Object: A tablet, a sharpened pencil, and an unsharpened pencil.

Lesson: Change; the church; being ourselves; discipleship.

As the children settle onto the chancel steps and surrounding floor space, I hold up a tablet and a pencil, careful to conceal the point end of the pencil in my hand. "What are these things for?" I ask.

"To write with," the children answer.

"So, what you're saying is, they have a purpose." The children nod their agreement. Then I hand the tablet to one of the closer children and hold out the pencil to him, eraser end first. "Would you take this pencil and write your name for me?" I ask.

Mark grins and says, "Sure!" as he reaches for the pencil. His head goes down in concentration, he starts to write, then suddenly he jerks his attention from the tablet to me with…