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Crafting


Oil Lamps

Splat the Rat

Edible Candles

Neil leads the Tin Lights

Bill and the memory game

Joan reads the parable

Sheila leads the puppets.

The puppets perform



Messy Church - 29 October 2017


Crafting in action

The Messy Church on Sunday 29 October
took as the theme, the parable of the  foolish and wise virgins, which for our afternoon became the wise and foolish bridesmaids. Our crafts, activities and time of celebration in the church made us think about how ready we are to respond to Jesus when He calls,

The afternoon helped us understand why we need to be prepared for Jesus now – and not putting it off until later!

At first read, this appears to be a really unfair story – why didn't the five wise girls offer to share their lamp oil with the foolish ones? Thankfully, this isn't really a story about Jesus turning us away for being forgetful. It's a story about being prepared.

Weddings are so joyful; we eat good food, we see our friends, we celebrate love and we party the night away. This is nothing compared with the wedding feasts, Jesus would have attended, though. Just look at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-12). By all accounts, Jewish weddings were a sight to behold - feasting and celebration for days. But imagine that joy lasting forever! That's what we're promised in Jesus.

If we spend our lives in preparation for him, the joy we will inherit is immeasurable and unending.

Our crafts included:-

Oil Lamps -   A jar was decorated, and a piece of string taped to the top, sticking up like a wick. Oil could be placed in the jar, We did not light the wick, but talked about how an oil lamp works: why the wick needs to be trimmed; how the oil burns away, so extra is needed. What do you think the oil in Jesus’ parable represents, and why couldn’t the bridesmaids share it?
 
Splat the Rat. - This w
as a fun activity.  We waited for the rat to emerge from the rat run, the pipe. We talked about patience, being prepared and waiting.

Edible Candles - My favourite is usually something you can eat later. We used marshmallows to make a candle, by threading them onto a stick, then using icing to make a flame on the top. We stuck the completed candle on a slice of jam rolypoly as  a base. We talked about how Jesus takes away the darkness and fills it with his shining light.

Playing with Torches - Using a variety of torches, and a pile of batteries, some of which did not work/fit, the children to get the torches to work, by replacing batteries, winding up torches etc. We talked about being ready/prepared, having what you need.

Tin Lights - Continuing with our lamps and light theme, children hit nails through tins, using a clothes peg to hold the nail. Neil Cape provided the help and safety on this one. A battery operated night light was dropped into each one to make the final lantern. We talked about how Jesus light shines in the darkness.
 
Prayer Station - A feature of all our Messy Church afternoons. A map of the world, with pictures and information about where our natural resources are running out, and lists of endangered animals and plants, encouraged everyone to pray for the world. Just as the bridesmaids ran out of oil, so some of our resources are running out too. We talked about what we could do to help in any of the situations we have talked about. Do we unknowingly help to destroy the world? What do we already do to help? 

Memory Game - Bill Webster setup a table covered in playing cards face down. The children took turns to turn over two cards. If they have a pair, they keep them; if not, turn them face down again, and then it’s someone else’s turn. We talked about concentrating on the job in hand, rather than getting distracted. If you don’t stay focused when someone else takes their turn, you might miss out.

At the celebration time in the church, Sheila Anderson introduced the puppets who performed 'This Little Light of Mine'  followed by Joan Cape reading the parable of the 'Ten Bridesmaids', using helpers from the audience to act out the parts.

Actors from the audience help with the story
After our prayer we watched, sang and danced along to a video of 'This Little Light of mine' performed by dancing light bulbs.

Fun on the run at celebration time in the church


Lightning the candles

Puppets in action

Candles lit  in church

Back over in the church hall we enjoyed a hearty meal of Shepherds Pie followed by Apple Pie and custard, or chocolate cake.

Mealtime back in the hall

The next Messy Church will be on Sunday November 26th 
4.00 to 6.00pm


For more information on Messy Church

Contact: Joan Cape 674276 capefamily@talktalk.net
              Katrina McDonald  kmcd11@yahoo.co.uk


Published - 30 October 2017

Penicuik: St. Mungo's Parish Church (Church of Scotland). Scottish Charity No SC005838