The day that everyone in my household was fully vaccinated felt like a triumph. Finally, we could go out to eat, go to church, gather with friends and family and move about without fear of contracting COVID-19. Yet when we began re-entering the world, we realized that all of our worries and discomfort weren’t gone. We continue to have discussions about where and when it’s best to wear masks. We are cautious about hugging people, even if they are vaccinated. And we’re especially aware of the risk we might pose to those we spend time with who are unvaccinated.
Many of us are feeling unsettled, even though we’ve been told we can return to business as usual once we’re vaccinated. We carry the worries, sadness and hurts that built up over the pandemic with us as we attempt to be “normal.” Yet our experiences are not unusual if we look at the span of human history. There are many periods when groups of people have carried inordinate burdens. The lectionary reading reminds us Jesus faced such communities in his ministry on earth. People seeking healing flocked to him, knowing he alone could make them whole. In this week’s lesson, your children will hear about Jesus’ ability to heal the masses and will offer the hurts and worries in their own community to Jesus, asking for his divine healing.
Begin the time with your children by asking them to recount a time when they were sick or injured. Ask them to share what that experience was like. How did they feel? What parts of them hurt or what didn’t feel well? Then ask them to talk about how they got better. What or who helped them heal? How did they feel when they received treatment for their illness or injury? Note that we often need others to help us get better when we are sick or injured. Sometimes we turn to a loved one. Other times we go to a doctor. These people do what they think is best to help us return to health. People’s bodies can be sick or injured, but their hearts can also ail. We say that people who feel very sad are “heart sick.”
Prepare to read aloud the Scripture. Explain to your children that this story takes place after people began noticing Jesus and his disciples teaching. Everywhere they go, many people want to hear what they have to say. Ask your children to listen for what Jesus and his disciples planned to do when they arrived in this new town and what they actually ended up doing.
Read aloud Mark 6:30-34, 53-56. Ask your children to describe what Jesus told the disciples to do when they arrived in the “deserted place.” Note that they were supposed to rest because they had been so busy teaching and healing people that they hardly had time to eat! Then ask your children what happened when Jesus and his disciples actually arrived in Gennesaret. They are greeted by a crowd of people when they reach the shore. It is not clear if the disciples were actually able to rest and recharge, but we know that Jesus didn’t have any downtime. People needed his healing. He goes throughout the region healing people of all sorts of illnesses.
Continue the discussion by asking your children to wonder about the reasons why Jesus chose to heal people instead of resting with his disciples. Explain that the need Jesus saw in the people was too great for him to ignore. As God’s son, Jesus loves all people. He cannot ignore their hurts and their illnesses.
Help your children connect the Gospel reading to their own lives through an art activity. Gather blank paper, scissors, crayons or markers, a large piece of tag board or chart paper, and Band-Aids. (If you do not have tag board or chart paper, you can use a full piece of newspaper.) Cut the blank paper into 2-3” strips. Place several in front of your children. Ask them to brainstorm hurts that their friends or family are experiencing right now. These can be physical or emotional. Then ask them to write or draw these on the paper strips using the crayons or markers. Then, encourage your children to think about hurts of the larger world. You may need to give some examples if your children have difficulty coming up with ideas. Have them write or draw these on blank paper strips. Finally, ask your children to draw or write some of their own hurts on the remaining blank strips of paper.
Note that the Scripture you read showed Jesus healing all sorts of hurts that people were experiencing. Jesus wants to and can help heal our physical and emotional pains. Place each of the paper strips on the chart paper/tag board. Have your children attach these strips to the paper using the Band-Aids. As they do so, say a prayer together asking God to help. You might say something like, “God in your mercy, please help [insert person] because they are [insert hurt].” Hang this piece of art somewhere in your home where it will serve as a reminder to your children that they can pray for healing for anyone.
JOELLE BRUMMIT-YALE is the director of children’s and youth ministries at Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. When not at the church, she can usually be found at home with her son and husband caring for their many animals and developing their family homestead.
