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Read or sing together “Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive” CCS 215. What do the words tell us about forgiveness? 

Engage

Matthew’s hearers would have been familiar with debt and the constant possibility of losing land, jobs, family, and social status. What others thought of you was an important aspect of life for them. Any debt (sin) would not be addressed by guilt but by a need to be restored to the community. The notion of paying it forward would be novel. 

Read together Matthew 18:21–35. Share in small groups your responses to these questions. 

• Forgiving someone 77 times and repaying a 10,000-talent debt were extravagant and overstated demands. Matthew uses hyperbole to make a point. What point is he making? Do you think you are more like the master who forgave his servant or the servant who wouldn’t forgive his fellow servant? Explain. 
• If you were Peter, how would you respond to Jesus’s answer?  
• How does forgiving bring freedom to the offender? To the offended? 

Respond

Matthew suggests that God could change God’s mind about forgiveness under some circumstances.  

• What does Matthew teach about forgiveness?  
• How does this fit with your understanding of God’s nature? 

Repeated forgiveness for the same sin means the community must be vigilant. The community cannot ignore abuse, addiction, or violence. Doctrine and Covenants 164:6a-b reminds us,  

a. As revealed in Christ, God, the Creator of all, ultimately is concerned about behaviors and relationships that uphold the worth and giftedness of all people and that protect the most vulnerable. Such relationships are to be rooted in the principles of Christ-like love, mutual respect, responsibility, justice, covenant, and faithfulness, against which there is no law.  

b. If the church more fully will understand and consistently apply these principles, questions arising about responsible human sexuality, gender identities, roles, and relationships; marriage; and other issues may be resolved according to the God’s divine purposes. Be assured, nothing within these principles condones selfish, irresponsible, promiscuous, degrading, or abusive relationships. 

In small groups or as a larger group, discuss the following questions. 

• What responsibility does the community bear when a person is abused by someone? 
• Why is forgiveness so important to the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of individuals and communities? 
• How can the community work to forgive the offender? Is there a limit to that? 

Send

Community of Christ upholds nine Enduring Principles which are essential components of our identity and mission. 

• Grace and Generosity 
• Sacredness of Creation 
• Continuing Revelation 
• Worth of All Persons 
• All Are Called 
• Responsible Choices 
• Pursuit of Peace (Shalom) 
• Unity in Diversity 
• Blessings of Community 

Which of these Enduring Principles are reflected in the blessings experienced through forgiveness and reconciliation? Explain. 

Bless

Have each member of the class offer a one-sentence prayer (without mentioning names) for a person they have forgiven or need to forgive. 

Youth Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 18:21–35

Lesson Focus

We must forgive others as God forgives us.

Objectives

The learners will…

• share examples of forgiveness.
• discuss what the parable teaches about God’s forgiveness and how we are to forgive others.
• explore the Enduring Principle Grace and Generosity

Supplies

• Bible
• Community of Christ Sings (CCS)
• Optional: three bowls, a container of ground black pepper, and dishwashing liquid
• Paper and crayons or markers

Note to teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 18:21–35 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament, p. 104, available through Herald House.

Gather

Gather and ask students to describe the steps toward solving a problem peacefully.

Earlier verses in Matthew (18:15–20) instruct us to follow these steps:

1. Go alone to the person who wronged you and name the problem.
2. If the person won’t listen to you, invite a couple of others to listen and be witnesses as you name the problem.
3. If the person still won’t listen to you, take your problem to the church.

If students used any of the steps to help solve problems, invite them to share about their experiences.

Sing “God Forgave My Sin in Jesus’ Name” CCS 627.

Ask the following questions:

• What does it mean to forgive someone? Have you forgiven someone? How did you feel?
• What does it mean to be forgiven? Have you been forgiven for something you did or said? How did you feel?

Engage

Today’s scripture story is a parable about forgiveness. Have students take turns reading Matthew 18:21–35.

Explain that the parable is full of hyperbole (exaggerations) that seem shocking or unreasonable to the reader. Ask students to point out examples of hyperbole (forgiving someone 77 times; 10,000 talents represents many years’ wages; strong language, such as “wicked slave;” being tortured for not paying a debt)

Ask,” Why do you think exaggerations were used in this parable? What do these examples tell us about God’s forgiveness?” (It has no limits.)

Optional story activity:

Retell the story from Matthew 18:21–35 using the following object lesson. Note: Practice the activity before demonstrating to the class.

• You will need three bowls filled with water, a small container of pepper, and a small bottle of dishwashing liquid.
• Place the bowls of water where all can see.
• Shake some pepper over the surface of the water in the first bowl as you tell about the servant who owed lots of money. Say the pepper represents all the money he owed. When you tell that the king forgave the debt, put one drop of dishwashing liquid in the center of the bowl. (The pepper will rush to the edges of the bowl.) Explain that the servant now owed nothing. The king chose to push the debt aside and forgive it. The debt was no longer what was most important in their relationship.
• Sprinkle pepper in the center of the second bowl to represent the debt owed to the first servant by the second servant. Tell how the servant demanded payment from the other man, even though the man owed him only a little money. The poorer servant could not pay, and the ungrateful servant punished him instead of forgiving the debt, because he loved money more than people. (Do not put the liquid soap in this bowl.) If we do not add forgiveness, we allow the debt to overshadow the relationship.
• Sprinkle pepper in the third bowl. The pepper represents the things we do that hurt others and God. Like the king, God is willing to forgive us no matter what we do, or how many times we need to be forgiven.
• But sometimes other people hurt us. (Give examples.) If we do not forgive them, our hearts hold on to those things and get full of anger, and we hurt even more inside. God wants us to forgive others just like God forgives us. Put one drop of dishwashing liquid in the center of the bowl. When we forgive, it pushes away the darkness, and our hearts can be filled with peace.

Respond

One of Community of Christ’s Enduring Principles is Grace and Generosity. God’s forgiveness, or grace, is without limit…no matter what! God is more generous than we can imagine in forgiving us, and God wants us to be generous in forgiving others.

Read together and memorize the following statement:

God’s grace, revealed in Jesus Christ, is generous and unconditional.

Give each student a half sheet of paper and provide crayons or markers. Have them write the above statement and decorate, or illustrate what it means to them.

Send

Invite students to complete the following action challenge:
As God is generous, I will generously forgive __________________________.

Bless

Close by reading or singing “As God Is Joy” CCS 366.

Children’s Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 18:21–35 

Lesson Focus

We must forgive others as God forgives us.  

Objectives 

The learners will… 

• share examples of forgiveness. 
• discuss what the parable teaches about God’s forgiveness and how we are to forgive others. 
• explore the Enduring Principle Grace and Generosity. 

Supplies 

• Bible or Lectionary Story Bible, Year A, by Ralph Milton, illustrated by Margaret Kyle (Wood Lake Publishing, 2007, ISBN 9781551455471) 
• Community of Christ Sings (CCS) 
• Optional: three bowls, a container of ground black pepper, and dishwashing liquid 
• Toothpicks or container with multiple small items 

Note to teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 18:21–35 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament, p. 104, available through Herald House. 

Gather

Begin by singing “God Forgave My Sin in Jesus’ Name” CCS 627. 

Ask children the following questions: 

• What does it mean to forgive someone? Have you forgiven someone? How did you feel? 
• What does it mean to be forgiven? Have you been forgiven for something you did or said? How did you feel? 

Engage

Ask: “Can anyone tell me what a parable is?” (a story used to teach a lesson) 

Say: “Today’s scripture story is a parable about forgiveness.” 

With older children, read Matthew 18:21–35. Explain that the parable is full of hyperbole (exaggerations) that seem shocking or unreasonable to the reader. Ask children to point out examples of hyperbole (forgiving someone 77 times; 10,000 talents represents many years’ wages; strong language, such as “wicked slave;” being tortured for not paying a debt) 

Ask: “Why do you think exaggerations were used in this parable? What do these examples tell us about God’s forgiveness?” (It has no limits.) 

With younger children, read “Over and Over and Over and Over” from Lectionary Story Bible, Year A, p. 205. Ask the following questions: 

• How many times was Susanna told to help her baby brother? (over and over and over…) 
• How does this represent God’s forgiveness? (God forgives us over and over and over…) 
• Has anyone forgiven you over and over and over? Explain how that felt. 
• How many times are we supposed to forgive others? (over and over and over…) 

Optional story activity: 

Retell the story from Matthew 18:21–35 using the following object lesson. Note: Practice the activity before demonstrating to the class. 

• You will need three bowls filled with water, a small container of pepper, and a small bottle of dishwashing liquid. 
• Place the bowls of water on the table where all can see. 
• Shake some pepper over the surface of the water in the first bowl as you tell about the servant who owed lots of money. Say the pepper represents all the money he owed. When you tell that the king forgave the debt, put one drop of dishwashing liquid in the center of the bowl. (The pepper will rush to the edges of the bowl.) Explain that the servant now owed nothing. The king chose to push the debt aside and forgive it. The debt was no longer what was most important in their relationship. 
• Sprinkle pepper in the third bowl. The pepper represents the things we do that hurt others and God. Like the king, God is willing to forgive us no matter what we do, or how many times we need to be forgiven. 
• But sometimes other people hurt us. (Give examples). If we do not forgive them, our hearts hold on to those things and get full of anger, and we hurt even more inside. God wants us to forgive others just like God forgives us. Put one drop of dishwashing liquid in the center of the bowl. When we forgive, it pushes away the darkness, and our hearts can be filled with peace. 

Respond

One of Community of Christ’s Enduring Principles is Grace and Generosity. Grace is being forgiven even when we don’t deserve it. Grace also frees us when we offer it to other—carrying a grudge is hard and makes us unhappy. God’s forgiveness, or grace, is without limit…no matter what! God is more generous than we can imagine in forgiving us, and God wants us to be generous in forgiving others. 

In today’s parable, Jesus said that because God forgives us, we should forgive others—not just seven times, but 77 times. In Greek 70 and seven were perfect numbers and this parable means we should forgive “without counting.”  

Invite children to gather around a table. Pour toothpicks (approximately 77) or other small items on the table. Begin counting and then show frustration and give up. Ask if anyone can guess how many toothpicks there are. Tell them the toothpicks represent how many times we are to forgive others. Remind them that Jesus meant we should forgive “without counting.” Have the children form the toothpicks into a heart shape. Jesus promised us that God also forgives each of us when we forgive our brother or sister “from our hearts.” 

Note: Forgiveness is complicated. Forgiving doesn’t mean putting yourself back into the position to be hurt again. In many ways forgiveness is about freeing ourselves from the hurt and anger. Whether we allow the person who hurt us close again is another step. Forgiveness is a step toward reconciliation. 

Send

Read together and memorize the following statement. Help younger children understand all the words and create actions (or look up sign language motions on the internet) to help children remember the words. 

God’s grace (make a shepherd’s crook motion with the right arm for “God”), revealed (hold left hand up and point to left palm with right forefinger) in Jesus Christ (touch each palm with middle finger of opposite hand), is generous and unconditional (touch heart with right hand, then roll hands forward). 

Encourage each child to share this statement with at least two other people today! 

Bless

Sing “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” (stanza 2…more loving, stanza 3…forgiving, stanza 4…like Jesus).