A short, interactive Pentecost celebration for all ages
At the first Pentecost we see God’s Spirit poured out on his followers, bringing transformation and power. Barriers are broken down, lives transformed and the gospel begins to spread. The life and power given then, symbolised in wind and flame, are ours today to receive from God and share with others.
Prepare the space
Run a red crepe paper ‘ribbon’ right around the worship space and label four corners or stations: Spirit of love, Spirit of joy, Spirit of peace and Spirit of truth.
Gather
Distribute ‘flame flags’ (red flame shape stapled to a straw). Invite people to wave these as they greet one another and sing.
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
His Spirit is with us.
Praise to our holy, invisible God.
Sing a suitable Pentecost song.
Gathering prayer
God our Creator, we praise you for your love and goodness.
We thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ,
to live and die and rise again.
We thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to live in us.
May we know the Spirit’s presence that will
fill us with love and power,
that we may share your joy with others.
Amen.
Open the Word
Reading: Acts 2.1-4
Respond to the Word
Direct people to explore the four Spirit stations, as follows:
Spirit of love
Keep yourselves in the love of God.’ (Jude 21)
Gift boxes: Offer cube nets that can be cut out and made up into boxes and decorated. See template below.
Candles: Offer clay or Model Magic™ to make candle holders for small candles. Add a label: May the love of God burn in your life.
Spirit of joy
‘Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.’ (Psalm 47)
Collage: Paint the word JOY in the centre of a large sheet of paper. Offer paint and brushes to everyone and invite them to paint pictures or words to indicate what fills them with joy.
Light the flame: Cut out a large paper candle shape and a flame. Play ‘Pin the flame on the candle’.
Spirit of peace
‘Be at peace with one another.’ (Mark 9.50)
Dove mobile: Cut out the dove templates to make a mobile
(see template below for full instructions).
A peaceful place: Offer fabric scraps, craft materials and glue, inviting people to create a model of a ‘peaceful place’.
Spirit of truth
‘When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.’ (John 16.13)
A secret truth: Write out the words of John 16.13 in tiny letters on a tiny slip of paper. Roll this up as tightly as possible and put it into a piece of drinking straw. Tie a little piece of fine, pretty ribbon around it.
Truth in the Bible: Use a biblical search program and discover all the instances of the word ‘truth’ in the Bible. Divide the Bible into sections and allocate a section to each participant.
I believe – A simple creed: Give out copies of this creed for people to decorate. Gather together and say the simple creed (see template below).
Pray
Light a large candle and invite people to gather round it, bringing with them the candles in the holders they have made. Light the individual small candles and say together:
Jesus, light of the world,
bringer of truth and lover of peace,
who sent your Spirit in tongues of flame,
may your love rest upon each one of us now.
Amen.
Send out
Learn these words to the tune Tallis’ Canon (found in many hymn books), then sing them as a round.
O Holy Spirit, you who came
at Pentecost in wind and flame;
you brought us truth and peace and love,
and joy and blessings from above.
Now fill each one of us, we pray,
with your good gifts for each new day.
We thank you for your love outpoured,
to tell the world that you are Lord.
Sending out prayer
The fire of the Spirit is at work,
leading us into love, joy, peace and truth.
Amen.
We offer the gifts you have given us,
to be used to serve others.
Amen.
Send your Spirit again to fill us
as we go on our way.
Amen!
Prayers in Welsh
Ymgynnull
Atgyfododd Crist!
Atgyfododd yn wir. Halelwia!
Mae ei Ysbryd gyda ni.
Mawl fo i’n Duw sanctaidd ac anweledig.
Gweddi ymgynnull
Dduw ein Creawdwr, molwn di am dy gariad a’th ddaioni.
Diolchwn i ti am anfon dy Fab, Iesu Grist,
i fyw ac i farw ac i atgyfodi.
Diolchwn i ti am anfon dy Ysbryd Glân i fyw ynom.
Boed i ni brofi presenoldeb yr Ysbryd
a fydd yn ein llenwi â chariad a nerth,
fel y byddwn yn rhannu dy lawenydd ag eraill.
Amen.
Gweddi
Iesu, goleuni’r byd,
yr hwn sy’n dwyn y gwirionedd ac yn caru heddwch,
ac a anfonodd dy Ysbryd mewn tafodau tân,
boed i’th gariad aros arnom ni bob un yn awr.
Amen.
Gweddi i gloi
Mae tân yr Ysbryd ar waith,
yn ein harwain at gariad, llawenydd, heddwch a gwirionedd. Amen!
Cyflwynwn y doniau a roddaist i ni,
i’w defnyddio i wasanaethu eraill. Amen!
Anfon dy Ysbryd eto i’n llenwi
wrth i ni fynd ar ein ffordd. Amen!
(These resources were first published in Issue 71 May/June 2017.)