The Ermine Cloak
Children's Liturgy and Story
Call to Worship:
Wicked King Herod said, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." But let us search diligently for Jesus, with pure hearts and right motives, so that we may really pay him homage.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes there is too much going on in my life for me to worship you.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I am so interested in presents and parties that I ignore worship.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I search for you but cannot find you.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, [2] asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." [3] When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. [5] They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
[6] 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.' "
[7] Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. [8] Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." [9] When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. [11] On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [12] And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Story:
The Magi expected to find the baby prince whose signs they had seen for many months in the skies, in the king's palace. But the reality was very different. They found God's gift in a dirty stable, born to a peasant couple and surrounded by animals.
God's gift is often the thing we least expect. In this story, Princess Ermine expects to find a special cloak, but her expectations take quite a jolt when she finds reality.
The Ermine Cloak
Princess Ermine wanted to seek her fortune. Although she was a princess, she was a poor princess. She wasn't born in a palace as all princesses should be born, but was born in the waiting room on the station platform. The king had lost his throne many years earlier, so he and the queen had fled to another country where they lived in a little cottage by the woods. Consequently, Princess Ermine's parents couldn't afford a limousine; they had to travel everywhere by rail.
As Princess Ermine grew up she dreamed of the time when her clothes would match her name. She yearned to wear a long cloak, made only out of ermine. She could see it in her mind. It would be pure white and so soft to the touch that everybody would want to stroke it. And it would be so warm that the princess would never be cold again.
"Hah!" said the old gardener who helped the king in the cottage garden. "Best you visit the mink farm. You'll see plenty of fur there, some of it flying, I shouldn't wonder!"
Princess Ermine didn't know quite what he meant but it sounded exciting. She made preparations to visit the mink farm. But the mink farm turned out to be disappointing. There were lots of little animals in cages, who snapped at the princess and tried to bite her fingers. She couldn't see any of them flying, and people at the farm didn't seem very happy. There were a lot of angry voices, perhaps because the people were always being bitten by angry mink. And there were no fur cloaks.
Princess Ermine realised that she would have to seek for her fur cloak farther afield. She told her parents that she would go to London. The king and queen were horrified, and rather sad. "You don't know what it's like in big cities," warned the king. "You might get lost, or someone might attack you. And where would you sleep?"
The princess hadn't thought of that, although once she found her cloak it wouldn't matter where she slept because she would always be warm. But the queen said, "You can't go today, Ermine. I need you to help me. We must take a food hamper to the woodcutter's cottage. The woodcutter cut his finger by mistake and he can't work, so there's no money and all those children to feed. We must help them."
The princess sighed. She was a kind girl, but privately she wondered why the woodcutter and his wife had had so many children if they were unable to feed them properly. She also knew that a hamper for the woodcutter's family meant less food in their own cottage, and she really didn't see why she should have to go without.
She didn't of course, voice any of this because she was very polite. So she fetched her old cloak which only reached to her knees and wasn't very warm, and followed her mother.
When they reached the woodcutter's cottage, Ermine was horrified. The woodcutter's finger had turned septic and he was moaning in pain. Ermine's mother immediately took him into the back room to wash his hand with antiseptic and to deal with his painful finger. Ermine was left alone with the woodcutter's wife and children.
The woodcutter's wife had so many children that she hadn't time to look after them properly, so the cottage was dirty and smelly. And all the ragged, dirty, smelly children crowded round Ermine, stroking her cloak which only reached to her knees with envious hands and poking into the hamper with eager, greedy fingers.
Ermine felt quite sick. She wanted to run as far away from that cottage as she could, and never return there again. But as she gazed into the weary, hopeless eyes of the woodcutter's wife, something stirred inside Ermine.
Almost without thinking, she took off her old cloak which only reached to her knees and gave it to the children, who received it with astonished wonder. Then she unpacked the hamper and handed out the food, and was delighted to notice the woodcutter's wife's eyes light up. Then Ermine rolled up her sleeves, took a large cloth and a bowl of water and began to scrub the cottage.
She scrubbed and scrubbed until her hands were raw, but the little cottage began to sparkle. And as it began to sparkle, so Ermine discovered that she was beginning to sparkle too. She forgot that she wanted to run as far away from that cottage as she could and never return there again, and instead began to hum and sing to herself.
By the time she and the queen left the cottage, Ermine had made friends with all the children and promised to return the following week.
After that, Ermine was often at the cottage. She found that when she went in to help, the woodcutter's wife brightened up and became a very good housewife and mother. And when she was a very good housewife and mother, the children became very good children, clean and happy and well fed. Ermine found too that she loved the friendship which the whole family offered her. She loved their sense of humour and the way they laughed together. She loved the generous way in which they welcomed her as part of the family and included her in all they did.
The old cloak which reached only to her knees stayed with the family and the youngest child was often to be seen wearing it. The cloak reached right down to the ground on the youngest child, who wore it just as though she was a princess herself, for the cloak was her most treasured possession.
And Ermine suddenly realised that she didn't need to go to a mink farm or to London or anywhere else to find her long cloak made of ermine. For when the woodcutter's youngest child wore Princess Ermine's old cloak, it became like a long cloak made of ermine which was pure white and soft to the touch and which would keep the woodcutter's youngest child warm for ever.
Activity:
You need:
A number of empty boxes - a box for each child
Sheets of gold paper
Sticky tape
Some incense and an incense burner
Matches
A jar of ointment, preferably myrrh based.
Talk about the gifts of the Wise Men - gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for healing and as a sign of Jesus' death.
Let the children cover the boxes with the gold paper. They can take these home as "treasure" chests for their favourite toys.
Get the children to write simple prayers - they might say thank you for Christmas or they might make a promise for the New Year. Explain that in Jesus' day, priests used to burn incense to help their prayers rise to God. Burn the incense as the children read their prayers.
Show the children the jar of ointment and explain that it was to show that Jesus would become a great healer, and also to show that one day he would die for all of us.
Prayers
God who guides us, may we in the church always see you before us during this coming year, leading us in the way that we should go, just as you led the Wise Men by the star so many years ago.
God who guides us, guide our world leaders during this year. May they seek peace, wisdom and human rights for all as they follow your laws.
God who guides us, may we always be aware of your star. Help us not to be confused by other, lesser stars which sometimes shine with a bright promise which they cannot deliver. Keep us safe as tread in your footsteps.
God who guides us, bless and comfort those who are sick or sad or lonely, and those who have started this year with a death in the family. May they feel your strength and know your love. We pray especially for ...
Blessing
May you follow your star
wherever it might lead.
May you know the strong hand of God
during this new year,
and the warmth of his love and comfort.
And may the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Be with you, be in your homes
And in your families,
With those whom you love
And with those for whom you pray,
Both now and always. Amen.
Wicked King Herod said, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." But let us search diligently for Jesus, with pure hearts and right motives, so that we may really pay him homage.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes there is too much going on in my life for me to worship you.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I am so interested in presents and parties that I ignore worship.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes I search for you but cannot find you.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, [2] asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." [3] When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. [5] They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
[6] 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.' "
[7] Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. [8] Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." [9] When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. [11] On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [12] And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Story:
The Magi expected to find the baby prince whose signs they had seen for many months in the skies, in the king's palace. But the reality was very different. They found God's gift in a dirty stable, born to a peasant couple and surrounded by animals.
God's gift is often the thing we least expect. In this story, Princess Ermine expects to find a special cloak, but her expectations take quite a jolt when she finds reality.
The Ermine Cloak
Princess Ermine wanted to seek her fortune. Although she was a princess, she was a poor princess. She wasn't born in a palace as all princesses should be born, but was born in the waiting room on the station platform. The king had lost his throne many years earlier, so he and the queen had fled to another country where they lived in a little cottage by the woods. Consequently, Princess Ermine's parents couldn't afford a limousine; they had to travel everywhere by rail.
As Princess Ermine grew up she dreamed of the time when her clothes would match her name. She yearned to wear a long cloak, made only out of ermine. She could see it in her mind. It would be pure white and so soft to the touch that everybody would want to stroke it. And it would be so warm that the princess would never be cold again.
"Hah!" said the old gardener who helped the king in the cottage garden. "Best you visit the mink farm. You'll see plenty of fur there, some of it flying, I shouldn't wonder!"
Princess Ermine didn't know quite what he meant but it sounded exciting. She made preparations to visit the mink farm. But the mink farm turned out to be disappointing. There were lots of little animals in cages, who snapped at the princess and tried to bite her fingers. She couldn't see any of them flying, and people at the farm didn't seem very happy. There were a lot of angry voices, perhaps because the people were always being bitten by angry mink. And there were no fur cloaks.
Princess Ermine realised that she would have to seek for her fur cloak farther afield. She told her parents that she would go to London. The king and queen were horrified, and rather sad. "You don't know what it's like in big cities," warned the king. "You might get lost, or someone might attack you. And where would you sleep?"
The princess hadn't thought of that, although once she found her cloak it wouldn't matter where she slept because she would always be warm. But the queen said, "You can't go today, Ermine. I need you to help me. We must take a food hamper to the woodcutter's cottage. The woodcutter cut his finger by mistake and he can't work, so there's no money and all those children to feed. We must help them."
The princess sighed. She was a kind girl, but privately she wondered why the woodcutter and his wife had had so many children if they were unable to feed them properly. She also knew that a hamper for the woodcutter's family meant less food in their own cottage, and she really didn't see why she should have to go without.
She didn't of course, voice any of this because she was very polite. So she fetched her old cloak which only reached to her knees and wasn't very warm, and followed her mother.
When they reached the woodcutter's cottage, Ermine was horrified. The woodcutter's finger had turned septic and he was moaning in pain. Ermine's mother immediately took him into the back room to wash his hand with antiseptic and to deal with his painful finger. Ermine was left alone with the woodcutter's wife and children.
The woodcutter's wife had so many children that she hadn't time to look after them properly, so the cottage was dirty and smelly. And all the ragged, dirty, smelly children crowded round Ermine, stroking her cloak which only reached to her knees with envious hands and poking into the hamper with eager, greedy fingers.
Ermine felt quite sick. She wanted to run as far away from that cottage as she could, and never return there again. But as she gazed into the weary, hopeless eyes of the woodcutter's wife, something stirred inside Ermine.
Almost without thinking, she took off her old cloak which only reached to her knees and gave it to the children, who received it with astonished wonder. Then she unpacked the hamper and handed out the food, and was delighted to notice the woodcutter's wife's eyes light up. Then Ermine rolled up her sleeves, took a large cloth and a bowl of water and began to scrub the cottage.
She scrubbed and scrubbed until her hands were raw, but the little cottage began to sparkle. And as it began to sparkle, so Ermine discovered that she was beginning to sparkle too. She forgot that she wanted to run as far away from that cottage as she could and never return there again, and instead began to hum and sing to herself.
By the time she and the queen left the cottage, Ermine had made friends with all the children and promised to return the following week.
After that, Ermine was often at the cottage. She found that when she went in to help, the woodcutter's wife brightened up and became a very good housewife and mother. And when she was a very good housewife and mother, the children became very good children, clean and happy and well fed. Ermine found too that she loved the friendship which the whole family offered her. She loved their sense of humour and the way they laughed together. She loved the generous way in which they welcomed her as part of the family and included her in all they did.
The old cloak which reached only to her knees stayed with the family and the youngest child was often to be seen wearing it. The cloak reached right down to the ground on the youngest child, who wore it just as though she was a princess herself, for the cloak was her most treasured possession.
And Ermine suddenly realised that she didn't need to go to a mink farm or to London or anywhere else to find her long cloak made of ermine. For when the woodcutter's youngest child wore Princess Ermine's old cloak, it became like a long cloak made of ermine which was pure white and soft to the touch and which would keep the woodcutter's youngest child warm for ever.
Activity:
You need:
A number of empty boxes - a box for each child
Sheets of gold paper
Sticky tape
Some incense and an incense burner
Matches
A jar of ointment, preferably myrrh based.
Talk about the gifts of the Wise Men - gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for healing and as a sign of Jesus' death.
Let the children cover the boxes with the gold paper. They can take these home as "treasure" chests for their favourite toys.
Get the children to write simple prayers - they might say thank you for Christmas or they might make a promise for the New Year. Explain that in Jesus' day, priests used to burn incense to help their prayers rise to God. Burn the incense as the children read their prayers.
Show the children the jar of ointment and explain that it was to show that Jesus would become a great healer, and also to show that one day he would die for all of us.
Prayers
God who guides us, may we in the church always see you before us during this coming year, leading us in the way that we should go, just as you led the Wise Men by the star so many years ago.
God who guides us, guide our world leaders during this year. May they seek peace, wisdom and human rights for all as they follow your laws.
God who guides us, may we always be aware of your star. Help us not to be confused by other, lesser stars which sometimes shine with a bright promise which they cannot deliver. Keep us safe as tread in your footsteps.
God who guides us, bless and comfort those who are sick or sad or lonely, and those who have started this year with a death in the family. May they feel your strength and know your love. We pray especially for ...
Blessing
May you follow your star
wherever it might lead.
May you know the strong hand of God
during this new year,
and the warmth of his love and comfort.
And may the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Be with you, be in your homes
And in your families,
With those whom you love
And with those for whom you pray,
Both now and always. Amen.
