Worship Tools

Worship Outline

Additional Scriptures 

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15–25a 

Prelude 

Welcome 

Call to Worship 

Leader: The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

All:  All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, 

Leader: to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 

All:  The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. 

—Psalm 145:8–14 

Gathering Hymn 

“God Is Here!” CCS 70 

OR “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” CCS 99 

Invocation 

Response 

Testimony and Spiritual Practice 

Ahead of time, ask someone to share a testimony about a particular spiritual practice they engage in to help find rest for their soul. Possibly something a little different from reading the scriptures or prayer, such as poetry writing, dance, gardening, etc. Why does this person do this practice? How has it helped them to connect with God? If possible, have the person lead the group in this spiritual practice. 

Prayer for Peace 

Light the peace candle 

Sung Prayer: “When We Are Called to Sing” CCS 229 

Suggestion for singing:  

• Stanza 1: left side  

• Stanza 2: right side  

• Stanza 3: all 

Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:16–19, 25–30 

Ministry of Music OR Community Hymn of Confession and Centering 

“My Peace”  sing twice  CCS 149 

OR “Come and Find the Quiet Center” CCS 151 

Message 

Based on Matthew 11:16–19, 25–30 

Video 

“Frames” www.youtube.com 

Are you awake to the Holy Spirit stirring within you? 

Hymn of Response 

“As the Wind Song through the Trees” CCS 42 

OR “Lord, Prepare Me”  repeat several times CCS 280 

Disciples’ Generous Response 

Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 163:9 

Statement 

True generosity is not a matter of moving money from one bank account to another. As disciples committed to Christ’s mission, our generosity is always in response to the growing revelation of God’s amazing grace. The true measurement of generosity is a measurement of the desire of our hearts. 

—Pathway to Abundant Generosity, Day 12, 17. 

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes 

Time of Community Prayer 

Ask participants to share personal joys and concerns and those of the worshipping community. Share together in prayer for these concerns. Be sure to include children and youth in this sharing and praying. Encourage participants to continue to uphold these concerns throughout the week in their private prayer time. 

Sending Forth Hymn 

“Peace Be with You” sing twice CCS 662 

OR “I Have Called You by Your Name” CCS 636 

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own. 

Benediction 

Response 

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 a faith community.

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.

Our dear heavenly Creator, we praise you and recognize you as the life and light of our spirit. We thank you for your loving presence, and for all the blessings you have given us. We join with many others who are praying for and seeking peace in our world. We know confusion, anxiety, injustice, hate, and violence are causing so much suffering in your lovely creation. We ask a special blessing on all those who work to relieve that suffering. We ask a blessing on the leaders of nations. Grant them wisdom and patience as they decide. Help them to work in harmony as they strive to find ways to deal with the many difficult problems of living together in our complex world. Soften the hearts of those who use violence to settle disputes.

May we keep before us the vision of your kingdom of peace. We ask this in the name of the Prince of Peace, even your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

—Dora Wahl (adapted)

Spiritual Practice

Unity

Read the following to the group:

Our Enduring Principle focus this week is on Unity in Diversity. Not one person on this Earth is exactly like another person. We each are shaped by our culture, genetics, upbringing, family, experiences, beliefs, and more. One thing we all have in common is that we all are divinely made. Unity in Diversity is respecting the differences while honoring the Divine in all voices.

Read the following to the group:

But God has so arranged the body…that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

—1 Corinthians 12:24–26 NRSV

Read the following to the group and invite people to share reflections after each question:

Think back over the past week. Who showed you compassion during a time when you felt sad or were suffering? Who rejoiced with you in the good things that happened for you?

Who endured suffering this week? How were you able to share their burden with them? Who rejoiced this week, and how did you celebrate with them?

Close the practice with a short prayer of blessing and gratitude for Unity in Diversity.

Sharing Around the Table

Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 NRSVue

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ If you have ears, hear!”

¹⁸ “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. ²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹ yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. ²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²³ But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” 

—Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 NRSVue

When Jesus tells parables, it causes us to rethink what it means to be part of God’s kingdom. The kingdom is never what we expect; there is always an element of surprise.

By the end of Matthew, chapter 13, Jesus is rejected in his own hometown. Matthew’s telling of this parable could explain why some people respond to the message of the gospel, and others do not. Or, it might answer the question: “What are the right conditions to share the gospel message?”

The sower can be identified as teacher, preacher, Jesus, or God. In fact, the sower is anyone who shares the good news. The seed in this parable refers to the gospel message. The yield becomes disciples who hear and allow the seed (word of God) to grow in their lives. Soil and the right conditions are required for the “seed” to grow. The parable describes four kinds of soil: hardened, shallow, thorny, and good. The soil differences remind the church that there are ideal conditions for growing disciples. Ideal conditions allow disciples to gain proper nourishment, roots, and the ability to persevere through hardship.

Matthew’s Gospel also describes the reality of the many obstacles faced by early Christians. That reality included persecution, anxiety, and a desire for riches.

The end of the parable describes God’s miraculous yield. A good harvest in ancient times could be as much as four to 10 times what was sown. Considering the lack of soil preparation and all the obstacles, it is surprising there was any yield at all! And that may be the whole point of the parable: God provides an extravagant, plentiful harvest beyond even our imagination.

Questions

1. How has the condition of your life or “soil” been hardened, shallow, thorny, or good?
2. How has the message of love, joy, hope, and peace taken root in your life?
3. How have you been nurtured and cared for on your faith journey?

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 these ways 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 242, “When We Are Living”

Closing Prayer

Note: If you are using Thoughts for Children today, go outside with the children. Help them fill their pots with soil and plant some seeds to take home to remind them to grow in the love of Jesus.

---

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

Materials: three small pots or cups—one with one-quarter inch of dirt, one filled with dirt, one filled with rocks; several empty pots (one for each child); potting soil; and seeds

Say: I have three small pots ready for us to plant seeds in.

Show the children the pot with rocks. Ask if the children think the seeds will grow in that pot? Why not?

Show the pot with one-quarter inch of dirt. Ask if the seeds will have enough dirt to grow roots? Why not?

Show the pot filled with dirt and ready for seeds. Ask if the children think the seeds will grow in this pot? Why?

Say: We are like the pots, and Jesus love plants seeds in us. If we are hard like the rocks, the love cannot grow. If the soil is too shallow (if we care only about ourselves) love cannot grow. But when we are like the pot full of dirt (willing to receive the teachings and message of Jesus), then love can grow and grow in Jesus’ love.

After our gathering today, we will go outside, fill our pots with soil, and plant some seeds. You can take your pot home to remind you to grow in the love of Jesus.

Sermon Helps

Exploring the Scripture

Parables challenge what we already know. When Jesus tells parables it causes us to rethink what it means to be part of God’s kingdom. The kingdom is never what we expect; there is always an element of surprise. The parable of the sower is no exception. This parable also appears in Mark 4:3–9 and Luke 8:5–8. In Matthew’s Gospel—following stories of opposition in chapters 11 and 12—Jesus shares the parable of the sower.

By the end of Matthew, chapter 13, Jesus is rejected in his own hometown. Matthew’s telling of this parable could explain why some people respond to the message of the gospel and others do not. Or, it might answer the question, “What are the right conditions to share the gospel message?”

The sower can be identified as teacher, preacher, Jesus, or God. In fact, the sower becomes anyone who shares the good news. Strangely, the sower does not prepare the soil before sowing seeds. The soil is not plowed or turned over. The sower does not know where rocks or hard clumps of dirt are located. Weeds and thorns grow wild. Soil preparation is not the focus of the sower; instead, he or she is simply called to indiscriminately sow the seed.

The seed in this parable refers to the gospel message. The yield becomes disciples who hear and allow the seed (word of God) to grow in their lives. Soil and the right conditions are required for the “seed” to grow. The parable describes four kinds of soil: hardened, shallow, thorny, and good. The soil differences are a reminder to the church there are ideal conditions suited for growing disciples. Ideal conditions allow disciples to gain proper nourishment, roots, and the ability to persevere through hardship. Matthew’s Gospel also describes the reality of the many obstacles disciples face including persecution, anxiety, and a wish for riches.

The end of the parable describes God’s miraculous yield, “some a hundredfold, some 60, some 30” (Matthew 13:8). A good harvest in ancient times could be as much as four to 10 times what was sown. Considering the lack of soil preparation and all the obstacles, it is surprising there was any yield at all! And that may be the whole point of the parable: God provides an extravagant, plentiful harvest beyond even our imagination. We can be caught up in a sense of failure or be discouraged by a sensed lack of response but this parable calls us to keep spreading the word no matter how rocky or thorny the circumstance.

Despite the difficulty and opposition we face as disciples today, God calls us to spread seed everywhere and then trust in God’s harvest. We don’t know why the word of God takes root in some people. The scriptures tell us faith is a gift from God. Our calling is to throw seed as widely and as generously as we can and trust in God’s miraculous yield.

Central Ideas

1. We are called to share the good news as often, as widely, and as boldly as we can. We do not have to worry about how rocky, thorny, or hard the places and circumstances might be; we only need to continue sharing the message of God’s peaceable kingdom.
2. Some people will not respond as we would hope. When that happens, we turn to this parable for encouragement to trust in God’s harvest and know God’s work brings miraculous results.
3. As disciples it is realistic for us to experience anxiety, hardship, and even opposition. As we continue to study, grow, and make changes in our lives, we can trust the gift of the Holy Spirit to provide understanding, perseverance, and faith.

Questions for the Speaker

1. What are the ideal conditions for sharing God’s good news? What conditions slow the growth of God’s kingdom?
2. What prevents you from sharing or “sowing” the good news? What barriers do you need to remove so you can be more generous in how you share?
3. When has the good news of God’s peaceable kingdom been generously sown in your life? In your community? In the world? How do you hear and understand the good news?
4. How does the sower’s message of perseverance influence our call to engage in Mission Initiatives?

Lessons

Adult Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23

Lesson Focus

As disciples of Jesus we are called to share the good news as often, as widely, and as boldly as we can. We do not need to worry about how it is received, but only continue sharing the message of God’s peaceable kingdom.

Objectives

The learners will…

• reflect on how the message of Jesus was shared with them.
• identify blessings that come from sharing and opportunities to share more.
• connect the message of this parable with Community of Christ Mission Initiatives.

Supplies

• Bible
• Community of Christ Sings (CCS)

Notes to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew), pp. 90–91, available through Herald House.

Gather

Today’s passage is the Parable of the Sower. As we prepare for our discussion, please think of those who have shared the message of Jesus with you and how they shared it. Tell your story to at least one person near you.

After everyone has shared, have someone to offer a prayer that the message which came to us has fallen on good soil, bears good fruit, and will be multiplied!

Engage

Today’s passage is the first of eight parables. It comes directly after Jesus has been rejected by the Pharisees and his own family “culminating in the announcement of a new community of those who do God’s will and are thus Jesus’s ‘family’ (12:22–50). Immediately following the parables discourse, Jesus is rejected with hostility in his own home town (13:53–58)” (Eugene M. Boring and Fred B. Craddock, The People’s New Testament Commentary [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009], 60). Craddock and others believe Matthew’s purpose for placing the parables here is to separate the disciples from “the crowds” as those who have listened and heard the message of the kingdom of God.

Read Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 aloud.

This parable is called the Parable of the Sower. It could also be called the Parable of the Four Soils or the Parable of the Miraculous Yield. First let’s look at the sower. Who is the sower? It could be a preacher, teacher, missionary, Jesus, or God. No matter who it is, this is the one who spreads the good news, and the sower spreads it on uncultivated soil! Even if we try, we do not really know the condition of the person (soil) with whom we are sharing.

Discuss the following questions with a partner or small group and share insights with the larger group:

• Imagine you are the sower. How does it feel to scatter seeds of good news to those about whom you are unsure?
• When have you seen the good news received in “good soil” and new growth occurs? Describe this experience to others.

In verse 19, the author of Matthew refers to the seed as the good news, but in the rest of the parable, the seed refers to the “germinated disciples” who have started to grow. Considering the four soils—hardened, shallow, thorny, and good—reminds us that for developing discipleship, we must have understanding, be together in community, and persevere through hardship. We cannot control the type of soil, but we do have a responsibility to help the budding fruit. “Disciples must be prepared for persecution (troubles without), but also temptation (troubles within), especially in the form of anxious cares (see Matt. 6:25–32) and ‘the lure of wealth’ (v. 22)” (Gary Peluso-Verdend, Feasting on the Word: Year A, Vol. 3, eds. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011], 240).

Each person who responds to the good news will undergo trials, questioning, and temptations. Not everyone will persevere, but with the help of the community who has prepared a wholesome place to grow, more will be successful.

In small groups of two or three:

• share a time you spread the seed of the gospel on uncultivated ground. What was the response of the one with whom you shared?
• discuss ways your congregation helps fertilize the soil of new disciples.

The third title of this parable could be “Miraculous Yields.” In first-century farming, a sevenfold yield would have been very good. In this example, three-fourths of the seeds are destroyed before they begin to sprout. Opposition in many forms may hinder our efforts as well, but the harvest comes from God. It is a hundredfold! We have little control over whether someone continues faithfully, even with our best efforts. It is God who brings in the harvest and God we must trust. It is our responsibility to spread indiscriminately, do what we can to mentor, then leave it to God to provide the growth.

Consider these questions in groups of two or three.

• When has God blessed your efforts to share the good news?
• Tell about a time you planted a seed, not knowing whether it would sprout, and much later, you were blessed by seeing positive results.

Respond

Community of Christ is devoted to living Christ’s mission through five Mission Initiatives. Three of them are pertinent to this scripture.

Invite People to Christ—Christ’s mission of evangelism

Develop Disciples to Serve—Equip individuals for Christ’s mission

Experience Congregations in Mission—Equip congregations for Christ’s mission

—Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, p. 23

• How does today’s scripture encourage us to engage in these initiatives?
• In what ways does your congregation engage in ministries of invitation, growing disciples, and outreach?
• Where do you see opportunities for new expressions of ministry and mission?

Send

Respond to the following questions in groups of two or three, or as a large group. Spend time in prayer with these questions as part of your personal spiritual practice in the coming week.

• In what kind of soil am I planted? How am I allowing God to cultivate my discipleship?
• Taking courage and faith offered in this passage, consider opportunities this week to spread new seed or to cultivate new growth.

Bless

As a closing prayer, sing or read together “In My Life, Lord” CCS 602.

Youth Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23

Lesson Focus

Jesus used parables to teach disciples. The Parable of the Sower teaches disciples about caring for themselves, others, and the Earth.

Objectives

The learners will…

• compare rocky ground, thorny ground, and good soil and their effect on planted seeds.
• discuss the Parable of the Sower.
• explore how Jesus teaches disciples to care for themselves, others, and the Earth.

Supplies

• Bible
• Seeds
• Four recycled containers
• Rocks or pebbles, dry hard dirt, thorns or weeds, potting soil
• Paper and pens, pencils, crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Note to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: New Testament (with focus on the Gospel according to Matthew), pp. 90–91, available through Herald House.

Gather

Prepare four containers, each with one of the following: rocks or pebbles, dry hard dirt, thorns or weeds, and potting soil.

Ask: Have you ever planted anything? If so, what did you plant, and how did you nurture the seeds and plants? The kind of soil you have is essential to the success of a garden. If the ground is too hard or filled with rocks and weeds, you won’t have healthy plants.

Give individuals (or pairs) one of the four prepared containers and some seeds. Have them create a short story or scenario about what the contents of the container represent, what the seeds represent, and what happens to the seeds. They may choose to tell, read, illustrate, or act their story and share with the larger group. Be creative!

Engage

Have students take turns reading Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23.

This story is typically called the Parable of the Sower. A parable is a story (which may or may not be true) that teaches a lesson or points to a greater truth. This parable is more about the soil than the sower or the seed. A portion of the seeds that were planted fell along the way where the ground was hard. The seeds lay on top of the ground, and the birds came and ate them. A portion of the seeds fell on the rough ground. The seeds grew rapidly; however, when the sun came, the plants died because they didn’t have strong roots. Some of the seeds fell among weeds, and plants grew for a little time; however, the weeds took control and killed them. Luckily, a portion of the seeds fell on rich, fertile soil, and the plants became strong and sound and produced a decent harvest.

• Whom does the sower represent in this story? (God, Jesus, teachers or ministers, disciples, anyone who shares the good news of Jesus)
• What do the seeds represent? (God’s vision for creation, the gospel or good news that Jesus teaches, people, or creation)
• What elements kept the seeds from growing? (hard ground, birds, little soil, weeds, thorns)
• What do these elements represent? (unhealthy conditions, poor choices, forces of nature)
• What can we do to help seeds or disciples grow in good soil? (take care of the Earth, make healthy and Responsible Choices, learn and grow as disciples, share the good news of Jesus with others, encourage others)

In Jesus’s story, the word of God (good news of Jesus) is the seed, and we are the dirt. Sometimes we hear someone preaching, teaching, or sharing a testimony about Jesus; but we may be distracted. Maybe we are thinking about what we will do that evening or what we did yesterday. We hear the message, but we are not really listening to what is being said. This act resembles tossing seed on the ground and not in the ground. It won’t ever develop into anything in our life.

Sometimes we hear the message and get excited about it, but we fail to act. Slowly we begin to lose that excitement. That resembles the seeds that fall on the rough ground. The plants spring up quickly but die because the roots are shallow.

Occasionally we hear the message and accept what it says, but we do not change the way we respond. That resembles planting the seed in the middle of weeds. What happens next? The weeds will soon take control of us!

When we hear the message, listen and attempt to comprehend what it says, and put it into practice, then we resemble great soil—soil where the seed flourishes and develops and delivers a strong and healthy harvest. That is the type of soil that Jesus needs us to be.

Respond

Have one or more of the students read Doctrine and Covenants 165:1e.

Let nothing separate you from this mission. It reveals divine intent for personal, societal, and environmental salvation; a fullness of gospel witness for creation’s restoration.

Discuss the following questions:

• How would you describe personal salvation to another person? (wholeness and well-being in this life and the next)
• How would you describe societal salvation to another person? (justice and wholeness in relationships and among groups of people)
• How would you describe environmental salvation to another person? (care for the Earth and environment so that all life can flourish)

Provide half sheets of paper for each student. Consider your life as a disciple. How does it compare to what the contents of the four containers represent? Take a few moments to draw a plant growing in healthy soil. How can you nurture good soil as a disciple and care for yourself, others, and the Earth?

Send

Ask the class for suggestions about how they can make their roots grow deeper in Christ’s love (safely fasting, prayer, scripture study, singing, meditation, worship, service, and relationships). Write their suggestions on the pictures of their plants.

God’s vision for all creation to flourish is made real through generous disciples.

On the back of their plant drawing, have students write and respond to the following:

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I am rooted in God, the Source of life and love.

This week I will nurture good soil and care for myself by…

I will nurture good soil and care for others by…

I will nurture good soil and care for the Earth by…

Bless

Close your time together with this prayer.

Loving God, we want to be like the good soil. Help us plant seeds of your love by caring for ourselves, others, and the Earth. In your name we pray. Amen.

Children’s Lesson

Focus Scripture Passage

Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23

Lesson Focus

Followers of Jesus take good care of themselves, others, and the Earth so all can grow and thrive.

Objectives

The learners will…

• experience what helps seeds grow.
• discover how today’s parable teaches about caring for self, others, and creation.
• explore ways to honor the Sacredness of Creation and Develop Disciples to Serve.

Supplies

• Bible
• Seeds, potting soil, water, recycled paper cups or containers, strips of paper, tape or glue (optional)
• Lectionary Story Bible, Year A, by Ralph Milton, illustrated by Margaret Kyle (Wood Lake Publishing, 2007, ISBN 9781551455471) (optional)
• Paper and crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Notes to Teacher

In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year A: New Testament, pp. 90–91, available through Herald House.

Gather

Before class begins, prepare supplies for planting (if available), and prepare a space for the Here We Grow! game. If weather permits, play the game outside. Designate a start and finish line.

Greet each child by name and welcome them to the class space. Begin a discussion by asking what kinds of things help or hinder the growth of a seed.

Here We Grow!

This game is best played in a large, open space. It is like the game Red Light, Green Light. Have the children line up side by side at the starting point. They will be the seeds, and the teacher (or designated student) will be the sower (planter). With the sower’s back to the seeds, the sower will call out elements that help seeds grow: good soil, sunshine, water. If there are good elements, the seeds can grow, or move forward, at whatever pace they choose. When the sower calls out something that keeps seeds from growing (weeds, thorns, dry soil), the seeds must freeze. If the sower turns around and sees a seed moving, the seed must go back to the starting point. The first seed to reach the finish line becomes the sower for the next round.

If playing inside, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the ways God helps us grow. If playing outside, take a nature walk around the grounds. When you see healthy growth, stop and give thanks for the many ways God helps us grow and care for creation. Where there is need for growth, stop and ask God to help us care for all creation.

Engage

Say: Jesus used stories, or parables, to teach people lessons about being disciples. Today’s passage is a parable about a sower and seeds. It teaches us about growing as disciples, caring for creation, and helping others grow as disciples.

Read “Stories That Help Us Grow” from Lectionary Story Bible, Year A, pp. 154–155 or Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 NRSVue. Invite children to act out or draw what they hear as you read the story. Have the children share about what they acted or drew as they listened to the story. Use the following questions to guide discussion.

• Who does the sower represent in this story? (God, Jesus, teachers or preachers, disciples, anyone who shares the good news of Jesus)
• What do the seeds represent? (God’s vision for creation, the gospel or good news that Jesus teaches, people)
• What elements kept the seeds from growing? (hard ground, birds, little soil, weeds, thorns)
• What do these elements represent? (unhealthy conditions, poor choices, forces of nature)
• What can we do to help seeds or disciples grow in good soil? (take care of the Earth, make healthy and responsible choices, learn and grow as disciples, share the good news of Jesus with others, encourage others)

Respond

If supplies are available, give each child a container and seeds. Guide them in filling their containers with potting soil, planting seeds, and adding water.

As the children are planting, talk about the following:

In Community of Christ, we honor the Sacredness of Creation as an Enduring Principle. We believe that all creation is sacred or precious to God. You are sacred, each person is sacred, and the Earth is sacred. Jesus teaches us to take good care of ourselves, the Earth, and other people. This is also part of the Community of Christ Mission Initiative Develop Disciples to Serve. God wants each person to learn and grow to their full potential. As followers of Jesus, we do this when we make Responsible Choices, when we practice and study, when we learn, and when we make healthy choices. We help other disciples grow when we share the good news of Jesus and encourage them to grow and thrive.

Send

Prepare strips of paper for each child and provide crayons, markers, or colored pencils. For younger children, you may prepare strips with the following statement and have the children color their strips. Older children can write the statement and decorate their strips.

As a follower of Jesus, I will care for myself, others, and the Earth so all can grow and thrive!

As the children are doing this, talk about choices that will help them care for themselves, others, and the Earth.

If the children planted seeds in containers, help them attach their strip of paper to the container with tape or glue.

Bless

Gather in a circle and close with a group prayer. Begin each prayer statement and invite children to complete them.

Creator God, thank you for all the ways you help us grow. As a follower of Jesus,

I will care for myself by…

I will care for others by…

I will care for the Earth by…

(All together) Amen!