PROP: Puzzle–choose one that best fits the age group of your kids. A simple shape or alphabet puzzle is recommended. A 500 or 1,000 piece puzzle is not recommended.
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three…Good morning, Sammy!
Sammy: Good morning boys and girls!
Pastor: Today I have a special activity for everyone. We are going to put together a puzzle!
Sammy: A puzzle! Oh that’s wonderful!
Pastor: Yes it is!
Sammy: What’s a puzzle?
Pastor: Well, a puzzle is a wonderful activity where you take pieces of wood or cardboard or paper, and you try to fit them together to make a picture.
Sammy: What kind of puzzle did you bring?
Pastor: I brought this puzzle for us. [Show puzzle to children]
Sammy: That looks pretty challenging, Pastor.
Pastor: I think we can do it if we work together. What do you think, boys and girls?
[Provide a few minutes for children to assemble puzzle. Make note of who is doing more work, and who is doing nothing/very little]
Pastor: All done! Shall we show the congregation? [Hold up puzzle]
Sammy: Wow! You did a great job! Today is a day when I wish I had thumbs like you guys.
Pastor: That’s okay, Sammy. You were a great observer. But you know what?
Sammy: What’s that, Pastor?
Pastor: I noticed that ____ worked really hard on our puzzle and put a lot of pieces in place. Will you stand here please? [Have children line up in the approximate order in which they offered help, from the most help, to the least help.]
Sammy: Anyone who just watched can stand at the end of the line. Don’t worry–I just watched the puzzle come together, too.
Pastor: Jesus teaches in our Gospel text today that hard work and generosity as defined by God are different from how we define hard work and generosity. You see, Jesus talks about how God gives generously to all people who work for him, whether they did a lot or a little.
Sammy: That doesn’t seem fair.
Pastor: Jesus’s rules are different from man’s rules.
Sammy: So what else does Jesus say?
Pastor: Jesus teaches that he is allowed to be generous with what belongs to him. He also teaches that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Sammy: What does that mean?
Pastor: Jesus gives to each of us as believers, and he does things that may be mysterious to us. Today, some of you were watchers like Sammy. I am going to give you a treat first. Others of you helped me with the puzzle a lot. I am going to give you a treat last. Each of you will get a treat, but just like Jesus teaches, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
Sammy: When you get your treat, let’s sit down together so we can pray.
Pastor: Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us to understand how much you love us and other people. Thank you for giving generously to us. We love you. Amen.
Sammy: Bye, everyone!
Pastor: Bye, Sammy!
