18 June 2023

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Bible readings for today

• Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)
• Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
• Romans 5:1-8
• Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Liturgical Colour: GREEN

Today we also mark Disabilities Awareness Sunday in the church calendar. 

Collect

Almighty God, 
by your grace alone 
we are accepted and called to your service; 
strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and empower our calling; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

E te Atua kaha rawa,
mā tōu aroha noa anake e whakaae i a mātou hei kaimahi māu;
mā tōu Wairua Tapu hoki mātou e whakakaha,
e whakamana i tāu i karanga i a mātou.
Ko Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki. 
Āmine. ​

Jesus sends out the 12 - Matthew 9:35-10:8

About this passage

The disicples were Jesus' whānau, and they had already travelled with him on foot through Galilee. They had been there in the tough times, and had listened to him teach, share and encourage. They had watched him live by example, as the Son of God, walking and talking with him each day. And now it was their turn to go and try it alone. They still needed guidance, patience and tenderness as they trusted him to step out in faith, and he gave them the Holy Spirit to be with them. 

​Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: “Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously."

Introduction

Ministry-to-children.com have a good ice-breaker for today's passage. Read out the examples of things listed, and brainstorm whether they are to be done by the “Original Disciples” or “Disciples Living Now” e.g. cleanse lepers, work at the hospital, teach someone English, don't travel with a backpack, become a scientist. 

Interactive Bible Stories

• There is an interactive Bible Lesson on this Gracelink website, where children use body actions to help tell the Bible story, e.g. touching their eyes, ears, heart, foot, arm. View the pdf (page 94)
• Jesus sends out the 12 skit - it starts the story, and encourages you to finish it off reading the Bible story.
• This story on the Gracelink website looks at how the disciples were sent out two by two. View the pdf (page 98)​

Gospel Plane

An origami paper plane activity that helps unpack evangelism with children. Source and Instructions: ​Let the Little Children Come 

Visio Lectio

A linocut print from Rev. Sarah West, from Visio Lectio - shared with permission
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Gospel Conversations

We're getting well into "Ordinary Time" now and it's time to start thinking about what we DO in response to all we've remembered and celebrated throughout Easter and Pentecost. The harvest is plentiful, apparently! Join Jonathan, Esther and - for the first time - Wendy as they and Michael ponder together what it might mean for us, today, to be sent out to work the fields.

Discussion Questions

• Who are the lost, confused people that Jesus is sending out the disciples to? 
• To be lost is to be disorientated, having lost your bearings or sense of direction, and you've lost sight of where you're heading. Who are the lost people in our community? 
• How can we help people be less lost and confused? 
• Jesus surprised the religious leaders by talking and spending time with the most unlikely people in the community. Why was that confronting for them? 
• How can we live generous lives? 

Dominoes object lesson

An object lesson using dominoes to share how one Christian kid telling their friend about Jesus can have ripples across the world. A good introduction to evangelism! 

Memory game

This game would work well with a small group of children. Ask a child to think about something they would take with them on a journey. Begin the sentence with "I'm going on a journey, and I need to take _______. The next person in the circle repeats this, and adds on their own item. "I"m going on a journey, and I need to take ____ and ____. Repeat around the circle. 

Media

These videos are on the topic of the disciples of Jesus, which help provide context for this passage from the Gospel of Matthew

Disabilities Awareness Sunday

Resources

Sunday resources (Elevate Christian Disability Trust)
Anglican Taonga article (Anglican Taonga) 
Avoiding Abelist Language (Augsburg.edu)
A simple reflection tool (Erik Carter) - a resource for schools, but you could replace the word 'student' with 'children' and reflect on how you are creating a space for all children to belong in your churches. 

Church resources and reading 

My Body is Not a Prayer Request
​Amy Kenny
"Much of the church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have much more to offer than a miraculous cure narrative and to learn from their embodied experiences.

Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ.

Here is an Facebook Live interview with Amy Kelly
Soujourners Article (Amy Kenny)

Children's Book

The Big Wide Welcome is a book by Trill Newbell, and published by the Good Book Company. 
This beautiful hardback Bible storybook for 3-6-year-olds uses the Bible’s teaching on favoritism from James chapter 2 to encourage children to love and welcome people regardless of their wealth, personality, or background, just like Jesus does.
​
Download a "​Our churches should be big-wide-welcome places – places where there are no favorites, and everyone is loved" colouring sheet  

Abraham and Sarah offer hospitality (Genesis 18:1-15)

Intergenerational Worship

An intergenerational resource from the Intergen Australia that looks at the significance of this story in Genesis, where God changes the name of Abram and Sarai, to Abraham and Sarah, and they offer hospitality to strangers. Sarah laughs at the unbelievable promise of God.

Media

Psalm 116

Song

Psalm 116 from Mission House