Year A: Advent 2, 2022 Ideas to share the weekly Revised Common Lectionary Readings with all ages.

Welcome Each week I compile a number of resources to help you contemplate the RCL readings. While designed to be used during a Sunday service at church or by zoom, these readings can also be used during the week to help you remember and build on what you experienced on Sundays. My objective is for faith to be a lived experience and for children to learn how to worship and explore the Bible and pray by participating in Worship with you. The goal here is not for them to learn names or facts though they may want to do that for themselves, but rather to find ways of connecting with the text and sharing that with others. The ideal is to form a life long love of Christ, for the Word of God and to participate in Worship.

If you are worshipping from home you may like to set up a worship area and define it with a PURPLE/BLUE placemat, or ribbons, If you have an Advent Candle holder now is the time to set it up, you can either place all 4 candles in the holder now and light one each week, or add a candle each week. If you do not have an Advent Candle holder or you would like something more personal you might like to make these light holders. Note each week of Advent has a different theme and this weeks theme is PEACE.

If able to worship in the Church buildings pack a special backpack, as well as filling, it with your Covid Safe equipment, add the books or materials required to help your young ones relate to today’s readings.

For adults and older students, you might like to use a journal with which to record anything that grabs your attention during the service. This could be a special, bound book or use your ipad or iphone. You could write a precis of the message (traditional words or pictures), draw, keep a record of emotions and hymns that you did or did not like. You could use a template like this free download. Remember, this is for you, you do not have to show anyone what is in it unless you want to, and you feel safe to do so.

CONGREGATIONAL USE: Though parents are the best at sharing their faith with their children. If you are a small congregation where children are a very small, or rare part of your congregational life, please feel free to make these suggestions available to your congregation. I am very happy for you to copy and paste ideas from here into your own Order of Service or for you to supply a link to this page. An acknoledgement though is always appreciated.

LET’S BEGIN:

CANDLE LITURGY Week 2 of Advent

We come to you God to find Peace (find an action or a facial expression that says peace for you)

Peace for others (take a deep breath in)

Peace for our families, (make a circle by clasping your fingers together)

Peace for ourselves (point to yourself)

We search for Peace in you (find an action or a facial expression that says peace for you)

Amen (one clap)

You might also like to sing/Listen to David MacGregor’s More than Dream (Peace be our living)

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

You might like to start with the Lord’s Prayer if at home, or say the Lord’s Prayer within a set place if following along in a service. Here are 4 options

2 with ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

A more contemplative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuUo-igXDU&fbclid=IwAR2FasYCU-9mP1PaLQDjweXyhyUnJutt4J28KycjzeUEttWSesipX2jmJxE

Or for a more Intergenerational approach try Number 1 on the Table Settings album by Liturgical Folks

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

If you are in Australia and attending a Uniting Church in Australia, in many cases an Acknowledgment of Country will be said. You can teach your young ones to do this too.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

https://www.childrens-ministry-deals.com/blogs/childrens-pastors-only/how-to-pray-the-five-finger-prayer

INTRODUCTORY SONG Hallelujah Christ is Coming Number 2 on the Advent Album by Liturgical Folk

FIRST READING: Isaiah 11:1-10

READ: God’s Peaceful World in The Spark Story Bible, pp.166-169

OR tell your child about their family tree and what they have from their ancestors. If the child has been adopted or fostered share what they bring to the family tree.

DRAW: What would a peaceful world look to you? OR play with toy animals putting those that might not “play nicely” together and would normally need to be seperated

JESSE TREE activity and Devotional

PSALM 72:1-7 and 18-19

Psalm 72: Long live the King!

​
Praise to the King!          Long live the King!
Our King is full of grace and truth,
          from him come springs of living water.
He brings peace and justice,    good news to the poor.
He lifts up the broken     and takes down the proud.
He will out-shine the sun    and out-live the moon.
And he shall reign for ever and ever
                                   his kingdom will have no end.

adapted from http://www.conversations.net.nz/psalm-72-long-live-the-king.html

READ/WATCH The Lion King especially when Simba realises he can be a good King

SECOND READING: Romans 15:4-13

READ: Jews and Gentile Together, in Whirl Story Book, pp.370-373

MAKE a Welcome sign for the church or your home

SING The Welcome Song by Heather Price from her I am Loved album

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 3:1-12

READ: The Pointer and the Point in The Biggest Story Bible Story Book, pp.292-295

COLOUR-IN

PLAY a game of Snap, OR find things that go together such as Salt and pepper, knife and fork etc, John and Jesus

Blessings

Wendy L.

Please check local guidlines before using items that are not mine especially if you are using this page for congregational use. If you find this page useful an acknowledgment is always appreciated. Thank you.

I am writing this on Wurundjeri land and wish to pay respect to all Elders, past, present and emerging.

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