week 1…

As part of my internship I am playing around with how we as a child care center can support faith formation at home.  So in connection with our weekly Bible Time, I’m developing devotionals for the kids to take home.  The hope is that the parents will read the devotionals with or without their children and then hopefully look at the list of extended learning activity ideas and pick something to do with their family.  Our theme is the Fruit of the Spirit.  I don’t claim to be a theological expert on this lesson, but my hope is to say something interesting that will lift parents and families up and make them think about what God is up to in their lives and the world around them.  Below is week 1.  More to come.

Week 1:  The fruit of the Spirit is…

Questions to think about:

• What do you think of when you hear the phrase “fruit of the Spirit”?
• Who or what plants the seed that grows into the fruit of the Spirit?
• Are there lots of fruits or just one fruit?

Reflection:

Spring and summer are great times to think about growth and fruit because they’re all around us.  Trees that just a few months ago looked like bare branches are full of leaves, flowers and new life.  Flower seeds are growing into beautiful gardens.  Fresh fruit finds its way into our fridges, onto our plates, and into our mouths.

It’s the same way with the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  The Holy Spirit moves into the dead, dry areas of our lives and brings new life.  The resulting fruit is pleasant and filling for ALL:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

When you plant a mango seed, you expect to get mango fruit.  Similarly, with the Spirit of Jesus living inside of us, we can expect to see qualities of Jesus in our attitudes and behaviors.  That’s what the fruit of the Spirit is:  qualities that make us like Jesus.

Verse to remember:

John 17:26  “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Ask yourself:

• Where do I need the Holy Spirit to plant itself in my life?
• What kind of fruit does my life bear right now?
• How can I show others that the Spirit of Jesus lives inside me?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you for the new life I see all around me.  Thank you for the Holy Spirit within me.  Help the Fruit of the Spirit to grow in me so that others may find life.  In Jesus’ name…AMEN.

Extended learning Activity Suggestions:

• Take a trip to a farmer’s market and observe the variety of fruits, vegetables and other life-giving things you find there.  Talk to someone who sells fruit about what they do to get the fruit to grow.
• Plant a few seeds or plants and help them grow.  Think about what it takes for a seed to grow into a plant.
• Share food with someone to make them happy.
• Ask someone you respect something about how they have gotten to where they are.