Throughout this series, you will need to prepare and use each week an adapted version of Rev. Leanne Hadley’s “Listening Stones.” Click here to learn more about “Listening Stones.”

Supplies needed for the entire series:

Stones (You can either use small stones and give each child one each week or one bigger stone for the entire group to use throughout the series.)
Jar large enough for placing one stone from each week’s lesson. This jar will hold one stone from each week of this series. Keep it in the worship area throughout the series as a reminder to the entire congregation about the lessons discussed each week.
Permanent Markers.
Mod Podge

Steps to Make Listening Stones:

1.) Purchase stones (pre-polished from a craft store in the floral department. These are used to put in vases, etc.).

2.) Using a permanent marker, draw the symbols on the rocks and let them dry well. Click here to view a template (PDF) for the symbols for each week.

Images:

Water droplet
Music note
Cross
“BE”
Lightbulb
Yes, checkbox
Cloud

3.) Place a small dab of “Mod Podge” on each stone and let it dry. (If you skip this step, the symbols will rub off the rocks. It is very important! We have tried finding a spray-on application but have not had any luck.)

4.) Place the stones in a large cloth bag after they have dried for several hours. Placing the stones in a cloth bag or nice box makes the stones seem holier than toys or playthings.

Each week during this series, introduce the stone with the week’s image. Offer a stone to each child to use as a prayer stone. If you have only one larger stone, have children either touch or reach toward the stone as you close in prayer. Collect one stone each week in the jar or box and keep it visible in the worship area for the duration of the series.

DOWNLOAD Steps to Make Listening Stones (PDF)

Children's Message

Matthew 17:1-9, New International Reader's Version

Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed

17After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of James with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. ²There in front of them his appearance was changed. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became as white as the light. ³Just then Moses and Elijah appeared in front of them. Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus.

⁴Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁵While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”

⁶When the disciples heard this, they were terrified. They fell with their faces to the ground. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus told them what to do. “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen,” he said. “Wait until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Supplies

Stone with an image of a “cloud”; three paper cups that children cannot see through; a small table or tray to place the cups. Under one of the cups, place this week’s stone.

Message

Good morning, everyone!

Today, I would like to play a game with you. I have something I would like to show you, but I want to have you play this game to find it. Would one of you like to help find it?

One of these cups has the item hidden underneath, but the other two are empty. They all look the same, but I want you to guess which cup has something underneath it. Do you think you can do that? You must be sure which one it’s under if you’re going to try and guess. Do you think you can be totally sure? (Shuffle the cups around on the tray, not exposing the stone. This is a version of the classic shell game. Choose one child to guess. If the child selects the correct cup, then skip the next paragraph of the message. If the child selects the wrong cup, repeat the process by shuffling again, but this time, show them the stone first, allowing them a glimpse, then shuffle cups.)

It's not under that cup. Would someone else like to try and guess? (Select a different child to guess.) This time, before I shuffle the cups, I wonder if there is something that would make this an easier guessing game. If I lifted the cup to show you which cup the item is underneath before I shuffle, I wonder if that would make this guessing game any easier. (Slightly lift the cup with the stone, revealing a glimpse of what is underneath.)

Did you see which cup the stone is under? Did you sneak a peek? Did you catch a glimpse? Now I am going to shuffle again. Try to follow the cup where the stone is. (Shuffle the cups again. Don’t shuffle them too quickly to allow children to guess correctly.) I wonder if that made it easier to identify which cup the stone is under. Let’s find out. (Have the child guess which cup. Reveal what’s under the cup slowly. If the child guesses incorrectly, if time permits, select another child and shuffle again.)

Today’s scripture lesson, found in Matthew’s Gospel, is kind of like the game we just played. The disciples caught a glimpse of something wonderful! It wasn’t a stone, but something much greater! The disciples were able to catch a glimpse of God’s glory!

The event we are talking about is called “Transfiguration.” That’s a big word—can you say it? (Allow children to repeat the word.) Jesus had journeyed up a mountain. Jesus took with him some of his closest friends: Peter, James, and John. While they were up there, Jesus was suddenly shining as bright as the sun. He was full of light! Remember a few weeks ago when I had that flashlight with me? How that light lit up the room!

Jesus shining so powerfully and bright terrified the disciples. Then they saw two other people in the light. There beside Jesus stood Moses and Elijah. Have you heard of Moses? What about Elijah? (Allow children to respond.) That most likely made them even more afraid. Then a bright cloud covered them, and they heard a voice. It wasn’t just anyone’s voice; it was the voice of God coming from the cloud. God’s voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”

Do you remember our first week of this worship series, as we talked about what happened after Jesus was baptized by John? What happened? (Allow children to make the connection of the voice of God and God’s words.) That’s right! The words of God sound very similar in both scripture passages.

The disciples realized they were in God’s presence, and they fell flat on their faces in fear. Jesus comforted them and encouraged them to get back up. In that moment, the disciples had caught a glimpse of who Christ was. When Jesus came to Earth, he was both one hundred percent human and one hundred percent God. People had been waiting for a Savior for a long time and wondered what he would be like. Peter, James, and John wondered too! They thought Jesus was the one they had been waiting for, and this “transfiguration” on the mountain made them completely positive. Seeing Jesus transformed and shining so bright and hearing God’s voice made them absolutely certain of who they were following. Jesus was indeed really and truly God.

I wonder how they felt on that mountain. I wonder if the fear they had was outweighed by their excitement. I wonder how fast they ran back down the mountain to tell the others what they had seen. I wonder how they felt knowing that they were going to be able to spend even more time with God’s son. The disciples only caught a glimpse, but we know the rest of the story. We know that Jesus lived a perfect life on earth as a human, but he died on a cross and was raised again by God so that we could have eternal life with God. Jesus was really one hundred percent God, and he became a person like us, one hundred percent human.

Today, I have a stone with an image of a cloud on it. I wonder why I chose this image. (Allow children to answer.) (If you have one stone for each child, hand the stones out now, or draw children’s attention to the one stone in your hand.) We have collected seven separate stones throughout these weeks. Let’s review all seven images. Can any of you share with me an image from one of the stones? I’ll count. (Allow children to offer an image.) The seven in order are:

water droplet
music note
cross
“BE”
lightbulb
“yes” checkbox
cloud

That’s wonderful that you all remembered all of them. Each week, we have placed one stone in the container and left it in the worship space as a prayerful reminder of this worship series. We have learned so many important lessons from Jesus. I encourage you to keep your stones and use them in your daily prayer life. Maybe you could keep them by your bed and hold them while you pray. The images on each stone will help you remember our worship time together. Or maybe you could keep the stones in a jar on your dining table, and when your family gathers for a meal, you could use the stones in prayerful guidance.

Today, as I pray, I want you to again, touch the stone. Feel how hard the stone is. Trace your index finger around the image. I wonder if you share in the excitement of the disciples. Are you as excited as they were? We should be! We should shine as bright as Jesus did on the mountain with excitement! We should want to tell everyone about the love that Jesus has for each of us. As you trace your finger around the image of the cloud, remember and hear the voice of God say to you, as he said to Peter, James, and John; “this is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”

As you trace your finger around the cloud image, I will say the word of God out loud, twice. “Listen to him,: and then on the third time, I want you to say it with me. Okay? Let’s pray,

“This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”

Now this time, you all say it with me…

“This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”

May we all listen to him, in Jesus’ name, Amen.