It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Spiritual Wisdom from Fred Rogers

This four week sermon series lifts up the spiritual wisdom of Mr. Rogers, who was both a children’s television host and an ordained Presbyterian minister. Tackling tough topics like inclusion, self-doubt, and salvation, this series offers a deeper look at America’s favorite neighbor.

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Week 1: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 + 1 John 4:7-21

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

Fred Rogers

Over the course of 31 seasons, Mr. Rogers sang his opening song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” over 900 times. Each rendition was an invitation for children across the country to enter a world of curiosity, love, and acceptance. That world came directly from Rev. Fred Rogers’ Christian faith (he was an ordained Presbyterian minister), and from scriptures that call us to love our neighbor. His work was particularly poignant in an era of racial segregation, when many children were not allowed to live by neighbors who didn’t look like them. While news stations ran stories of a white hotel owner who poured acid into pools where black youth were swimming, Mr. Rogers invited Officer Clemmons to cool his feet in a baby pool right alongside him. Mr. Rogers’ vision of a neighborhood where all are welcome to learn, grow, and be loved is itself a foretaste of the Kingdom of God.

Week 2: “The Mad that You Feel”
Scripture: Matthew 5:1-11

“People have said, “Don’t cry,” to other people for years, and all it has ever meant is, “I’m too uncomfortable when you show your feelings. Don’t cry.” I’d rather have them say, “Go ahead and cry. I’m here to be with you.”

Fred Rogers

Stemming from his own childhood experiences of loneliness and bullying, Mr. Rogers was dedicated to helping children express and explore the full range of human feeling. In his neighborhood, it was a blessing to be sad at sad things, mad at wrong things, and joyful at happy things. While contemporary children’s shows made light of violence and exploited anger, Mr. Rogers went before congress to testify to the need for public television and funding for his own show, that taught children how to healthily deal with their feelings and experiences. Just as the beatitudes encourage us to see God’s blessing in a wide spectrum of human experiences, Mr. Rogers committed to sitting with children in all their struggles, whether that was the loss of a pet, a divorce, the assassination of JFK, or the chaos of 9/11.

Week 3: “I Like You Just the Way You Are”
Scripture: Psalm 139:1-18

 “Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.”

Fred Rogers

The very root of Mr. Rogers ministry was love. Loving children just the way they are, Rogers hoped, would build up a store of love in them that they could share with the world. Just as the psalmist declares that God knows and loves him deeply, Mr. Rogers sought to share that deep, knowing love with the children who watched his show. While later critics would accuse Rogers of contributing to the “entitlement” of a generation, Rogers insisted that real love–love that looks frankly at the good and bad and chooses to stay with a person anyway–leads to compassion, health, and growth. Ultimately, he became perhaps the greatest modern evangelist for God’s love.

Week 4: “Am I A Sheep?”
Scripture: Jeremiah 23:1-6 + John 10:14-18

“You are loved with a greater love than anyone could ever imagine, Tom. I trust that you’ll never ever forget that.”

Fred Rogers, in an email to Tom Junod, reporter for Esquire

Rev. Rogers’ message of love and acceptance accompanied a deep perfectionistic streak, fueled by self-doubt and even anger. He felt keenly all that was wrong with the world, and all that was wrong within himself. He often voiced those fears through the character of Daniel Tiger, who asks on the show, “Am I a mistake?” Right before Rogers died, he asked his wife, “Am I a sheep?” wondering whether he was worthy of Christ’s eternal care. Even as beloved as Rogers was, as huge his ministry’s impact was, as saintly as he is seen by many in this country, he wrestled with deep doubt over whether he was “good enough” for God’s love. Yet we trust that God’s love was big enough for him, and is big enough for us.

Ministry Resources

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Liturgy 

• Weekly Call to Worship
• Weekly Confessional Prayer
• Communion Liturgy

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Graphics

• Facebook Post and Quotes
• Facebook Cover Photo