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Pentecost Prayer Fayre

St Mary's Twyford, May 28th - 29th 2004

Sally Dakin & Paula Pocock

Verse(s)

Theme

Instructions

Equipment

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

self-awareness;
God-awareness

Take time to relax.
Focus on your breathing: breathe slowly and deeply, in through your nose, out through your mouth...
Know that God created you and gives you life; he breathes life into every bit of you, even the bits you don’t much like...

comfy chair

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord – and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2-3
praise;
God’s Word
Have a look at these pictures and acetates (on the overhead projector) and reflect on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christ.
Maybe you can think of episodes from the Gospels in which Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled?
Take time to delight in the Lord...
table, cloth, OHP, 'The Christ we Share' acetates & A5 pictures, Bible
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 7:37-39

self- awareness;
receiving, responding, intimacy with God

Take time to become aware of the thirst in your life. Are you thirsty? What is it that you long for?
When you are ready, pour yourself some water and drink it slowly, letting God fill you with his Spirit, letting him satisfy your deepest desires...

table, cloth, bottled water, plastic cups, rubbish bin

“The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
John 14:26
listening;
God’s Word
Think back over the past few months and reflect on your journey. What have you been learning?
What has God been saying to you? Ask the Spirit what he wants to remind you of...
Write the message on a tiny card and keep it in your pocket or purse or wallet.
table, cloth, Bible, tiny cards in dish, pens in pot
To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:7

self-awareness;
church life

Reflect on the part the Holy Spirit is calling you to play in the life of your church.
Choose a piece of pot pourri to represent your contribution, and offer yourself to God as you add it to the bowl.

table, cloth, pot pourri, bowl

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.”
Luke 4:18-19
intercession - world Here you can pray for the world.
Focus on one or more of the quadrants and add your concerns; pray also for issues others have raised.
How might the Spirit be leading you to help those who are suffering?
Giant graffiti circle divided into four quadrants – ‘the poor’, ‘the prisoners’, ‘the blind’, ‘the oppressed’ – with media pics / headlines in each; globe in centre, marker pens
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
Luke 4:1-2

self- awareness;
listening;
self-offering

How do you experience the desert and the devil?
You might like to write something about your experience of the desert on the back of a piece of sandpaper, and/or your experience of the devil on a ‘snake’.
How is God’s Spirit at work in these experiences?
When you are ready, offer what you’ve written on the altar.

table, cloth, pieces of sandpaper & red card, in dishes, felt-tips in pot

Do not put out the Spirit's fire.
1 Thessalonians 5:19
self- awareness; repentance How might you ‘extinguish’ the work of the Spirit?
Ask God to forgive you, and to show you how you might ‘ignite’ the Spirit’s work instead.
Light a candle and float it on the water as a sign of your willingness to ‘light up the fire and let the flame burn’...
fire blanket, fire bucket, fire extinguisher, bowl of water, floating candles in dish
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

intercession – personal (family & friends)

Here you can pray for your family and friends and neighbours and colleagues.
You might like to blow bubbles as you pray for particular people...
You might like to make a prayer windmill, with their names written on – then take it away or leave it here.

big table, bubble mixture & wands in dish, paper squares in dish, scissors, pins in dish, sticks in pot; fan

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14
intercession - church Here you can pray for your church.
Ask God to bless your church with these three gifts.
What might make it difficult to receive them?
table, cloth, three
beautifully wrapped and labelled gifts: ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ’, ‘the love of God’, ‘the fellowship of the Holy Spirit’
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 2:7

listening re church

What might God’s Spirit be saying to your church?
If you think he has a message for you, write it down. If someone else needs to read it, you could put it in an envelope. Use the post-box if appropriate – but no anonymous messages!

table, cloth, Bible, notepaper, pens in pot, envelopes, post-box, stamps

The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17

self- awareness; repentance Are there areas of your life where you need to know God’s freedom?
Turn from sin and claim his forgiveness and his freedom, and saw through a piece of chain to symbolise your liberation.
workbench with vice, chain, hacksaw, floor covering
Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Acts 7:55

worship

Celebrate the glory of God!
Help to create a glorious image of God the Holy Trinity by cutting and sticking some pieces of the mosaic.

big table, ?outline for
mosaic, shiny & sparkly pieces of paper etc, scissors, Prittstick

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
1 Corinthians 2:12
thanksgiving What has God given to you?
Ask the Holy Spirit to increase your awareness of all God’s gifts...
Use acetate ‘water drops’ to write some of his gifts to you.
As you stick the drops on the vast ocean of God’s love, give him your thanks and praise.
big table, painted ocean, drop-shaped pieces of acetate in dish, OHP pens in pot, Prittstick
In him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22
intercession – church;
self-offering
Here you can pray for the life and growth of your church.
Take a piece of Lego to represent yourself, and as you build yourself into the structure, offer yourself for God’s indwelling.
table, cloth, Lego, baseboard
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
intercession - self How is the Spirit’s fruit growing in your life?
Perhaps there are particular fruits you’d like more of...
Cut a piece of card into a fruit shape, and write on it the fruit of the Spirit you pray for.
Hang it on the ‘Spirit-Tree’.
table, cards in dish, scissors, felt-tips in pot, hole- puncher, threads in dish, rubbish bin, label for tree, signs to tree!
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
going out What does the Holy Spirit want to commission you for?
Take a piece of paper and prayerfully fill in the gaps...
Take the paper with you as you go.
table, cloth, worksheets, pens in pot, Bible

 

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