Year A - First Sunday after Christmas (December 29, 2013)

On the Sunday after Christmas children who come to worship (not unlike the adults who come to worship) will not be many 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 peacefully cheerful.  Some will have landed with a thud in post-Christmas and are waiting for things to get back to normal.  Others are just tired – and maybe cranky.  Christmas is so very over and won’t come again for a year.  But, because numbers are low and expectations are not what they were for earlier December worship services, it is a relaxed Sunday with the possibility to try a few somewhat different ways of praising God and responding to the Christmas story.

] The first task is to sort through available texts.  If you will celebrate Epiphany on January 5, you might want to use the Second Sunday of Christmas texts (i.e. the prologue of John) today, saving all the magi stories for Epiphany.  Or you might use the magi and flight into Egypt story as an entry into exploring “after Christmas realities” today and then retell the magi story to explore Epiphany calls to rise and shine next week.  OR, you might ignore all the Christmas Sunday texts and work with the New Year’s texts.  There are lots of good possibilities for children as well as adults!

 

] Some congregations devote this Sunday to an after-Christmas Day lessons and carol service.  Often before Christmas we focus on the details of the stories the carols tell.   Just after Christmas Day explore messages the carols give us to take into the year before Christmas comes again. 

Before singing “Good Christians Friends, Rejoice” point to the three reasons to rejoice in the last lines of the verses – “Christ is born today,” “Christ was born for this,” and “Christ was born to save.”

Interrupt the congregation's singing of “Joy to the World” after the second verse.  Note that we know the first verse and the second is a simple call to sing our praises.  Then insist that we often stop paying attention to the words of the later verses in a song.  Walk worshipers through the last two verses.  Verse 3 is another task (harder than singing) for us – “No more let sins and sorrows grow.”  Verse 4 is a promise to us as we work on verse 3 – “He rules the world with truth…and wonders of his love.”  This done, invite everyone to sing the song challenging them to sing from the beginning all the way through the end.

“Once in Royal David’s City” tells the big story in words that many elementary readers know.  Help them get the message by walking through the verses with open books (or the words on the screens). Go to Fourth Sunday of Advent (Yr A) for details. 

Sing “What Child Is This?” with one group singing the questions in the verses and another singing the answers in the chorus.  A choir could sing the verses with the congregation responding with the chorus.  Or especially if it is a choir-less Sunday, two halves of the congregation could be the two groups.

Direct children to the last verse of “In the Bleak Midwinter” that refers to the gifts the shepherds and magi brought Jesus and identifies the gift we can bring Jesus – “our hearts.” 

Today’s Texts

Isaiah 63:7-9

Isaiah’s poetic words are probably here today to connect to incarnation.  It seems to me other texts speak more clearly to children. 

Psalm 148

] On the Sunday after Christmas recall the Christmas story, then enjoy calling on everything in the universe to praise God for this amazing deed.  Instead of having one reader, invite as many as possible in the sanctuary to get involved in this call to praise.  Here are two potential scripts.  In the first one, the lines to be read are shorter and so easier for young readers.  The second one follows the psalmist’s division of calls to those above the earth and those on the earth with one group reading each set of calls.   In either, 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.

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Psalm 148 – Let all praise God!

All:                  Praise the Lord!

Group 1:       Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

Group 2:       Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his host!

Group 1:       Praise him, sun and moon;

praise him, all you shining stars!

Group 2:       Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

Group 1:       Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he commanded and they were created.

Group 2:       He established them forever and ever;

he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Group 1:       Praise the Lord from the earth,

you sea monsters and all deeps,

Group 2:       fire and hail, snow and frost,

stormy wind fulfilling his 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 his name alone is exalted;

his glory is above earth and heaven.

Group 2:       He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his faithful,

for the people of Israel who are close to him.

All:                  Praise the Lord!

New Revised Standard Version

 

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Psalm 148

Let All Above the Earth and On the Earth

Praise God!

All:                  Praise the Lord!

Group 1:       Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

                        Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his host!

                        Praise him, sun and moon;

praise him, all you shining stars!

                        Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

                        Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he commanded and they were created.

                        He established them forever and ever;

he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

Group 2:       Praise the Lord from the earth,

you sea monsters and all deeps,

                        fire and hail, snow and frost,

stormy wind fulfilling his command!

                        Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

                        Wild animals and all cattle,

creeping things and flying birds!

                        Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

                        Young men and women alike,

old and young together!

                        Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his glory is above earth and heaven.

                        He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his faithful,

for the people of Israel who are close to him.

All:                  Praise the Lord!

New Revised Standard Version

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Feel free to copy this for use in worship.

 

] Give children a coloring page with words from the psalm calling all creatures on the earth to praise God printed in the middle.  Challenge them to draw around the “earth” things mentioned in the psalm and some ideas of their own.  (I added the mountains.)

] “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.

Hebrews 2:10-18

] Children will miss this abstract text almost entirely.  If you want to explore the incarnation in children’s terms, go back to the suggestions for The Fourth Sunday of Advent.   Again check out the walk through guide for "Once in Royal David’s City.” That hymn might be a better way to explore incarnation than these words.  

Add Nativity and Easter pictures.  They had
been pulled from the box when I took this photo.

] Children often need help connecting all the stories about Jesus.  So, on the Sunday after Jesus’ birthday take time to connect the story about Baby Jesus with stories about the man Jesus.  If there is an old teaching picture file in the church school, dig out pictures of Jesus to show the children in order to remind them of familiar stories.  Basically you need a nativity scene and pictures of Jesus teaching, healing, and on the cross followed by a picture of the empty tomb.  (If you add pictures of events such as calling Zacchaeus down from the tree, be ready to take time to hear a young story teller tell a rather long version of the story with possibly garbled details.  Teaching and healing pictures can be identified without reference to details of specific situations and therefore move along a little faster.)  

] “Christ is Alive, Let Christians Sing” is an Easter hymn with words that older elementary children understand and can sing along on.  Today sing verses 2, 3, and 5 to celebrate the fact that the story of Jesus’s birth is not something that happened long ago and far away but affects our lives today.  Review these verses before singing them together.

2. Christ is alive teaching and healing today.  Name some of the healing and teaching your congregation does in Jesus’ name.

3. Jesus is not far away in heaven but is with us and among us every day.

5. The good news of Jesus’ birth is as much good news today as it was then.  The whole world in every time and place is called to respond to God with us.

Matthew 2:13-23

 

] Children hear this horrifying story most easily when the emphasis is on the flight into Egypt rather than the slaughter of the children.  One way to tell it is to work with a crèche.   Recall the Christmas story and how almost magical the night was.  Then announce that the story did not stop there.   Remove the angels noting that they went back to heaven.  Set the shepherds aside noting that they went back to their sheep in the fields.  Touch the three magi, noting that they did not sleep well that night.  They had a dream in which God told them King Herod was really jealous of the new king and was ready to try to kill the baby.  Given this God said they should go home without stopping off to tell Herod where Jesus was.  Move their figures off to another side and note that they did as God told them.  Now go back to Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  Tell the children that they did not sleep well either.  Joseph had a dream in which God warned him that Herod was out to get the baby.  So, they were to get up right then, in the middle of the night and head down the road to Egypt.  Move their figures away from the central place.  Explain that they stayed in Egypt for two years.  It was not an easy time for them.  After two years they started back home, but God warned them that the King who followed Herod was just as evil as Herod was.  So, instead of going back home, they settled in the little town of Nazareth.  PAUSE.  SIGH.  Admit that this is a sad follow up for such a wonderful Christmas in the stable story.  It would be nice if everyone had gone happily home and watched Jesus grow up safe and secure with angels watching over him and no problems for anyone.  But it didn’t work that way.  It doesn’t work out that way for any of us.  We all have all sorts of problems to worry about and work on.  The good news in this story is that God knows that.  Jesus’ family had to run away in the middle the night to escape an evil king.  So God understands when we and our families have scary problems.  God is with us and loves us not just when things are Christmas Eve wonderful but also when nothing is going right.  Right now, on the Sunday after Christmas, that is really good to know.  Christmas is over for this year.  We still have New Year’s Day to look forward to.  But, soon it’s back to school and all the old problems and people we will struggle with.  It’s a good time to remember that God was with Jesus and his family in the peaceful stable AND on the scary road to Egypt.



JESUS MAFA. Flight into Egypt, from Art in the Christian Tradition,
a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
 http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48313
[retrieved November 9, 2013].

] Look at this picture of the flight into Egypt and compare it with photos of current refugees from National Geographic or other sources.

] Especially if your congregation is active in ministry to refugees in your community, explain that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus became refugees.  Compare their experiences in Egypt where they were foreigners with the challenges refugees in your community face.  Talk about some of the ways your congregation reaches out to refugees.  Suggest at least one specific way that families can take care of refugees during the last days of Christmas vacation as an “after his birthday” birthday present for Jesus or a good New Year’s resolution in Jesus’ honor.

One church planned a morning service project for children and their families during the week after Christmas.  Families that were in town and needed to get out of the “what are we doing for the holidays next” mode really appreciated it.  This would be a good year to pack relief kits for refugees from the wars in Syria or Africa.

 

 

 

 

Year A - Planning for Advent and Christmas (2013)

Advent and Christmas are filled with many treasured worship traditions, stories, and songs.  Preachers often worry about finding something fresh to say.  But, for children all these traditions are new, even unfamiliar.  They encounter them only one month of the year.  At one time American churches counted on the public schools to present the basics of the story and teach the best known Christmas carols.  That day is past.  So, congregations must be intentional about introducing their children to the Advent Christmas stories and songs.  Some of this is best done in classes, children’s events, and choirs.  But, it is also possible to do it in worship.  Actually, many adults either enjoy sitting in on the next generation’s learning or learning something that they may have missed before.  So, as you think about the Advent traditions and songs, ask “what do the children need, if they are to participate in this with at least some understanding?”

A Few Advent Traditions to Think About

'''' Many congregations ask families to light the Advent Wreath reading a script about the meaning of the candle.  Often the readings are too long including a Bible verse, some words of explanation and a brief prayer.  Simply naming the candles being relit and then adding one sentence of explanation about the candle being lit for the first time does the job.  It is also easier for people to remember the candle if it is lit after its meaning is explored in the sermon and liturgy. 

There are no universally accepted, unquestioned, don’t- mess-with-this meanings for each of the candles of the wreath.  That invites worship planners to match the meaning of the candles to the themes of the Sundays of Advent worship.  I will suggest several possible meanings for the candles of Year A Advent.

Week 1: Be light, be prepared

Week 2: Peace

Week 3: Joy, Patience or Mary

Week 4: I am With You or Mary and/or Joseph 

Asking families to light the wreath is fine.  But, for variety some year, ask a different class or group within the congregation to light the Advent wreath each week.  Select groups that are from different ages and match them to their theme.  Each group is to come up with a brief answer to one question about its theme, decide who will light the candle/s and who will read.  The whole group comes forward to stand near the wreath as the candles are lit.  Below is a set of directions for an invited group to follow.

December 12 is the third Sunday of Advent.  You will relight the first two candles and then light the third candle.  As one person lights the candles, another person or persons reads.

Today we light again the first candle of Advent, the candle of…..

And, we light again the second candle of Advent, the candle of…

And we light for the first time the third candle, the candle of patience.

ADD ONE SENTENCE ABOUT PATIENCE COMPOSED BY THE CLASS AFTER READING JAMES 5:7-9.

'''' If your congregation displays a Chrismon Tree in the sanctuary, its meaning has to be re-explained regularly.  Highlighting one or two ornaments tied to the week’s worship theme each week, helps children claim the ornaments and see the tree as more than just “the church’s pretty Christmas tree.”  Do this during the sermon pointing to the key ornaments with a flashlight to point them out.  Or, make it a feature of a time with children each week.

Week 1: Christ over the world

Week 2: Stars (hope)

Week 3: Snake on Tau Cross (for healing)

Week 4: the nativity ornament 

'''' Children no longer learn Advent and Christmas carols in public school.  That puts families and congregations on call to intentionally introduce these loved songs, explaining their meaning and history, rather than simply assume that by singing them with the congregation the children will eventually come to love them as we do.  One way to do this is to “feature” one song the congregation will sing each week.  There will be lots of suggestions each week.  You can also go to Singing Christmas Carols in Worship with the Children.

'''' Display a crèche in the sanctuary.  On the first Sunday of Advent, set aside all the angels and the baby.  Place the shepherds and some sheep in one area of the worship center, the traveling magi in another, and Mary and Joseph in separate areas.  In the stable area place the empty manger and animals.  Move the figures to the manger as their stories are told during Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.  Involve the children in unpacking them and putting them in place on the first Sunday of Advent.  Involve the children in moving the figures at the appropriate time or make the movement and very visual part of worship to get the attention of the children.  Suggestions will be offered for each set of readings.

FYI In Year A all the pieces are unpacked and spread out on the First Sunday of Advent.  A shepherd is turned into John the Baptist and set near the empty manger just for that day on the second Sunday of Advent.  Mary moves to the manger on the third Sunday (if you read the Magnificat that week).  Joseph (and Mary if you did not move her on the third Sunday) move on the fourth Sunday.  The Shepherds move on Christmas Eve and the baby is placed in the manger.  The wise men wait until Epiphany. 

'''' On the lookout for a good story book that reads well in worship to read to the congregation during the season?  Go to o to Christmas Story Books for Worship.  It gets updated every year.

 

'''' FINALLY, before you begin planning for worship for Christmas Eve Day, take a look at that post for ideas about planning overflow seating with children as well as adults in mind and the need to plan ahead for nursery care.

Year A - First Sunday of Advent, Also the Sunday after Thanksgiving in the USA (December 1, 2013)

' Yes, it IS the first Sunday of Advent, but in the United States it is also the Sunday after Thanksgiving and thus the end of the holiday weekend.  Given that it would be possible to focus on the beginning of the new Christian Year by celebrating the year as a whole.  Sing and read your way through the whole liturgical year.  Light the Advent candles, but save really getting into Advent until everyone gets back next week.  Go to Year C - Christ the King/ Reign of Christ Sunday for specific suggestions and resources.

 

' Set the sanctuary for Advent.  Have the Advent paraments, wreath, and other decorations in place.  OR 

If it is a relaxed holiday weekend, invite children and other worshipers to help put them in place before the service begins. 

If things are more formal, have two teams prepared, one to remove the old paraments and the second to install the Advent pieces.  Both teams process in and do their tasks dramatically.  (Families can enjoy serving on one team together.) 

Before the Call to Worship point out and explain briefly each of the changes.  Hint to additions as Advent progresses.

' The texts for the First Sunday of Advent are about watchful waiting.  Because Advent is all about waiting and everyone is into waiting for Christmas, it is tempting to compare waiting for the Son of Man to waiting for Christmas.  Be careful.  First, these texts are not about waiting for a holiday.  They are about cultivating an attitude of watchful waiting for God every day.  Second, for children waiting for Christmas is mainly waiting for Santa Claus.  Among young worshippers there are Santa true believers, Santa agnostics, and those who are “in” on it all.  In a conversation on the steps with all the children a member of the third group is likely to make a loud declaration that will dismay the others and their parents.  But more important than that potential brouhaha is the fact that as they discover the “reality” of Santa Claus, children inevitably question the “reality” of other such figures – like God and Jesus.   There is no way to sort through that during public worship.  But, we can be sure we don’t make figuring it out any harder by talking about God, Jesus and Santa as if they are similarly “real.”  Finally, Santa is making a list of who’s naughty and nice.  These texts encourage us to lead disciplined lives as we watch and wait for God.  That is a very subtle but important difference.  The first endorses works righteousness; the latter is…   Well, I can’t get the difference into one simple phrase and that’s the problem.  So be careful. 

Who Is Coming To Our House?, by Joseph Slate, gets at the right kind of waiting by telling the story of the animals preparing the stable for the guest who is coming to their house.  The story is very simple and reads in about 2 minutes, but makes more sense when listeners can see the wonderful art of the animals.  So plan to project it or to show the pictures to children gathered around you.

 

' Another theme running through these texts is the call to wake up.  Such calls are a daily reality for most children.  So, compare these texts with a parent’s call “Wake up you sleepy heads!  Don’t sleep your life away!  There is a wonderful day out there just waiting for you!”  Talk about turning on the light (and maybe trying to hide your eyes under the blankets).  Rephrase the prophet (and the parents) “Wake up you sleepy Christians!  Don’t sleep your life away because God is doing amazing things in the world.  You can be part of them!”

' Use an alarm clock for the Call to Worship.  Begin with it ringing.  Then launch into a call and response something like

Leader:          Wake up, you sleepy Christians!

People:          The night is gone.  The day is here.

Leader:          Be ready because God is at work in the world.

People:          Let us worship and serve God together.

' Often lighting the candles of the Advent Wreath is simply a way of counting down the Sundays until Christmas.  It is the sanctuary version of an Advent calendar.  To connect it to the advent call to join God at work in the world, compare lighting the candles to turning on the porch light or putting a candle in the window.  They are ways of saying we are ready, you are welcome, come in.  Often we turn these lights on while we are setting the table, sweeping the floor, and cooking dinner.  Compare those preparations to working with God to bring God’s love into the world.  Then, light the first candle of the wreath to say, “We are ready.  God you are welcome here.”  Read Matthew 24:44 - “Therefore you must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected moment.”  If possible light the candle later in the service maybe as the affirmation of faith following the sermon.  If it must be lit earlier, point to it and recall its meaning as you work through this discussion.

' Take the Advent candles to another level by encouraging worshipers to become Advent candles themselves.  This week their job as a candle is simply to watch for times when they can add light, fun, love, kindness when they can see it is needed.

'     “This Little Light of Mine” and “We Are Marching in the Light of God/ Siyahamba” become Advent hymns in this context.

'      This Little Light of Mine, by E. B. Lewis, illustrates the hymn with pictures from the day of young African American boy.  As you flip through the book point out all the ways the boy let’s his light shine and what a difference it makes in his world.  Then challenge young worshippers to create their own book with pictures of themselves letting their light shine.

Traditional Advent Hymns

(for today or later in Advent)

' O Come, O Come Emmanuel has a sound that fascinates children and is filled with words that are totally beyond them.  To begin singing it with understanding they need to be introduced to only one word and then invited into the sound.  The word is Emmanuel, God is With Us.  It is both a nickname for Jesus who is God With Us and a reminder that God is indeed with us always.  Before singing, briefly explain that to the children and everyone.  To invite the children into the sound, point out the sad descriptions of all the problems in the verses and the happy sound of the refrain’s reminder that God is with always even when things look bad.  Encourage children who might have trouble with the words in the verses to sing the chorus.  Even take time to rehearse the chorus with everyone.  It would even be possible for the choir to sing the sad verses and the congregation to respond by singing the hope filled refrain.

' Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence is another song that is all about the feel of the music.  The ideas are complex, but focus on the “more that we can understand,” goosebumpy beautiful fact that God came among us as a little baby.  

' Watchman Tell Us of the Night is another song that is best understood when sung antiphonally by either a choir and the congregation or two halves of the congregation.  In either case one group becomes the Traveler singing the first and third lines and the other group becomes the watchman singing the second and fourth lines.

The Texts

 

Isaiah 2:1-5

Public Domain Worldwide - Wikimedia Commons

' This text features the well-known prophecy about swords being turned into plows and spears into pruning hooks.  For children that means two vaguely known items are being turned into two totally unfamiliar items.  If we provide the details about the weapons and tools, they quickly grasp the message.  So take time to illustrate how swords can be made into plows and how a plow is used.  Because the pruning hook used in gardens today is hard to visualize being made from a spear, and because one prop is enough anyway, skip the pruning hook.

 

* Bring a sword (toy or real) or a poster board sword (perhaps created by an artistic parishioner) and a picture of an old fashion plow.  If the sample is flexible, show how it could be bent to be used as a plow.  Then read verse 4 again and rephrase it something like, “God promises that there will be a time when everyone gets along.  It will be so peaceful that people won’t need swords and other weapons anymore.  So, they will turn them into garden tools.”  Challenge the children to watch for swords turned into plows in the prayers and songs of the church during Advent.  (Make sure to provide them a sample or two in today’s worship.)

 

* If yours is an imaginative group, imagine together peaceful uses for modern weapons, e.g. think of cool things you could do if an aircraft carrier were turned into a cruise ship – take off from the short runway, land with a jolt on the hook, riding in helicopters, holding sports events and big dances.   Send the children back to their seats to reform other weapons to peaceful uses.

 

 ADVENT WREATH WARNING:  If you focus on this text, it is tempting to light the first candle of the Advent Wreath for peace.  But the texts for the second Sunday almost demand that that Sunday be the Sunday for peace.  Lighting today’s candle for watchful waiting – for peace among God’s other promises – is a better idea. 

 

Psalm 122

' Though it is the first Sunday of Advent, it is also the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend in the USA.  Children have been feasting on pilgrims, Indians and thanks for country.  So, focus on vv. 6-9.  Present it to the children as a prayer for Jerusalem by people who lived there.  Together identify prayers for your town, state and nation.  We want the same peace that the people in Jerusalem wanted.  Children will be able to add prayers for people who are caught up in current problems or disasters, prayers for a variety of leaders, prayers for schools and other local institutions, etc.  Either offer a prayer that incorporates what the children have said as you sit with them.  Or, begin the congregation’s prayers with the prayers the children have identified.  This is most effective if the congregation’s prayers immediately follow the time with children.  

Romans 13:11-14

' If you plan to devote time to Paul’s list of sins to avoid, note that the last pair – fighting and jealousy – fit children.  Avoiding fighting and jealousy during Advent is a worthy discipline.  List examples such as fighting among siblings while traveling or when stuck home for the long holiday weekend.  Point out how easy it is to get jealous and get the “I wants” as Christmas gets closer.  Paul says we can be better than that.  We are Jesus’ people.  We can stop the fighting and work on not getting so greedy. 

This could be a children’s time or could be dealt with in the middle of the sermon.  “Listen up children, I think Paul wrote this especially for you, maybe especially during December….”

 

' Introduce Advent waiting on the first Sunday of Advent by getting out a set of nativity figures for use in the sanctuary.  Set aside all the angels and the baby.  Place the shepherds and some sheep in one area of the worship center, the traveling magi in another, and Mary and Joseph in separate areas.  In the stable area place the empty manger and animals.  As you do, talk about what each set of characters was probably doing.  Then read Romans 13.11.  Note that it is a message to each of those people waiting for Jesus to be born AND it is a message to us.  We need to wake up and pay attention, too.  God is at work all around us. 

FYI This year a shepherd might be turned into John the Baptist and set near the empty manger just for that day on the second Sunday of Advent.  Mary moves to the manger on the third Sunday (if you read the Magnificat that week).  Joseph (and Mary if you did not move her on the third Sunday) move on the fourth Sunday.  The Shepherds move on Christmas Eve and the baby is placed in the manger.  The wise men wait until Epiphany. 

' Invite worshipers over the weeks of Advent to add a straw around manger for each good deed done.  Provide a basket of pre-cut short straws on the floor near the table.  People can bring their straws before or after worship or even during the offertory.  The good deeds of watchful waiting become the setting for the crèche figures as they are moved to the manger at Christmas.

Matthew 24:36-44

This is probably the least accessible text today for children.  Fortunately, its theme of being prepared runs through the other texts.  So, in this post you have already found or can go back to find…

' An Advent Wreath lighting suggestion based on

verse 44.

' A call to become Advent candles shining God’s light into the world

' Plans for exploring and singing three Advent hymns about waiting

' Directions for unpacking the crèche with attention to how the characters were waiting for Jesus’ birth

' An advent discipline: avoiding fighting and jealousy during December

Unpack the Chrismon ornaments and display only the one that fits today – Christ over the world.  Briefly introduce Chrismons and tell when the tree will appear.  Explain today’s ornament pointing out that it says what Matthew says in today’s text.  God/Christ is the biggest power in the world and rules over the world always.  God rules over the world way before Christmas and will rule over the world forever.  Hang it on a small hook in front of deep blue or purple Adventy fabric in a prominent place at the front of the sanctuary until time for it to go on the tree.