Report and photos - Jim Paterson
Andrew Don and Sheila Anderson lead the story with help from the children
during celebration time
The theme for the May Messy Church, on Sunday 28th was “a still small voice”
The
afternoon of activities, and the celebration in the church helped
everyone grow in Christ, by showing them how God can speak to them on a
personal level to help them when they are scared or alone.
Centered
around the story of Elijah, and his time in the desert, where he was
approached by an angel, who told him to eat and walk to Mount Sinai,
some 40 days away. When he arrived the Lord asked him why he was there?
Elijah was frightened as all the prophets were being killed, and they
were after him too. The Lord told him to go out and stand on the
mountain, to see the Lord when he passed by.
Our
craft activities took the signs the Lord showed Elijah, the earthquake,
the wind, and the fire. Yes, Elijah was scared and disillusioned as the
deafening commotion tore apart the land outside his hiding place. How
liberating, comforting and reassuring it must have been to hear
God’s voice in the gentle whisper that followed these destructive
forces; how calming, how wonderful!
In the desert we
created a picture showing Elijah in the desert, asleep under his bush,
when the angel wakes him up, and talked about how Elijah was all alone
in a strange land (and why). There was nothing around for miles. How
did that feel? Would we be frightened.
Make your own seismograph.
Made of plastic bottles and pens on a stick we shook the table to see
the pen show the vibration. We talked about the almighty earthquake
that God sends in the story! Today we understand what causes
earthquakes, and are beginning to be able to predict them –
though not very well. Elijah would have had no idea – maybe he
hadn’t even heard of an earthquake! We wondered what that would
have been like.
 Our Balloon rockets
showed the power of wind. Our 'balloon rockets' were attached to a 'fly
wire' then let go. Some went well, others refused to go in the right
direction! We talked about how wind is really powerful. It can be
destructive, or it can be helpful in generating power. It could
certainly knock a man off a mountain! Had we ever felt afraid in the
wind? What (or who) do you think protected Elijah on top of the
mountain?
Messages from God
was an exercise in making and deciphering codes. David Hogg helped us,
and explained how sometimes messages from God are very clear, like
the one given to Elijah, but sometimes they are a lot trickier to
understand. Had God ever given us a message? Would we follow his
instructions if he did - even if they scared us?
Crowning the king,
had us make and decorate a king, remembering that Elijah is a prophet,
not a king, so he will look different. We heard how God tells Elijah to
appoint two people as kings and one man to do an important job but not
as a king. How do you  think
he felt about that? Even when God tells us what we are to do, are we
always happy about it? Remember, God has a plan for each of us –
and the plans are all different!
Our celebration time
in the church was led by Sheila Anderson with Andrew Don reading the
story. The girls helped with the song that followed, which used
signing language to express the words of the song.
Back
over to the hall where we completed our afternoon with a great family
meal of 'cottage pie', followed by ice cream and fruit. What a great
way to celebrate a summer afternoon, listening to the word of God.
Messy Church returns on 25th June for the annual BBQ. Look out for full details.
Messy Church is an ideal for families with children. A fun way to learn about God and Jesus through stories, song and crafts.
For more information on Messy Church contact
Joan Cape 674276
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