Easter Six
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Easter 6
Read the Scripture passage for the day over -Acts 17:22-31 - it can be found online at http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/AEaster/aEaster6.htm#acts Pay attention to the words or phrases that jump out at you.
Read over the lesson so that you are familiar with what is intended to happen. Gather the materials that you will need for each section of the lesson. If you can, print up the picture for the week from the website. For deeper thinking or for ways to extend the lesson take a look at the following websites:
http://www.textweek.com/yeara/eastera6.htm
http://www.efree.mb.ca/lectionarypuzzles/aws/awss06aa.htm
http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/pdf/New/Curr263.pdf
http://msssbible.com/newtestament/paul.htm
Materials needed:
Small table or end of one table
White candle
Bible & Bookmark
White cloth (optional)
Yellow streamers (one per person) with Alleluia printed on them
One good sized stone per child
Bubble container (from previous week)
Piece of cracker (from previous week)
Stone (from previous week)
Tote bag with as much of the following in it as you can find: water bottle, book, box of crackers, extra shoes, blanket, map, flashlight and anything else you think might be needed.
Gather around the small table or at the end of one table. If you have the white cloth put it down and place the candle on it. Put the Bible and the bubble container, the cracker, and the stone near the candle (you may want to let the children help with this). Give everyone an "Alleluia streamer" and show them the word printed on it.
Light the candle.
Explain that every time they say "Alleluia" in the prayer they are to wave their streamer around. Pray the following prayer together:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thank you God for Jesus. Alleluia!
Thank you God for new life. Alleluia!
Thank you God for all that you have done. Alleluia!
Amen.
Blow out the candle. Have the children put their streamers back on the table. Ask the children if they have been on a long trip. What kind of things have they packed to get ready for such a trip? (Some answers may be: water, food, clothes, books, toys, etc.) Bring out the tote bag that is already prepared. Show the children the items in the bag - talk about how the different items would be used on a long trip. Explain that the Bible story today is about a man named Paul who went on long journeys for God in order to share the Good News of Jesus with as many people as possible.
Materials needed:
A comfortable place to tell the story - on the floor with cushions or around a table
Teach the children the following chorus (to the tune of Row, row, row your boat)
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
Paul knew that all the travelling he was doing was important. He knew that Jesus had given him a special message to share with everyone he was meeting. Paul decided it was time to go to Greece and see the people in the many cities there.
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
Paul went to the city of Athens. It was the largest city of all the cities in Greece. People from all over came to Athens. Athens had a wonderful port where boats brought goods from all over the world - wonderful spices, wonderful clothes, wonderful containers. Athens was a place to come and meet different people with different ideas. Athens was full of so many things to do and to see.
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
Paul wandered throughout the city. He found an altar, a worship table, set up to "The Unknown God". He thought and thought about that. Paul came up with a way that he could share the Good News with the people of Athens. Paul knew it would be a way to get their attention.
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
Paul went to the great gathering centre of the city. He stood up on the tallest step so that everyone could see and hear him. He called out, "People of Athens. Pay attention. I have some Good News to share with you."
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
Paul continued speaking, "I saw the other day an altar to "The Unknown God". I am here to tell you that this God you are worshipping is the one true God. God is not unknown. We have come to know God through Jesus the Son of God. Jesus taught us how to live. Jesus taught us how to love. Jesus died on the cross and then God raised him back to life. Jesus came to bring us all to the new life with God."
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
The people of Athens were impressed with what Paul had to tell them. Many of them came to speak more with Paul. Many of them asked to be baptised. The church in Athens grew and grew.
Paul, Paul went to Greece
To share with them Good News
He told them all about Jesus
Who came to share God's love
Idea #1: Travelling Feet
This idea will help the children to connect with the travels of Paul to share the Good News of Jesus with the world.
Materials needed: construction paper, scissors, markers, glue sticks, and glitter
Instructions: Depending on the age of the children either draw a foot shape (by tracing your own foot on to the construction paper) for each child or have the children trace their own foot while standing on the construction paper. Have the children cut out their foot shape. As needed, help them print on one side of the foot "I am travelling with Jesus" with a marker. Encourage the children to decorate the feet with the materials provided. Invite them to share the story of Paul travelling to share Jesus' Good News with the people of Athens by sharing their feet with others.
Idea #2: Mini Altars
This project will allow the children to express their faith in God and give life to their unspoken but real thoughts about what God is like.
Materials needed: empty shoeboxes or other small boxes, tissue paper, construction paper, wrapping paper, glue, stickers, markers, scissors, glitter and anything else that might be used to decorate the boxes with
Instructions: Give each child a box and invite them turn them so the open side is down on the table. Invite them to think about what they would like an altar (a worship space) for God to look like. If the children are unsure what an altar is it might be good to explain about the altar in church at this point. Let them decorate their box as they wish with the materials that have been laid out. If time get the children to share how they decorated their altars and share why they chose what they did to talk about God. Encourage the children to put their altars at home somewhere where they can see them regularly and remember God's activities through Paul.
Idea #3: Good News Newsletter
With this idea the children can share the Good News with others in the parish or their families.
Materials needed: newsprint, large markers, blank paper, fine tip markers, magazines, scissors, and glue
Instructions: Have the children think about the Good News of Jesus. On the newsprint write down the ideas the children give you about what good news they would like to share with others. Once all the ideas are down get the children to each write up a piece of this Good News, suggest that they can use pictures from the magazines to illustrate their articles. Gather all the articles together and tell the children that you will have them ready next week to hand out to others. In the next week photocopy the articles (back to back to save paper) and pass out the newsletters to those the children would like to give them to.
Gather with the children around the worship table again. Place the bubble container on the table. Put a piece of cracker on the table. Put a stone on the table. Put the tote bag on the table. Relight the candle. Say the prayer line by line and encourage the children to repeat it after you:
Thank you God for our time together.
Thank you God for Jesus.
Thank you God for loving us.
Amen.
