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December Week 3
Travel to Bethlehem
picture from http://www.coloringbookfun.com/christian/imagepages/image33.htm
NOTE: The acolytes do not light the Christ Candle at the beginning of Chapel. Instead, they light the candles of hope, peace, and joy. As they light the candle of hope, ask all the children about hope. Do the same with the candle of peace and the candle of joy. Affirm their answers. Remind them that hope in the tradition of our faith is knowing that no matter what happens in the world, with God things can change for the better. Let them know that peace comes when we are happy with what we have and treat all people with fairness. And joy, in the tradition of our faith, is the great feeling we get in experiencing God in our lives.
Materials Nativity set from last week
Blue robe for Mary.
A robe for Joseph
The donkey from the Nativity set or a stuffed toy donkey.
The baby Jesus from the nativity set.
The gifts from last week ( baby bottle, baby blanket, diaper, and baby rattle/toy). Let them stay in the stable.
Lesson
Read scripture.
In our story of Christmas, the angels told the shepherds that they brought news of great joy. Jesus was born. Our story tells how this happened during the night on the very first Christmas. So, is it Christmas today? (No, the children will answer.) You mean I have to keep waiting? (Yes, they will say). You’re right. So, lets think about Mary and Joseph and the donkey as they were traveling to Bethlehem. We need to move our figures one place closer to our stable. ( Ask children to help move the figures).
Today, I will tell you the story of Mary and Joseph coming to Bethlehem. I need a person to be Mary ( put the robe on the child that comes forward.) I need someone to be Joseph. (put the robe on the child). And Mary, you get to carry the donkey. In our story from the Bible the donkey carried Mary but this is a toy donkey so you get to carry it. Lets start way over here (some place far from the stable” Bethlehem”.) The story goes that Mary and Joseph lived in a town called Nazareth. They had to go to Bethlehem the town where their families came from because the Romans who ruled the land wanted to count all the people. Mary and Joseph and the donkey headed on the long journey to Bethlehem. ( Have the children pretend to journey toward the stable. ) Mary and Joseph knew that their baby was special. The angel had told them. So, why didn’t they have something more comfortable then a donkey to get to Bethlehem? (wait for the children’s answers) Well, if God can do anything and everything, God might have made it easier but God didn’t. If God would not fix everything on the journey so that Mary and Joseph could have an easy travel, you can be certain that we will have times when things seem very difficult. Then when they got to Bethlehem, there were so many people that there was no place for the little family to stay. An innkeeper, that is someone who takes care of a house where travelers stay, let Mary and Joseph use his stable. It doesn’t seem like Mary and Joseph could have much joy when they faced so many troubles. But then baby Jesus was born ( pass the baby Jesus figure to “Mary” and invite her to place him in the manger) and they were full of joy.
Let’s sing our song.
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