Children's Time - Pentecost Sunday "Breath, Balloons and Pentecost" (May, 19, 2013)

Children’s Time: Breath, Balloons and Pentecost.

Good morning!

Today is Pentecost Sunday; it feels like we just had Easter, and here’s another big day for our church!

I wonder what is so special about Pentecost?

I wonder what happens on Pentecost?

I have invited four grown-ups to help us understand what it is we celebrate on Pentecost.

 

Shirley – with a clarinet

Roy – with a balloon

Lana – just herself.

Jamie – holding a toy pinwheel

Hmm…..I wonder what these four people have in common.

(Wait for children’s answers..)

When you’ve got an any more ideas, tell us right away.

(Starting with Shirley)

1^st hint: Shirley plays on the clarinet.

2^nd hint: Roy blows up the balloon.

3^rd hint: Lana breathes in and out.

4^th hint: Jamie blows the pinwheel.

(Get all the children’s answers….)

What do all of these activities have in common?

Breath! 

(Say thank you for all)

Pentecost is a day when we remember an amazing experience that happened to Jesus’ first disciples and also happens, now, to us, Jesus’ disciples today.

The Bible story says, while the first disciples gathered and prayed together in a room, suddenly “a strong wind blew” (Ken plays the drum…) and “divided tongues, as of fire” appeared among them, and a tongue of fire rested on each of them. (Show the children three handmade big flames in red paper and then give them away)

This means that they were filled with God’s Spirit, which is like a strong wind and also like fire, and they became strong and filled with courage to follow God’s way!  

Here is a wonderful Hebrew word that I would like to introduce to you. (Hebrew is the language Jesus used.) It is Ruach. Please repeat after me: ROO-AHCH.

Ruach is a word that has three meanings at the same time. It means ‘spirit’. It means ‘wind.’ It means ‘breath.’ Whenever Hebrew people talk about God’s Spirit, they talk about ‘the wind of God’ or ‘the breath of God.’

Have you ever blown up a balloon? (By then, Roy would have finished blowing up the balloon, so we will have a full-blown balloon.)

When we are filled with God’s spirit, it is like we become a fully-inflated balloon.

I wonder what it would be like to be a fully-inflated balloon? 

(Get the answers…)

If we were balloons, and lost our air, what would happen?

(Show it: blow up a balloon a little bit then let it go – pshew……..it will zigzag zigzag then go flat.)

May God’s spirit, God’s breath, God’s wind, God’s love be with you and fill you like beautiful balloons. (Gifts in the gift box – a number of balloons for the children)

Let’s pray together: (This is repeat-after-me prayer or echo prayer.)

Dear God,

thank you for your spirit

coming to us today and always.

Fill us with your breath, your spirit,

like we fill up balloons 

with our breath and dreams. Amen.