Childrens Sermon 021002

Good morning, boys and girls.

Have you ever seen these? (Show the stars)

Do any of you have these on the walls or ceiling of your room? My
son does.

Guess what they do? (Let them answer)

That's right - they glow in the dark, just like the stars shining above us
at night.

These special plastic stars absorb light and then, when it's dark, they
glow, they give off that light. Let's see them. (Have some on a
piece of dark paper and then get a few children under the blanket, if
possible, to see the stars shining).

Isn't that neat? I have some of these I want to give to you to take
home. But ask your parents where you can put them, okay?

Today is when we remember the transfiguration of Jesus. That's a big
word. What it means is that Jesus took his disciples up on a
mountain top one day and was so very close to God that Jesus, like
these stars, began to shine. God was so close to him, so much a
part of him that he glowed. And they saw Jesus for who he really
was - God's son.  And Peter, one of the disciples who saw him, said he was

like the Morning Star that you often see if you get up early in the morning

and look up near the moon.
 
When we let the love of Jesus come into our hearts and try to be
close to him, to follow him each day, we get some of his glow too.
We begin to glow, to shine for him.

When you help someone else, you are glowing for Jesus.

When you are kind, Jesus shines in you.

When you pray, come to church, read your Bible, try to live in the
way Jesus wants you too, then you really glow for him.

I want you to keep your glow stars to remind you each time you
see them that you are called to glow, to shine, too, for Christ.

 Let us pray.

Yes, shine, Jesus.  Shine on us.  Shine your love into our lives until we begin
to glow for you.  Shine, Jesus, shine!  Amen.