Leader:

Good morning! What’s the weather like? What kind of day do we have today?

Children:

(Varied responses)

Leader:

It’s a lovely day today; but when it’s not such a nice day, we sometimes get crabby. We feel like bad things are happening to us. (If there’s bad weather in your location today: “When we have bad weather, we don’t feel that things are going too well for us, do we?”) When are some other times when we feel that things aren’t going well for us? What are some of the sad things that can happen in our lives? As you mention them, I’m going to write them on this large paper so that we can all see them. (Write responses, leaving a line at the top to write the response that is suggested below.)

​Children:

(Varied responses. Be sure that things like storms, divorce, death, illness, and other serious problems are mentioned.)

Leader:

These are all sad things, and most of these are things that happen even though we have nothing to do with making them happen. There is a story in the Bible about a man named Job who had some really bad things happen to him. He had lots of animals: oxen, donkeys, sheep, and camels. They were all taken from him or burned up in a fire. His servants who cared for the animals were killed. His children were killed when a great wind blew down the house where they were having a meal together. And then Job got terrible sores all over his body. Now, how do you suppose Job felt then?

Children:

(Varied responses)

Leader:

Job was very upset, but he believed in God so much that he knew God was with him in the sad times as well as the good times.

(Point to the list.) We’ve listed lots of bad things that happen in our lives, but we can know that God doesn’t cause those bad things to happen specifically to us. We can know that God is sad when we are sad, and God is with us even in the sad times.

We’re going to use these sad things that happen in our lives to make a litany, a kind of special prayer. I will read the list, and after each sad thing that I read, you and the congregation will respond with the words “God is with us, even at this sad time.” (Write these words at the top of the paper.)

Leader:

(Read from the list:) In a hurricane . . .

All:

(Prompt the children and congregation to respond:) God is with us, even at this sad time.

Leader:

In illness . . .

All:

God is with us, even at this sad time.

​Leader:

(Continue down the list. Close the litany with a prayer giving thanks for God’s presence even in sad times.)