Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed hearing about John last week and growing your seeds. This week we will learn about Philip. Take a look at this for the introduction.
Then watch this:
Isn’t that an amazing story. I think there are lots of miracles in that story, including Philip disappearing at the end! Philip was obedient to what he had heard and was able to tell an important person from Ethiopia about Jesus and how the early scriptures point towards Jesus coming to save us. Philip could then give up-to-date news on Jesus who had lived and died and come back to life. The Ethiopian was so excited by this news he got baptised right there and it is likely he took the message back to his own country and people. This was probably when the Ethiopian church started.
Fun stuff
So, if you guessed the item was from Ethiopia (which is in North Africa) before you saw the video, top marks to you! The item I showed you is an Ethiopian cross and many different types are used there today. This one can be put on the end of a walking stick, or it can stand on a table. They are often very intricate and I thought about trying to make one from paper but it made my head hurt just thinking about it. So I decided to do some cross-rubbing instead. Here is my picture.
You may not have a cross but I am sure you can find some fun items around the house. I used some coins on mine as well and all you need is paper and pencils or crayons. Just put your item under the paper and colour over it and you can make a funky piece of art to put on the wall.
It is a long way from Israel to Ethiopia – especially in a chariot! I am not surprised the Ethiopian took something along to read. What do you like to do on long journeys? Read, play games? Luckily we don’t have to travel in chariots now – they are not that comfortable and not much good if it rains! My children have been in a chariot as part of a race. Chariots can go incredibly fast so you need to hang on tight. For a bit of fun watch this video of a chariot race. This one is a recreation of the old chariot races in Roman times. Before you start, pick which team you think will win. Each team has different colour feathers on the horses: the choice is blue, red, green or white. Make sure you watch carefully – I think you may be surprised!
You can make your own chariot and horse from this template I made. There is a picture of the horse and chariot at the top of this page. It works best if you make it from cardboard. I have added instructions to my template, but if you want your horse to stand up more easily, cut out two horses and just roll up a piece of sellotape and pop it between the heads. This will help so they can stand apart and be less likely to fall over.
I have written another message for you in mirror writing. You may be able to work it out but if not, you know what to do! Why not try it yourself. You need paper and a mirror and pen and look into the mirror to write your words. Write some messages for your family.
Prayer
God you do amazing things. Thank you that Philip believed in Jesus and his life was changed. Thank you that you change our lives for the better too. Help us to spread the message to others! Remind us to ask for help when we don’t understand things. We pray you keep us all safe this week. Amen.