We learned that people were created in the image of God, lovingly and carefully made just so. So now we are beginning to wonder: how can we love the people that God made? How can we be kind to and take care of all the people in the world?

People come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, with all kinds of skills, abilities, and favorites! We all have different brains and different thoughts, and each of us is lovingly created in God’s image.

In our very busy and noisy world, it can be so amazing to become very slow, get very low, stay very quiet, and look very closely. What will you see?

I wonder what we can learn about God when we think of all of the different kinds of animals - the way they look and sound, and the things they can do?

Lord, you created so many things!
With your wisdom you made them all.
The earth is full of the living things you made.

Look at the ocean, so big and wide!
It is filled with all kinds of sea life.
There are creatures large and small—too many to count!

God surrounded them and watched over them, and protected them
like an eagle when she makes her young leave the nest to fly.
She stays close to them, ready to help. She spreads her wings
to catch them when they fall and carries them to a safe place.

Thank you God for the sun, the skies, the heavens, and the story they tell.

When we see their beauty, we are amazed by your power!

The heavens tell about the glory of God.

The skies announce what God’s hands have made.

Each new day tells more of the story,

and each night reveals more and more about God’s power.

Each week during our Summer of Wonder series, we are looking closely at a different part of God’s creation, wondering at the beauty, science, and mystery of the world around us. This week, we are examining plants and flowers.

Each week this summer, we will look closely at a different part of God’s creation, wondering at the beauty, science, and mystery of the world around us. Today, we are focusing on water! We’ll wonder about water, the places we find water, and what forms water can take. We invite you to think about where God could be as you’re wondering about water.

When we look at the wonderful things Jesus said and the amazing things Jesus did, we see lots of examples of love, kindness, justice, and mercy – especially to those who are hurting, who are left out, and who are treated unfairly.

Today we want to say, “Black Lives Matter”, and celebrate God’s beautiful, wonderfully made, and dearly loved Black people.

When we look through the Bible, we can see the story of us–the story of people, the story of God’s love for people. This is a story about you, me, and all of us. This is our story.

This week we are talking about God’s plan for the church, and how our love for each other should be inclusive, welcoming, and safe for everyone, just as God’s love is.

A rainbow shows us that different colors can join together to make something beautiful, just as different people can join together to make a beautiful community!

Sometimes we might feel lonely, scared, or left out. But no matter what, God’s love is big enough and wide enough to cover us all. Because of God’s love, we all belong.

We learn about the time when Jesus met his disciples by the sea and told them how to catch fish. Fish activities, songs, and a prayer are also included.