Christmas Day A: The Big Gift/The Light Wins

Note: 

There is an updated 2022 version of this post with more stuff.

Bible readings: Isaiah 62:6-12, Psalm 97, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:1-20

About the Images:

Upper Left: This is a microsoft free clipart image with my Biblical text

Upper Right: This is a Christian Clipart.com image with Biblical text preceded by a line from the song "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" by Rebecca St James (see below).

Middle Left: This is my image taken of the ancient entrance and wall into Bethlehem. Please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.

Middle Right: This is a slide from Church Galleries - see my link in the column at left.

Lower Left:  A painting on the present day 8 metre high wall built by Israel surrounding Bethlehem and the West Bank preventing residents from freedom of movement. This is my photo - please feel free to use it for worship and related activities. 

Listening Song: Sweet Little Jesus Boy
By Rebecca St James on the WOW Christmas album (pictured at right)

 Kid's Story: Chi-Wee's Special Present

Found in The Lion Christmas Book compiled by Mary Batchelor, Lion, 1984, ISBN 0745912206, page 22 (pictured at left). This is a lovely story about what it really means to give a gift.

Kid's Story: One Little Angel

By Ruth Brown, Red Fox, 1998, ISBN 0099404362 (pictured at  right). This story has a delightful surprise ending.

Kid's Story: The Fox's Story
By Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen, 1988, ISBN 0551015799 (pictured at left).  This is one of a set of excellently illustrated stories. They have been republished insets of four however I never let mine out of my sight - just in case.

Kid's Story: Great Joy
By Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline, Candlewick Press, 2007, ISBN 9780763629205 (pictured at right).

Kid's Story: Jed and Roy McCoy
by Andrew McDonough, Lost Sheep Resources, 2007 ISBN 9781921229121 (pictured at left). Visit lostsheep.com.au for downloads of this book in a number of different formats for both Mac and PC.  The site also has free activity sheets and lots of other resources. 

Film Clip: When God was Born

Drama: Angel Space

Found in Lightning Sketches by Paul Burbridge and Murray Wells, Hodder and Stoughton, 1981, ISBN 0340267100, page 28 (pictured at left).

Drama: Accept My Gift
 Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 96

Drama: The Shepherd

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 94

Drama: Unto You

Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 90 .

Plenary Discussion:
How many people received Christmas cards this year?
How many people received religious ones?
With neighbours: Is the real story gradually being lost?

Story: Chippie's Bad Day

Found in More Hot Illustrations for Youth by Wayne Rice, Zondervan 1995, ISBN 0310207681 page 51.  An illustration of the difference Christmas can make to our lives.

Poems: From Outback Christmas
By Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Lutheran Publishing House, 1990, ISBN 0859105628, page 32. If you want to give your service a real Australian flavour the following poems and their corresponding artwork go very well with the Luke reading for today: The Ride to Bethlehem (vs1-5), Jesus' Birth (6), The Bethlehem Pub (7), The Stockmens' Story (8-14), Report of the Stockmen (15-20)

Poem and Prayer: defiant light

Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 6.  I am giving everyone a bookmark copy of this lovely poem to take home and discover at their leisure. This wonderful book has poems and prayers for the three year cycle of the lectionary.  

Meditation: The Word

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 98.

Response Activity: Christmas Cards
Give everyone a business sized card as above (upper right image) and a time of silence to pray.

Response Activity: Light in the World

Have a big gift box at the front on the church filled with enough stars for everyone to take one home. Print a prayer about being light in the dark on each star. This idea is roughly based on an idea by Christine Wright in Christmas Wrapped Up! by Scripture Union, 2003 ISBN 9781859997956, page 78. (pictured at right and which is full of brilliant ideas for Christmas).

Also:

Meditation: Quiet Remembering

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 16.

Brilliant Comments on the Gospel

Found in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey, SPCK, 2008, ISBN 9780281059751, pages 25-37.

Christmas Day Resources

Found in Hay and Stardust by Ruth Burgess, Wild Goose Publications 2005, ISBN 1 905010 00 1, pages 15-22.

Drama: No Beds in Bethlehem

Found in Let's Make a Scene for..... by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 1998, ISBN 0859108937, page 89 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Luke reading. 

Jesus the Light of the World

Found in Messy Church 2 by Lucy Moore, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84101 602 3, page 100ff. This is based on the Luke reading.

Christmas Eve A : Peace on Earth

Note: 

There is an updated 2022 version of this post with more stuff.

Bible Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20

About the Images:
Upper Left: A free microsoft clipart with text from the Bible

Upper Right: Found at http://www.gwpda.org/photos/greatwar.ht It is an actual picture of two soldiers with Christmas trees during the Christmas Truce on the Western Front.

Middle Left: A free clipart with text from the Bible.

Middle Right: This free image comes from www.sundaygraphx.blogspot.com
Lower Left: This is a free image from the Hermano Leon website - see my link column at left

Call To Worship: This, Tonight, is the Meeting Place

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 83. (pictured below at left).

Listening Song: Christe Elieson
By Michelle Tumes on her album, Centre of My Universe (pictured at left).

Listening Song: Emmanuel

By Michael W. Smith on WOW  Christmas or on his album, Christmas Time (pictured at right).

Listening song: I Still Pray
By Casey Chambers on The Spirit of Christmas 2001 (pictured at left)

Listening Song: Blessed is...
By The Cafe of the Gate of Salvation on their album, A Window in Heaven (pictured at right) 

Reading: The Journey of Jesus

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worsh

ip Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 84 (pictured at left below).

Film Clip: He Came Down

Drama (Monologue): The Shepherd
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 94 (pictured at left).

Story: Two Babies in the Manger
Author unknown but it can be found in many places on the net by googling the title. It is the story of a little orphan boy called Misha and is set in the early 1990's.

Story: The Christmas Truce on the Western Front

The web has lots of pictures and accounts of this amazing truce which occurred on Christmas Eve 1914. Just google the title. Wikipedia is as good a source as any. However if you are really stuck, The Lion Christmas Book by Mary Batchelor (ed.), Lion Publishing, 1986, ISBN 0745912206 (pictured at right) has the story on page 69.

Film Clip: Joyeux Noel
This is the film of the above story.

Film Clip; Christmas Truce
This is a documentary of the same story with lots of useful scenes.

Listening Song: Belleau Wood
By Garth Brooks on his album, Sevens (pictured at left). This is a song about the Christmas truce. I turned the sound off the documentary above and played this song as the backing for silent scenes of the soldiers coming out of their trenches to make their peace with each other.

Film Clip: Belleau Wood

This puts original photos, paintings and modern film stills together with Garth Brooks' song - it may not be a vailable anymore. It is a youtube clip. 

Story: The Christmas Troll

By Eugene H Peterson and Will Terry, Navpress,2004, ISBN 1576836819 (pictured at right)

Meditation: The People Who Walked

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 24.

Meditation: How Can I Keep from Singing
Show a series of images of the nativity and play How can I Keep from Singing (by Enya on her singles album, Silent Night) in the background.

Responsive Prayer: A Boy Has Been Born For Us
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 114.

Prayer for Others: When The World Was Dark

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 92.

Proclamation: They Have Heard It on the Hills

From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 97.

Response Activity: Candle Lighting and Offering at 12 midnight:
Works as follows:
Our offering tonight is for......fill in the blanks but not your own church - someone else instead. Please come forward and place your offering in the bowl provided and take a taper. If you have not brought anything with you, don't worry, just come and take a taper. Form a large circle around the church instead of returning to your seat. (This can be done with just about any number of people). Jesus said "I am the light of the world". (Light the Christ candle, light your taper off the Christ candle and light the tapers of the people on each side of you. Encourage them to light the taper of the person next to them and so on). As Jesus' light travels around the circle, we pray that God's love will be in everyone's hearts tonight and always.

Response Activity: Jesus the Light of the World
At some point in the service (where it fits) ask people to take a tea light, light it and place it around a small wooden feed box (with or with out baby) to represent Jesus as the light of the world. If your service ends at midnight, turn the lights off completely at this point so that only the manger is highlighted.

Also:

Meditation: Quiet Remembering

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 16.

Drama: Unto You

Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 90. This drama is based on the Isaiah reading.