Newsletter 47.
Newsletter 47 from Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
T.T. 33 - Our lives are on loan from God.
T.T. 34 - Religion or Christianity.
O.L. 59 - The Mobius strip.
Object Lessons (Chemical).
Past lessons on the web.
All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons / Illusions only - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips only - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Stories, skits and puppet plays - http://christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com
Teaching tip 33 - Our lives are on loan from God.
In New Delhi, India there was (and perhaps still is) a toy library where children, who couldn't afford their own, could go to borrow toys. If a child's borrowed toy was carefully looked after, their membership card was stamped with a rose. And if they got eight roses, they were allowed to keep a toy. If, however, a toy was returned damaged, the card was stamped with a cross. If a child got two crosses, their library membership was suspended for one month.
Book libraries work along the same principals. If we borrow a book, we are expected to look after it, and return it in good condition.
What else are we loaned on similar terms? The answer is our lives. God has given us our lives, and He want's us to use them the right way, according to His will. Paul, writing to an early church, put it this way: "Surely you know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honour God." ! Corinthians 6. 19,20.
Teaching tip 34 - Religion or Christianity.
If I were to ask people to name some of the things God loves, I would probably get answers such as :- People, Righteousness, Truth, Obedience and Faith. If I were to ask them some of the things God hates, I would probably get answers such as Sin, Sickness, Death and the Occult. However, one answer that I probably would not get - yet I believe it rightly belongs to the list of things God hates - is Religion!
Some of you may be thinking "Oh come on Teacher, you must be kidding. Aren't you here to teach us Religion?" No. I go to groups to teach them Christianity, not religion. And there is a vast difference between the two. In fact, they are actually opposites. Basically, religion is about people trying to reach up to God, or please Him, by following a set of rules - which they will invariably not be able to keep. On the other hand, Christianity is about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is all about God reaching down to us through His Son, Jesus. A true Christian then is someone who realises he is a sinner, that he is incapable of doing anything about it on his own, but accepts God's free gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus.
I really think that religious people (no matter what particular religion they may be following) must be the most miserable people on earth. Why? Because they find they are unable to follow their particular set of rules, and thus feel guilty when they break them. Thus, unlike the pagan, they can't even enjoy their sin! The true Christian, on the other hand, doesn't deliberately sin, but knows that if he does there is always instant forgiveness available. No matter what happens, God will always love him, and his eternal destiny is secure.
But why does God hate religion? For two reasons. Firstly, it keeps people from coming to Christ. Religion desensitises people to their need of Jesus, and leads to a false sense of security. They are "doing their best", so what more do they need? I have personally met many 'good' people who because they are trying to follow a set of rules, cannot see their need of Jesus. It is far easier to witness Christ to an 'out and out' sinner who realises what he or she is, than to a 'religious' person.
Secondly, religion is, and always has been, the cause of most of the world's conflicts. Religious groups of every persuasion tend to be intolerant of others. They think 'their set of rules' is the right one and try to force others to follow them. Thus religious groups are often in conflict with each other, and also often in conflict with other factions of their own 'religion'. As well as the obvious suffering and misery that this causes, it proves a real barrier to evangelism. The most common objection that people give for not considering the Christian message is "Religion is the cause of all the wars in the world." And it is hard to argue with that!
God doesn't call us to 'beat' others into submission so that they will follow Christ. Rather His way is the way of love. We are called to both tell and demonstrate His wonderful love for all mankind.
Object lesson 59 - The Mobius strip.
The intriguing Mobius strip effect has been around for over 100 years. I have heard presenters use it in a number of different ways, but none (at least to my mind) entirely satisfactorily. I will describe below how I use it, but if anyone can think of a better Biblical application, I would be grateful if you would share it with me.
Effect. Take three strips of paper (e.g. Newspaper) about 1 meter long and 3 cm. wide. Tape the ends of Strip 1 together to form a loop. With loop 2, put a full twist in the paper before taping the ends. With Loop 3, put a half twist in the paper before taping it. Take some scissors, and cut down the middle of each of your loops. Loop 1 will (obviously) result in two equal but separate loops. Loop 2 will result in two loops linked together like a chain. Loop 3 will result in 1 large loop.
Note. www.childrensministry.com supply a zipped material Mobius loop, with velcro at the ends for easy attachment, which can be used over and over again. However, the effects are the same as for the paper ones.
Application. Produce your three strips separately as you talk about each one. I pre-tape Strips 1 and 2, but leave Strip 3 un-taped until I start talking about it.
(Hold up Loop 1). God created us for union with Him, to be completely at one with Him, just as this loop is one loop. You could imagine one side of the loop as God, and the other side as you - but completely joined together. However sin entered the world and caused separation between us and God. (Cut the loop down the centre to produce two loops, Hold them apart). This is the problem we are all born with - separation from a Holy God.
(Hold up Loop 2). (The children may notice a twist in it, but there is no need to bring it to their attention). But God still loved the people of this world, so he sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. This means that we can now be forgiven and reunited with God. Can sin now separate us from God? (Cut Loop 2 down the centre to produce two loops interlinked). No! The Bible tells us that nothing can now separate us from God. God has a hold of us, and He won't let go.
(Hold up Strip 3). But what about the person who turns wholeheartedly to God and really begins to live for Him? (Put a half turn (twist) in your strip and tape the ends together). What is this person's relationship with God now like? (Cut Loop 3 down the centre to produce one long continuous loop). As you see, this person is now completely reunited with God. And that is the best choice anyone could ever make.
Object Lessons (Chemical).
In Newsletter 45, for ease of acess, I collated all my past object lessons that could be described as "illusions". A number of subscribers emailed me to say that this was helpful to them. Therefore this month I have put together all my object lessons that involve chemicals. Next month I intend to collate all the O.L.'s that involve the use of physical laws.
O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering? (Invisible ink).
O.L. 4. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Baking soda).
O.L. 18. What happened at the cross (A chemical experiment).
O.L. 21. The Trinity (Food colorings).
O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering?
Take a large piece of white paper, and write across it in LEMON JUICE the word "Jesus" - i.e. in "invisible ink."
State that many people ask questions like "Why does a good God allow suffering?" Give a few examples of suffering. Say that there is no simple answer to this, but that you are going to show the class one reason why God may allow problems and hardships to come into our lives. God is interested in what we do, but He is more interested in what we are i.e. our character. God can use our problems to develop our character.
Use your own words for your particular class, but you could go along the lines suggested below.
"God has a wonderful plan to change you into someone far better. If none of us ever had any troubles, not many of us would give God a second thought, and we would never change. God sometimes allows suffering in our lives and uses it - as He helps us to overcome our problems - to change us. The Bible says "Suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character" Romans 5.3,4. ( C.E.V. ).
HOLD UP THE "BLANK" PAPER AT THIS POINT. I am going to have an imaginary conversation with this paper. "Nice to see you paper, but I am now going to put you over a flame"
LIGHT A CANDLE. EXPLAIN THAT THE FLAME STANDS FOR TROUBLES OR PROBLEMS.
Paper - " I don't like the sound of that. I might get too hot. I might even get burnt".
"I do like you paper, but I have a wonderful plan to change you into something better, and I have to place you over the flame to make this happen."
BEGIN TO MOVE THE PAPER OVER THE FLAME, FOLLOWING THE WORD "JESUS" WHICH YOU SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO SEE. BROWN WRITING WILL START TO APPEAR. Continue your dialogue while still moving the paper.
"How are you feeling now paper?"
Paper - "Stop it. I am getting far too hot."
"I haven't finished my plan for you yet. I must complete the job. I know this is tough for you, but I won't let you burn."
COMPLETE THE HEATING OF THE PAPER. AS YOU HOLD THE PAPER TO SHOW THE CLASS THE WORD "JESUS" CONCLUDE YOUR TEACHING.
"This is what God's plan is for you. To build your character, and make you to be like Jesus. Often He uses our problems and difficulties to bring this about.
O.L. 4. Filled with the Holy Spirit.
Place some Baking soda in a glass - the narrower the better. Add a little
food colouring for a more visual effect. Pour in Vinegar, to represent the
Holy Spirit. Stir. The solution should froth over the top of the glass. i.e.
a picture of us being filled to overflowing with the Spirit.
18. What happened at the cross? - Jesus takes away our sins.
For this object lesson you will need two chemicals - Potassium Permanganate and Sodium Metabisulphite. ( These are both solids and can be obtained from Chemical suppliers ), a large glass jar, four smaller glasses, and two sticks tied together to form a cross. One of the sticks needs to be hollow at one end ( A bamboo cane is ideal ). The hollow end will form the bottom of your cross.
Preparation. Wrap 2 or 3 grams of Sodium Metabisulphite in a paper tissue and secure it with a small rubber band. Insert the package into the bottom of your cross. Push it down so that it is out of sight.
Dissolve a few grains of Potassium Permanganate in about 250 mls. water (or, alternatively Iodine solution can be used instead). This will produce a maroon coloured liquid to represent "sin."
Half fill your large jar with water. Fill one glass with your Potassium Permanganate solution. Half fill the other three glasses with water, and mark them "Good works", "Church" and "Money" - or, any suitable alternatives which some people think will solve our "sin" problem.
Presentation. This can vary depending on your preferences and the children you are ministering to, but I usually proceed ( often after presenting the "What is Easter all about?" puppet play) along the following lines :-
Hold up the large jar. In the beginning God created a perfect world, and the best thing He made was people. He made them rather like this glass of water - clean on the outside (representing our bodies), and clean on the inside (representing our hearts or spirits).
However, the first people disobeyed God, and this act brought sin into the world and spoiled it all. Pour in about half of the "sin" solution. The jar contents should now be a fairly deep maroon colour. So this now is the problem we are all born with - sin or selfishness on the inside (you could give a few examples here).
Down through the years, some people have realised they have a selfishness problem, and have tried many ways to overcome it. Some have thought the answer may be Good Works. Pour in the "Good works" jar. God does want us to be good to each other but, as you see, that doesn't solve our "sin" problem. Some have thought the answer was going to church. Pour in the "Church" jar. It is an excellent idea to go to church, and by doing so you will probably find the answer to your problem. But, as you see, going to Church in itself is not the answer. Some have thought "If I gave half my money away to the poor, surely God will be really pleased with me and take away my sin." Pour in the "Money" jar. God does want us to be generous, especially to those who don't have as much as we do but, as you see, that still doesn't change us on the inside.
Actually, no matter what we try, it is impossible to change ourselves. But the good news of Easter is that what we can't do for ourselves, God has already done for us. It was on the cross that Jesus died in our place to take away our sins. Pick up your cross and place it in the jar. If you have got your concentrations right, the maroon solution will become clear within a few seconds. If not, gentle stirring with the cross should produce the desired effect.
Conclude the illustration as you think appropriate, but I usually proceed as follows :- Some of you may be thinking "I once did put my trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross, but then I did something bad (e.g. shouted at my dad, was cheeky to my mum, had a fight with my brother etc. ). Does that mean that I have become dirty on the inside again? Lets see shall we. Remove the cross from your jar, then pick up the remaining Potassium Permanganate solution and pour a little at a time into it - repeating the "sins" just mentioned (e.g. being cheeky to your mum). The maroon colour should vanish on making contact with the solution in the jar. Now please don't misunderstand me. If you do do something wrong, you need to ask God to forgive you. But, as you can see, once you have put your trust in Jesus and He has taken away your sin, you stay clean on the inside. nd that is the Good News we remember at Easter.
O.L. 21. The Trinity.
There are many ways of explaining the trinity to children, but the one I like the best is very visual, and involves the use of food colouring.
If you ask at a cake shop, they should be able to tell you where to obtain food colouring in powder form. This comes in a variety of colours.
Stick small pieces of double-sided sticky tape to the inside bottoms of three glasses. Choose three suitable colours, and place a little on each tape. These food colourings are very concentrated, so only very small amounts are required, and are consequently unlikely to be noticed by the children. However, you will probably need to determine by trial and error the best way to do this preparation.
Show a jar of clear water. State "There is one God, represented by the water in this jar, who is made up of three different Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As you are talking, pour some water into your three glasses to produce the three different colours.
Depending on your group, you could then go on to discuss the different aspects of the three Persons of the trinity in more detail.
A similar illustration could be used if you are teaching about the "water into wine."
Maurice Sweetsur.
Contents.
T.T. 33 - Our lives are on loan from God.
T.T. 34 - Religion or Christianity.
O.L. 59 - The Mobius strip.
Object Lessons (Chemical).
Past lessons on the web.
All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons / Illusions only - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips only - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Stories, skits and puppet plays - http://christianstoriesandplays.blogspot.com
Teaching tip 33 - Our lives are on loan from God.
In New Delhi, India there was (and perhaps still is) a toy library where children, who couldn't afford their own, could go to borrow toys. If a child's borrowed toy was carefully looked after, their membership card was stamped with a rose. And if they got eight roses, they were allowed to keep a toy. If, however, a toy was returned damaged, the card was stamped with a cross. If a child got two crosses, their library membership was suspended for one month.
Book libraries work along the same principals. If we borrow a book, we are expected to look after it, and return it in good condition.
What else are we loaned on similar terms? The answer is our lives. God has given us our lives, and He want's us to use them the right way, according to His will. Paul, writing to an early church, put it this way: "Surely you know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honour God." ! Corinthians 6. 19,20.
Teaching tip 34 - Religion or Christianity.
If I were to ask people to name some of the things God loves, I would probably get answers such as :- People, Righteousness, Truth, Obedience and Faith. If I were to ask them some of the things God hates, I would probably get answers such as Sin, Sickness, Death and the Occult. However, one answer that I probably would not get - yet I believe it rightly belongs to the list of things God hates - is Religion!
Some of you may be thinking "Oh come on Teacher, you must be kidding. Aren't you here to teach us Religion?" No. I go to groups to teach them Christianity, not religion. And there is a vast difference between the two. In fact, they are actually opposites. Basically, religion is about people trying to reach up to God, or please Him, by following a set of rules - which they will invariably not be able to keep. On the other hand, Christianity is about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is all about God reaching down to us through His Son, Jesus. A true Christian then is someone who realises he is a sinner, that he is incapable of doing anything about it on his own, but accepts God's free gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus.
I really think that religious people (no matter what particular religion they may be following) must be the most miserable people on earth. Why? Because they find they are unable to follow their particular set of rules, and thus feel guilty when they break them. Thus, unlike the pagan, they can't even enjoy their sin! The true Christian, on the other hand, doesn't deliberately sin, but knows that if he does there is always instant forgiveness available. No matter what happens, God will always love him, and his eternal destiny is secure.
But why does God hate religion? For two reasons. Firstly, it keeps people from coming to Christ. Religion desensitises people to their need of Jesus, and leads to a false sense of security. They are "doing their best", so what more do they need? I have personally met many 'good' people who because they are trying to follow a set of rules, cannot see their need of Jesus. It is far easier to witness Christ to an 'out and out' sinner who realises what he or she is, than to a 'religious' person.
Secondly, religion is, and always has been, the cause of most of the world's conflicts. Religious groups of every persuasion tend to be intolerant of others. They think 'their set of rules' is the right one and try to force others to follow them. Thus religious groups are often in conflict with each other, and also often in conflict with other factions of their own 'religion'. As well as the obvious suffering and misery that this causes, it proves a real barrier to evangelism. The most common objection that people give for not considering the Christian message is "Religion is the cause of all the wars in the world." And it is hard to argue with that!
God doesn't call us to 'beat' others into submission so that they will follow Christ. Rather His way is the way of love. We are called to both tell and demonstrate His wonderful love for all mankind.
Object lesson 59 - The Mobius strip.
The intriguing Mobius strip effect has been around for over 100 years. I have heard presenters use it in a number of different ways, but none (at least to my mind) entirely satisfactorily. I will describe below how I use it, but if anyone can think of a better Biblical application, I would be grateful if you would share it with me.
Effect. Take three strips of paper (e.g. Newspaper) about 1 meter long and 3 cm. wide. Tape the ends of Strip 1 together to form a loop. With loop 2, put a full twist in the paper before taping the ends. With Loop 3, put a half twist in the paper before taping it. Take some scissors, and cut down the middle of each of your loops. Loop 1 will (obviously) result in two equal but separate loops. Loop 2 will result in two loops linked together like a chain. Loop 3 will result in 1 large loop.
Note. www.childrensministry.com supply a zipped material Mobius loop, with velcro at the ends for easy attachment, which can be used over and over again. However, the effects are the same as for the paper ones.
Application. Produce your three strips separately as you talk about each one. I pre-tape Strips 1 and 2, but leave Strip 3 un-taped until I start talking about it.
(Hold up Loop 1). God created us for union with Him, to be completely at one with Him, just as this loop is one loop. You could imagine one side of the loop as God, and the other side as you - but completely joined together. However sin entered the world and caused separation between us and God. (Cut the loop down the centre to produce two loops, Hold them apart). This is the problem we are all born with - separation from a Holy God.
(Hold up Loop 2). (The children may notice a twist in it, but there is no need to bring it to their attention). But God still loved the people of this world, so he sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. This means that we can now be forgiven and reunited with God. Can sin now separate us from God? (Cut Loop 2 down the centre to produce two loops interlinked). No! The Bible tells us that nothing can now separate us from God. God has a hold of us, and He won't let go.
(Hold up Strip 3). But what about the person who turns wholeheartedly to God and really begins to live for Him? (Put a half turn (twist) in your strip and tape the ends together). What is this person's relationship with God now like? (Cut Loop 3 down the centre to produce one long continuous loop). As you see, this person is now completely reunited with God. And that is the best choice anyone could ever make.
Object Lessons (Chemical).
In Newsletter 45, for ease of acess, I collated all my past object lessons that could be described as "illusions". A number of subscribers emailed me to say that this was helpful to them. Therefore this month I have put together all my object lessons that involve chemicals. Next month I intend to collate all the O.L.'s that involve the use of physical laws.
O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering? (Invisible ink).
O.L. 4. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Baking soda).
O.L. 18. What happened at the cross (A chemical experiment).
O.L. 21. The Trinity (Food colorings).
O.L. 3. Why does God allow suffering?
Take a large piece of white paper, and write across it in LEMON JUICE the word "Jesus" - i.e. in "invisible ink."
State that many people ask questions like "Why does a good God allow suffering?" Give a few examples of suffering. Say that there is no simple answer to this, but that you are going to show the class one reason why God may allow problems and hardships to come into our lives. God is interested in what we do, but He is more interested in what we are i.e. our character. God can use our problems to develop our character.
Use your own words for your particular class, but you could go along the lines suggested below.
"God has a wonderful plan to change you into someone far better. If none of us ever had any troubles, not many of us would give God a second thought, and we would never change. God sometimes allows suffering in our lives and uses it - as He helps us to overcome our problems - to change us. The Bible says "Suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character" Romans 5.3,4. ( C.E.V. ).
HOLD UP THE "BLANK" PAPER AT THIS POINT. I am going to have an imaginary conversation with this paper. "Nice to see you paper, but I am now going to put you over a flame"
LIGHT A CANDLE. EXPLAIN THAT THE FLAME STANDS FOR TROUBLES OR PROBLEMS.
Paper - " I don't like the sound of that. I might get too hot. I might even get burnt".
"I do like you paper, but I have a wonderful plan to change you into something better, and I have to place you over the flame to make this happen."
BEGIN TO MOVE THE PAPER OVER THE FLAME, FOLLOWING THE WORD "JESUS" WHICH YOU SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO SEE. BROWN WRITING WILL START TO APPEAR. Continue your dialogue while still moving the paper.
"How are you feeling now paper?"
Paper - "Stop it. I am getting far too hot."
"I haven't finished my plan for you yet. I must complete the job. I know this is tough for you, but I won't let you burn."
COMPLETE THE HEATING OF THE PAPER. AS YOU HOLD THE PAPER TO SHOW THE CLASS THE WORD "JESUS" CONCLUDE YOUR TEACHING.
"This is what God's plan is for you. To build your character, and make you to be like Jesus. Often He uses our problems and difficulties to bring this about.
O.L. 4. Filled with the Holy Spirit.
Place some Baking soda in a glass - the narrower the better. Add a little
food colouring for a more visual effect. Pour in Vinegar, to represent the
Holy Spirit. Stir. The solution should froth over the top of the glass. i.e.
a picture of us being filled to overflowing with the Spirit.
18. What happened at the cross? - Jesus takes away our sins.
For this object lesson you will need two chemicals - Potassium Permanganate and Sodium Metabisulphite. ( These are both solids and can be obtained from Chemical suppliers ), a large glass jar, four smaller glasses, and two sticks tied together to form a cross. One of the sticks needs to be hollow at one end ( A bamboo cane is ideal ). The hollow end will form the bottom of your cross.
Preparation. Wrap 2 or 3 grams of Sodium Metabisulphite in a paper tissue and secure it with a small rubber band. Insert the package into the bottom of your cross. Push it down so that it is out of sight.
Dissolve a few grains of Potassium Permanganate in about 250 mls. water (or, alternatively Iodine solution can be used instead). This will produce a maroon coloured liquid to represent "sin."
Half fill your large jar with water. Fill one glass with your Potassium Permanganate solution. Half fill the other three glasses with water, and mark them "Good works", "Church" and "Money" - or, any suitable alternatives which some people think will solve our "sin" problem.
Presentation. This can vary depending on your preferences and the children you are ministering to, but I usually proceed ( often after presenting the "What is Easter all about?" puppet play) along the following lines :-
Hold up the large jar. In the beginning God created a perfect world, and the best thing He made was people. He made them rather like this glass of water - clean on the outside (representing our bodies), and clean on the inside (representing our hearts or spirits).
However, the first people disobeyed God, and this act brought sin into the world and spoiled it all. Pour in about half of the "sin" solution. The jar contents should now be a fairly deep maroon colour. So this now is the problem we are all born with - sin or selfishness on the inside (you could give a few examples here).
Down through the years, some people have realised they have a selfishness problem, and have tried many ways to overcome it. Some have thought the answer may be Good Works. Pour in the "Good works" jar. God does want us to be good to each other but, as you see, that doesn't solve our "sin" problem. Some have thought the answer was going to church. Pour in the "Church" jar. It is an excellent idea to go to church, and by doing so you will probably find the answer to your problem. But, as you see, going to Church in itself is not the answer. Some have thought "If I gave half my money away to the poor, surely God will be really pleased with me and take away my sin." Pour in the "Money" jar. God does want us to be generous, especially to those who don't have as much as we do but, as you see, that still doesn't change us on the inside.
Actually, no matter what we try, it is impossible to change ourselves. But the good news of Easter is that what we can't do for ourselves, God has already done for us. It was on the cross that Jesus died in our place to take away our sins. Pick up your cross and place it in the jar. If you have got your concentrations right, the maroon solution will become clear within a few seconds. If not, gentle stirring with the cross should produce the desired effect.
Conclude the illustration as you think appropriate, but I usually proceed as follows :- Some of you may be thinking "I once did put my trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross, but then I did something bad (e.g. shouted at my dad, was cheeky to my mum, had a fight with my brother etc. ). Does that mean that I have become dirty on the inside again? Lets see shall we. Remove the cross from your jar, then pick up the remaining Potassium Permanganate solution and pour a little at a time into it - repeating the "sins" just mentioned (e.g. being cheeky to your mum). The maroon colour should vanish on making contact with the solution in the jar. Now please don't misunderstand me. If you do do something wrong, you need to ask God to forgive you. But, as you can see, once you have put your trust in Jesus and He has taken away your sin, you stay clean on the inside. nd that is the Good News we remember at Easter.
O.L. 21. The Trinity.
There are many ways of explaining the trinity to children, but the one I like the best is very visual, and involves the use of food colouring.
If you ask at a cake shop, they should be able to tell you where to obtain food colouring in powder form. This comes in a variety of colours.
Stick small pieces of double-sided sticky tape to the inside bottoms of three glasses. Choose three suitable colours, and place a little on each tape. These food colourings are very concentrated, so only very small amounts are required, and are consequently unlikely to be noticed by the children. However, you will probably need to determine by trial and error the best way to do this preparation.
Show a jar of clear water. State "There is one God, represented by the water in this jar, who is made up of three different Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit." As you are talking, pour some water into your three glasses to produce the three different colours.
Depending on your group, you could then go on to discuss the different aspects of the three Persons of the trinity in more detail.
A similar illustration could be used if you are teaching about the "water into wine."
Maurice Sweetsur.
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 1:36 AM
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