Scripture Focus: Acts
2:1-21
Preparation: What this story really needs is a
fire! If you do children’s church and
can be outside and build a little fire safely, do that. If you cannot have a real fire, bring in some
small sticks and dry grass on a tray so that you can pantomime blowing on a
pile of kindling to get a fire going.
Faith+Open: Set up your fire as the children gather (or
set it up early if you can have a real fire).
Talk to the children about camping and building fires. Ask them if they have ever been at a camp fire.
Faith+Share: Camp
fires are really fun, you might get to cook hotdogs or marshmallows. Maybe even sing some songs! Have you ever watched someone light a
campfire? Sometimes it’s really easy, if
the wood is dry and the weather is good, but if everything is not just right it
can be a little tricky. One of the best
ways to get a fire going is to blow on it, like this. You get down low and blow at the bottom of
the fire. Lean over and blow gently
at the bottom of your fire. Sometimes this is called “fanning the flames.” Fires need air, just like us need.
OK, so why are we
talking about getting a fire going?
Well, today is Pentecost! The
story of Pentecost talks about tongues of flame over the heads of the disciples
as they talk to the people. The amazing
thing about these flames is that they were the first language translators! The disciples were all speaking the same
language, but not everyone who was gathered spoke the same language. It would be like us sitting here and I spoke
English, but you only spoke Spanish, and you only spoke German, and you
Japanese – everyone speaking a different language. But, when the flame was over my head you
could all understand me!
I started to wonder
where that fire came from, because fire can be so hard to get started. I read the story again and before the flames appeared
above the disciples’ heads there was a big rush of wind, kind of like when
someone blows on the base of a fire to fan the flames! In the story the wind is the Holy Spirit
coming to give the disciples the gift to speak to everyone. The wind of the Holy Spirit fanned the faith
of the first Christians, just like our breath fans the flames of a little
fire. Just like our little fires can
turn into big camp fires, the faith of the early Christians spread to all the different
places of the world, starting at Pentecost with little flames above the
disciples’ heads.
Faith+Prayer: Spirit of God, fan the flames of our faith
and give us the gifts to share the amazing story of your love with the whole
world. Amen
Faith+Blessing:
May the breath the of the Spirit blow through your life.
~GB
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Many thanks this is great for our 6-7 yr olds this Sunday...!!!
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