Day 20 - Pompom Praise

Therefore is anyone is in Christ, a new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.

2 Corinthians 5 verse 17

This is an activity I have done a few times with my family and at my church – making pompoms! I have written this in plenty of time for you to attempt to make this craft and celebrate Easter with it, and the instructions for making a pompom are attached.

The first thing that usually comes to mind when thinking of pompoms is – that it’s for kids! They go on bobble hats! For cheerleading?!

However, ours have been used for a completely different purpose, this being a colourful floral display to celebrate Easter. We call them Pompom Flowers and Pompom Praise, and yes there really is such a thing as pompom flowers.

The events of Holy Week can seem a little dark, but then, on Easter morning comes the joy that Jesus is risen. Our Pompom Flowers are planted after dark on Easter Saturday - these can then be seen as people arrive at church on Easter Morning - a sign of new life, new beginnings, they bring cheer and colour to the outside (or inside) of our church building.

Pompoms can be made in different sizes and colours and used for different things – on a hat, keychain, bookmark clips or hair clips, played with and tossed like a ball. Used in festivals and displays symbolising completeness and happiness.

We could think further – the shape of a pompom is usually round – perfection, unity

The colours could represent different things

- Red – Deep and passionate love

- Pink – sweet love and romance

- White – purity and innocence

- Yellow – friendship and joy

- Orange – enthusiasm and joy

- Purple – mystery and complexity

We are all made differently, no two of us are the same, we all have a purpose, a function and just like the individual threads that make up a pompom we are all joined together as a family, a family of God, all joined as brothers and sisters in Christ. When making a pompom, they may not look anything special on the ring or pompom maker, but with a little bit of cutting and by making it secure by wrapping a bit of wool round the middle, they are a wonderful new creation of beauty and colour.

Let us celebrate that we are all individuals, all colourful, all unique, all individually and wonderfully made, a bit like a pompom.

I challenge you to make a pompom, maybe even ‘plant’ a pompom flower in your garden and think of the bible verse – that we are a new creation, there are colourful days to come as we celebrate Easter with our families.

Linda Cooke