Trinity Sunday - May 18, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Trinity Sunday
Gathering
Story Time
Response
Closing
Read the Gospel for the day over Matthew 28: 16-20 - it can be found at http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/APentecost/aTrinity.htm#matthew
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. For deeper thinking or for ways to extend the lesson take a look at the following websites:
http://www.textweek.com/yeara/trinitya.htm
http://msssbible.com/newtestament/greatcommission.htm
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/st-patricks-day/kids-crafts/hanging-trinity-shamrock.html
https://www.catholicculture.org/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2008-05-18
http://www.acns.com/~mm9n/trinity/symbols/symbols.html
Materials needed:
Small table or end of one table
White candle
Bible & Bookmark
White cloth (optional)
3 (three) 6 in/15 cm circles cut out of poster board or construction paper
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 near the candle (you may want to let the children help with this).
Light the candle.
Pray the following prayer together:
Creator God you are here,
Loving Jesus you are here,
Holy Spirit you are here,
Come and show us the way.
Amen.
Blow out the candle. Ask the children to describe their home situations - parents/caregivers, siblings if any, grandparents and any others who might be living with them - then lay out one of the circles. Explain that this circle is like the parent/caregiver in the home. Set down the second circle some what apart from the first circle. Explain that this circle is like each child. Then place the third circle - with its edges overlapping the other two. Ask the children what they think might be between the two other circles - hopefully one of them will say love. Ask the children if they can see love. Ask them if they can feel love. Ask them how they know that they are loved - by actions, by someone telling you or by feeling it. In the story today they are going to hear about the Trinity - the three persons of God - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Materials needed:
Comfortable place to set up a story area - around a table or on the floor with cushions
The three circles used during the Gathering section.
All of the friends of Jesus were sitting around together. They were talking about all the things that Jesus had taught them. They were remembering the stories that Jesus had told the people. They were thinking about the instructions that Jesus had given them before he went back to be with God.
One of them said, "Do you remember how Jesus talked about God? (Pause for a moment.) Jesus told us that God is like our father. Not a stern, distant father but like a loving daddy; someone who is always looking out for the best for us." (Lay down the first circle.)
They all looked at each other and began nodding as they remembered the words Jesus had used to describe God to them.
"I remember how Jesus told us that if we wanted to know what God is like we just had to remember how Jesus was with us. Jesus is the son of God. (Pause for a moment.) I think that means that we all become children of God through Jesus.", said another friend of Jesus. (Lay down the second circle, just overlapping the first.)
A number of the friends said that they too remembered Jesus telling them that. They began to think about the ways that Jesus had spoken about himself. They began to remember how Jesus was with them. It made them feel good to remember Jesus in this way.
Someone else spoke up at that point, "Do you remember when the Holy Spirit came like tongues of flame amongst us? While it was happening I remembered how Jesus had promised us that the Spirit would come and give each of us gifts. (Pause for a moment.) God the Holy Spirit has given us the gifts to continue to share the ministry of Jesus with others." (Lay down the third circle, overlapping the first and second circles.)
Then another friend said, "Do you remember when we last saw Jesus? We were all on the mountain together in Galilee. Jesus told us one of the most important things he had ever given us. He told us that we are to go and make followers in all the nations of the world. He told us we are to baptize them in the name of the Father (point to circle one), and of the Son (point to circle two), and of the Holy Spirit (point to circle three). Jesus also told us that we are to teach them everything we have learned to all these followers."
"Yes", said the friends. "He also told us that he would be with us for all time."
"That's right. Now I remember what we have to do. We need to go out and share these stories with the people that we meet. Let's get going!" said the last of Jesus' friends to speak that day.
Idea #1: Holy Trinity Mobile
This project will connect the children to the circles used in both the gathering and during the story and will help them to remember the connections between each of the persons in the Trinity.
Materials needed: poster board, hole punch, heavy string, dowel (cut into 12 in/30 cm lengths), markers, scissors, glue, and magazines
Instructions: Cut out a set of three (3) 6 in/15 cm circles from the poster board for each child. Cut a set of three strings into lengths from 6 in/15 cm to 10 in/25 cm lengths. Punch a hole into side of the circle. Give each child a set of prepared circles, strings and dowel. Invite them to choose images from the magazines that describe God as Creator/Parent, God as Son/Child, and God as Spirit. Glue the images onto the three separate circles. If wanted, have the children write (or write on the circles for the non-writers) the words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on the circles. Help the children to put the mobiles together by tying the string at one end onto the circle and the other end onto the dowel. Encourage them to share the mobiles to tell others about Jesus' instructions to his followers.
Idea #2: Trinity Stained Glass Picture
Stained glass windows are symbols of our faith that show us something beyond ourselves. This idea will give the children the means to share their understanding of the Trinity with others.
Materials needed: black construction paper, Trinity image found at bottom of lesson, glue, scissors, and tissue paper
Instructions: Copy the Trinity image. Cut out both the inside and the outside of the image - so that you are just left with the outline of the symbol. Using this template prepare a black outline of the image with the black construction paper for each child. Give each child a prepared black outline. Invite them to think about the Holy Trinity and the different aspects of God that we can see. Show them how to take the tissue paper and tear it up and glue to one side of the black outline. If they overlap the tissue paper they will find that they get different colours showing up in their picture. Eventually the children should have a lovely looking stained glass picture to be able to share what the Trinity means to them.
Idea #3: Trinity Bracelet
This idea will allow the children to wear something that can begin a conversation about their faith with others without being pushy about it.
Materials needed: three different colours of yarn, three different colours of beads, and scissors
Instructions: Cut the yarn into 24 in/60 cm lengths. Give each child three different colours of yarn. Tie a knot in one end of the yarn pieces. Show the children how to braid the yarn together. After about ¼ of the yarn has been braided get them to put one bead onto one piece of the yarn. Continue braiding until the same amount has been braided and then add another bead to another piece of the yarn. Continue braiding until the same amount of yarn has been braided and then add the last bead to another piece of yarn. Continue the braiding until there is about 1 (one) in/2.5 cm is left and then put a knot in the end of the yarn. Help the children to tie up the bracelets on their wrists. Explain as they are braiding that each colour of the yarn is like one part of the Holy Trinity and the beads also represent a person in the Trinity. Encourage them to wear their bracelets and show others what they have learned about God through the Trinity.
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:
Creator God thank you for loving us,
Loving Jesus thank you for teaching us,
Holy Spirit thank you for helping us grow,
Be with us in everything we do.
Amen.
