January 2021 Pebbles Update
After a two-week break, Pebbles restarted on 10th January 2021. During the Season of Epiphany, we have explored the Baptism of Jesus: looked at Jesus as a bridge between us and God and how Jesus shows us what God is like: how to follow the signs to find out who God is: to explore the power and glory of God. The focus has been very much about getting to know God and, each week, parents have risen to the challenge of exploring the themes with their children and coped with some very challenging artistic tasks.
Baptism of Jesus - parents were asked to talk about baptisms and, where possible, to share family photos and memories of the child's Christening. Several activities were [provided such as colouring a picture of the Baptism of Jesus nd making a mobile, which reminds us that the Holy Spirit was present whrn Jesus was baptised.
Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, I beleive and trust in you, and want to follow you all my life.
Come into my life and live there, so that each day I may know you better and love you more. Amen.
To know what God is like and Jesus is like a bridge – Parents and children were provided with 3 challenges. Parents had to use a wax candle to draw some pictures and children had to guess what it was. The fun bit was to use paint to reveal the picture. Eating a carrot, as a parent gave a message was to demonstrate how hard it is to listen when we are busy doing or thinking abo something. Children were asked how they could make sure they hear God: to set a time each day to be quiet and to talk to God about the good and bad things that have happened AND be ready to hear what God tells us.
To follow the signs – looking for and finding God is like a treasure hunt that leads to the prize of really knowing him. A candle, some water and a toy/picture of a sheep was used to share the following: the candle to show that Jesus is the Light of the World and leads the way; water to wash away sins, to stop us being thirsty and to help us grow and that is what Jesus does; the sheep to remind us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and looks after us throughout our lives. An interactive story telling of the Wedding in Canaan was shared as this was the first miracle and reveals Jesus is the Son of God.
To explore the power and glory of God – going outside, during the day, to look for stars was to understand that the Sun stops us seeing them, in the same way the Glory of God prevents us from seeing him. Feeling the wind against skin was to celebrate how wonderful God is to create human beings: skin to protect and to keep everything inside to show that God knows exactly what we are thinking, even if we are showing something else. One of the challenges was to sit in a dark room, with a torch to talk about when people want the light shining on them (being good) and when they want to hide (being bad) and how Jesus is like a torch showing the good and bad. The story shared was about Jesus looking for people to help him spread the Good News and to show that he knew when some had evil in them and that he could drive it away.
Resources for Candlemas were also shared – pictures and a reference to a video about Simeon and Anna seeing Jesus in the Temple.
Parents share that life, without physically meeting for Pebbles goes on, and the photos below show one of the group getting on with schoolwork and helping Mum.
