Childrens Sermon Service

First Thoughts: Advent gives us a great opportunity to participate in the spiritual practice of waiting -- of preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ. Most of us aren't very good at waiting and tend to spend the four weeks of Christmas jumping straight into celebrating. Our calendars become even fuller, our lives noisier; there is no empty space where Christ might enter. In our lessons with the children, though, we're going to help them understand the importance of Advent through four key lessons: waiting, watching, praying, emptying. We begin with waiting. For a few moments think about a time in your life when you had to wait for something you really wanted. How did you feel in the waiting period? Excited? Uncomfortable? How did you fill the time? What was it like for you when the waiting finally came to an end? Carry your reflection with you in your time with the children.

Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 has the snow things)
Leader 1: Hey (name), why do you have those snow things? There's no snow on the ground.
Leader 2: No, but there will be soon.
Leader 1: There will? How do you know?
Leader 2: Look out the window. See those clouds? Those are snow clouds if I ever saw any.
Leader 1: But I don't even think it's cold enough for snow.
Leader 2: Yeah, but a cold front is coming in. I saw it on the news. And you know what? (sniffs) I even think I can smell it a little.
Leader 1: But what are you doing with all this stuff?
Leader 2: I'm just gonna wait. Wait until it gets here.
Leader 1: Wow. That might take some patience.
Leader 2: Sure it does. But when you're sure something is coming, it's not so hard to wait.
Leader 1: You know, I think you're right. Our scripture passage today is about people who are waiting for something very important -- for God's kingdom to come to earth. Jesus tells them that they need to be patient and keep faith, even when times get dark and scary. He told them that if they needed encouragement, they could look at the signs.
Leader 2: Signs? Like me watching the clouds and sniffing the air?
Leader 1: Exactly. He said that you know when a tree is about to make fruit because it starts making buds and getting green. Just like that, you can look around our world and see that God is coming. Where we see hurting, God will bring comfort. Where we see sadness, God will bring joy. Where we see darkness, God will bring light.
Leader 2: Hurting, sadness, and darkness. Those are signs of God's coming?
Leader 1: Sure. God loves us. So when we need God most, God comes.
Leader 2: We just need to wait and be patient.
Leader 1: It's not so hard to be patient, when you're sure that something's coming. And nothing is more sure than God's love.

Teaching On Your Own: Hey, see what I have here? I'm getting ready for the snow! I know there's no snow on the ground right now, but it's coming. Know how I know? Look out the window. See those clouds? Those are snow clouds if I ever saw any. And I know it's not exactly cold enough for snow just yet, but a cold front is coming in. I saw it on the news. And you know what? (sniffs) I even think I can smell it a little. Can you smell it? Try! So I'm just gonna wait. Wait until it gets here. That will take patience, won't it? But that's okay. Waiting isn't so hard when you're sure something is coming.

Our scripture passage today is about people who are waiting for something very important -- for God's kingdom to come to earth. Jesus tells them that they need to be patient and keep faith, even when times get dark and scary. He told them that if they needed encouragement, they could look at the signs. He said that you know when a tree is about to make fruit because it starts making buds and getting green. Just like that, you can look around our world and see that God is coming. Where we see hurting, God will bring comfort. Where we see sadness, God will bring joy. Where we see darkness, God will bring light. So hurting, sadness, and darkness are all signs that God is coming. It makes sense, doesn't it? God loves us. So when we need God most, God comes. We just need to wait and be patient. Like I said before, it's not so hard to be patient, when you're sure that something's coming. And nothing is more sure than God's love.

Closing Prayer: God who is coming, help us to be patient and wait for you. We are still and quiet in the knowledge that you will not leave us alone but will fulfill your promise very soon. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson in a home or classroom environment, talk to the children a bit about the season of Advent -- the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Explain that in the history of the church they thought it was important to prepare themselves for the coming of the Christ Child, so their lives would be ready to receive God. The first step is waiting. To illustrate the practice of waiting, talk a bit about the shepherds from the Christmas story. Shepherds were very good at waiting. They stood watch all night over the sheep, knowing that the most dangerous predators would come in the dark. It was hard work staying up all night, but they weren't discouraged because they knew the dawn would come. They kept their lanterns lit to help them wait and remind them that soon the dark would be over. Imagine how they must have felt when the small light of their lanterns was met with the huge light of a night sky set ablaze by angels singing! Then they heard the news: a very special child had been born. Not only was the sky bright with light, and God was going to fill their hearts with light as well. It's a great story. And before that happening everything was just ordinary. Before the light comes, we must wait.

As a craft project, help each child create a paper lantern. Start with a rectangular piece of paper and told it in half lengthwise, making a long thin rectangle. Make a series of cuts along the fold line, stopping about an inch from the other side. Unfold the paper, match up the sides and glue or staple them together. Take another strip of paper about six inches long and 1/2 an inch wide and attach it on top to make a handle. If you decide to add paper for the bottom, you can then give each child a flameless tea light candle to put inside. Encourage the children to use the lanterns like the shepherds did, especially when times are difficult -- to pray with them and to ask for patience to wait for God's help in our lives. Close with a prayer for patience.