Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Author: gb

  • Faith+Home Connection June 2012

    Faith + Open: Gather the household to a comfortable location. Light a candle and pray: Dear God, thank you for this time together. Thank you for your word for us to think about. Most of all thank you for Jesus, amen.

    Faith + Share: Read Mark 4:35-41. This story can also be found on page 286 in the Spark Story Bible and on page 236 in the Jesus Storybook Bible. If you have younger children have them act out the role of the disciples.

    For children: Have you ever been in a storm, like a thunderstorm or a loud rain storm? If so how did you feel? (Accept all answers-some may like storms!) If you were scared did you go find your mom or dad or another adult that you were with? Did it make you feel a bit safer? Well, the disciples learned that day that Jesus was with them always and looked out for them even if it didn’t seem like it! Jesus is with you too! We may not always know it, but Jesus is with us when we are scared no matter what!

    For youth/adults: There are many ups and downs in our lives. Sometimes we may feel as if no one is looking out for us in the storms that happen. Have you ever felt that way or wondered where God is? Even with Jesus right in the boat with them the disciples wondered this too! But Jesus was there and got the disciples through the storm. It didn’t mean that the disciples didn’t get tossed around and wet, but they did come out of the storm with Jesus. Our lives our like that too, we will have storms, that is a fact, and we will get tossed about, wet, and maybe even a little sea sick, but Jesus is right there through it all!

    Faith + Prayer: You are the God who stills the storm and never leaves us. God we thank you for being with us and loving us even when we are wet and tossed around. Help us to remember that Jesus is with us always and to not be afraid, amen.

    Faith + Blessing: Take a note card or any piece of paper and write on it “Don’t be afraid Jesus is here!” Place it on your mirror, door, refrigerator or anywhere that you will see it daily.

    Faith +Serve: If you know of someone going through a hard time right now make them a card (and maybe some treats!) and take it to them. Write the blessing from above on the card and tell them that you are praying for them!

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  • Children’s Sermon Day of Pentecost year B Acts 2:1-21

    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

    Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.