Luke | Faith Formation Journeys

Scripture Focus: Luke 2: 1-20

Faith + Open: At this time of year we are all focused on how we show friends and family how much we love them. We do this by buying or making and giving gifts. Yet, some of our greatest gifts have not been things. God’s greatest gift to us was born in a barn surrounded by wandering shepherds and loud, smelly animals. What was the best gift that you have ever received that was not a thing. Share with one another and then open in prayer and sing either Away in the Manger(LBW 67, ELW 278) or Joy to the World (LBW 39, ELW 267) together.

Faith + Story: Read Luke 2: 1-20 or pages 212-217 in the Spark Story Bible. If you have a Nativity set, use the pieces to act out the story.

Faith + Share: For Adults: God comes to us in unexpected ways. Think about the shepherds faithfully doing their work with the sheep when an angel, declaring that God was doing a new thing in the world, interrupted them. These shepherds then immediately had to go and check it out! Have you ever been interrupted by God? Share a time when God seemed to put you on a different course. How did you react? Were you as excited as the shepherds or a bit more cautious? Did you tell anyone about this?

For families: Angels told the shepherds about Jesus being born and where to go and see Jesus. We can be messengers about Jesus too! Who tells you about Jesus? Who can you tell about Jesus? What would you tell a friend about Jesus?

Faith + Serve: We can use our words to tell people about the love of God in Jesus and we can use our actions as well! In the month of December as a family decide if there is someone in your neighborhood that you can help. Maybe shovel the walk when it snows. Maybe take over a hot meal if you know that they are sick. Make and give Christmas cards with the message of the birth of Jesus to neighbors.

Faith + Ritual: At the daily meal where everyone is gathered ask how each one showed or told someone about Jesus. Doesn’t have to be directly but even a kind act or word is showing Jesus to the world. Then at the end of the meal sing the chorus to Go Tell It on the Mountain (LBW 70, ELW 290) to celebrate how our whole lives tell about the love of God in Jesus Christ!

Children Sermon:

By Gus Brockmann, Worship and Children’s Ministry Director, First Lutheran in Longmont CO

Scripture Focus: Luke 24:13-35

Supplies – an easy to see optical illusion (see the picture to the left, prints well on 11×17)

Faith+Open— After welcoming the children show them the illusion, being careful to talk about the most obvious part (in the attached file, talk about the forest). Once they have looked for a few seconds point out the hidden picture (the tiger in the attached file). Some of the children might spot it before you call attention to it, but that’s ok too!

Faith+Share:

Sometimes, like in this picture, we don’t always see what is really there. It’s easy to see the trees, but we might not see the tiger until we look at the picture for a few minutes. The Gospel today is a story that takes place on Easter, right after Jesus come back to life. We hear about some people who run into a stranger on the road as they are walking home; at least they think he’s a stranger. They invite the stranger to come with them, telling him that it will soon be dark and dangerous on the road. The stranger agrees to go with them, and they talk about just happened in Jerusalem, and the stranger talks about the Bible and tells them stories from the prophets. Once they get home, they make dinner and invite the stranger to sit and eat.

The stranger sits with them, picks up the bread, blesses it and breaks it. In that moment, they realize that they are sitting with Jesus! They are amazed that their eyes did not see him, but they knew in their hearts that it was him.

Sometimes when we look at things we don’t see the whole picture at first, just like in the illusion. We might not see Jesus all the time, but He is always walking with us and caring for us.

Faith+Prayer: Loving God, we bless you for the gift your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending him with us a friend and companion. Amen.

Faith+Blessing: Let’s say together making the sign of the cross: God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left and God on my right.

Extended activities: If you meet with children for a longer period of time outside of the worship space here are some ideas:

1. Find additional optical illusion pictures and examine them together

2. Read the story of the Walk to Emmaus from Spark Storybook Bible or Jesus Storybook Bible

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Let us walk with you on the journey of faith. Whether your feet are big or small, fresh or worn, running or crawling, God's love goes with you and you stand on holy ground.