This Children’s sermon was given May 17, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. I’m sharing it here in case it’s useful to someone.
Good morning girls and boys. How are you doing today? I have something to show you. I wonder if you’ve ever seen one of these on the highway. It’s called a mile marker- shows you have far you’ve come on the highway from a state border. Started back in Roman times. They used to be made of stone or marble- in some places they are still, called a milestone. Milestones help you know how far you’ve come on your journey.
We use that word in different ways now. Do you know what a milestone is? A milestone is a big event in your life that shows where on your life journey you are. It marks a big change in your life. Your first milestones after you were born include when you learned to smile, sat up, crawling, walking.
What are some other milestones in life? Maybe ones we celebrate at church?
Share items, with an explanation as to meaning.
*New Testament- you’re given one when you’re dedicated to God as a baby during worship
*Cross necklace- We give our first graders a cross necklace when they start worshipping with us in worship.
*An acolyte necklace- When kids start serving God as acolytes they receive an acolyte necklace. I wonder if serving as an acolyte the only way children serve God? No, but it’s one way.
*A Camp Prism tee shirt- some would say going to camp is a milestone- first sleep away camp with church
*A baptismal napkin and communion cup
*A fifth grade celebration program- when kids are getting ready to move up to youth we celebrate them
* A Mortar board for graduation- Graduating from high school and college- that’s a big one today that we’re celebrating. These kids that we’re going to bless in a few minutes were your age not long ago, and now they’re at a huge milestone. They’re making the decisions on what their lives are going to be about. Do they have to do that by themselves? In a way yes. In a way no. They’re not alone. God goes with them and we get to cheer them on- just like we’ll cheer for you and bless you, when you reach this journey. There will be more milestones in their lives after this, but this a big one. We can take time to treasure them, reflect on what God has already done in their lives, and look forward to see what God does next.
Let’s pray: Dear God, thank you for being with us through every milestone, at every point at our journey of life, from the beginning to the end. We love you so much, God. Amen.
