Hi All: I should have posted here in a few days a very simple to do Gospel magic routine using the "Comic Heart Scarf Set by JL Magic" available from www.silkmagictricks.com . I will also be using a Jesus silk and an appropriate changing device (still trying to figure out if my Crystal Silk Cylinder lower hidden/vanishing chamber is large enough, or may have to go to a much larger double change bag).

Probably most of you already know where I will be going with this routine based on these scarves using some of these verses: Psalm 147:3, I Samuel 16:7, Matthew 6:21, Proverbs 3:5&6, Psalm 51:10, Philippians 4:7, Psalm 34:18, John 14:1, John 14:27, I Corinthians 14:33a, etc..

Feel free to post your own ideas also using using this scarf set.

This set of unique scarves is another one of those props (it seems to me at least) like the "light and heavy" chest that could be quite easily adaptable to a Gospel routine.

God looks at the heart, God heals the brokenhearted, God does not want a "fragmented" or twisting heart with dueling affections and desires, and the wisest man ever Solomon urges us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart".

I did not want to post this under a diffferent heading as I have no routine for it. So this is off topic for sure. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to clip a full plastic bottle of water or a plastic twist off top Coke, etc., to the back of your belt buckle, see the plastic belt clip made by www.bottledocker.com It's called the "bottle docker". It allows a jogger or walker to easily slide off of one's belt a full plastic bottle of liquid while held securely until then. Would be easy to hide everything under a coat or Hawaiian shirt... until the full plastic is magically produced later under a large scarf, etc..

Not familier with "comic-etc scarf", have one with the 20th centry silk effect, about witnessing. if interested (pm??) Ralph(russo)Rousseau.

Roger - I didn't know this heart silk set existed. Thanks for making me aware. I'm going to order one right away and start brainstorming my own routine for this!

I should have an initial Gospel routine posted by Monday. Please note: this "scarf" set referred to above are not "silks"- they are made out of a durable pretty thin Rayon like light material. You can literally see right through them, as if it were a very tightly woven tiny net like cloth. That being said, these scarves are in fact very "collapse-able"- and can be crammed into a very small load space similar to normal silks. Comes with a link to a visual only instructional video. These scarves also have a slightly darker "front side".

This is the Gospel magic routine I did this morning with the kids at Lighthouse Kids. You can mix and match using your own props, many of these items available through several dealers including those (but not limited to) listed below.

Props I used: Comedy Heart Set by JL Magic (www.silkmagictricks.com); Crystal Silk Cylinder - Pro Model (www.silkmagictricks.com); Double Change Bag (Magic Change Bag Repeat w/zipper at www.penguinmagic.com); "God Is Love" 36 inch silk (www.penguinmagic.com); Celebration Place Sing and Praise DVD (store.pastors.com); Plus I wrote on 5 different poster cards with a thiick marker (purchased from The Dollar Tree store) the following 5 verses (NIV), and numbered each verse card #1-#5: 1: Psalm 34:18; 2: John 14:27; 3: Psalm 51:17; 4: 1 Samuel 16:7; 5: Psalm 147:3 9 (On this last # 5 poster card, I also wrote "God Is Love" on it).

Setup: Into double change bag goes in 3rd bag compartment: 4 heart piece scarves; In the 2nd bag compartment goes the twisted heart scarf; In the first bag compartment goes the segmented heart. In the Crystal Silk Cylinder secret load tube goes the 36 inch "God is Love" silk with the fully restored heart scarf is placed on top in the same load tube.

Shortened version of the routine: I handed out the 5 posters with verses written out in advance to kids I knew who can read well (and loudly),

Call up the 5 verse reading kids to stand on the side with their poster cards. Then I picked a younger child to come up to help with me with the Double Change Bag.

"Today we are going to have a heart healthy, heart to heart, heart pounding little talk about our hearts. And I am not referring to that important round muscle in our chest that pumps blood throughout our arms and legs to keep us moving. I am talking about our personal heart conditions, our souls, the part of us that is in personal relationship with God. What God wants to create in us all, a clean heart."

"What types of hearts is God close to?" (Have child read loudly verse #1 once or twice). (Say to smaller child helping with the change bag): "Can you reach in and take out of this bag whatever is in there?" (Turn the bag inside out showing the bag empty, have the child slowly show the segmented heart to all the kids) "This heart is broken and all segmented up. Yet we just learned from The Bible that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves us! No matter our heart condition, Jesus is a friend to the wounded heart." (Have the child put the silk back into the bag, have the child who read verse #1 return to his/her seat).

"What other kind of heart does God love?" (Have child remove the twisted heeart silk out of the bag, show bag empty, slowly show scarf to everyone) "What can God do for a twisted, confused, heart in turmoil? I know I have been there many times myself". (Have reader #2 loudly read verse #2, then one can expand/expound on this great verse further). "God does not want our hearts to be troubled, He gives us His peace. Wow, what a blessing!"

(Have the child put the scarf back into the change bag, have reader #2 return to her seat. Have child #3 read verse #3 above) "What can we offer God, what can be our heart sacrifice? (Have the child remove the four small segment scarves out of the change bag, show it empty, have the child and yourself show the four different heart piece scarves) "Our gift, our sacrifice, is God needs from us a broken heart, a contrite heart. What is a contrite heart? It is a heart that knows it is sinful, it does not justify wrong choices, it offers no lame excuses, it is broken before God. And it is exaclty that type of humble heart God can make new and forgive and make us fully joyfullly alive! (Ask reader #3 to return to her seat, have the helper child place the four heart segments into the exposed clear tube of the Crystal Silk Cylinder. Then have the helper child take his/her seat, thanking him/her).

(After placing on the outside tube over the scarves tube, then point up and down at the outside of the crystal silk cylinder. Have child #4 loudly read verse #4). "In the Bible, God came to a prophet named Samuel and told him to annoint a king for Israel. God told Samuel not to consider how tall or the looks of a person (point to your face) because God does not look at the outside (point to outside of silk cylinder again), but the Lord looks at the heart."

"Remember, we put four small heart pieces into the tube a moment ago. You could say the heart was broken hearted. But God Is Love, He loves us! (Have child #5 read verse #5, then have him/her return to his/her seat) "That wonderful comforting verse says that God heals the broken hearted and binds up our wounds.
" (Lift off the outer tube of the silk cylinder, show that outer tube empty, then take out the top scarf) "God wants us to have a healed heart transformed by HIs grace. (Show full heart scarf) G-R-A-C-E: God's Riches At His Expense. And how is all this possible? (Pull out "God is Love" silk out of the cylinder, showing it empty). "Because God Is Love!" (I then recited John 3:16).

I closed with the kids singing along and doing the motions with the projected DVD song with words entitled "The Lord Looks at the Heart" which is a word for word kids song based on I Samuel 16:7b. This song is found on the "Celebration Place Sing and Praise DVD" found at store.pastors.com

Feel free to use the above kids Sunday School routine as you'd like and/or modifiy it for your own particular setting.

ROGER - you need to compile all of these routines into a Compendium... digest... book... of some kind!
Even if it's an ebook. So many great routines over the years posted right here on the Café, but I'm sure there are others who don't know they exist here.

Thanks Jamie, much appreciated. Someone once said "Necessity is the mother of invention". Since my wife and I are in children's ministry almost every Sunday morning, we are constantly both scrambling for new ideas. I really like posting Gospel magic routines here- it is fantastic if someone else can use all/part of these in their own programs.

I was thinking sometime of going through the past routine posts for sure some day and at least keeping them in a notebook.

Plus, now I can literally find these same routines myself kept right here on The Magic Café for future reference. So when I repeat the same tricks/routines every 2 or 3 years or so, I know where to find them.

The above initial routine worked really well last Sunday. I had six kids helping me (which is great- the more kids you can get involved in a routine, the better) and the story seemed to hold the kids attention throughout. Plus, the overall message itself was good, especially when combined with the video song at the end which we all sang together.

So I hope to use the above routine again a couple of years from now (and still some of the kids will probably remember it). We have the kids now from 1st through 4th grade with some of them with us all four years in a row.

I will hopefully keep posting some more stuff in the future- hopefully I won't be repeating some earlier ideas but that may be quite possible.

Thanks again Jamie and to the great column you write for the FCM.