Lent Two
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Second Sunday of Lent
Read the Gospel for the day over -John 3:1-17 it can be found online at http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/ALent/aLent2.htm
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/lenta2.htm
http://www.archspm.org/family/lr_res_ap_least.html
http://www.faith-at-home.com/tips/lent.html
http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/lent2mles.htm
http://msssbible.com/newtestament/newcreation.htm
http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/clrpg012.html
Materials needed:
Small table or end of one table
Purple candle
Bible & Bookmark
Rocks of various sizes
Purple cloth (optional)
Purple (or other colour if no purple available) streamer or balloon
Print up the prayer so that everyone can read it together
Gather around the small table or at the end of one table. If you have the purple cloth, put it down and place the candle in the middle of it. Have the children put the rocks around the candle. Ask the children if they know how many days of Lent have gone by since you were last together (6, because we do not count Sunday).
Light the candle.
Pray the following prayer together:
Holy God,
We come to learn,
We come to grow,
We come to find Jesus,
Be with us in all we do. Amen.
Blow out the candle. Show them the streamer or balloon. Ask what does it need to make it move. Hopefully they will answer that it needs air or wind to make it move. If you are using the streamer hold it up high so that everyone can blow on it with their breath and get it to move. If you are using the balloon blow it up to show the children how you need to use your air to make it move. If you printed up the picture of the day from the website take a look at what is happening in it. Explain to the children that two people are talking together about important things and that is what we are going to hear in the story today.
Materials needed:
Comfortable place to set up a story area - around a table or on the floor with cushions
Bible from the worship area
A 2 to 3 foot length of purple (or other colour if no purple available) streamer for each child
Pick up the Bible and with the children find the Gospel of John and show them where the passage is that you will be looking at today. If you have readers you may want to share the story telling with them.
Teach the children the following chant and as they chant have them shake their streamer in the air:
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
We wonder what they will do,
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
God shows us the way through.
It was so dark, that Nicodemus could barely see his hand when it was stretched in front of him. He was going to meet a special person. That special person was Jesus. He had so many questions to ask of Jesus.
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
We wonder what they will do,
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
God shows us the way through.
Nicodemus found Jesus sitting at the house he was staying at. Jesus invited him to come and get comfortable with him. Jesus looked at Nicodemus and Nicodemus knew he could ask any question he wanted of Jesus.
Nicodemus said, "Jesus, I know that you must be from God. The things you do could only come from God."
Jesus was happy when he heard Nicodemus say that. He said, "Nicodemus you need to know that no one can see God's kingdom unless they are born of the kingdom."
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
We wonder what they will do,
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
God shows us the way through.
Nicodemus was surprised by what Jesus had to say. He looked at Jesus, and asked, "What do you mean Jesus? Nobody can be born when they are a grown up. How can I be born another time?
Jesus looked thoughtful for a moment. This was a good question that Nicodemus had. Jesus knew that he had to answer the question carefully. Then Jesus said, "Here is some more truth for you Nicodemus. You are right when you say you can't be born in a physical way again. You need to be born from the water and from the Spirit. Think about in this way Nicodemus. We all know that the wind blows where it wants to and that we can't control it. It is the same way with God's Spirit. We can't control the Spirit but we need the presence of the Spirit in our lives to come into God's kingdom."
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
We wonder what they will do,
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
God shows us the way through.
Nicodemus was really surprised by Jesus' answer. He blurted out, "I don't understand. How can this be true?"
Jesus knew that Nicodemus was struggling with this idea. Jesus also knew that it was very important for Nicodemus to understand what he was trying to tell him.
Jesus told Nicodemus, "Here is another truth for you my friend. God sent his only Son into the world to tell the world how much God loves the world. The world needs God's Spirit to show the way to God. Wait for the Spirit and amazing things will happen to you and the people around you."
Nicodemus nodded his head. He knew that he was going to have a lot to think about over the next while. He then made his way back to his home.
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
We wonder what they will do,
Wind blows, Spirit blows,
God shows us the way through.
Idea #1: Spirit Streamers
This response will link back to the streamers used during the story time. Encourage the children to use them to tell the story of Nicodemus to other people.
Materials needed: Up to 3, 2 to 3 foot length of purple (or other colours if purple not available) streamer
Long paper tubes (like from paper toweling) or 2 foot lengths of dowel
Strong clear tape
Black permanent marker
Stickers of any kind available
Instructions: Print up the words, "WIND BLOWS, SPIRIT BLOWS", where everyone can see them. Give each child two or three streamers. Invite the children to print the words onto the streamers they have. If they are unable to print, print the words on for them. Help the younger ones to tape their streamers onto the paper tubes or dowel and let the older ones do it themselves. Let everyone decorate their streamers with the stickers provided. If there is time it might be fun to march around the room with the Spirit Streamers saying the chant from the story together.
Idea #2: Spirit Fans
This idea will connect up with the wind blows in our life and the Spirit can come into their lives so suddenly as well.
Materials needed: Regular sheets of white paper (8 ½" x 11")
Felt tip markers or pencil crayons
Any available stickers
Instructions: As a group brainstorm words that describe the Spirit. (Some ideas: breath, wind, holy, new life, and gift). Give each person a sheet of paper. Choose some of the words from the list created. Print them up on the paper and decorate as desired. Fold the paper accordion style. Bend the bottom inch up and make a fan with the paper. Tell the children that as they use the fan they can think about the Spirit blowing in their lives.
Idea #3: Spirit Windsock
With a windsock that the children can play with they can remember how the Spirit of God blows where it wants and not always where we want it to.
Materials needed: 2 pieces of construction paper per person
Stapler
Yarn - cut up into 2 foot lengths
Stickers or markers
Instructions: As a group brainstorm words that describe the Spirit. (Some ideas: breath, wind, holy, new life, and gift). Give each person a sheet of paper. Choose some of the words from the list created. Print them up on the paper and decorate as desired. Staple the construction paper together by putting them long ways next to each other and stapling at the top and the bottom. Then turn the paper together to form a tube (making sure that the decorated part is on the outside) and staple at the top and bottom of the other side. Staple the yarn on to both sides of the tube. Let the children swing their windsocks around to see how the wind makes them fly.
Gather with the children around the worship table again. Relight the candle. Say the prayer line by line and encourage the children to repeat it after you:
Jesus be with us in Lent,
Jesus be near us each day,
Jesus be with our families. Amen.
