Washed Dirty

Itty Bitty Lutherans has resumed after our holiday travels!

This week we started with a group photo in our new red "Itty Bitty Lutherans - Saved by Grace" T-shirts. Darling, until my own little Bitty started to wail.  Crying must be contagious, because then Pete's friend Carlos lost it, followed promptly by Corbin.  At least the girls were sweet and smiled!

Since the IBL's were dressed down a bit in their T-shirts, I thought it was a good opportunity to do a messy lesson, and since we've been on recess I had many make-up lessons to choose from, so I selected my favorite - The Baptism of Jesus, a great one for the Epiphany season.

We gathered outside around a container of dirt.  Encouraging the children to touch the dirt, we talked about sin.  Our Itty Bitty Lutherans are all toddlers now, and they all hear the word "no" a lot. They all know what "no" means, but they don't always obey.  They are starting to get into trouble!  Disobeying is sin, and sin makes our heart dirty. 

After we were all just dirty enough I brought out a big bowl of fresh, clean water.  Dipping our hands in the water, I continued, In our baptism, our sins are washed clean.  We are forgiven and made part of God's family.  All of this is possible because of Jesus.

Next, we looked at a perfectly clean, pure white cross (cut from craft foam).  Jesus was perfect.  Clean and without sin.  He didn't need to be baptized to have His sins washed away.  Everyone else went to John the Baptist to repent of their sins, to have their dirt washed away.  Jesus, clean and perfect, also went into that dirty water.  Place the cross in the dirty water. He came out covered with our sins.  This was the beginning of Jesus' ministry, His trip to the cross to die for all of our sins. 

Next, we looked at the picture of Jesus' baptism in our picture Bible.  We found Jesus.  We found the water.  We found the dove.  The Holy Spirit came down like a dove and God the Father said, "This is my beloved Son".  When you were Baptized the Holy Spirit came down on you too. The Holy Spirit gives you faith. You became God's beloved child when your sins were washed away in the water and the Word.

Next, the parents talked about the ways we can help our children remember their baptism.  Pictures, Baptism birthday celebrations and talking to our children when washing, playing at the beach, pool or any time they're in the water, were all good ideas.

We also worked with our child to make a paper dove to hang in their room.  To make a dove with your child at home, you'll need paper, a marker, scissors, a glue stick and a foot of green ribbon - green for Epiphany.

Fold the paper in half. Trace your child's hand onto the paper with the base of the palm touching the fold.

Cut out the hand, adding a little point on the outside of the thumb like a beak.

Apply glue to the palm of the hand and thumb.  Fold the ribbon in half, so it makes a loop and place the ends of the ribbon on top of the glue in the palm of the hand.

Close the hands together so they are glued shut. Fold the fingers/wings down so the dove looks like it is flying. Hang the dove in your child's room to remind them of their Baptism!



REMINDER: Next week we're going to be working on our "Colors I See at Grace Lutheran Church" books, so please remember to bring them to class!

If you liked my Baptism of Jesus dirt and water demo, please click here and listen to a sermon by Pastor Brent Kuhlman, as heard on Issues Etc.  This beautiful sermon was the "nugget" for my lesson!