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Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost and the Disciples

June 5, 2022

Pentecost Sunday

Lectionary Year C

Supplies: You will need a place to hide from the congregation, but where the kids can still see you. If your sanctuary does not have a lectern to hide behind, you might want to consider bringing a blanket for two volunteers to hold up while you hide behind the blanket.

VIEW the scripture

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
I have a question for you: How do you think people who were too far away to see or hear each other were able to talk to each other before there were computers, phones, emails, and letters?
[Listen to the offered answers]
(That’s right!) One of the main ways that a person would “talk” to another person who was far away was through a messenger who would “pass on” that person’s message.
To help us think about what this would be like, I’m going to ask you to be my messenger to the congregation.
So in just a moment, I'm going to go hide over here behind the lectern (or this held-up blanket).
And when I’m over there, I'm going to make some arm movements that I want you to copy.
So, if I point at you, you would copy that action by pointing at the congregation. And then, hopefully, the congregation will copy your movements back to you. (Isn’t that right, congregation?)
If you have any questions, ask away! [wait for questions. answer as best as you can.]
Ok, are you ready? … Here we go!

{DO Activity

[ Go to the “hiding place” where the kids can see you, but the congregation cannot. ]
Point at your eye and mouth “EYE” Do it a number of times until everyone is copying you (note: you might have to remind them to face the congregation; you might also want to sneak a peek to see if the congregation is copying the kids.
Next, with your hands, make the shape of a heart and press it against your heart / chest while mouthing “LOVE.” Do this a number of times until the kids are all copying you.
Finally, point your fingers towards the kids and mouth the word, “YOU.” Again, do this a number of times until they are all copying you. And, make sure they point at the congregation, not at you.
Once they have the three movements figured out, do all three movements slowly and in a row and repeat the whole sequence three or four times.

END Activity}

So, what was I telling you to tell the congregation? (I love you)
And what did you then tell the congregation? (I love you)
And how do you know the congregation understood my message? (Because they repeated the message back to us)
Fantastic!
So what do you think? Do you think you could now repeat my message without me showing it to you? (Yes!)
Want to show me? [Wait for them to show you]
You got it! Well done!

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

I want you to remember what we just did while we talk about today’s scripture story.
Today’s story, known as Pentecost, took a long time to happen.
What I mean by this is that today's scripture story actually began way back when Jesus was baptized – which happened somewhere between 1 to 3 years before this Pentecost event took place.
When Jesus was baptized, Jesus received God’s Holy Spirit.
Powered by God's Holy Spirit, Jesus then began his ministry and did some amazing things.
One of the amazing things he did was invite people to follow him so that he could teach them how to receive God's Holy spirit, just like he had.
Today's scripture story, then, is the story of when these people, the disciples, actually received God’s Holy Spirit like Jesus did when he was baptized.
Once the disciples received God’s Holy Spirit, then they started talking about the same things that Jesus had talked about.
The disciples started to do the same things as Jesus, too, by inviting and teaching other people how to receive God’s Holy Spirit.
And, by the end of today’s story, we hear that 3000 people joined the disciples to learn the things that Jesus had taught to his disciples!

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

So, just like you learned my message and then repeated my message to the congregation, the disciples had to learn Jesus’ message before they were able to repeat it to the crowds in today’s story of Pentecost
The disciples learned and lived Jesus' message of how to pay attention to God, and, then by acting [move your arms around like you did in the activity] like Jesus did, the disciples were then able to share and tell Jesus's message with the people around them.
And guess what!? The very same thing is true for us today.
Just like the first disciples did, we, too, can choose to learn and enact Jesus' message.
Then, because we are moving and acting like Jesus, we'll also be sharing Jesus' message with those around us.
That’s the good news for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for the disciples…

...who taught others...

...how to receive your Holy Spirit…

…just like Jesus taught them.

Help us to do just like the disciples did.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted April 21, 2013
Updated on May 9, 2022
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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