Family Faith Seeds-- Make a Plan. Stick to It: Week of September 27th, 2020

I hope you find this to be a great faith activity for the whole family of all ages. This week’s theme is based on Eli’jah’s sermon and the scripture from the service.

Scripture

Acts 1: 1- 5

• (NRSV): The Promise of the Holy Spirit— 1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying[a] with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
• (Message): To the Ends of the World— 1 1-5 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”
• Spark Bible: Click here!  

Questions and Family Wonderings Based on Above Scripture

• I wonder who Theopholis is.
• What do you think it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?
• What do you know about your baptism, if you have been baptized?

Thoughts from the Director of Faith Formation

Really, the message for this Sunday isn’t just about these first five verses of Acts.  It’s really about the whole books of Acts.  Acts is full of challenges and adventures of what the followers of Jesus did to make “church” happen during the earliest days of Christianity.  They were doing a new thing during a time when some folks didn’t want a new thing.  A new thing means that it would challenge the old things, and put those old things in danger.  The old thing I’m thinking of here is Roman rule, or as we commonly refer to it, “the Empire.”  

This is not so different from what we are having to do right now with church.  We are having to do a new thing that we don’t always want to do.  But, we have to do it to keep each other safe and healthy and to keep going as a community of faith.  So, I wonder how we do that.

Healthy Giving/ Receiving — Make a Plan.  Stick to It.

• Let’s start with a prayer (from Prayers for Faithful Families by Traci Smith)
• God, we have a decision to make as a family.  Please help us as we think about our choices and try to choose the best one for our family.  Help us listen to each other and listen to your voice.  Amen.

• Making a Family Faith Plan.  What things will you do together and also separately to grow your faith during these pandemic times?  Below is a list things to consider. 
• Family Activities:  
• Attend Livestream church together on Sunday mornings at 11 am.
• Go for a walk in nature, thinking about and talking about the Sunday service theme(s) that you picked up on.
• Pray together at meals.
• Talk together each day about where you each saw God in your day.  This could be a meals or before bedtime, or another time.
• Keep a family prayer journal, where you list folks, places, and institutions you are all keeping your prayers.
• Make joyful art outside your home to remind your neighbors that joy is alive, even now.

• Singular Activities:
• Regularly attend an adult, children, or youth faith formation program, such as: Sunday school, continuing adult ed, centering prayer, one of Mayflower’s ministry teams, Youth Group, Confirmation, 8th or Grade Transitions.
• Do random acts of kindness.  Shhhh.  Don’t tell anyone!  It’ll be between you and God!
• Pray upon waking.  Invite God into your day.
• Pick up a new hobby.  Hobbies can help us take time for ourselves.

• Write down your plan and place it somewhere you can all see it.  Check-in with one another about how you are doing with your faith growth!

• Let’s end with a prayer (from the same book as the first prayer):
• Peace, peace, peace, peace in our hearts, peace. Peace when we wake, peace when we sleep, peace shining bright in our lives.  Amen.