I wonder about wonder at Pentecost

By Nigel Hanscamp

I was recently involved in two improv (spontaneous) theatre events. It hit me that this kind of thing would work really well in an intergenerational worship setting – and what better time than Pentecost. Everyone and anyone can participate.

Improv starts with a ‘provocation’, an idea that invites people to participate as they feel comfortable (or maybe a bit uncomfortable). Improv can be with actions or words and can extend into longer stories.

Wondering about improv and Pentecost, I messaged my friend John Englezos – poet and deep thinker. We started the process together.

In preparation a small group of people talk through how to make it happen and may take lead roles or start the process.

John noted that setting this up is important – that it needs careful preparation.

It is difficult to compose these moments, but we can get to that place where the line blurs between the performer and the audience, where the “give and give” of call and response becomes a flow.

Our churches have those people who can be invited to help … the larrikin granddads whose dramatic voice comes out at morning tea, or story telling parents whose eyes light up when they have a picture book in their hands. You’ll need between three and five people to start this off.

Then we chatted about provocations …

Hey – Good morning! Wondering what provocation you might use to start a multispeaker story about Pentecost with teenagers? Collaborative poetry?

Hmmm … you mean like a performance piece to present to them? Or a prompt for them to create a response to?

Prompt for crowd participation …

“It was said of that moment in Pentecost that those filled with the Spirit were declaring the Wonders of God … When you consider the way you see life in all of God’s creation, what evokes Wonder in you? The oceans roar, the birds in song, the warmth of the sun, the toddlers laugh,” … zoom out wide or zoom in close. “What makes you slow down and pay attention? What makes you breathe deeper?”

A phrase for younger generations might be “What makes you go “WOW”, “That’s amazing”, “Oh. My. Goodness!”, “NO WAY! That’s so cool”.

At this point you can expect anything to come back at you. Get them into a crowd to act out what they saw together, at the same time. It’s a fun chaos. (Remember the disciples were thought to be drunk!). Then get them to act out how they looked when they saw it, then add sounds, then get them to point it out to someone else. Those who can’t stand can also contribute from their chairs.

Then there was a bible story version of this …

“Could you imagine this group of people at 9 in the morning all talking about how amazed they are by God’s work; around them, within them, having just seen three years of what Jesus had done, and barely knowing where to start in the telling of it all.”

“My mother in law was brought back to life”, “I saw a child healed”, “He walked on water”, “He called me from the boat”, “He was dead and was brought back to life.” “I was ‘dead’ and I was brought back to life”.

These can be familiar Jesus stories that are told at the same time in a crowd. (Remember that it’s the story telling, not any ‘performance’ that matters.)

A few people might act out the wind and flames roaring through the crowd as they tell of God’s work within and around them. Allowing the cacophony of noise adds to the sense of Spirit at work.

Then bang on a drum (or a metal teapot or a bell) and have everyone say together “And I want to be part of it”. You might then have someone read the Acts version of the Day of Pentecost bible reading from the middle of the crowd, inviting the response at the end, “And I want to be part of it”.

John also offered us these words to round it out … which you could say in parts, groups, together or with just one voice …

For what he has created

For what he is doing

For what he is redeeming

For what he is bringing to life

For where I see him

For where I hear him

For how he is pouring in

For all I am learning

For all he is

I want to be a part of it

How might we tell of wonder at Pentecost, together.