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The Apostle Paul—Session 9 Shell Year Intermediate—Copyright © 2009 Virginia Theological Seminary IV-51

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The Apostle Paul—Session 9 Shell Year Intermediate—Copyright © 2009 Virginia Theological Seminary IV-51 FOCUS THE APOSTLE At Pentecost, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. The students should be able to say why Pentecost is a major Feast, PAUL and plan for their own celebration of this day. Session 9 Pentecost: Festival of the Spirit GETTING READY After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and “breathed on them.” He said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (See John 20:19-22.) Then, just prior to his ascension into heaven, the risen Jesus said to the apostles, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).” The Pentecost event, described in Acts 2, was seen by the early Church as the fulfillment of Jesus' promise. They had waited for seven weeks to learn what God intended for them, and now their mission was being made clear. Peter declared it in his first sermon—Jesus, the crucified one, had been raised up. He is both Lord and Messiah. (See Acts 2:29-36.) As one of the Principal Feasts of the Church, the Day of Pentecost celebrates the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit among Christian believers. Pentecost can be a time of great joy. The day has not been subject to the kinds of exploitation typical of the periods surrounding Christmas Day and Easter Day. For that reason, students in church school can enjoy creating their own forms of celebration. Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday The Book of Common Prayer, p. 227 TEACHING TIP Principal Feasts of the Church, such as the Day of Pentecost, offer opportunities for participation by people of all ages. Be alert to the ways intermediate students can contribute their enthusiasm and talents at your church's Pentecost celebration. GATHERING Display Poster No. 24 for Pentecost from the Teacher's Packet that shows various symbols associated with the event. As the students arrive, ask them to study the poster and locate and explain the symbols it includes. Open a copy of the student newspaper, Covenant Times (Unit IV, Issue 9) to page two for an article about Pentecost symbols. Unit IV. The Apostle Paul—Session 9 Shell Year Intermediate—Copyright © 2009 Virginia Theological Seminary IV-51 Students may want to use a chalkboard or newsprint to write words and phrases about this festival day. When everyone is present, say: Let us pray. (Use the Collect “The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday,” above, or a prayer of your own choosing.) The chosen student lector reads from the class Bible (NRSV): A Reading from the Book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Reader: The Word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God. INTRODUCING THE STORY (Time: 10-20 minutes) Begin by directing the students to turn in The Book of Common Prayer to the Calendar of the Church Year, p. 15. Note that the Day of Pentecost is one of the Principal Feasts of the Church, ranking alongside Easter Day and Christmas Day. Ask: What do we celebrate on this day? Why is it so important for Christians? Tell the story found in Acts 2 about Pentecost. Stress the wonder and mystery of the Pentecost event. A fictional interview with a disciple that is based on the account is in the student newspaper, Covenant Times (Unit IV, Issue 9). His story begins with the ascension of Jesus into heaven. Remind the students that the Pentecost event was the fulfillment of a promise from Jesus Christ. Ask them to turn in their Bibles to John 20:19-22. When did this appearance of the risen Christ occur? What did Jesus do? What was his promise? How did the disciples react? Ask the group to help you make a list of all the different places represented at the first Pentecost described in Acts 2:9-11. Explain that Jerusalem drew people from all parts of the civilized world at that time. If Pentecost happened in our nation’s capital or in your area, what languages would be heard? Is it easier to accept new ideas if they are presented in a language that you understand? EXPLORING (Time: 15-20 minutes) Option 1. Pentecost Celebration Make plans for a classroom celebration of the Feast of Pentecost (the birthday of the Church). Some possibilities are: • arranging a birthday party for the Church, with a Pentecost cake; • participating in the church's service by carrying a banner in the procession; • arranging a time for interested students to reaffirm their baptismal vows (BCP, pp. 415-419); Unit IV. The Apostle Paul—Session 9 Shell Year Intermediate—Copyright © 2009 Virginia Theological Seminary IV-52 • decorating the classroom with red and white balloons and streamers; • choosing a promise from The Baptismal Covenant for concentrated effort during the weeks after Pentecost. (Turn to The Book of Common Prayer, pp. 304-305, and convert the “action” questions to declarative sentences. Example: Continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. Make duplicate copies of all the sentences on individual strips of paper. Be sure to have enough strips for all class members and the teacher. Fold the strips and place them in a box or basket. Ask each person to choose a slip, read it, and work devotedly to fulfill that promise.) • inflating red balloons and attaching slips of paper that contain verses of Scripture and short prayers. The class members can share them with younger children of the church after the Pentecost service. Instruct the recipients to ask an older person to help them read the special messages. Option 2. Windsock Flames Obtain materials for creating windsocks. Give each student a piece of red fabric approximately 18 x 18 inches, to be sewn or glued along one side to form a cloth cone. Supply wire for making a circular frame approximately 5.5 inches in diameter. Attach the windsock to the wire frame with glue or stitching. At the bottom of the cone, attach seven streamers of red, approximately 2 inches wide and 24 inches long. Attach string for hanging the completed sock. As it blows in the wind, it will be a Pentecost reminder, with the streamers looking like seven flames. Note: This project can be done on a simpler scale by preparing rings of wire only, to which the seven streamers of red crepe paper are attached. Option 3. Fill-in-the-Blank Puzzle Turn in the student newspaper, Covenant Times, Unit IV, Issue 9, to the fill-in-the-blank puzzle titled “Pentecost.” Students may work individually, in pairs, or as a total group. MUSIC (Time: 10 minutes) Sing “O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God” (The Hymnal 1982, 505) with the Children Sing! tape. Suggest that the students discover how the following words are used in the stanzas: faith, love, word, Father, and Son. Note that the hymn appears in a section of the hymnal headed “The Holy Spirit.” Ask the class members to count how many hymns are in this section. CONNECTING/SPEAKING OUT (Time: 15-20 minutes) Option 1. Group Discussion Talk with the students about the association of “breath,” “wind,” and “spirit.” In Genesis 1:2, “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” The same word that is used for wind, in Hebrew, is translated Spirit. Older translations of the Bible read, “The Spirit of God moved over the face of the deep.” In the New Testament, the Greek word for breath and spirit is “pneuma.” (Note that this is the root for the word, pneumonia. When a person has pneumonia, it is “breath trouble.”) Ask: How is breath essential to life? What happens when it is impaired or Unit IV. The Apostle Paul—Session 9 Shell Year Intermediate—Copyright © 2009 Virginia Theological Seminary IV-53 absent? Invite the class members to make an analogy of breath to God's spirit. The Church understands the message of Pentecost to be that the Holy Spirit imparts a special quality of life and the power to be God's people in the world. Option 2. Current Events Think together as a group about the Church's customs surrounding the Day of Pentecost, such as wearing red clothing, making red decorations for the church, or serving cake with red icing. Ask: Which customs are your favorites? Explain why Pentecost is sometimes called Whitsunday. This is an English contraction of White Sunday. Pentecost was a traditional day for baptisms and confirmations, when the candidates wore white. What other celebrations in the Church or outside the Church are related to colors? (St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, and Lent, for example.) REFLECTING (Time: 10 minutes) Continue with the procedure for reflecting suggested in Session 1.
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