Sunday, December 23, 2018

Christmas 1 C (December 30): Changing Direction/Transformation





























There is an updated 2021 version of this blog with heaps more resources - access it via my archive list at left.

Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, Psalm 148, Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52

About the Images:
Upper Left: I found this one at the excellent www.heartlight.org site. All their powerpoint pictures are free.
Upper Right: My photo, my sticks, my driveway, my daughter's feet. Please feel free to use the photo for worship and related activities.
Lower Left: This is a free Microsoft clipart image with my text - it goes well with the Colossians reading.
Lower Right: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website.  Visit the website at www.churchgalleries.com.

Drama: One day in the Temple
Found in Let's Make a Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 9 (pictured at left).

Drama: ...We Are a Family
Found in Let's Make a Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 31 and based on the Colossians reading. 

Kid's Discussion: Based on above drama
What is the thing you like doing best?
What new thing have you recently learnt to do?
Point: Because Jesus was a kid growing up and learning new things too, God knows what it is like to be a kid.

Discussion:
To share with your neighbour:
What is your earliest understanding or memory of God?
To think about in silence: How much has changed since that earliest memory?

Story: Who Am I?
Found in The Youth Bible, Word Publishing, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 1006, (pictured at right). This story goes well with the gospel reading.

Story: What Do We Expect?
Can't source this story - think I found it in an email.....
A ten year old girl went with a group of family and friends to see the Christmas lights at various locations in her town. At one church they stopped and got out to look at a beautiful nativity scene. "Isn't that beautiful?" said the little girl's grandmother. "Look at all the animals, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus." "Yes, Grandma," replied the grand daughter. It's really nice. But there's one thing that bothers me. Isn't baby Jesus ever going to grow up....he's the same size he was last year!"

Poem: Coming of Age
By Bruce Prewer in Beyond Words, Joint Board of Christian Education, 1995, ISBN 1864070722

Prayer: Thankyou For the Life of Our Brother
By Bruce Prewer in Brief Prayers for Australians, Open Book Publishers (pictured at left). I chose some images to go with these works and backed them with The Black Rose by Joan Maddon on the album Celtic Twilight 2 (pictured at right).


Response Activity: Transformation
Ask: How can we respond to God's call to be continually transformed?
The ask people to:
1. come out and light a candle as a symbol of their willingness to be transformed by God, to grow deeper and to continue on their faith journey this coming year,
2. light their candle from the Christ candle to show that this is a journey they make with Jesus beside them, and
3. place the candle with everyone's elses as a sign that this is a journey they make together.

Kids: Echidnas on Everest
This is another brilliant book  by Andrew McDonough, Lost Sheep Resources, 2006 (pictured at left). This goes with the Colossians reading.  The great thing about these books is that they only around $A5 and for a further $A10 (or instead of) you can buy on line the story in any format you need to project the pictures in church.  There are also free activity sheets and for a cost activity books for both teachers and children.  Visit www.lostsheep.com.au to check out all the excellent resources.

Also:

Worship Activity: Love and Unity
By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 84 (pictured at right).  This is based on the Colossians reading.

Prayer Exercise: Singing our Prayers
Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 68 (pictured at left).  This is based on the Colossians reading.

Sunday, December 09, 2018

Advent 4 C (December 23): Expect the Unexpected










































THERE IS A 2021 UPDATED VERSION OF THIS POST WITH  MORE STUFF - SEE MY ARCHIVES AT LEFT.



Bible Readings: Micah 5:2-5a, Luke 1:47-55,or Psalm 80:107, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45 (46-55).

About the images:
Upper Left:
This image comes from http://www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon/ which is an excellent free clipart site (there is a link at left) and the text is mine. Please feel free to use this image - don't forget to acknowledge the clipart site. 
Upper Right: This photo of surprised little eyes is mine so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.
Middle Left: This image is of the arch in the old wall of Bethlehem which Mary and Joseph probably entered the town through. The image is mine so please feel free to use for worship and related activities.
Middle Right: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which was decimated by hackers. Visit the website at www.churchgalleries.com. 
Lower Left: This is a free image from the Hemano Leon site - see my link column at left. 


Listening Song: A Strange Way to Save the World
By 4Him on their album The Season of Love (pictured at right) or on the WOW Christmas album. This is a Christmas song from Joseph's perspective. It is a rarer take than most on the Christmas story and all the more important because of that.  Make sure people hear or see the words clearly.


Kid's Story: One Little Angel
By Ruth Brown, Red Fox, 1998, ISBN 0099404362 (pictured at left). This is a delightful Christmas story with an unexpected ending.

Kid's Story: email: Jesus@Bethlehem
By Hilary Robinson and Anthony Lewis, MacDonald Young Books, 1999, ISBN 075002688X (pictured at right).This is an unexpected take on the Christmas story.

Kid's Story: Joseph's Christmas Story
By Nicky Dreyer, Arch Books, 2001,  ISBN 978-0570075776

Film Clip: O Little Town of Bethlehem: Bethlehem Bible College Choir








Drama: Mary and Lizzie
Found in Cloth for the Cradle by The Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 190557014, page 48ff (pictured at left).This drama is based on the gospel reading.

Introduction to Sermon/Adult Input: What am I?
Read one sentence at a time until somebody in the congregation guesses the answer; then link it with the idea of a key being small and insignificant to look at but able to do great things just as the people in the Christmas story were average pretty insignificant human beings but with God they were able to do great things.
I am usually quite small?
I can fit in the palm of your hand.
With my help people can literally move mountains.
I am seldom alone - usually I am found with others of my kind.
I can encourage great power from dormancy.
When I am lost, chaos and panic erupts.
I am often made of metal but these days i am also likely to have plastic and electronic components.
I can prevent or allow people to pass from one place to another.
I fit specifically into certain places.
I am often part of a security system.
I am a key.





Poem: The Joy of Elizabeth
Found in Outback Christmas by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Lutheran Publishing house, 1990, ISBN 0859105628, page 16 (pictured at right).

Meditation: The Magnificat
Found in Cloth for the Cradle (as above), page 45.

Meditation: I Sang For Him
Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group. Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0901557642, page 78 (pictured at left). This too is based on the gospel reading.

Response Activity: Cloth For the Cradle
Found in Cloth For the Cradle (as above), page 74.

Response Activity: The Promise
List all the promises out of Mary's song and ask people to choose the one which gives them the most hope and to share that hope with someone sitting near them.

Also:


Meditation: Bread
Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 80 (pictured at right). This goes well with the gospel reading.



Taize Service: Sing Out My Soul

Found in Worship Feast by Taize, Abingdon Press, 2004, page 32 (pictured at left). This is based on the Luke reading.