Year A: Advent 1, 2022 Ideas to share the weekly Revised Common Lectionary Readings with all ages.

Welcome, to the start of a new Liturgical year. Watching this might help you to understand more about the Liturgical Year. The Revised Common Lectionary consists of 3 cycles, A, B and C. We recommence with Year A, and it’s emphasis on the Book of Matthew.

Each year is broken into seasons and we begin with the season of Advent. The time of anticipation. Each season has a liturgical colour, and the season of Advent is either Purple or Royal Blue. To find out more about hte season of Advent you might like to watch this Godly Play presentation

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 HOPE.

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 1 of Advent

We come to you God with Hope, (find an action or a facial expression that says hope for you)

Hope for others (open yours ams out wide)

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

Hope for ourselves (point to yourself)

And always Hope in you (find an action or a facial expression that says hope for you)

Amen (one clap)

You might also like to sing/Listen to David MacGregor’s In this time of Waiting

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

THE LORDS PRAYER IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

FIRST READING: Isaiah 2:1-5

READ: The Whirl Story Bible, Isaiah’s Message, pp.114-117

ACTIVITY:

PRAY

You God,

guide my way

Amen

PSALM 122

Psalm 122: The Peace of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, O Jerusalem,
the home of the Lord, (Make a house with your hands)
the house of David, (Make a house with your hands)
the gates of Israel, (fold your hands across your body with finger tips touching the swing your arms open like a gate)
the Holy Land.
Jerusalem, O Jerusalem,
we pray for peace inside your walls, (make a peace sign)
peace between your peoples, (make a peace sign)
peace through your land. (make a peace sign)
We will seek your good (shield your eyes as if losing for something)
and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (hold your hands in prayer)
Thanks again to Rev. Purdie actions in italics from me

RESPONSE: When you think of your home how does it make you feel? Describe that feeling, or draw it, or point out an emoji that shows it.

SECOND READING: Roman’s 13:11-14

READ: Pete the Cat and His magic Sunglasses By Kimberley and James Dean

WATCH

A Storypath suggestion Read to find why.

ACTIVITY: Find things that change the way you see the world. eg, Lead light windows, Magnifer, Bug Eye Lens, cellopane, etc.

MAKE: a staned glass window like this one from “let their light shine”

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 24:36-44

Reread the story of Noah’s ark, try The Beginners Bible storybook or the Bible for Kids app two by two (third story in) https://bibleappforkids.com, or your favourite Bible story book.

ACTIVITY: Play with a Noah’s Ark, or make one like Noah did?

THINK about the types of things you need to do to “get ready”, eg: clean teeth, brush hair, check backpack, choose clothes, set up ingredients and bowls if baking, put on sunhat and long sleeves and sunscreen in summer, etc.

When getting ready this week talk about being ready to live God’s way everyday: what do you need, eg. pray, read the Bible, worship etc.

PRAY

LIKE NOAH,

GOD

HELP ME TO BE READY

TO DO YOUR WILL

AMEN

CONCLUDING SONG Seed of Hope by Heather Price from the Carols in the Sun Album

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.

YEAR A Advent 1: Ideas to help 3’s and under relate to this weeks RCL readings

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It’s the start of the Liturgical Year, and we are back to Year A in the three year cycle.

You might like to view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPTWq1AsCao To explain the liturgical year.

Have a party at home to celebrate, bake a cake (or buy one), and put the first candle of Advent on the top.

My favourite New Year activity is to make a paper chain calendar.

You will need Purple(more towards the blue spectrum) or Deep Blue paper(p/b), white (w), black (b), red (r), green (g), gold (gd) and Purple (more towards the red spectrum) (p). coloured paper. For 2019/20 you will need to place the colours in the chain thus

4 chains in P/b Advent

2 chains in White Christmas

1 chain in White

6 chains in Green After Epiphany

1 chain in White

6 chains in P Lent

7 chains in white Easter

1 chain Red Pentecost

1 chain White

23 chains in Green After Pentecost

1 chain in white

Take your time to look around the church today to see the new colours and banners in the church,

This is Highfield Road Uniting Church with banners designed by Margaret Duncan.

Many congregations will use candles to count down to Christmas

Below you will find some ideas to help you share the Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary with your children.

If you are a parent or Guardian

Prepare a special church bag in advance each week so that you are ready for the rush on Sunday Morning.

Always have plain drawing paper, washable TEXTA’S , the books that are suggested and the toys or craft suggested for this week

Remember to download the colouring sheets and check out the links before Sunday morning.

Sit towards the front so they can see what is going on.

Sing or sway during the Hymns

Read during the Bible readings,

Pray during the prayers,

Colour, Draw or Craft during the sermon.

Craft or drawing or play are for spiritual responses not for a perfectionist piece

that can be shown off. Don’t throw these out when you leave the church. Keep them at home in a special box, and bring them out to remind your child what has been happening or use as future prayer points.

Remember that little ones will need their own space to move and wiggle,

You have bought your child to worship. Enjoy engaging them in it.

If you are a small congregation without a Child and Family Minister have an area available near the front for parents/guardians to worship with their children, and print off this information so that it is readily available or direct them to this site. Set up an area with books and toys in it that will enhance their spiritual experience. (Ie not just toys for “keeping them quiet”).Spiritual Delights or Toy Box tat! andMake the books appealing

If you would like these ideas as a PDF file sent to you each week, please contact me.

THE LORDS PRAYER IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w

FIRST READING: Isaiah 2:1-5

READ/WATCH: CAN’T YOU SLEEP, LITTLE BEAR? by Martin Waddell as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-december-1-2019/ HINT: this is long, so break it down into smaller bits and wait till your child is ready to come back to read/watch it again.

PLAY: play with a dolls house or build your own house out of bricks

PRAY

You God,

guide my way

Amen

PSALM 122

RESPONSE: When you think of your home how does it make you feel? Describe that feeling, or draw it, or point out what it feels like from a set of emotional cards https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/bears-cards/ or the Bears App https://innovativeresources.org/resources/digital-applications/bears-app/

SECOND READING: Roman’s 13:11-14

READ/WATCH: Hey! Wake up! by Sandra Boynton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VLgGhipXtc as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/update-and-lectionary-links-sunday-december-1-2013/

MAKE: Use a paper plate, colour one side yellow, and the leave the other white. Flip it back and forth asking your child to show you what they do when the Sun is up and when the Moon is up.

Or make a candle. use a tube such as the inside of a cling wrap or aluminium foil roll, wrap it in purple paper, tuck in both ends. Fold up square about 15cm square of yellow cellophane, place at top of roll, to make a burning candle.

Play: with your toys, put them to sleep, then wake them up to play with you and the other toys.

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 24:36-44

Reread the story of Noah’s ark, try The Beginners Bible storybook or the Bible for Kids app two by two (third story in) https://bibleappforkids.com, or your favourite Bible story book.

Count in twos, two legs, two arms, two seats, etc

When getting ready this week talk about being ready to live God’s way everyday

PRAY

LIKE NOAH,

GOD

HELP ME TO BE READY

TO DO YOUR WILL

AMEN

THE SERVICE MIGHT BE FINISHED BUT

Now is the time to continue teaching your child beyond the walls of the church.

Use the craft or drawings during the week to talk about the service or the stories.

Use any of the readings during the week, at bedtime, as story time or during the day in play or prayer.

Enjoy sharing your faith with your child.

You might like start watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPTWq1AsCao

Blessings

Wendy L.