Opening Check-Ins
Invite all children and adults to introduce themselves. You may invite the children to share something that has brought them joy in the past week. They don’t have to share if they’re not comfortable. We are here to support each other in prayer and presence.Centering in Silence and Song
If you have a household altar, I recommend using it. If not, a sense of ritual and sacred time can be initiated by lighting a candle and ringing a bell.Set up the altar. You may wish to note any differences in the altar for the season of Advent. Invite children to collect a flower, leaf, twig (or something like that) to place on the altar. A sense of ritual and sacred time can be initiated by lighting a candle and ringing a bell (three times is usually a good way to help everyone settle into silence). Share a few minutes of silence together. You may sound the bell again when silence is over. Children often enjoy the responsibility of these tasks (and should be supervised and assisted as appropriate).
Prayer of Jesus
If you have a particular version of the prayer that you use, you are encouraged to use it.This is the "children's translation" that I wrote and use with my students:
God all around us with many sacred names
We roll up our sleeves to create a beautiful world with you
Please care for us and our needs and forgive us when we don’t do our best
Please help us to be forgiving of others, too.
Help us to be good, loving, and safe so we can help create a loving and safe world for everyone.
Amen.
Sacred Story
Background:
Today is the third Sunday of Advent. What did we talk about last week? Last week we read some from the Book of Isaiah and talked about peace.What are we talking about this week? This week we are reading from the Gospel of Luke and talking about Joy. This section in the Gospel of Luke has a special name: Magnificat. It looks kind of like a song of praise that Mary sang to God, but like other songs in the Bible, we don’t really know what it sounded like. We have the words to read, though. And we’ll read a bit from our story Bible to see what Mary was singing about.
Bible Story:
Story: Read together Luke 1:46b-55
Story: Read together “An Angel Appears to Mary” in “Children of God Storybook Bible” (p. 60-61)Mary was singing because she was happy to be pregnant! She was happy to be chosen to give birth to Jesus and raise him.
Mary was excited to have her baby because she knew he would be special and loved by God. God makes all of us to be special, wonderful, and joyful. Today we’ll read a story about when God made YOU!
Conversation:
We all know that babies are special. Has anyone heard the expression “bundle of joy”? What does it mean?
It means a baby! We think of babies as bringing joy into the world, and Mary certainly felt that way when she found out she was going to have a baby.
Our book today talks about how special all of us are. We all bring joy to God and to each other.
Story: Read together “When God Made You” by Matthew Paul Turner
Craft:
Decorate rocks like baby Jesus. Wrap him up in cotton balls and in a treasure or gift box!
Closing Prayer
“Dear God, thank you for the season of Advent. Thank you for teaching us about joy. Thank you for giving us moments of joy in our own lives and for helping us to build a joyful world with you. We ask for your help to find joy in this season and help others to find it, too. Amen.”Curriculum texts used:
- Children of God Storybook Bible by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- Images of God for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval
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