Pentecost  The Acts Reading

Talk:

Today is a special day for Christians, it’s one of the three big celebrations we have over a year. The first two celebrations you both know, the first one in December is called what? (Christmas) This is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The second one happens around April time and it’s called what? (Easter) This is where we remember Jesus’ death on the cross and his coming back to life again. The third special day is today and we call it Pentecost. Can you say Pentecost with me please (Pentecost). Pentecost is the day Christians celebrate the Holy Spirit coming on his disciples. In the bible reading from Acts we will hear about what happened that first day of Pentecost. There was the sound of wind rushing around the disciples, tongues of fire appeared on their heads, and they spoke in many different languages so people could understand them.

Now the Holy Spirit is a bit of a funny thing. Christians used to call the Holy Spirit the Holy Ghost. But it’s not the sort of scary ghost or spirit you might be thinking of. Jesus promised his disciples he would send someone, a person after he ascended into heaven. Someone who would point them to him. In the bible there is a lot of picture language for God and for the Holy Spirit. There is a picture, an animal in fact we use as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Does anyone know what it is, here’s a hint, it’s a type of bird? If you look around the church today at the red pieces of cloth on the altar, on the pastor and elsewhere how many doves can you count? (Go through and point each one out and count them).  

Just as the first disciples spoke different languages when the Holy Spirit came on them, we have the Holy Spirit too because of our baptism into Jesus. And we are going to sing in a different language, an African language from Nigeria for the Spirit to come to us. The song that the band/musicians are going to lead us in is called “Wa wa Emimimo” (Together in Song #711). We will listen to the band sing it first in African and English and then we will have a go at singing and playing it.

Move:

X  Get a collection of children’s percussion instruments like tambourines, shakers, maracas, clap sticks, drums and hand them out to the children. If you have a musician or a band move the children to where they are so they can join in together with your musicians to accompany them as they play and sing the song together with the congregation.  

Pray:

Let your singing of Wa wa emimimo be your prayer:

Come Holy Spirit come, come almighty Spirit come, come, come, come.