Kingdom 2: Big Questions
Equipment:
Fabric bag
3 everyday things with lots of textures like a nail brush, teething ring, dog biscuit, soap etc.
Cards or stick it notes (optional)
Pens or pencils. (optional)
Script
This week’s gospel is a really difficult one to chew over isn’t it!
Hands up if you’re not entirely sure what is going on it?
Well in today’s gospel some religious leaders try to test Jesus with a difficult question. They did it because they wanted to show him up. But Jesus being Jesus, wasn’t having any of it and instead of giving them what they wanted which was to shy away from it, he attempted an answer. They may not have liked the answer but they got one!
Now before we carry on, I’d like 3 volunteers. In this bag are 3 items. I’d like you to come up and feel inside without looking and ask some questions to work out what the items are.[1]
Get them to ask questions. Choose quite mundane things that have lots of textures etc. Maybe something for an eww/giggle.
Each person gets 1 attempt to say what they think each item is. Hopefully there will be a few different answers.
Then reveal the items.
Our journey in faith is a bit like the mystery items in the bag. Sometimes we find an answer really easily, other times, especially with the big questions, we can struggle not only to answer them but also with the answer we find if it wasn’t the one we wanted or expected.
What if we don’t like the answer? What if the answer changes what we believe? What if we believe something different to other people?
All these questions can be difficult but it doesn’t mean they’re not worth asking or need to be avoided they just need to be treated with care.
What are some of your big questions? They don’t have to be faith related. I’ll start us off. A couple of my big questions are…
-Is there an end or starting point to the internet, if it broke would it all go down?
-Why did Jesus die on the cross?
What are your big questions? Have a minute to chat about it amongst yourselves.
Listen to the big questions.
You all have some fantastic big questions. Do you know there are no questions too big for God. If you have a question about your faith or beliefs there is always someone to ask whether that be a priest, parent, teacher or friend but we can only really tell you what we think. The answers that fit you are up to you to find on your journey through life.
Why not this week choose one of your big questions and do some research maybe on the internet (with a grown up if you’re not sure what to look for). Remember, there are no questions too big for God and even if you struggle to find a yes/no answer it maybe that the answer is one that will develop for you over time like the seed of a beautiful tree or flower.
Let us pray:
Creator God,
You have given us the most beautiful brains and curiosity.
Be with us when we have big questions and help us to find the answers we need even if they’re just an answer for right now rather than a definite answer.
We thank you for all those who walk with us on our journey through life and faith and we thank you for all their love and guidance.
Amen
[1] Adapted from https://www.rootsontheweb.com/lectionary/2022/122-november-december-2022-ca/proper-27/all-age-act-of-worship
Pentecost Parachute Games
You will need:
- Colourful parachute or a large circular table cloth (another activity to keep little ones occuopied in the rest of the service could be to decorate the table cloth and then use it as an altar frontal etc)
- Lightweight balls (the type you find in ball pools)
Directions:
Each person holds a handle or bit of the parachute. Then retell the story of Pentecost.
The disciples had locked themselves up in a room. They were feeling scared and all jumbled up because they were worried that the people who had hurt Jesus, would want to hurt them. They knew that Jesus had told them to talk about thim to lots of people, and that he would help them to do it, but they were scared.
Everybody shakes the parachute to get the balls moving in jumbled way.
Suddenly there was a rush of warm air and it was circling the room.
Start moving the parachute in a similar way to a mexican wave so that the balls start to circle the parachute in a more orderly fashion. (Don’t go too high with the mexican wave or the balls will escape) Keep it quite slow at first.
Then the disciples started to get excited and saw what looked like fire resting on each one of them. And suddenly they all felt the need to run outside and tell people all about Jesus! They weren’t scared and what was even more amazing was that they were speaking in all different languages and people could understand them.
Now move faster so the balls are swirling faster and faster and then begin to slow down ready to conclude the story but keep the balls moving.
The disciples were not wrong to feel scared or jumbly. We all feel like that at times. And sometimes it can feel hard to speak up about something we believe in, especially if we worry that other people won’t like us for it. But the Holy Spirit, is with us on our Journey through life so that we do not have to feel alone. When we speak out it’s unlikely to be like the disciples in lots of different languages. We might not speak in tongues but the Holy Spirit rests on each of us to proclaim God’s love to all around us in the things we do and the things we say.
The Parachute now becomes a visual for the Holy Spirit. Take the balls out and all raise and lower arms together so that it goes up and down. The little ones have to time it right and run under the parachute while it’s at it highest and get to the other side before it drops.
Gratitude tree
Use the enlarged PDF to create an A2 sized poster and then create a collage of gratitude and intentions by gluing the Bark ‘Thank You’s’ and leaf ‘intentions’ on the tree Silhouette.