Act of Worship
Key Stage 1
‘HOLIDAYS / HOLYDAYS’
‘This is the day the Lord has made’
Gathering
together:
Focal Point:
White or gold candle
Cross with white drape
Red, yellow, orange streamers (to decorate focus table plus
children’ own to wave – made earlier)
‘holiday’ photos
Pentecost pictures e.g. from CD-ROM “God’s Story”1 p36-37
and “God’s Story”2 p84-85
Any work done by children on the topic
Leader:
Good morning children. We will begin by making the Sign of the Cross…Remember, the
cross has a white cloth over it now to help us remember that God the Father gave
Jesus new life at Easter… and so we say…
All:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reader:
Because Easter is such a happy time in the Church’s year everyone sings a special
“Alleluia”. It means “Praise God”. We shall light the Easter candle and sing about this
special holyday. E.g. “It’s God’s Day” Rejoice 1 (78)
Reader:
Now we have been thinking about some special days or special weeks when we enjoy
doing all kinds of different, exciting activities, where we’re not rushing to get to work
or to school on time. We can have holidays with the family or special events at school.
Think quietly now about a time you really enjoyed… when you were very happy… you
were free to choose whatever you wanted to do… you were in a holiday mood!
Then quietly thank God for some day that you remember was a very happy occasion.
The Word
of God:
Reader:
Reader: Jesus’ friends were so happy to see him again at Easter… but after 40 days
he told them that he had to go back to his Father in heaven. But he did make a
promise to them that he would not leave them alone… he would send a friend….
someone to help them.
Now we are going to listen to the story of the arrival of this friend – the coming of the
Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday:
{Perhaps the children could sing a Gospel Acclamation: e.g. ‘Go out, go out’ Rejoice 1: 72}
Reader:
A reading from the second part of Luke’s story,
the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
Reader:
After Jesus had gone back to his Father in heaven, his friends were sad. They missed
him. They felt lonely and afraid without him. They stayed in Jerusalem. Mary, the
mother of Jesus, Peter and John and all the others were there.
On Pentecost day, crowds of people came to celebrate the feast. The friends of Jesus
did not go out to join them. They stayed together inside the house, sad and afraid.
They talked about Jesus and remembered what he had promised. They began to feel
different. Joy and happiness filled their hearts. They felt wonderful. It was as if they
had been given new life. They knew that Jesus had kept his promise. They knew they
were not alone, that they had another friend, the Holy Spirit.
“Let’s go out to the crowds,” Peter said. “Let’s tell them the good news that Jesus is
alive.”
Reader:
All:
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Sing Again:
Response
to the
Word:
Go out, go out in Jesus’ name
tell the world his story,
by the way you live and work,
by the love you show.
“Go out” Rejoice 1 (72)
Everyone else had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast… think about why Jesus’
friends could not feel happy… they were sad and afraid. As they talked together,
though, they began to feel differently… what happened? Have you ever begun to feel
happy all of a sudden… when something like a cloud has lifted? This was the effect of
the Holy Spirit and the Apostles were so full of happiness that they wanted to spread
the news to everyone about what made them happy.
{Perhaps the children could wave their streamers as they respond to the litan}
Reader:
All:
Reader:
All:
Reader:
All:
Reader
All:
For special days of joy
Alleluia!
For holidays we share (with family or friends)
Alleluia
For the Easter holyday (when Jesus rose again)
Alleluia
For the day when the Holy Spirit came.
Alleluia
{Children could perhaps continue the litany with further prayers of their own}
Going
Forth
Reader: Now let us finish with a special song about the Coming of the Spirit e.g.
”Hooray for Holidays” - Rejoice 1 (77) vs 4&5
Reader:
Before we finish, let’s take time to remember that the Holy Spirit didn’t only come to
be with the friends of Jesus who knew him – but came, for all time, to be with those
people, who want to be friends of Jesus. In fact, Jesus special friend is here with all of
us now – and we need never feel alone - because he is there with us always. Let’s try to
remember that and welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives every day by saying:
“Come, Holy Spirit. Be with me always”.
All:
Come Holy Spirit. Be with me always
Reader:
As we go back, let’s wave our streamers and think of the happiness that the coming of
the Holy Spirit can bring to all of us, to make every day a holiday and holy day.
(Leave to happy music)
Act of Worship
Key Stage 2
“Holidays / Holydays”
Gathering
Together
Focal Point: (To be built up during the liturgy)
Bible – open at Acts 2
Candles (different sizes)
Pentecost banners (made by different groups – showing symbols of
Pentecost and the early church)
Photographs / symbols of other holidays in which we celebrate
”new beginnings” e.g. (Chinese) New Year, Mayday
Pictures from “God’s Story” 3 (p133, 137)
Reader: Welcome to our celebration, which commemorates the birthday of the Christian church. Like
all birthdays it is a time of happiness, when we remember a beginning and the events of the past, as
well as look forward to the future. Let’s rejoice together as we sing:“Flame of the Spirit” - Rejoice 2
(78) –[or other suitable hymn].
Reader: Many of the holidays which we enjoy are times of celebration in the life of our Church, such
as Christmas and Easter, times of new beginnings in the life of Jesus. Throughout the year there are
other celebrations which mark “new beginnings” for ourselves and for those of other faiths and
cultures, such as Chinese New Year, Al Hijra (Islamic), Mahayana (Buddhist, Nanakshahi (Sikh). VarshiPratipada (Hindu), Rosh Hashanah, which are all New Year holidays – but are celebrated at different
times of the calendar year.
Reader: Other special holidays mark out other new beginnings, for instance May Day, which used to be
celebrated across England and Wales as the beginning of summer.
Reader; The feast of Pentecost, which we are remembering today, is also a holiday in the Jewish faith
and celebrates the bringing in of the harvest – the arrival of new food - like our autumn Harvest
Festival.
Reader: But it is the day when the apostles were affected so dramatically by the coming of the Holy
Spirit and the beginnings of the Christian community, who gathered together to celebrate the life of
Jesus, that we celebrate today.
Reader: Let us welcome the Word of God by lighting our candles, as symbols of the
light of God’s love in our lives and of the light which appeared in the apostles lives
at Pentecost, to dispel the darkness of worry and fear in which they had lived
since the time of Jesus’ ascension into heaven 10 days before.
(The Bible is reverently carried in, put in place and surrounded by candles, then banners with symbols
of Pentecost are placed around) .
The Word
Of God
Reader: We know what happened to the apostles on that holy day of Pentecost – how they felt so
inspired that they rushed out to spread the Good News about Jesus. This reading from the Acts of
the Apostles (2) - as some of the writings of St Luke are known – tells us how their words about Jesus
influenced the lives and actions of those who became believers, the first Christians.
Reader: Many people joined the community of the friends of Jesus. They lived every day as they were
taught, as members of one big family. They ate together, sharing bread and wine, as Jesus had done at
the Last Supper. They prayed together often. Everyone was amazed at the kind of life they lived. The
apostles did wonderful work among the people.
The community of friends shared everything with one another. They sold everything they owned and
shared out the money so that each person had what they needed. Every day they went together to the
temple. Every day, they met in their houses to “break bread” together. They happily shared their food
with each other, praising God with joy. People were very impressed with the way they lived. Day by day
more people joined them.
They were totally together as a group. No one kept anything they owned just for themselves.
Everything was shared. The close friends of Jesus continued to tell people of Jesus’ new life, and
everyone treated them with great respect.
No one had to go without. Those who owned land or houses would even sell them and bring the money to
the group. The apostles would then give it to those who needed it.
There was a man from Cyprus who sold his piece of land and gave the money to the
apostles. They gave him a new surname: Barnabas. This means “one who supports”.
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Reader: In the early days of the Church, Christians soon became recognised
throughout the community as people who stood out from the crowd because of
their prayerfulness, kindness, generosity and their commitment to following the
teachings of Jesus. Their way of life was a good example to everyone who witnessed it.
Response to
the Word
Reader: All of these groups began to form, inspired by the teachings of the apostles, after the
amazing events of Pentecost. This is why we celebrate Pentecost as the Church’s birthday.
Reader: Take time to sit quietly for a moment and think of the comments that the behaviour of the
followers of Jesus must have caused. Remember these people were from many different nationalities
and faiths. Many of them would have been sworn enemies in any other situation. The one thing which
caused them to unite as communities was their wish to live together as people committed to following
the teachings of Jesus.
Reader: Our school’s name (and badge) marks us out in our community as being friends of Jesus. Now
let’s pray together and ask God to help us to be noticed in other ways, as those who have listened to
the teachings of Jesus which were passed on to us by the apostles, and acted upon them.
The response is “Send your Spirit, Lord ”.
Reader:
Reader:
Reader:
Reader:
Reader:
To help me to always show kindness to others.
To help me to share with those who don’t have as much as me.
To help me to only speak well of those I know
To help me to offer help to those who are in need.
To help me to remember to speak to you often.
Send your Spirit, Lord.
Send your Spirit, Lord
Send your Spirit, Lord.
Send your Spirit, Lord.
Send your Spirit, Lord.
All: Dear God, with your help I am able to carry out the most difficult tasks. Give me the
courage to follow your teachings and live my life as a follower (friend) of Jesus who always
stands out as a good example to others. Amen.
Going
Forth
Reader: Let’s celebrate the beginnings of our Church at Pentecost, and remember too how
that we also have the Holy Spirit with us still as we sing- “The Spirit lives”
(“Walk in the Light”) or other hymn with a similar theme.
Reader: After we go back, we are going to design a badge which we could wear to show
that we too are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live each day as a ”holy day”.