Youth Object Lesson: St Patrick’s Day

Youth Object
Lesson: St
Patrick’s Day
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You may want to use this lesson guide
in a Children’s sermon or for a youth
activity for St. Patrick’s day. The
significance of St Patrick’s day is not in
the traditions associated with it today,
but in its remembrance of a forgiving
teenager who was sold into slavery
and escaped only to return to the
country where he had been a slave, in
order to bring the people there to the
love of Christ.

Resources
Bring in a large three leafed clover
(Shamrock) or clover stickers for each
of the youth or children. You might also
wear something green, or even let the
youth have a taste of some traditional
Irish food like corned beef and
cabbage.
NOTE: Cabbage was traditionally served
with Irish bacon, instead of corned
beef. Corned beef is apparently an Irish
American tradition started at the turn
of the century because families could
not afford Irish Bacon.

Introduction
St Patrick’s Day is March 17, on the day
of his death, and has been traditionally
associated with all things Irish and a
lucky clover. At some point Leprechaun’s
and rainbows with a pot of gold at the
end somehow were included in the
mythology. Like many holidays, St.
Patrick’s day began as a religious holiday
to commemorate his death, but the
original purpose and traditions have
been replaced with something almost
entirely unconnected to the original
celebration. Many of the details of his
life are disputed, but we can be certain
that he did preach to the unsaved in
Ireland and placed a major role in the
evangelization of a very large number of
people.

Background
St Patrick was the bishop to Ireland and
he lived in a time just before Christianity
became the mainstream religion in the
Roman Empire, sometime around
AD386 – AD460.
His faith journey wasn’t an easy one.
Like Daniel and Joseph of the Bible, he
was captured by pirates and sold into
slavery when he was only teenager (16
years old). Life was difficult for slaves.
Not only was life difficult, but he was
dragged from his home and sent into
slavery in another country without his
family. Tradition says that as a slave in
Ireland he was forced to be a shepherd,
herding sheep and pigs.

His father had been a church deacon, and
his grandfather a clergyman, but by his
account, he only turned to religion and
prayed out to God when he was in
captivity. Conditions were harsh and his
only comfort was what he received
through praying constantly. After six years
as a slave he escaped by boat to Britain.
He traveled the 200 miles to the ocean
and according to some stories either
stowed away or booked passage. The boat
landed not far from where his parents
lived, and one would expect a joyful
reunion and for him to remain with his
parents. Instead of staying though, he
traveled to France to study and become a
priest. Because of his captivity, he never
received any formal education and lacked
the eloquence the other students had.

While studying for ministry, he received
a vision from God to return to Ireland
as a missionary. He only took the name
Patrick when he later became a Bishop.
It was a great act of forgiveness that he
returned to the people who enslaved
him in order to share with them the
love of Christ.

Unlike most Bible teachers and preachers
of the time, Patrick didn’t speak very well
nor deliver fine sermons. It wasn’t his
rhetoric that won the people over. He
had the rare ability to use common,
everyday life experiences to explain
difficult theological concepts – much like
Jesus did and the apostle Paul after Him.
That’s pretty much why St. Patrick’s Day
is represented by a shamrock. According
to legend, Patrick would take up a three-
leaf clover and ask, “Does it have one
leaf or three?” Those listening would
respond, “both.” Patrick then explained,
“And so it is with the Trinity – Father,
Son, and Spirit are one God. Three
persons in one.” However, that alone
wasn’t enough to bring his people to
faith in God either.

Ironically, what he lacked in school,
he more than made up for by what he
learned through his upbringing of
trials and adversity. And that was a
desperate dependence on God
through prayer. This was more than
any theological school could teach
him and it was instrumental in his
success as a minister of God. It was
that and the demonstration of his
faith through his actions and prayer
life that convinced so many to believe
in God.

St. Patrick wasn’t just a minister for
God inside the 4 walls of the
church. He was outspoken about
the practice of slavery in his
country as well. His repeated pleas
to the Christian leadership in
Britain were ignored but he
persisted and like the widow in
Jesus’ parable, was rewarded –
with the decision to end the slave
trade in Ireland.

Take It to the Next Level
There’s much we can learn from the life of
St. Patrick.
If you were captured and put into slavery
as a teenager, do you think you might feel
called to return to those who enslaved
you and work for the salvation of their
souls? I’m sure we’ve had at some point
harbored unforgiveness in our hearts for
less! Is forgiveness easy or difficult? Why
is forgiveness an important concept to
Christians? Is there someone you need to
forgive today?

Sometimes we’re so caught up with
discussing God in church that it never
results in DOING what Jesus really called
us to do. Jesus never called us to go to
church on Sundays, He never called us to
play music in the worship team, He never
called us to serve Him as ushers. First and
foremost, Jesus called us to go and make
disciples, to love God with all our hearts,
and to love His people. When all is said
and done, do we live out our faith in the
world “out there”? Are we sharing about
Christ to our friends and families who have
yet to know Him? Are we speaking out
against the social injustices that we see? Is
there a school bully you need to confront –
not with your fists – but with the love of
God? Is there someone who feels lost,
hurt, depressed and rejected that needs to
hear about the love a Savior has for them?

Let’s commit to being real St.
Patrick’s today. As we remember
and honor the man that was truly a
follower of Christ, let us celebrate
by putting our feet to motion and
our hands to action for a world that
has yet to hear or know about the
Living God.

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Youth Object Lesson: St Patrick’s Day

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Youth Object Lesson: St Patrick’s Day