Worship God. Focus on Luke 2: n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 December 30, 2018 First Sunday after Christmas Day 1 Sam. 2:18 20, 26 Ps. 148 Col. 3:12 17 Luke 2:41 52 Worship God Goal for the Session Discovering that the young Jesus worshiped in the temple, children will grow in their desire to worship God. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Luke 2:41 52 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Paul J. Achtemeier The Jesus who appears in this narrative thus recalls the roots of Christianity in the history of Israel. The story shows Jesus to be fully human in his maturation in wisdom and in stature, anticipating his total dedication to the mission with which his Father has entrusted him. This temple story also portrays the resulting necessities under which Jesus fulfills that mission, from this early announcement of the necessity of being in his Father s house to the subsequent necessities of his ministry: preaching the kingdom of God (4:43), casting out demons and performing cures (13:32 33), and finally suffering many things, being killed, and being raised from the dead (9:22; 17:25; 22:37; 24:7, 26). WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, William J. Danaher Jr. That the incarnation took this shape in the life of the holy family gives hope for families of all kinds and conditions on this day. The model of living that the holy family offers is not, as is sometimes depicted in romantic paintings and portraits, that of a family perfectly ordered and without division or differences. Rather, it is of a family that lives into messy moments with the confidence that God in Christ Jesus has entered and redeems them from within. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Stephen Bauman Yet no congregant is truly like Jesus, and his uniqueness seems the seminal aspect of this story. Just as Luke s birth narrative revealed Jesus special position, this story provides a transitional marker emphasizing his growing self-knowledge of his need to be in his Father s house (v. 49). Later, when visiting Jerusalem at the end of his life, Luke reports that Jesus returns to the temple to drive out those who were selling things, saying, My house shall be a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers (Luke 19:46). His Father s house is his house too and demands his attention. Where is our attention? NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Barbara Brown Taylor On this Sunday after Christmas preachers might find parallels in the local church, where those who are not our kin sometimes see things in us that our kin cannot. What young person will not welcome the good news that parents do not know everything? Parents may also profit from the reminder that there are other adults in the community of faith to look after their children when those children seem lost to their own families. Finally, there may be Simeons or Annas sitting there just waiting for permission to say what they see when they look at the children of this congregation. 1

2 Worship God FOCUS SCRIPTURE Luke 2:41 52 Focus on Your Teaching Worshiping together is important for Christians of all ages. It is likely that many children in your class worshiped with their families on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so the experience of corporate worship is fresh in their minds. When children are comfortable and welcomed in worship, they ll feel they must be in the Father s house often, just like Jesus in today s Bible story. Be aware that children may find it confusing to hear about twelve-yearold Jesus today, when just a few days ago they were celebrating the Christ child in a manger. Loving God, just as Jesus felt at home in your house, help me make these children feel welcomed and comfortable in our church today. Amen. YOU WILL NEED small table or large box white cloth Christmas gift wrap ribbons battery-operated white candle copier paper, markers colorful paper napkins scissors, clear tape Resource Sheet 1 Bible Singing the Feast, ; CD player Color Pack 29 For Responding option 1: copies of Resource Sheet 2 on card stock, crayons, scissors, newsprint, envelopes, marker option 3: Color Pack 9, scissors, dry-erase marker n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, if you are using option 2 in Responding, arrange for your class to visit the sanctuary or other worship space in your church. If using option 3, cut out the figures of Jesus and Mary/Joseph from the left side of Color Pack 9. Before the children arrive, create a worship table by placing a white cloth on a small table or overturned box and decorating it with Christmas ribbons. Place a white candle on the cloth. As children arrive, take a moment to ask them to tell you about something they did to celebrate Christmas. Gather around the worship table. Explain that today is the first Sunday of the Christmas season, so the color has been changed to white, the church color for Christmas. Light the candle, saying that it reminds us of Jesus love. Teach children the response, Tell them that you will hold up your hand when it is time for them to speak their response. When we are young, When we grow up, When we re together today, Today and every day, 2

3 Worship God Invite volunteers to tell about a time when a parent didn t know where they were and went searching for them. Ask: P What did your parent say when he or she found you? What did you say? P How did you feel when you realized your parent was worried about you? EXPLORING Distribute pieces of copier paper and markers. Tell children you are going to make puppets to help tell a Bible story about Jesus when he was a boy. Demonstrate each of the following steps, following the diagram in the sidebar. Pause for children to repeat each step after you: 1. Fold the paper in thirds lengthwise. Tape the long edge closed at the top and bottom, using two small pieces of tape. 2. Fold the paper in half crosswise and bring the two ends up to meet in the middle fold, so it looks like a W from the side. 3. Draw eyes and a nose on the top fold with markers. 4. Draw a large U in the center fold for a tongue in the puppet s mouth. 5. Tape a colorful paper napkin above the eyes for a biblical-times headdress. 6. Wear the puppet on one hand. Use the other hand to hold the headdress in place. Ask for volunteers to use their puppets to play Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Teachers in the Temple, and Group of Travelers. Act out Luke 2:41 52 with the puppets, following the script on Resource Sheet 1 (Where s Jesus?). As time allows, have children switch parts and act out the story again. After the puppet play, talk about worship in Jesus time and worship in your church: P Why did Jesus and his family go to the temple? (to celebrate a holiday called Passover) P When do you and your family come to the church to celebrate a holiday? P In the temple, Jesus and his family worshiped God. They read from the Scriptures, prayed, sang hymns, gave an offering, and listened to the temple leaders. What do people in our church do when we worship God? What seems the same about the way Jesus worshiped and the way we worship? What seems different? P When do you feel most at home in our church? EASY PREP RESPONDING Mark the options you will use: 1. Jesus in the Temple Puzzle Children can use a puzzle to help them tell about the Bible story and about worship. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Jesus in the Temple) made on card stock, scissors, and crayons. Invite children to color the picture and then cut the puzzle apart, following the lines. Have them assemble their puzzles facedown on the table. On newsprint, work together to list things that people do when they worship God, such as pray, sing, listen to Bible readings, hear a sermon, give an offering, or share the peace. Tell learners to choose three things to write on their puzzles, making the words stretch across several pieces. Form pairs. Have partners 3

4 Worship God switch puzzles, put them together picture side up, and take turns telling the story to each other. Next, have them put the puzzles together word side up, telling each other about the words they wrote on their puzzles. Distribute envelopes for puzzle pieces. Encourage learners to use their puzzles to tell the story to someone at home. Take a moment to define words that children may hear in your church, such as sanctuary, pew, font, hymnal, bulletin, pulpit, offering plate, stained glass, or narthex. Sing Thanks to God Little children, *sing your thanks to God. Little children, *sing your thanks to God. Little children, *sing your thanks to God. Thanks to God. Thanks to God. Verse 2: *clap Verse 3: *dance Verse 4: *shout Little children, praise the Lord your God. Little children, praise the Lord your God. Little children, praise the Lord your God. Thanks to God. Thanks to God. 2. Worship Walk As children grow in familiarity with your church s worship space, they may grow in their desire to worship. Take the puppets made in Exploring and walk to your church s worship space. Name the various furnishings. Point out the baptismal font where some learners may have been baptized. Sit in the pews. Search out images and symbols on the walls and windows. Stand where worship leaders usually stand. Encourage children to speak through their puppets to ask questions. If there are questions you cannot answer, promise to bring answers to your next session. Option: If a worship service is taking place, stand quietly in the back or watch from a balcony. Discuss your observations back in your meeting space. 3. Where s Jesus? Children can review the story of Jesus in the temple through a game. Form two teams, the Travelers and the Teachers. Have the teams sit in a line on opposite sides of a table. Give the Jesus figure from Color Pack 9 to the Teachers and tell them to pass the figure from person to person under the table. When you call Hands on the Table, the Teachers place their fists on the table, being careful not to let the Travelers see Jesus hiding in someone s hand. The Travelers hold up the Mary/Joseph figure and say in unison, Where s Jesus? One player from the Travelers guesses which child is hiding Jesus. If correct, the Travelers get a point and the next turn at hiding Jesus. If the Traveler guesses wrong, the Teachers get a point and take another turn at hiding. Keep score on Color Pack 9 with a dry-erase marker so that the game can be played again. Afterward, wonder together why Jesus felt so comfortable in the temple. Invite the learners to tell what makes them feel comfortable in your church. You might want to record their responses and give them to church leaders. CLOSING Gather around the worship table and light the candle. Invite learners to tell what they have learned about worship. Teach the sign for praise (see sidebar). Read aloud Psalm 148:1 5, the psalm usually used in worship on this Sunday. Have children make the sign for praise whenever they hear it in the psalm. Invite learners to imagine that Jesus and his family are singing along with them as they sing Sing Thanks to God (Color Pack 29; track 15 on Singing the Feast, ). As children leave, place a hand on each child s shoulder and say, God bless you. 4

5 December 30, 2018 Worship God Grades (K)1 2 Resource Sheet 1 Where s Jesus? Characters: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Teachers in the Temple, Group of Travelers (Teachers in the Temple sit near the worship table, pretending it is the temple in Jerusalem. Ask all other characters to gather across the room and walk slowly toward the worship table as you read. Prompt learners as needed to pantomime the action with their puppets.) Jesus, Mary, and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem with many other people from their hometown, Nazareth. They were going to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Passover. When they got to Jerusalem, they worshiped God in the temple. They prayed. (All characters act out prayer.) They sang hymns. (All characters act out singing.) They gave offerings. (All characters act out giving an offering.) They listened to temple leaders read the Scriptures and teach about them. (All characters act out listening.) After several days, the festival of Passover ended. It was time to leave the city and walk back to their homes in Nazareth. ( Jesus stays with Teachers in the Temple at the worship table as the rest of the group walks slowly around the room several times.) Mary and Joseph realized they hadn t seen Jesus in a while. They started looking for Jesus among the travelers. (Mary and Joseph act out going to each person in the Group of Travelers and asking about Jesus.) They found Jesus in the temple, with the teachers. The teachers were telling Jesus about God s Word and asking him questions. Jesus asked questions, too. And the people in the temple were amazed at how much Jesus knew. Mary asked Jesus, Why did you do this? Didn t you know we d be looking for you? (Mary and Joseph act out scolding Jesus.) Jesus answered with a surprising question: Didn t you know that I would be in my Father s house? Jesus knew that God was his Father, but other people didn t understand this yet. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus started walking back to Nazareth. (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus walk around the room.) Mary kept thinking about what had happened with her son, Jesus, and she remembered that Jesus was also the Son of God. And Jesus grew wiser every day. No one in the group of travelers knew where Jesus was. Mary and Joseph hurried back to Jerusalem. (Mary and Joseph rush to the worship table.) 2018 Westminster John Knox Press

6 December 30, 2018 Worship God Grades (K)1 2 Resource Sheet 2 Jesus in the Temple 2018 Westminster John Knox Press