Preparation: if you would like to pattern your children’s sermons off of our take home devotions for advent the pick an ornament that reminds you of peace or says something about peace.
You also need a picture of a sword and plowshare to show how they look alike. You can simply google for images.
Faith+ Connect: Gather the children with you and near the advent wreath. “Good morning! Look around and tell me if you notice anything different about our space today” take answers and highlight any Advent preparations you have made.
Faith+ Bible: “Today is the beginning of Advent, a season where we prepare for… (Let them say Christmas if they know the answer). You have noticed some things we have done to prepare and you may be making preparations at home too. Today we hear from the prophet Isaiah in our Bible reading. Isaiah is talking to the people about the promises of God that one day we will all walk I the light and on the path of God. We know that this light is in Jesus. One way Isaiah tries to describe what this is like is to say that God will turn swords into plowshares. Do you have any idea what that means? I bet you know what a sword is though, right? So a sword would have been used for fighting and for taking land or things away from someone else. The vision that Isaiah has is for people to come to God and put away their weapons and live together. A plowshare is a part of a farming tool called a plow and it looks like a blade that is also in the shape of a sword. So Isaiah calls people to come together to live in Gods ways and to live in peace.” (Show your picture or toy plow)
If you’re using the home devos take out the ornament that you picked and talk about why it reminds you of peace. Show the children the devotion book and give them each one. Take a few minutes to talk about how to use it and that each week they (and you) will pick an ornament to share.
Faith+Chat: Another way he says this is to say that we will walk in the light. Each week of advent we will light a candle. Today we light the candle and remember the promise that we are people of the light and we can work to live in peace with others in the world. You can light a candle at home as well this week to prepare for the birth of Jesus and to live in the light.
Faith+Prayer: Jesus, we wait your coming and pray for peace in our days and in our world. Thank you for being our light in all ways and all the time.
Faith+Blessing: Walk as a child of the light. +
