Children's Sermon, "Rules to Live By"
“The Covenant with Moses,” 1983, Art-glass Window, FPCE
Children’s Sermon to accompany “Through the Bible,” № 12, Exodus 20:1-20
I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. –Exodus 20:5b-6
In today’s worship service, we’re reading from the Bible about a famous story you’ve all heard in Sunday school or Good Shepherd. It’s about the man named Moses, who lived more than 3000 years ago, and the day he received from God a gift we call the Ten Commandments.
Part of the story is pictured in one of our art-glass windows. Look around: Can you tell me which window? (The window is identified). What do we see in the window? (Answers include smoke, fire, and hands). There is a lot we see in the glass, but some of the main things are the hands of Moses, at the bottom of the window; and the hands of God, higher up in the window, and between them something that God gives to Moses. What are these? They are stone tablets, with Roman numerals symbolizing the Ten Commandments, count one through ten. Notice the artist’s name at the lower eft.
One of the most interesting things about this window, I think, is how much room is taken up by things other than the hands and the stone tablets to symbolize the mystery and power of God. The artist’s description says,
At the top, the clouds with which God often surrounds himself when he communicates with mankind; and below, the stylized red flames which depict the burning intensity of the divine presence. Out of the fire, at the bottom, the very hands of God ….
The Ten Commandments aren’t easy to understand or even remember. That’s why I like the children’s version on the wall in the classroom at the southeast end of the hall. Come over here, and we’ll see them as slides on the screen (We went through a children’s version of the ten commandments, reminded that these are good rules to live by.)
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. Thank you for the gift of good rules to help us live a good life. Help us to trust you, and live by these rules. AMEN.
