A message from Leah Reddy.
4th Sunday in Lent : The Greatest Commandment – Mark 12:28-31
Get a little piece of paper (scratch paper is fine). Draw a simple cross. On the longer, vertical line write, “Love God”. On the shorter, horizontal line write, “Love Neighbor”.
In class, we have started talking about the cross as a reminder that we have:
- a personal relationship with God (the vertical piece of the cross)
- a mission to share the love of God with others (the horizontal piece of the cross)
Try making crosses: in the air, with two fingers, with your arms, with another family member…
Camp song!
Sometimes we sing the “Never Ending Love Song”, like they do at Luther Park.
Ask your kids if they can teach it to you or sing along with this similar version by the Cross Road Campers (Lyrics printed below. *The video has a few words between choruses that we don’t know)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind, and love all humankind as you would love yourself and love—the Lord your God—with all your heart (tick, tick, tick, boom!) and all your soul and mind and love all humankind.
We’ve got Christian lives to live. We’ve got Jesus love to give. We’ve got nothing to hide because in Him we all find love!
Look up and read
Mark 12:28-31 (Many of the kids are getting good at looking up verses by themselves, others may need a little help)
Ideas to talk about:
We know all about being separated and missing our friends and family right now… do you think God misses us when we don’t pray or read or talk about God and his wonderful love and plans for our lives?
Sometimes I get so busy thinking about the actions of loving neighbor that I only practice the actions of loving God, (prayer, praise, reading the Bible, etc.) when I’m at church. How can we practice loving God when we’re at home?
Time to create:
Cut a cross shape out of cardboard or paper bag or any type of paper (any size you want!)
Write “Love God” on the vertical piece and “Love Neighbor” on the horizontal piece
Add your extra special details (some ideas: draw or paint a woodgrain pattern on the cross, wrap some twine around the part of the cross where the pieces intersect, add one or more hearts)
Feel free to email Karla a picture of your creation! kreiland@nativitychurch.org
In the mood for something a little silly?
Check out this unique video about the Greatest Commandment. (I didn’t especially like the intro, but I thought the main part was pretty creative and funny!)