Prayer and Lightsabers

Sometimes, a lightsaber is simply the only way to explain things.

Like, when you are given five minutes to talk to 3rd-5th graders about prayer and intercession and why on earth we do this weird talking to God thing.

Because, the world to third grade eyes is a totally different place than the world that fifth graders inhabit, especially this close to spring, when they can feel middle school chomping at their heels and muddling everything that they thought that they once knew.

Here, in this state and this country, though, Star Wars is a language that we (nearly) all speak.

So, we start by defining intercession, comparing it to getting a duty when a friend is hurt on the playground. There are plenty of things that we could do to help or encourage or show mercy to our friend, and those are all good God things. But, the most important thing is that we intercede for them, that we carry a message to tell someone that they are hurt.

At church, I explain, we talk about carrying those messages from our friends to God, and from God to our friends. The fancy word for it is intercession, but it really just means praying for people.

Our God is amazing, though, I tell them, and their eyes follow as I go to pick up a bag from the corner. God doesn't just ask us to pray for people. He gives us some cool tools to help make that job easier.

"If I give this entire bag of tools to one kid, and tell him to defend his friend, would that be a very effective way to use them?"

"No." They shake their heads, and I take the bag back from the third grader I handed it to, leaving him standing in front of the friend who is sitting on the floor.

"Exactly. And, God knows what He's doing. He gives different tools to different people."

I pull the first lightsaber out of the bag and swing it open, turning so that they can see the label. "The first tool is a really simple one. If we talk to our friends, we can find out what's going on in their lives and how to pray for them."

The red lightsaber goes to him, and the next one comes out of the bag, hands from all three grades up in the air, volunteering to come up. And, they do it beautifully, each kid coming up silently, without wasting precious seconds on giving them instructions. Instead, they fan out around the fourth grader on the ground, creating a diorama that I could not have arranged more perfectly. 

I have given them lightsabers, and they know how to stand with these.

"Discernment is a tool that a lot of times means knowing things in your gut, God helping you to pay attention and notice little details that other people might miss."

Blue lightsaber.

"A word of knowledge is when God talks back and tells you something about that person, so that you know how to pray for them even if they didn't tell you."

Obi-Wan's blue blade.

"A word of wisdom can be God talking back and giving you an idea of how to fix the problem or telling you what needs to happen."

Mace Windu's purple saber.

"And, prophecy, sometimes seems like a funny little tool. It is when God tells you that something is going to happen before it happens."

Yoda's short, green lightsaber.

"Now," we all turn to look at the scene in front of us, and I can hear the hum of Obi-Wan's blade where I hit the power button opening it, "what do you think? Could much get through that to Haley?"

"No!" 

They get it, but I explain anyways, wanting to cement this in their memories.

"If Satan wanted to get at her, do you think that they could do a pretty good job of defending her?"

"Yes!"

"Exactly. That's why we share prayer requests and pray for each other, guys. Because, the more people are praying, the more people that puts up here with all of their different tools."

My time is over. It's short. Too short to go into any detail. And, we're moving on to the next thing. There are a half dozen speakers today, basketball relays to be run in the gym, shoes to be taken off and put on, and parking lots to be crossed. We've inundated them with information.

"Guess what we did in Sunday School today?" One of the fifth graders walks with his little brother after service. "We got to use lightsabers."