Enjoy this time of isolation to spend more time with your family in faith exploration together. Remember you are their first teacher. You are enough.
You can use these readings for daily devotions with your children, even the very littliest or on Sunday if your home congregation do not supply an Intergenerational Service or a dedicated children’s program.
These readings are the prescribed Revised Common Lectionary for Sunday the 17/5/2020.
OR if you are returning in to church in your part of the world, consider taking everything you need for your children to engage in the service with you, though I have been a strong advocate for family friendly areas or play spaces near to the front for families to participate in, may I suggest that you think about social distance clusters where families can sit in their family group rather than together. Sit near the front so they can see what is happening, experience has taught me it make s a huge difference to the way children perceive the service and their connection to it.
Pack a back pack with the items suggested and include a mat for them to sit on, I like the flock backed polyester table cloths as they can be easily wiped down,https://www.spotlightstores.com/kitchen-dining/table-linen-accessories/tablecloths/living-space-chooka-flannelback-tablecloth/BP80486937 or something easily washable to pop in the wash and dryer when you get home, and remember to take your now sanitising equipment such as disinfectant wipes, hand sanitiser etc.
If you are a congregation and would like to use these suggestions with your families please feel free to do so.
START WITH: THE LORDS PRAYER IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w
FIRST READING: ACTS 17:22-31
READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs96eHxYAto When God Made the World by Jonathon Paul Turner as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-may-17-2020/
SING: https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/almighty-creator/
DO: Paul told the Greeks about God, what would you tell someone about God What would you say to your small child? What would you say to a younger sibling? Be creative make a video, draw a picture, write a letter,
SAY a prayer of thanks.
PSALM 66:8-20
God did not let our feet slip or our enemies overtake us. (look down at your feet, move your feet)
Mind you, it was not always easy: (wag your pointer finger)
we have been tested to the limit, (hand on hips)
carried heavy burdens on our backs. (bend over)
God has led us through fire and through water (bring your hand near each other with the fingers pointing up, now move your hands above your head getting your hands further apart. then wiggle your fingers as you move your hands down to your waist)
and out again into wide open space. (put your arms out wide from your body)
Come, everyone, come and hear: (wave towards yourself)
cry aloud to God, shout your praise! (star jump)
Here we make our vows, (open your mouth wide)
promises that we will keep. (place your pointer finger vertically near your mouth)
Here we bring our offerings,
together with our prayers. (fold your hands in prayer)
Bless the Lord who hears us, (dance)
his everlasting love will never leave us. (make a love heart with your hands)
This is an exert from Rev. Purdie’s interpretation of Psalm 66 http://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-66-come-and-hear.html, the action s suggested in brackets are by me.
COLOURING-IN: For $21 AUS You can purchase colouring in pages to use from the 1 March to the 31 May, (spring 2020) downloadable https://store.illustratedministry.com/collections/worship-resources/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-spring-2020?variant=31284510392418
SECOND READING: 1 PETER:3:13-22
WATCH/READ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSihaxPddGo PEA POD LULLABY by Glenda Millard as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-may-17-2020/
This is a time to talk with your children about how they are suffering during the Covid restrictions, ask about what they are missing, what is upsetting them.
Ask how it feels in their bodies, you can point to their bodies or draw an outline on paper and they can point to how they feel.
Describe that feeling, or draw it, or point out what it feels like from a set of emotional cards https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/bears-cards/ or the Bears App https://innovativeresources.org/resources/digital-applications/bears-app/
Todays’ story has hope. What hope do they have, what is it?
PRAY
Put all these thoughts into a Prayer or a Psalm
I feel_____
My body feels_______
God I want you to__________
GOSPEL READING: John 14:15-21
COLOURING_IN https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/2884399/posts/8781 For a fee of $25US you can access these colouring in and church bulletin options.
SING:https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/our-help/
Blessings
Wendy L.
My Prayer this week is for the techies that finally got our suburb back into the virtual world.
The Cross in My Backyard 