Children gather in glowing candlelight

3 Ways Into Sunday’s Stories for Children: Glowing with God’s Love

The Last Sunday After the Epiphany

People’s bodies grow, change, and “transfigure” all the time. We enjoy witnessing these rapid changes in babies and children. Last week, we talked about feelings and changes on the inside that are much harder to see in others, sometimes because they are very gradual. Changing who we are at heart, and our personal story paths, can also happen. All of these interior changes can only be witnessed by others through our actions. And sometimes our actions don’t honestly reflect our interiors. But they are still messages, without words. What is amazing about the Transfiguration story is that Peter, James, and John could see the silent message instantly; the glow of Jesus’ true essence right before their very eyes, even if they didn’t yet know what it meant.

Read and color the Mini Storybook based on Luke 9:28–36.

A line drawing of Jesus during the Transfiguration

The Mini Storybook is included in the take-home packets available at the 9:15am and 11:15am Sunday services. You can also print it at home.

1. Sing and Dance

There are things in the world that we can help change, so that we can come closer to a wonderful world for everyone that glows with God’s creative love for all. 

2. Play and Pray

Make your Charades Cube with this template to use with the Mini-Revolutions activity and play with friends or family. Begin and end the game with a prayer:

Thank you, God, for all of the people and things that make me glow with your love. Amen.

Or:

Help me, God, to share the glow of Jesus’ ways of love. Amen.

3. Create

Try the pepper experiment in this week’s Mini-Revolutions. (Here’s a demonstration!)

Materials: Shallow bowl or plate, black pepper, water.

And try the micro-practice.