On the Sunday after Christmas
children who come to worship (not unlike the adults who come to worship) will
few in number and will be coming in many moods. Some will be basking in the
rosy glow of a happy Christmas. Others will be deeply disappointed either
because they did not get what they wanted or gatherings were less than
happy. Others are just tired – and maybe
cranky. Christmas is over and won’t come
again for a year.
Calendar for the weeks
following Christmas this year requires some thinking ahead. Things to ponder
include –
Will you celebrate the First or Second Sunday after Christmas
Day on Dec. 27? Because Christmas is on Friday this year, the
first Sunday after Christmas Day is only two days later. Christmas is over, but still lingers and New
Year’s still feels “in the future.” So,
the Sunday is likely to be a meditation on Christmas and how it might impact
our lives in the coming days. Unfortunately,
the texts for the First Sunday after Christmas Day focus on Samuel’s childhood
and Jesus in the Temple at 12. Strangely
enough the texts for the Second Sunday after Christmas Day (find Second Sunday resources here) are more
Christmas-y. So, it might be better to
use them on December 27. In this case it
would be possible to use the Samuel and Jesus stories (Second Sunday after
Christmas) on January 3 the day before most children head back to school which
is long enough after Christmas that children are ready to think about the baby
Jesus growing up.
Will there be a New Year’s Sunday (see New Year's Day resources here)? If so, it will
probably be on January 3. That would be
another reason to move the Second Sunday texts to December 27 and save the
stories of Samuel and Jesus at 12 for another time in the coming year.
Will you celebrate Epiphany (see Epiphany resources here) this year? It falls on
Wednesday this year, but could be celebrated on Sunday, January 3.
If
your congregation will celebrate Epiphany on a day other than Wednesday, January
6, what about celebrating Epiphany light and the magi on December 27. That would leave Jan 3 for either New Year’s
or these stories of Samuel and Jesus.
It
all bunches up on January 3! There are lots
of choices! Whichever you choose, make
January 3 a festive Sunday that will draw children and their families back to
church as they return to everyday habits.
It can set the pattern for the rest of the school year.
The Texts
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
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This is a
difficult story to share with children. A child who is loved so much that he is sent
away from home to live at the Temple at a very young age and only saw his
parents once a year thereafter is a hard sell.
One new set of clothes each year seems meager. There is a positive side to the story, but
children will not hear it as the story is read.
Worship leaders will need to tell them that Samuel as a young child was
a respected member of the Temple household.
He and Eli worked and talked side by side every day. They were good friends. Samuel’s parents loved him, were proud of his
place at the Temple, and did not abandon him.
Also, note that God does not ask parents to abandon children.
*
This story is read today as an
echo of the story of Jesus in the Temple at age 12. Because children are more likely to be
confused by similar stories about different people than to hear them as echoes,
it might be wise to focus on the story about Jesus today.
*
This story and the story of
Jesus in the Temple at 12 feature adults and
children talking and worshiping together in the Temple. Their interaction is key. Samuel and Jesus are not off to the side
somewhere. They are fully involved. That makes this a good opportunity to push
full involvement of the children of your congregation in your worship and
ministry. Tell local stories of adults
and children working together. Point to
children serving as acolytes, ushers, in the choirs. If there were important not-in-your-family
adults, who were your friends and mentors as you grew up, tell stories about
them. Encourage children to be in the
sanctuary and adults to get to know the children around them at church. Insist that the generations have much to
learn from each other.
Psalm 148
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On the Sunday after Christmas
recall the Christmas story, then enjoy calling on everything in the universe to
praise God for this amazing event. Instead of having one reader, invite as many as possible in the sanctuary to get involved in
this call to praise. As it is laid out below,
Group 1 could be the choir and Group 2 the congregation. Or, Group 1 could be
the left side of the congregation and Group 2 the right side. Invite children
especially to join in the reading since the words are words they are likely to
know.
! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * !
* ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * !
Psalm 148
All: Praise the LORD!
Group 1: Praise
the LORD from the heavens;
praise the LORD in the heights!
Group 2: Praise the LORD, all you holy angels;
praise the LORD all host!
Group 1: Praise the LORD, sun and moon;
praise the LORD, all you shining stars!
Group 2: Praise the LORD, heaven of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Group 1: Let them praise the name of the LORD,
who commanded, and they were created.
Group 2: the LORD made them stand fast forever and ever
And gave them a law which
shall not pass away.
Group 1: Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
Group 2: fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind obeying God’s command!
Group 1: Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Group 2: Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
Group 1: Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Group 2: Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
Group 1: Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for the name of the LORD alone is exalted;
and the glory of the LORD is over earth
and heaven.
Group 2: the LORD has raised up strength for
the chosen people,
And praise for all loyal servants,
for the people of Israel who are close
to the LORD.
All: Praise the LORD!
Adapted from Book of Common Worship @1993
Westminster/John Knox Press and The
New Revised Standard Version
! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * ! * !
* ! * ! * ! * !
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Give children a page
with a small picture of the nativity in the center and lots of space to add
pictures of things mentioned in the psalm. These might be handed out during a children’s time or simply be
in worship bags. Watch for children to have them as they leave the sanctuary
and take time to talk with them about what they have drawn.
*
“All Creatures of Our
God and King” sets the words of St.
Francis of Assisi to music. St. Francis was surely remembering Psalm 148 as he
wrote it. The repeated “Alleluias” are easy for even non-readers to sing and
recall all the Christmas “alleluias.” Other hymns based on this psalm are
harder for children to sing.
*
“Let The Whole Creation
Cry” not only recalls the praises of this psalm, but connects to the stories
of young Samuel and Jesus in the Temple.
The words are simple enough for your readers to try. Before singing it point out the opening
phrases of the two verses noting their call for ALL of creation both YOUNG AND
OLD to sing.
Colossians 3:12-17
*
Depending on your focus in
worship today, these verses can be read as “take aways” from the Christmas
story for the new year or as instructions (separate from the Christmas story)
for the new year. To explore them with
children pick out a few items to ponder briefly, then pray about them in our
lives during the coming year.
“Take aways” are important things we see in the people in the
Christmas story that we want to take away for our own lives. I’d mention
The
KINDNESS of the innkeeper who paid attention to two needy people on a very busy
day.
The
MEEKNESS of Mary and Joseph who kept doing what God asked even when it was
hard. Translate meek as obedience, i.e.
they did what God asked even when they did not want to because they were tired
and hungry and not sure what was going to happen next.
“Let
THE WORD dwell in you” is what Mary did when she “kept all these things and
pondered them in her heart.” We are to
read, ponder, and live out what we read in the Bible every day.
If
the focus is God’s instructions for the coming year, I’d mention
KINDNESS
– We are to be kind to each other. That
is easy to say, but can be hard to do some days when we don’t feel kind and the
people around us don’t make us want to be kind to them
PATIENCE
– Identify times children have had to wait - for Christmas to finally come, for
their turn doing something, for everyone to be ready to go where you want to
go…. Note that there will certainly be
times during the coming year when we will have to wait and be patient.
FORGIVENESS
– Read verse 13. Ask how many have had
to “bear with” or “put up with” someone during the last few weeks. Then ask how many have had to forgive someone
who has said or done something mean to them.
(Just ask for show of hands, not stories which could prove
embarrassing.) Note that these things
happen to all of us and will happen to us in the coming year. Our instructions are to forgive. It is a hard instruction to carry out. But, remembering that God and other people
forgive us makes it a little easier.
KEEP
GOD’S WORD IN OUR HEARTS – Read verse 16a.
Point out that we can guess some things that will happen in the new
year, e.g. we know what grade we will be in, but there will be a lot of
surprises. To be ready for those
surprises we need to study and remember everything God has told un in the
Bible. All those things will help us get
through the year. And, yes, I’d use it
as an opportunity to push new year’s resolutions to get the whole family to
church school regularly.
*
Even if you are still
decorated for Christmas, just before reading Colossians, bring out and prominently display a collection of everyday items
such as a lunch box or bookbag, pieces of sports equipment, an alarm
clock, etc. Remind worshipers that the
holidays are about over and the activities behind each of these items are
coming back. Note that our challenge is to
take all the good news and joy of Christmas back into our everyday lives. Urge worshipers to listen to the letter to
the Colossians for Christmas attitudes that we can take back into our lives or
for instructions for a new year. (The
kernel for this suggestion comes from Creating Holy Spaces, by Delia
Halverson and Karen Appleby).
*
If you are focusing on the stories of Samuel and Jesus growing
up, these verses become instructions for us as we do the work of growing up
whether that work is learning to ride a bike, do our school work, deal with a
bully, etc. As we grow up we are to be
kind, patient….
Luke 2:41-52
*
This story could be read by a 12 year old boy. Or, it could be read
by a boy and his parents.
The script below has lots of short phrases that can help convey the
anxiety and confusion of the situation when well read. So, a rehearsal might be a good idea to help
this family read with the emotions of the biblical family.
Luke 2: 41-52
Father: Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of
the Passover.
Jesus: And when he was twelve
years old, they went up as usual for the festival.
Father: When the festival was ended and they started to return,
Jesus: the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem,
Father: but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the
group of travelers, they went a day’s journey.
Mother: Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.
Father: When they did not find
him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the
temple,
Jesus: sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them
questions. And all who heard him were
amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Father: When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother
said to him,
Mother: Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and
I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”
Father: He said to them,
Jesus: Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be
in my Father’s house?”
Father: But they did not understand what he said to them.
Jesus: Then he went down with
them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.
Mother: His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Jesus: And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and
human favor.
Based
on NRSV
 |
| JESUS MAFA. Jesus among the teachers, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48280 [retrieved November 5, 2012]. |
*
Display the picture before reading the
gospel. Then pay attention to the figure
of Jesus sand the figures of the teachers.
Ask children what they learn about Jesus from this picture of him. Then, repeat with the teachers. Discuss what is the same and different in the
two. Note that they are all thinking
together about questions that are very important to them. They are thoughtful and respect each
other. Celebrate asking important
questions together in your church.
*
Peter Pan and the Lost
Boys want to stay children
forever, Wendy and her brothers enjoy the stories and games of childhood but
know that they are meant to grow up and were unwilling to stay children
forever. In this story Jesus is working
on growing up.
 |
| This may be copied for non-commercial use. |
The over the top approach: Make each
child a booklet by folding a piece of paper in half. In each of the four panels print one verse of
the song. If they start working on this
early in the service and sing the song later in the service, they can sing from
their own illustrated hymn book.
*
“Once in Royal David’s
City” is another good hymn choice
for this story. Before singing it,
briefly summarize the first three verses and more carefully put the fourth into
your own words. For example,
The
first verse is about Christmas. We know that story well right now. The second reminds us that the baby in the
manger wasn’t just any baby, but God in human skin. The third insists that Jesus grew up just
like each of us. He had to figure out
how to do things like walk – just like we do.
He got bobos – we get lots of those.
He had happy days and sad days – just like us. The last verse looks ahead. Not only was Jesus with God before he was
born, Jesus is with God forever.
Jesus/God is always with us, even after we die. That’s a lot in one song. Let’s sing it all together.
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