Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Christmas Day B: Glorious Light

 



























Bible Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7, Hebrews 1:1-4, 5-12, Luke 2:1-20, Psalm 98

About the Images
Upper Left: Winter sunrise, Swan Reach, Victoria, Australia (for more info visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Reach,_Victoria). This is my photo so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.
Upper Right: 
This is a Corel free clipart with text from the Michael Card song, Immanuel.
Middle Left: Decoration in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This is my image so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.
Middle Right: This is a free image from Heartlight (see my links column at left) 
Lower Left: This is a free image from Heartlight (see my links column at left). 
Lower Right: This is a typical first century house in Bethlehem: two stories with the upper story with a guest room and a living area and the lower story for cooking and for the animals.  Because of the census the guest room would have been full so Mary and Joseph would have taken up the offer of a bit of space in the lower room with the animals.  This is my image so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.    

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 (pictured at right).
Listening Song: G
audete
By Cantillation on the compilation CD, Peace on Earth (pictured at left).
Listening Song: Immanuel
By Michael Card on his album, The Final Word (pictured at right).

Kid's Story: The Fox's Story
By Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen, Marshal Pickering, 1988, ISBN 0551015802; (pictured at left).

Kids: The Grumpy Shepherd
By Paddy Devon, Scripture Union, 1995, ISBN 1859993265 (pictured at right).

Kids: Jed and Roy McCoy
by Andrew McDonough, Lost Sheep, 2007 ISNB 9781921229121. Visit lostsheep.com.au for downloads of this book (pictured at left).


Kids: 
Tonight in the Palace
This is another brilliant book  by Andrew McDonough, Lost Sheep Resources, 2016 (pictured at right). This goes with the Luke reading.  The great thing about these books is that they only around $A7 and for a further $A12 (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.

Film Clip: Meet all of us/Hope



Film Clip: Bethlehemian Rhapsody


Film Clip: The Journey of the Shepherds
From the amazing Bethlehem Bible College
https://youtu.be/dVWIP3uWatA

Drama: A Special Baby
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 111ff (pictured above).

Drama: The Incarnation
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 86ff (pictured above).

Story: I Did
By Adrian Plass in The Growing Up Pains of Adrian Plass, Harper Collins,1986, ISBN 0551013850, page 7ff (pictured at right).

Story: Out and About
There was once a European monarch who worried his court by often disappearing and walking incognito amongst his people. When he was asked not to do this for security reasons, he said, “I cannot rule my people unless I know how they live". I cannot source this tiny story but it is found in a number of places on the web.

Story: Come Home

Found in Still More Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Zondervan, 1999, ISBN 0310224640, page 125ff (pictured at left).

Story: Dian Fossey and Gorillas in the Mist
Find this story at www.elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+1446

Story: With Skin On!
Find this story at www.elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+1445. This site seems to be closed at the moment so here is the story:

We read of a father putting his four-year-old son to bed. Having finished prayers, stories, and all the little bedtime things, he kissed his son and turned the light off. His son started sobbing, "Don't leave me. I'm scared and don't want to stay here alone." The father tried to encourage the little boy by reminding him of God's presence and reminding him that they had just prayed together.

The little boy said, "I want somebody with skin on." 

Poem and Prayer : leaving the fields
Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 70 (pictured at left). These are based on the Luke reading.

Prayer for Others: In the Face of the Gospel
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 115 (pictured above).

Responsive Reading: A Boy Has Been Born to Us
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 114 (pictured above).

Responsive reading: Light Looked Down
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 82 (pictured above).

Responsive Reading: Litany of the Incarnation
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 91 (pictured above).

Response Activity: Candy Canes
Give everyone a red and white striped candy cane and tell the congregation the meaning of the shape, the stripes, the flavour, etc. For information, see http://ww2.netnitco.net/~legend01/candycane.htm


Also:

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

Drama: Heavenly Revelry
Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 83. This is based on the Luke reading.  

Drama: Knock Knock
Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 89. This is based on the Luke reading.  

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

Drama: The News
A dialogue between two excited shepherds  based on the gospel reading and found in Let's Make a Scene by Verena Johnson, Open Book Publishers, 1995, page 21.

Drama: I shouldn't Complain.........
Found in Let's Make A Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing, 1991, ISBN 085910608, page 72. This drama is linked to the Luke reading.

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

Drama: Where's the Baby?
Found in Let's Make a Scene for..... by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 1998, ISBN 0859108937, page 101 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Luke reading. 

Drama: Whose Been Sleeping in MY Manger?
Found in All Age Sketches for The Christian Year by Peter Shaw, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 10 1 984101 458 3, page 18ff.  This is based on the Luke reading.

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)

Call to Worship: Luke 2
By Ann B Day and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 23

Reflection and Prayer: 
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured at right). These are based on the Psalm and found under the heading: December 1st.

Reflection and Prayer: 
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured at right). These are based on the Luke reading and found under the heading: December 25th.

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