Joy is a concept that children are quite familiar with, whether they realize it or not. There is a constant undercurrent of joy as they laugh and play, as they embrace new ideas without judgment, and as they easily form friendships. While they experience joy on a regular basis, they may not readily connect it with their faith. In this lesson, children will explore what it means to experience the joy of God’s unwavering love for creation.
Starting off
Begin your time with the children by asking them what the word joy means to them. What does joy look like? How do they know when they’re experiencing joy? Then ask them to consider how joy is different than happiness. Are two words for the same feeling or are they different? How are they different? Explain that while we often use these words interchangeably, they have different meanings. Happiness depends on something happening or not happening. We’re happy when we receive a gift or a compliment. We’re happy when we get to enjoy our favorite foods or school is canceled because of snow. Because happiness is connected to something outside of us happening, it doesn’t last forever. It fades over time. Joy, on the other hand, is constant. It comes from knowing or experiencing something that doesn’t end. We know joy as someone who is loved by family or friends. We know joy through God because God is always with us and for us.
Prepare to read aloud Philippians 4:4-7. Offer the children some context for the reading. Explain that the passage comes from one of the apostle Paul’s letters. Paul helped start several churches and was someone who church communities turned to for guidance and encouragement. One of these churches Paul planted was in the city of Philippi. It was the first Christian church in the area. After Paul started this church, he visited it a number of times to reconnect with the people worshiping there.
However, at the time that he wrote this letter, he couldn’t visit the Philippians in person because he was imprisoned. He wanted to thank the people and to encourage them, as he knew they too were experiencing a difficult time. Paul is grateful that Christ’s good news is continuing to be shared with the world, even though he is unable to help while he is in prison. He wants to inspire the Philippians to continue sharing God’s word.
Exploring the passage
Read aloud Philippians 4:4-7. After reading, ask the children what they think Paul means when he writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Then, have them wonder about where the joy that Paul urges the Philippians to have comes from. Encourage them to look at the words in the passage as they wonder. You may want to highlight the phrases “everything by prayer”, “let your requests be known to God”, “peace which surpasses all understanding”, and “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Have the children play around with these phrases to figure out what they might mean. Note that above all else, Paul says that joy comes from God. We experience joy through our connection with God who hears our prayers and offers us profound peace.
Relating the passage to our lives
Extend the discussion beyond the text to the children’s own lives. Begin by asking them if there are times when they have felt close to God. Then share that many people feel especially close to God when they are outdoors. Take the children outside to a fairly quiet space where they are surrounded by nature.
Seat the children in a circle on the ground. Encourage them to be silent so they can use all of their senses to experience the outdoor space. After a few minutes of silence, ask them to share what they noticed that made them feel peaceful. Then have them share a moment when they felt joyful.
Note that the apostle Paul was not just encouraging the Philippians to experience the joy and peace that comes from God individually. He also wanted them to have shared experiences. Ask the children to move around the natural space collecting leaves, twigs, flowers, etc. Encourage them to only collect items that are already on the ground. Place all of the items together in a pile. Then, work together to create a piece of art using what they have collected. They can brainstorm what their art should look like and collaborate to bring the idea to fruition. When they have completed the piece, stand around it and offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the joy experienced during this time together.
