Betrayal – pretty heavy topic for anybody, but especially for kids. I’ve been asked to lead the children’s time in church tomorrow, something I do about once every two months. It is fun, it is challenging, it makes me think.
What I love about our church is the willingness to take on big topics in an intentional way – to look deeper into scripture and examine historical context and then be challenged to make it meaningful today. This Lenten season before Easter, there are some members in our church participating in an all-church read of the book, The Last Week. Each Sunday we explore one of the days in Jesus’ last week. So we began with Palm Sunday – strange to be waving our cedar branches a month early. Tomorrow we will be up to Wednesday and “betrayal.”
I don’t have to follow the scripture for children’s time but I try to at least think about it and how I might talk about the themes with children every age from 1-16. There are many ways I feel betrayed as a grown up right now but I am not going to try to get into personal or national or global matters in this venue; I want to speak to instances of trust and betrayal that come from what children move through and think about on a daily basis. I’m glad I have enough contact with children to stay in touch with some of that.
So I’m at the drawing board, thinking of stories to share that tell of trust and betrayal, of hurt and healing, and hope. 
wake up and write 
March 18th, 2017 at 7:55 pm
There are many of them out there. And I think it’s so important to not shy away from talking about big ideas and feelings with kids like the examples you mention in your post. I think they always get it, and sometimes even offer us, as grown-ups, a new perspective.
March 18th, 2017 at 8:33 pm
That’s such a hard one! I’m sure you’ve come up with some wonderful ideas already and the kids in your group will be engaged. Enjoy the conversation!
March 18th, 2017 at 8:38 pm
A very thoughtful approach to leading children to think about big concepts and relate them to faith and everyday life. And to help them find and hold on to the hope we have in Jesus and especially that last week.
March 19th, 2017 at 8:00 am
Tender topic plus wise and sensitive “sharer” = magic made. Wish I could be there.
Love M
Sent from my iPhone
>