Happy Birthday!
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
An uninflated red balloon.
"Did any of you notice anything unusual outside the sanctuary this morning?"
"There were decorations ... streamers ... balloons!" These are the sorts of things near and dear to a child's heart, and indeed they had noticed.
"My goodness!" I exclaim in mock surprise. "It sounds like someone has decorated for a party! Does anyone know why we would be having a party today?" This question stumps them, so I continue.
"Today is a special day in the church. It is called 'Pentecost.' " To get them used to this word that even the older children have heard only a few times in their lives, I ask them to say it with me.
"Pentecost ... So now you're probably wondering what Pentecost means. It's obvious from the decorations in the lobby that it must be an occasion for a party. Why do people have parties?"
"To celebrate something!"
"That's one reason. What sorts of things do you celebrate with a party?"
"Graduation!" comes the firm response from a child with older siblings.
"Yes. And the graduation of our seniors is one of the things we are celebrating in our church today. But what is another reason you have a party -- what is a reason every one of you has had a party or been to a party?"
"Birthdays!" several children answer.
"Yes, birthdays. And that's what Pentecost is; it's the birthday of the church. It comes from a Greek word that means the 'fiftieth day.' Pentecost falls fifty days after Easter and it is the day on which the Holy Spirit came to the first Christians. That was the beginning of the church, so on Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter, we celebrate the church's birthday.
"Well, since we're going to have a birthday party after worship, maybe we need a balloon to add to our decorations." With this suggestion, I pull a balloon out of my pocket.
"What does this balloon need?" I ask the children.
"Air!" they tell me.
"Ah yes, air. It's not much to look at all flat like this. It's lifeless, isn't it? You know, the Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma both have two meanings. Both of them can mean either 'wind' or 'spirit.' So, if I use my wind to blow into this balloon, it will be full of wind, but we could also think of it as full of spirit -- something more than itself that keeps it from being flat and lifeless.
"I brought this balloon to help us understand what it meant when the Holy Spirit came to the first Christians. There was a great sound of wind and tongues of fire -- which is why I chose a red balloon and why our pastors have red stoles this morning. The Holy Spirit breathed spirit -- new life -- into that group of Christians and the church was born. Now, what if this balloon didn't have an opening in it for me to blow into?"
"Then you couldn't blow any air in. It would stay flat," the children answer.
"That's right. And just as this balloon needs an opening for air, we need to have an opening for the Holy Spirit to enter us. We create that openness by coming to worship, by praying, by being aware of God, by asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. And, filled with the Spirit, we have new life because it makes us live differently. It's like the difference between a flat, lifeless balloon and one filled up for celebration.
"Will you pray with me before you go?
God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit which connects us to you and fills us with your love just as surely as we are able to fill balloons with our wind. We praise you, God, and offer our thanksgiving for the gift of the church on this day of Pentecost. In Jesus' name we lift our prayer to you. Amen."
"There were decorations ... streamers ... balloons!" These are the sorts of things near and dear to a child's heart, and indeed they had noticed.
"My goodness!" I exclaim in mock surprise. "It sounds like someone has decorated for a party! Does anyone know why we would be having a party today?" This question stumps them, so I continue.
"Today is a special day in the church. It is called 'Pentecost.' " To get them used to this word that even the older children have heard only a few times in their lives, I ask them to say it with me.
"Pentecost ... So now you're probably wondering what Pentecost means. It's obvious from the decorations in the lobby that it must be an occasion for a party. Why do people have parties?"
"To celebrate something!"
"That's one reason. What sorts of things do you celebrate with a party?"
"Graduation!" comes the firm response from a child with older siblings.
"Yes. And the graduation of our seniors is one of the things we are celebrating in our church today. But what is another reason you have a party -- what is a reason every one of you has had a party or been to a party?"
"Birthdays!" several children answer.
"Yes, birthdays. And that's what Pentecost is; it's the birthday of the church. It comes from a Greek word that means the 'fiftieth day.' Pentecost falls fifty days after Easter and it is the day on which the Holy Spirit came to the first Christians. That was the beginning of the church, so on Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter, we celebrate the church's birthday.
"Well, since we're going to have a birthday party after worship, maybe we need a balloon to add to our decorations." With this suggestion, I pull a balloon out of my pocket.
"What does this balloon need?" I ask the children.
"Air!" they tell me.
"Ah yes, air. It's not much to look at all flat like this. It's lifeless, isn't it? You know, the Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma both have two meanings. Both of them can mean either 'wind' or 'spirit.' So, if I use my wind to blow into this balloon, it will be full of wind, but we could also think of it as full of spirit -- something more than itself that keeps it from being flat and lifeless.
"I brought this balloon to help us understand what it meant when the Holy Spirit came to the first Christians. There was a great sound of wind and tongues of fire -- which is why I chose a red balloon and why our pastors have red stoles this morning. The Holy Spirit breathed spirit -- new life -- into that group of Christians and the church was born. Now, what if this balloon didn't have an opening in it for me to blow into?"
"Then you couldn't blow any air in. It would stay flat," the children answer.
"That's right. And just as this balloon needs an opening for air, we need to have an opening for the Holy Spirit to enter us. We create that openness by coming to worship, by praying, by being aware of God, by asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. And, filled with the Spirit, we have new life because it makes us live differently. It's like the difference between a flat, lifeless balloon and one filled up for celebration.
"Will you pray with me before you go?
God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit which connects us to you and fills us with your love just as surely as we are able to fill balloons with our wind. We praise you, God, and offer our thanksgiving for the gift of the church on this day of Pentecost. In Jesus' name we lift our prayer to you. Amen."
