God Is Faithful. Focus on 1 Corinthians 1:1 9. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 January 15, 2017 Second Sunday after the Epiphany Isa. 49:1 7 Ps. 40: Cor. 1:1 9 John 1:29 42 God Is Faithful Goal for the Session Third- and fourth-graders will hear Paul tell of God s faithfulness and explore what it means to be called to be God s people. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on 1 Corinthians 1:1 9 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by James W. Thompson Because God is faithful (v. 9), Paul is confident that the Corinthians will no longer act like infants (3:1 5), but will grow to maturity. What God has done in the past by calling the Corinthians into the fellowship of the Son assures the community of God s faithfulness in the future. Despite the childish behavior of those who have received God s grace, God has not abandoned them, but will bring them to maturity in a unified church. To be in fellowship (koinonia) with Christ, as Paul explains later (10:16 17; 12:13) is to be in fellowship with others in a corporate journey in a community that includes rich and poor, Jew and Greek (12:13). WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Timothy F. Sedgwick Christian faith is a matter of calling, to be called by God, to be followers of Jesus Christ. While we are individually called, as God addresses each of us, we are not called individually into faith. To enter into faith, to be in union with Christ in other words, to be sanctified, to be saints is to be set aside together as a new people or new society made up of those in every place who call Jesus Lord. What is striking rhetorically and theologically is that the church as God s chosen people, God s new covenant, is defined not by Jewish ancestry but by discipleship. The peace of God, wholeness and reconciliation, is given, a gift that is a matter of grace, not of birth or status. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Alan Gregory Paul never uses the singular form of saint to refer to the individual Christian. We are saints in our common vocation, a shared gift. A holy people, in this sense, is one marked by God, determined for the fellowship of his Son (v. 9), both now and in the coming glory. Sanctity, therefore, does not refer, in the first place, to righteous behavior. That is not to say, of course, that holiness has nothing to do with goodness. Were that so, Paul would be wasting his notepaper. The relationship with God that makes a people holy is, in regard to active righteousness, like a force field within which objects are charged and changed. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Harry B. Adams As we look at the church in our own time, the weaknesses and failures are often all too evident. Paul can teach us to be grateful for the gifts that God has given to the church even with its frailties gifts of understanding, gifts of caring, gifts of words that help and heal, gifts of faithfulness to Jesus Christ, gifts of shared community. The church is rich in blessings, not because of the accomplishments of the people within the fellowship, but because of the grace of God that has enriched and sustained the people. 1

2 God Is Faithful FOCUS SCRIPTURE 1 Corinthians 1:1 9 Focus on Your Teaching Many children have the wonderful experience of having a best friend, one person who remains faithful through all the joys and challenges of growing up. They also are learning that sometimes even best friends can let them down. In today s session, the focus is God s faithfulness, which never wavers. Expect third- and fourth-graders to be comforted and perhaps inspired to know that they, too, are called to be God s people. Assure them that God promises to strengthen them and to be faithful to them through Jesus Christ. YOU WILL NEED green cloth white candle, matches or batterypowered candle Bible disposable plastic cups string sharp scissors paper clips Color Pack 16, 17, 18, 31, 34 Resource Sheet 1 world map or globe copies of Resource Sheet 1 Singing the Feast, ; CD player For Responding option 1: fruit rollups, pretzel rods, plastic knives, copies of Resource Sheets 1 and 2, pencils option 3: newsprint, marker, newspapers, construction paper, drinking straws, dark colors of crayons, plastic spoons, 3 bowls, 3 colors tempera paint God, thank you for being with me as I continue to grow to maturity as your child. Open my heart to your guidance as I lead these children today. Amen. n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, make a string telephone for every four learners: use the point of a sharp scissors to poke a hole in the center of the bottom of two disposable plastic drinking cups. Feed one end of a ten-foot piece of string through each hole so that the ends are inside the cups. Tie each end onto a small paper clip so that the clips will lie flat in the bottom of the cups. If you are using option 3 in Responding, mix one part tempera paint with one part water. Greet learners by name as they arrive. Ask them to arrange the green cloth in the center of your meeting space and place the candle, Color Pack 18, and a Bible on it. Light the candle and pray aloud, inviting learners to repeat each phrase: God of light, / pour out your Spirit on us today. / Light a flame in our hearts / as we learn from your Son, Jesus, / how to show your love to the world. / Amen. Extinguish the candle. Display Color Pack 16. Invite learners to tell about times they have played with a string phone like this. Briefly explain that it allows sound to travel from one person to another, like a phone. When the string is pulled taut between the two people and is not touching anything, sound waves can travel from one cup to the other. Set out the string phones for learners to try. Discuss: P What would make it difficult to hear this kind of phone call? (Noise in the room, someone touching the string, letting the string sag.) P What do you do when you want to be sure you can hear an important phone call? Say that the Bible reading for today is about a different kind of call. 2

3 God Is Faithful Some words in the Bible reading today will be difficult for thirdand fourth-graders. Be ready to help with pronunciation and definitions as needed. In Christ There Is No East or West In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth. In Christ shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find; his service is the golden cord close-binding humankind. Join hands, disciples of the faith, whate er your race may be. All children of the living God are surely kin to me. In Christ now meet both east and west; in him meet south and north. All Christly souls are one in him throughout the whole wide earth. When choosing activities with food, be careful to note any allergies. If necessary, provide alternative ingredients. EXPLORING Display Color Pack 17. Note that this is what one artist imagined Paul looked like when he was teaching people about Jesus. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Paul Writes to Christians in Corinth) and pencils. Ask for volunteers to read the information aloud. Explain that the words inside the scroll are copied directly from the Bible. Lead learners in marking and discussing the Bible verses: P Circle the word call each time it is used. In verse 2, what does Paul say the people in Corinth are called to be? Underline that. P In verse 9, to what are the Corinthians being called? Underline that. P In verse 4, for what is Paul thanking God? Underline that. P In verse 5, draw boxes around two ways Jesus has made the Corinthians rich. What do you think a person who is rich in communication would say or do? P In verse 9, what does Paul say about God? Why do you think Paul says that God can be trusted? Ask learners to locate the Mediterranean Sea on the world map or globe. Point to Israel, the region where Jesus lived, and to southern Greece, where Corinth was in Paul s day. Explain that today there are over two billion Christians around the world. Wonder together how the church grew. Display Color Pack 34 and say the words in this song sound a lot like what Paul taught. Sing In Christ There Is No East or West (track 12 on Singing the Feast, ). P What does it mean to be called to be God s people? P What do you think God expects us to do in partnership with other Christians? RESPONDING Mark the activities you will use: 1. Scroll Snacks Children will make tasty reminders of Paul s words about being God s people. Explain that when Paul wrote letters, he wrote them on a long piece of paper that would be rolled into a scroll shape. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Scroll Snacks). Be sure they still have their copies of Resource Sheet 1. Set out fruit rolls, pretzel rods, and plastic knives. Have learners wash hands and then invite pairs to work together to follow the instructions. Help them as needed. After all have finished, ask pairs to tell what words from Paul they memorized. Discuss how these words might help them remember they are called to be God s people who follow Jesus. 3

4 God Is Faithful EASY PREP Words from Paul to try: We are called to be God s people; God is faithful; I thank my God always for you. 2. Listening Game Learners will play a listening game to consider the call to be God s people. Invite learners to sit in a circle. Explain that you will whisper some of Paul s words into your neighbor s ear. (See sidebar.) That person will then whisper the same phrase to the next person. After the sentence has gone all the way around the circle, invite the last child to speak the phrase aloud. Discuss: What did you have to do as a listener? What do you learn about being God s people by listening to Paul s words? What could help you to know more about being God s people? 3. Straw Painting Children will make paintings as they consider God s faithfulness to them as God s people. Print God is faithful on newsprint or the board. Distribute construction paper, drinking straws, and dark colors of crayons. Have learners use crayons to copy the verse in the center of their papers in large letters. Tell them to press hard on the crayons. Cover the work area with newspapers. Put out bowls of thinned paint. Invite children to use a spoon to drop a small amount of paint near each corner of their papers. Using the straw, children will then blow the paint all over the paper, causing the paint to spread. Suggest that the spreading paint might be a reminder of the many people who are called to be God s people. When God s Spirit works in us (like the air works on the paint), we can grow in understanding how to live as God s people who are Jesus followers. Invite children to take their paintings home as reminders of God s faithfulness and their growth as God s people. CLOSING Gather with the learners around the candle. Light it, if necessary. Hold up Color Pack 18. Invite the children to imagine they are in this picture. Say: We live and work and play in the light of God s love, brought to us by Jesus. Pray aloud: Glorious God, fill us with your blessings as we live as your people and shine forth with your love in the world. Amen. Behold, I am with You Behold, I am with you, (Behold, I am with you) And will keep you wherever you go, (And will keep you wherever you go) And will keep you wherever you go. (And will keep you wherever you go) Sing Behold I Am with You (Color Pack 31, track 3 on Singing the Feast, ). Teach the All response and then lead the closing charge: Teacher: Let us go out into the world remembering that we are drawn together by God s love and called to be Jesus followers. All: Let us shine! Repeat 4

5 January 15, 2017 God Is Faithful Grades 3 4 Resource Sheet 1 Paul Writes to Christians in Corinth God sent Jesus to bring God s saving love to everyone. God called Paul to spread this good news. Paul traveled from place to place, teaching people about Jesus. He helped people in many towns to start churches. That way Jesus new followers could gather to worship God and learn more about Jesus. Soon, there were many churches. Paul could not visit each one, so Paul wrote letters to them. He taught them about following Jesus. One day, the church in Corinth received a letter from Paul. Circle Corinth on the map. The letter said, 2 To God s church that is in Corinth: To those who have been made holy to God in Christ Jesus, who are called to be God s people. Together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place he s their Lord and ours! 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always for you, because of God s grace that was given to you in Christ Jesus. 5 That is, you were made rich through him in everything: in all your communication and every kind of knowledge, 6 in the same way that the testimony about Christ was confirmed with you. 9 God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:2-9, CEB) The Christians in Corinth knew that following Jesus was not always easy. Paul reminded them that God is faithful. God would help them be strong as they followed Jesus Westminster John Knox Press

6 January 15, 2017 God Is Faithful Grades 3 4 Resource Sheet 2 Scroll Snacks Directions: 1. In the letter space below, copy a verse or part of a verse you want to remember from 1 Corinthians 1:1 9. For example, you might write part of verse 9: God is faithful. 2. Unroll the fruit roll so that the fruit is on top of the plastic. 3. Use a plastic knife to trim off the edges of the fruit, making the shape of a rectangle. Eat your scraps! 4. Roll one end of the fruit roll rectangle onto one pretzel rod. 5. Roll another rod from the other end of the rectangle so that the rods meet in the middle. 6. Unroll your scroll and pretend you are reading Paul s words from it. Do this several times until you can say the words without looking at this paper. Say them to yourself again as you eat your snack Westminster John Knox Press