Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2020 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Pentecost 1 • Year A 1

Prepare

Gathering

Worship

Gathering for All Ages: Pentecost • Year A

Gathering for All Ages: God’s LoveGatherings for All Ages are suitable not just for people of all ages but also for people of any or no church background. These gatherings connect those inside the church with those who have little or no connection with regular Sunday wor-ship.

This outline includes activities, worship, and a meal. Choose the flow that suits your situation and time of gathering. For example, if your gathering will begin early evening, you might start with a meal. If you meet late afternoon, then you might start with worship and conclude with a meal.

Note: All of these suggestions are mere starting points; adapt, delete, and add according to your local needs.❑❑ Set the stations as described in Times of Creativity.❑❑ Set a worship table with a candle, Bible, and bowls of

water.❑❑ Arrange for a volunteer storyteller to present the story

below, nine voices for the litany, and two volunteers for the sending.

❑❑ Arrange for volunteers to prepare the meal and help set it up for serving.

❑❑ Bring songs “All Are Welcome” (Seasons Songbook, vol. 9; #12 on Seasons Music CD, vol. 9), “As We Go Now” (Seasons Songbook, vol. 6, #28 on Seasons Music CD, vol. 6. Printed music and recordings are also available at Seasons MP3 Downloads, www.seasonsonline.ca).

❑❑ Recruit volunteers to initiate the clean up after the meal.

Welcome participants as unique individuals loved and be-loved to God. Explain clearly (but briefly) what will be hap-pening throughout the gathering.

This is a season of growing in our church life, a time when we explore what it means to live together as followers of Christ.

(Light the Christ candle.) We light the Christ candle as a visual reminder that Christ light burns brightly always.

Prayer God who loves us fiercely,help us to learn something new,feel something different, andexperience something transformative,in our time of growth and discovery together.Amen.

Sing “All Are Welcome” (Seasons Songbook, vol. 9, #12 on Sea-sons Music CD, vol. 9. Printed music and recordings are also available at Seasons MP3 Downloads, www.seasonsonline.ca)

Introduction to the story During this first half of the Season after Pentecost, we will hear some of the oldest Bible stor-ies – stories about the ancestors of our faith. Through these stories, we can learn ways we might live together as God’s people, how we might care for each other, support each other

and grow in God’s love. In all stories, we discover how God is with us, even in the most challenging time. One of the stories is about two sisters Rachel and Leah. We can read some of their story in Genesis 29:15–28.

This story is inspired by the story of Rachel and Leah and imagines how Leah might have felt if her story was set in our time and space.

Story Lisa always felt second best.She never got anything new,even when Ruby did.

At school,she was always the last picked in gym class.Her English teacher never called on her when she put up her hand.Nobody ever saved her a seat in the cafeteria.And she always had to use the broken rejected crayons.

At home,she had to sleep on the bottom bunk, even though she was oldest.

2 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Pentecost 1 • Year A Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2020

Time of Creativity

Gathering for All Ages: Pentecost • Year AShe always had to do all the hard chores.And she always got the last serving at supper.

Lisa was tired of being last.

She felt sad about it, but she did not know what to do.

She told her teacher, but he did not do anything to help,because he thought that she could just try harder.He did not know that Lisa was trying as hard as she could.

She told her sister Ruby, but she did not do anything to help,because Ruby was always first.Ruby was afraid that if she helped Lisa Ruby would have to give up her spot and become last.Ruby did not know that sharing is not the same thing as losing.In fact, when sharing, you often gain things! Poor Lisa felt sad. So she told her father, which made him feel sad as well.He thought that no one deserved to feel last and that every-

one should be treated fairly.He would have to be more supportive;he would have to spend more time getting to know and understand Lisa;he would have to remind Lisa all the time how much he loved her.He would have to do all these things if he was going to help Lisa feel better about herself.So he did.

Some wondering questions ❑■ I wonder who we can tell when we feel sad?❑■ I wonder who helps us to feel better about ourselves?❑■ I wonder how we can help people feel better about

themselves?❑■ I wonder how we can show people that God cares when

we are sad, and things are hard?

After the story After hearing the story, extinguish the candle, reminding people that the light of Christ burns deep within us and then inviting people into a time of creativity, explaining the options available.

Sending loveMaterials blank cards, cookie/biscuit dough mix or ingredients for baked goods that can be delivered, storage containers or re-sealable bags, copy of the directions displayed where all can seeSetting the space If possible, set up this station in a kitchen or a place with an oven. Have all of the ingredients and supplies needed set out (cookie sheets, mixing bowls, spatulas).

Note If there are restrictions on using the kitchen or food preparation, provide prebaked cookies for packagingDirections1. Prepare care packages for those in your community who may be feeling lonely,

isolated, or are far from their home.2. Prepare cookies/biscuits and place in oven.3. While cookies/biscuits are cooking, write cards and letters to the recipients of

the packages.4. Once cookies/biscuits are cooled, wrap in airtight containers and prepare for

delivering.

Writing affirmationsMaterials small sheets of paper (enough so that every participant has a sheet per person), writing utensils, tape, envelopes (to fit the sheets of paper, one per person), copy of the directions displayed where all can see.

Directions1. Write your name on an envelope.2. Using masking tape, fix the envelope to the wall (or on a space that can hold

all of the envelopes).3. Write an affirmation for each person named on the envelopes and place in the

appropriate envelopes.4. At the end of the session, collect your envelope.

Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2020 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Pentecost 1 • Year A 3

Gathering for All Ages: Pentecost • Year A

Sharing tears Materials multiple bowls of water, large bowl set on a communal/worship table, brief stories of struggles of people both locally and globally (bullying, a natural disaster or tragedy, and so on); water droppers, sponges or small containers to carry waterSetting the space Set up small stations around the room with a bowl of water, a picture and a brief caption or story about the picture, have one station with only a blank sheet of paper, and a bowl. Have a large bowl or the baptismal font in a cen-tral location. Label each station “Sharing tears.” Make copies of the directions and display at each “Sharing tears” station.

Directions1. Reflect on the image and story presented. The bowl of water by the image

represents the tears and suffering brought on by this story.2. Using the water droppers, sponge, or small container take some of the water

from the bowl as a symbol of your willingness to journey with those suffering.3. Repeat until every station is visited.4. At the station with a blank page, write other prayer requests and struggles that

have not been mentioned.If you are at this station at the end of this Time of Creativity, you might gently and carefully bring that water to the communal table and offer it there as a symbol that God accepts, welcomes, and receives us all. You may wish to offer a word affirming your church’s welcome of all people.

Inner beautyMaterials art supplies, costume masks or paper plates cut into masks, copy of the directions displayed were all can see

Directions1. On the outside of the mask, write down or draw all of the things that you think

people see or perceive when they meet you. How do you think others describe you? What might they see? What would you like them to see?

2. On the inside of the mask, write down or the things people do not see when they meet you. How do you describe yourself? Are there things that you in-tentionally hide from others? Why?

3. Reflect on the fact that God loves all of us, not just the parts of ourselves that we show to others.

Ancestral landsMaterials large world map, string and map pins (or stickers), index cards, writing supplies, copy of the directions displayed where all can see

Directions1. On the world map identify your country of origin with a map pin or sticker (if

the group is homogenous, ask people to identify the country of origin of their ancestors).

2. On an index card, write the name of your place of origin, its treasures (or posi-tive thing it is known for), and why your family/ancestors left.

3. Attach your index card to the map marker using a piece of string, which stretch-es from the index card outside the map to the map pin on the country of your family’s origin.

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Bible Story – Gathering for All Ages: Pentecost Day • Year A

Eating Together

Blessing

Plan a simple but enjoyable meal for all to share. The menu is not as important as the occasion. The occa-sion is not as important as those participating. This is a time for people to relax, chat, have fun, eat and drink, and enjoy one another’s company. For this session, try to include foods that are ethically grown and sourced.

Try to plan the layout of the room so that it reflects the com-munal aspects of the gathering together.

Ask volunteers to prepare the meal, preferably including locally grown fruits and vegetables that are in season and other locally made food items, such as, raw vegetables/fruit with dip, salad, homemade soup, a pasta or rice dish with local vegetables, bread. For this session suggest volunteers cook foods from their county of origin. You might ask the cooks to share their recipes with the group.

Gather in the worship area, and re-light the candle (add translations of languages spoken within your congregation).

Litany Voice 1: Who can separate us from the love of God?Voice 2: Can great hardship?All: nee! (Afrikaans)Voice 3: can distress?All: laa! (Arabic)Voice 4: can persecution?All: non! (French)Voice 5: can hunger?All: nein! (German)Voice 6: can nakedness?All: nage! (Welsh)Voice 7: can danger?All: rara! (Yoruba)Voice 8: can weapons?All: hindi! (Tagalog)Voice 9: can ourselves?All: no!Voice 1: What can separate us from the love of God?All: nada! (Spanish)Voice 1: nothing?All: nothing in all of creation can separate us from the

love of God!

Sending Extinguish the candle after saying the following body prayer together.

(This is a repeat-after-me blessing.)We go into the world(with feet turned out and legs shoulder length apart, do a deep bend with your knees while making your hands form a large circle – as if you are holding a large exercise ball) knowing that(place both hands on both temples)God’s love is deep(touch your toes if able),God’s love is high(reach for the sky with both hands),God’s love is wide(spread-eagle horizontally),and God’s love is long(lunge forward with arms outstretched in front and behind).May God’s love shine in each of us(hands over heart),today and always(with palms facing up [as if holding a platter] present platter to the right and then to the left). Hallelujah!(Hands lifted in praise.)Amen.(Palms together in prayer.)

Sing “As We Go Now” (Seasons Songbook, vol. 6, #28 Seasons Music CD, vol. 6. Printed music and recordings are also avail-able at Seasons MP3 Downloads, www.seasonsonline.ca).