During the children’s sermon, I talk about the Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma) words for Spirit. I explain that both of those words have multiple meanings – spirit, wind and breath. I talk about how God is as close as our breath, how God is like the wind that we can feel and see its’ effect on trees, for example, but that we can’t hold on to it or see it exactly. Somewhere in there I pull out a pinwheel and then blow on it to illustrate how my breath becomes like wind and the effect it has. Then I pull out a whole bunch of pinwheels and ask the children to distribute them to the congregation. I inform the congregation that from that point on in the service every time they hear the words “Spirit” “breath” or “wind” they are to blow their pinwheel. If they cooperate, there is a wonderful sound of whirring all over the sanctuary, giving an audible component to the Spirit’s presence.

One year I couldn’t find enough pinwheels to supply the whole congregation, so I asked the children to distribute them however they chose. I told the congregation that if they were chosen by a child, that gave them the responsibility of blowing the pinwheel. Following worship that day, I had an 80-year-old man complain to me that he didn’t get one! My husband, who was in that congregation, reported to me later about the stodgy undemonstrative church moderator who faithfully blew his pinwheel for the duration, even during the prayers. And just two weeks ago, I heard from a woman who was not in worship that day, but whose husband brought home his pinwheel and told her about it. That was 4 years ago. She told me that she still has that pinwheel and every once in a while she blows a prayer into it. She wasn’t even in worship that day, but she’s kept it for 4 years.

(Comments to Kathy at kathydonley@COMCAST.NET.)