Weekly Liturgy :: Children and Family :: Week of 5/9
Gather
If your child attended last Sunday, have them explain this activity to the family!
Before you call your family together, gather a clear cup, a pitcher of water, a large clear bin, and food coloring. Put a clear cup inside the bin.
Sometimes when people do God's work, you'll hear them referred to as being "filled with the Holy Spirit." What do you think that means? Before we become a follower of Jesus, we are like this cup. We are empty. But when we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and fills us up inside. (Pour water from the pitcher into the cup. Fill it almost all the way to the top.) The cup looks the same from the outside, doesn't it? When we're filled with the Holy Spirit we might not look very different on the outside. But that doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit isn't there!
But there are times when we get filled with other things that are not the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we might feel bitter when we don't get our way (Add a drop of food coloring into the cup and stir it). Other times, we might start to feel jealous when our friends start playing more with other people more than us or when our siblings get more attention from our parents. Have you ever gotten angry? We all get mad but sometimes we get so angry that we say and do mean things. The amazing thing about the Holy Spirit is that even though we have yucky stuff inside of us, like this cup . . .we can go to God and confess and ask the Holy Spirit to flow in us (Slowly pour water from the pitcher into the cup so that all the colored water spills out into the bin and the cup is filled with clean water again) . . .The Holy Spirit helps us make wise choices, love others, and do God's work.
God is SO big! There is so much we can learn about Him!
Work on the memory verse for this month.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. Romans 10:9
Scripture :: Please Read Aloud :: Acts 3:1-10
Family Discipleship Questions
What does the beggar ask for?
What does Peter do in the power of the Holy Spirit?
What does the beggar do next?
What does the passage say about other people who saw the man after he was healed?
Have a discussion about people who are different from you. Have you ever been afraid to be nice to someone or to make eye contact with someone begging, someone who speaks a different language or has a different skin color, or someone disabled? Lead your family in ways to make connections with people who are different. Some suggestions: compliments, questions of likes, demonstrate ways to find common ground (look, s/he likes trains also). Read stories you have in your house about people who are different. The more you “front load” this topic in your home the more you will be equipped to handle the inevitable, uncomfortable questions that come up in public. Remember your child’s question is never “bad” - children are naturally curious. We need to respond with grace and with an effort to help our children see and honor the Holy Spirit within the person who is different.
Confession
Father, we confess our sin to you ____________. Please forgive us. Help us also to forgive those who have hurt us ______________. May your spirit overflow in us. May we be known by our humility and our grace.
Prayers
Pray for those in need (health, sorrow, marginalized, refugees)
Holy Spirit, give us eyes to see those around us fully. May we give like you give. May we love like you love and freely grant mercy and grace like you. Holy Spirit fill us to overflowing! May we be filled with your joy and share it with others!
Sending
May we look for the Holy Spirit moving in our midst! Send us out with eyes to see and hearts to love everyone!
