Prepare: This series of children’s sermons in Advent will utilize your Advent wreath in your worship space. Each week the as the candle is lit you will explain what the candle means and then give them a take home. Please see the attached sheet. The sheet has an ornament to print and the devotion to print on the back of it. The devotion will change each week. Have a copy made on card stock for each child and household.
Faith +Open: Gather the children to the Advent wreath. Say, Last week we talked about joy and how we can share the joy of God’s love with everyone we meet. Who remembers why we light a candle each week? (Accept all answers) That’s right to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world and that Jesus will come again to us. Last week we lit the candle of Joy , this week we light the candle of Peace. How many candles do we have left to light? Yes they are all lit! Christmas Eve is tomorrow! Who’s excited? (Have an acolyte, or an older child light the four candles.)
Faith +Connect: We are so excited for tomorrow! We heard in today’s Bible story about Mary going to visit her relative Elizabeth. They were both going to have a baby! Elizabeth would have a son named John and Mary’s baby name was….(have the children guess! J ). That’s right Jesus! They were both so happy! Mary was so happy that she sang a song that we call the Magnificat-it means magnify. Mary’s song is about God bringing peace to the world. Who knows what peace is? (No fighting, quiet, calm, getting along, etc.) Yes, peace can be all of those things but God says that peace is more than that. Peace is also when everyone has a enough to eat, when everyone has a place to live, clothes, and friends. Can we bring God’s peace to people? Yes! We can help build houses, we give clothes to the Action center, we can give hugs and be a friend. We are part of God’s peace! How cool is that?
Each of you will get this candle ornament that you can take home and color blue (or purple if you do purple in Advent). You can hang it on your Christmas tree and now you will have four for the four weeks of Advent. On the back is a Bible passage from Luke 1 to read, a prayer and a blessing. You can do this at dinner, in the car or before bed. Let’s practice it now.
Faith +Pray: God of Joy, we sing for joy that you love us. We will sing your love to the whole world, amen.
Faith+ Bless: Have everyone in the congregation turn to one another and say this blessing while making the sign of the cross on their forehead or hand: “Child of God you are free in God’s love.”