These texts are set for January 6 which in 2016 is on
a Wednesday. The ideas here could be
incorporated into weeknight celebration that includes worship in a freer form
than often followed on Sunday morning.
Also, they could be used on Sunday, January 3, by congregations who do
not have a weeknight celebration but do not want to ignore Epiphany. Actually I think these texts have much more
to say to children and adults than do the texts for the Second Sunday of
Christmas which are set for Jan 3 by the RCL.
*
God’s love of all people of all races,
nationalities and cultures and the light that God shines on the world and calls
on us to reflect out into the darkness around us are two themes that run
through all of today’s texts. With the current crises about immigration and
police treatment of minority groups in the US, there is lots of very adult
stuff to be explored. Given that some of
the suggestions for laying out these themes for children may seem a little “old
hat.” Their simplicity however speaks
loudly to the children for whom they are “new” and reminds the adults that
complicated issues may not be as complicated as we sometimes make them. So even if you do some of them on World
Communion Sunday or Pentecost, do them again today. It is that important.
The Texts
Isaiah 60: 1-6
*
Isaiah calls the people of
Jerusalem to rise and shine because God’s glory is upon them for all the
world to see. Children heading back to
school this week after soaking up God’s Christmas love and glory are ready to
hear the call to shine also. Verse 1 is
their key verse. Actually “Arise,
shine!” is all they need. Consider
omitting verse 6 for the sake of the giggling children. “May you be covered up with camels” is just
too funny a mental picture! The verse is
included because of the reference to the gifts of the magi. But, that is not important to many worshipers
today.
*
Verses 1 and 2 are filled with often used abstract descriptions of the
mission of God’s people. For the sake of
the children identify specific activities your congregation undertakes for each
of these phrases, e.g. children singing in a nursing home is one way of binding
up the broken-hearted, food drives meet the needs of the oppressed.
*
One way to explain
the symbol of light is to present children with several symbols, e.g. a
national flag, a symbol for a sports team, and a cross. As you present each symbol ask what it stands
for and what it makes them think about.
Then tell them that the symbol for God is light. Since we can’t make a picture of light, we
use things that make light like a star, sun, candle, lamp. Display a treetop star ornament that goes at
the top of the Christmas or Chrismon tree and note its meaning. Recall Christmas candle lighting services and
note that we lit those candles to remind ourselves that God the light is with
us. Then, move to the discussion below
of the candles in the worship center.
Or, name and explore other light symbols pondering how each reminds us
of God. Encourage the children (and
other worshipers) to watch for light symbols scattered through the scriptures
we read, the songs we sing and the prayers we pray today.
*
It is a good day to
point out and explain your congregation’s use of candles during worship. Many congregations light two candles on a
central table. The explanation that I
grew up with was that one candle was “God is the light of the world” (John
8:12) and the other “we are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13) (I know from the 2011 comments that others
have different explanations. That is
fine. It is more important to know one
than to have a “right one.”) An acolyte
may light a taper from one of the candles before snuffing both at the
conclusion of the service. The acolyte
often walks down the central aisle and out the back door to call worshipers to
follow the light of God out into the world.
*
“Arise, shine” is not about
enjoying light. It is a command to
reflect and spread light. Reread this
several times pondering the difference in basking in light and shining out in
the darkness. Explore ways we can shine
listing ways children can shine God’s love out at school, in the locker room,
even when crowded in the back seat of a car as well as ways youth and adults
can shine. To encourage worshipers to
shine, give each one a star sticker (glittery ones are the best!). During a children’s message, stick a star on
each child’s hand or forehead and say to each one, “Arise, shine.” Or, pass baskets of star stickers to the
entire congregations, instructing individuals to stick a star on the person at
their side saying to them “arise, shine.”
* Or,
give each child a glow in the dark star sticker to put on the ceiling for their
bedroom. (Google “glow in the dark star
stickers” for sources.) These stars
could serve as a reminder of Isaiah’s call to “arise and shine.” Or, it could be connected to the gospel text
as a reminder to follow God’s star as the magi did.
*
Light hymns children can sing at least
parts of with understanding:
“I
Want To Walk As A Child of Light”
“Let
There Be Light” with lots of short phrases of hope for the coming year
“This
Little Light of Mine” – a spiritual about our ability to be light as well as
enjoy light
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
*
Turn this psalm into a prayer for
today’s leaders from all around the world. Begin by brainstorming a list of these leaders
together. Include political leaders of
all persuasions, leaders in your community, coaches, teachers, and other
leaders of children. Then adapt the
first few words of each line (mainly the pronouns) to make the psalm into a
prayer for those leaders. Groups 1 and 2
could be the two sides of the congregation or the congregation and the
choir.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Prayer for
Leaders Based on Psalm 72: 1-7
Group
1: Give our leaders your justice, O
God,
and your righteousness to their
children.
Group
2: May they judge your people with
righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
Group
1: May the mountains yield
prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
Group
2: May they defend the cause
of the
poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
Group
1: May they live while the sun
endures,
and as long as the moon,
throughout all generations.
Group
2: May they be like rain that falls
on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
Group
1: In their days may righteousness
flourish
and peace abound,
until the moon is no more.
Group
2: Amen
All: Amen
Based on NRSV
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ephesians 3:1-12
*
Children will not follow Paul’s
story as it is told here. But,
it is a story they appreciate and need to hear.
They therefore depend on worship leaders to retell it for them. The broad strokes of that story are that Paul
grew up believing that his people, the Jewish people, were the only people God
loved. Nobody else mattered. When he heard Jesus’ message that God loved
all people, at first he really, really did not like it. But, he finally got it. And, then he spent the rest of his life
telling people who were not Jewish that God and Jesus loved them. What an amazing, wonderful change! His work changed the whole church forever. Tell this story in your own words, then
challenge the children (and other worshipers) to listen for that story as you
read it from the Bible. Older children
will catch significant phrases here and there.
*
Demonstrate Paul’s mystery that God
loves people all around the world
by including people of as many different racial and ethnic backgrounds in worship
leadership. Some might even come in
native dress or speak/read in native languages.
Include music from many different cultures.
*
Explore the mystery that God
loves all people reading Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox. It can be read through in 3 minutes easy, but
you will probably want to stop along the way to point out things in the
pictures or elaborate on some of statements, e.g. “their words may be very
different from yours” may lead making a list of languages. If you get carried away in this, reclaim time
by stopping your reading with the hurts of the young that are just like yours
and omitting the repeat of the pattern for grownups.
*
Pray your way around the world. Display a
globe. Explain that remembering the
mystery Paul discovered, i.e. that God loves all people all over the world,
your prayers today will move around the globe.
You might use the continents as your outline, offering prayers for each
continent followed by time for worshipers to add their own voiced or silent
prayers for that continent.
*
Present several pairs of portraits of
people from different parts of the world asking which of these does God love. This year Arabs and Westerners and people of all races are good pairs. The answer of course is that God loves both of them. Old National Geographic magazines are a good source.
*
If you celebrate Communion today, cover the table with a cloth from another country
and serve a variety of breads from around the world. Wonder aloud what Note why they are there.
Matthew 2:1-12
*
Tell the story of the three kings in
your own words moving the kings from the crèche around the sanctuary as you
talk. Actually you will need three assistants, one
to carry each king and perhaps a fourth to carry a shiny poster board star on a
pole. (You could even invite all the
children to travel with you as follow the story around the sanctuary.) Start in a far corner of the sanctuary
telling about the beginning of the trip.
Stop in another corner to tell about the visit to Herod’s palace, then
come to the mother and child figures.
(These figures might be in a prominent spot at the front of the
sanctuary or in a nook off to a side.)
Finally tell about the warning not to return to Herod and accompany the
king figures back to their homes following another path around the
sanctuary. (After the story you might
want to return the kings to their positions around the mother and child
figures.)
* Create
huge Magi puppets for a Three Kings processional. Each head is a
gallon jug inverted on the top of a dowel/broomstick. Glue felt facial features and yarn hair in
place. Add crown or turban head
dresses. Tape a clothes hanger in place
on the dowel to form shoulders under a drape of fabric that hangs down almost
to the floor. Leave a slit up the back
for the hands of the carrier to reach the pole.
Use sturdy cardboard boxes with holes cut in the top (and maybe some
sand in the bottom for ballast) for stands into which the puppets can be placed
for display during the service. The
puppets could enter on the three verses of We Three Kings and/or walk through
the gospel story as it is read. A group
of children who are often bored the week after Christmas could make these and
rehearse carrying them in a morning or evening.
 |
Kc Warren sent these photos and said,
"You were right, able to find 8 stir-crazy youth who created 3 wise men
and a King Herod for Epiphany worship on the 7th."
|
* John
Stevens on Dollar Store Children’s Sermons takes the children on a star walk
around the sanctuary to point out places we meet Jesus (including in
the congregation). I think walking to trace the Bible story
makes more sense to children. But, if it
fits your overall Epiphany theme, John’s tour might be just what you need.
 |
| He, Qi. Adoration of the Magi, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46114 [retrieved December 4, 2014]. Original source: heqigallery.com. |
*
Before reading the gospel
display this painting of the three kings.
Ask first who they are. If no one
comes up with the answer immediately, suggest that they look at what the men
are carrying (gifts). Then, ask “do
these men look scarier or wiser to you?”
Identify why that is so. Briefly
ponder why we are so frightened by people who are different from us. Then read the gospel.
*
Since the magi were from
Persia, sing the Farsi hymn “Children of the Light.” View the YouTube video then check out the
link to a web that provides Arabic and English words and a music
transcription. (Thanks to Natalie Sims
of the “Singing from the Lectionary” blog for this suggestion.)
*
Do a hymn study of “We three Kings of
Orient, Are.” Ask all worshipers to open their hymnals to
the carol. Walk through the verses
explaining the significance of the three gifts.
Then sing the carol together.
This could be the outline for the day’s sermon or a fairly brief
introduction to the hymn.
Interesting sidebar for children: the carol is
generally known as “We 3 Kings of Orient Are.”
Most children assume that Orient Are is the place the kings come
from. The truer to the meaning grammar
for this verse would be:
We
three kings of (the) Orient are bearing gifts.
We
traverse afar, (over) field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder
star.
*
Give each child a glow in the dark star
sticker to put on the ceiling for
their bedroom as a reminder to follow God’s star as the magi did. (Google “glow in the dark star stickers” for
sources.)
*
Chalking the Door is an Epiphany ritual that can be done at church then
repeated in the congregation’s homes. It
is basically a house blessing. Using
chalk, members of the congregation or household write on the door frame the
year’s date and the letters C, B, and M (the initials of the three wise
men). Prayer is then offered asking that
the door welcome many visitors during the coming year and that all who come
through the doorway be blessed. Write on
the church doors (if there are more than one, chalk them all!) during the
worship service. Name some of the people
who may come through the doors – parents bringing babies to be baptized, brides
and grooms, people coming to remember those who have died, and lots of people
coming to worship God each week. Then
encourage households to chalk the doors in their own homes. Print a simple blessing for use at both
church and home in the order of worship and give out small pieces of white
chalk for home use. Below is a sample
blessing.
God
of doors and homes, bless this home this year and every year.
Bless
all who come and go through this door, both those who live here and those who
visit.
May
all who enter through this door come in peace and bring joy.
May
all who come to this door find a welcome and love.
May
the love and joy in this home overflow and spread into the community and the world.
Interesting tidbit: I learned on another blog that C,M,B also
stands for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Latin for “May Christ Bless this
House.”
*
The world is full of stories
about people who were invited to go with the three kings, but declined
for a variety of reasons all related to being too busy. In most of these
stories this person later then decides to follow the kings, but is always too
late and spends the rest of his/her life looking for the child. The message in all the stories is to stay
alert for signs of God at work in the world (like a star in the sky or an
invitation) and to be ready to drop everything to respond. The Other Wise Man, by Henry Van
Dyke, is a rather complicated long American version of this tale. Two of the best of these stories for
children are:
*
The Legend of Old Befana, by Tomie dePaola.
In this well-loved European folk tale, an Italian grandmother meets the
kings, then spends the rest of her life leaving cakes and cookies for children
during the night on January 6. It could
be used at least two ways in worship.
Read
the first 13 pages ending with Befana telling the 3 kings that she has seen the
star which kept her awake at night and that she had work to do. (approximately
four minutes to read aloud) Stop there
to ponder the possibility of missing out on something wonderful because you
were stuck in a grumpy rut. Note that
the new year has many possibilities.
Encourage worshipers to stay open enough to give them a chance.
Or,
instead of stopping read one more page.
Then, stop. Ask listeners what
Befana might have done next. Read or
tell what happened in the next 13 pages (approximately three minutes to read
the rest of the book). Compare Befana’s
(grumpy) face in the pictures of her sweeping with her (happy) face on the last
page. Ponder what made the difference.
*
Baboushka, retold by Arthur Scholey, is a Russian folktale
about another busy grandmother who meets the three kings and is invited to join
them. At first she declines with lots of
busy excuses, then decides to follow, but never catches up. An angel points out that the shepherds left
immediately after the angels sang to them.
The kings followed the star as soon as it appeared. She is simply too late. She keeps searching, carrying with her toys
that she leaves with sleeping children in case they are the Christ child. (About ten minutes to read aloud)
For
what it is worth, I prefer The Legend of Old Befana because of the
change in her attitude. Also be aware
that some women object to both of these stories as stereotypical of overworked
women with limited vision. While I work
hard to avoid such stereotypes, I think either of these stories might be
used. The only other possible story
making this point is Van Dyke’s The Fourth Wise Man which features a man
who was slow to follow. Unfortunately,
this story in too long and its language too archaic to be read to children in
worship today. But, you could retell it
in your own words.
Have
a bright and glorious Epiphany!
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