Happy Epiphany to everyone!
We had an absolutely delightful Epiphany service with our 4th and 5th graders yesterday from our local elementary school, and I just wanted to share a few glimpses with you.
Instead of telling the story of the Three Kings, we decided to focus on the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and why the Three Kings presented them to Baby Jesus.
We began by asking the children what they would have given Baby Jesus. Answers ranged from things like toys and pacifiers to medicine and love. Then, we showed the children examples of the gifts and explained the meanings behind them. The church we were in has just been restored and there is a beautiful golden star on the ceiling that served as visual of the gold that foretold Jesus' kingship. I burned some frankincense, the symbol of Jesus' priesthood, near the altar, and a colleague passed around a bottle of myrrh preparation, a symbol of Jesus' humanity, from the local pharmacy.
As a response, the children could write down what they wanted to give Jesus, and wrap it in a small parcel to lay in the manger.
I love seeing children moving about in the church as if it's their second home.
Usually our services are for 1-3 graders, but we decided to offer something for the older children as an experiment to see if they would actually come. Thirty-six children attended, so I look forward to more services with this age group!
We had an absolutely delightful Epiphany service with our 4th and 5th graders yesterday from our local elementary school, and I just wanted to share a few glimpses with you.
Instead of telling the story of the Three Kings, we decided to focus on the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and why the Three Kings presented them to Baby Jesus.
We began by asking the children what they would have given Baby Jesus. Answers ranged from things like toys and pacifiers to medicine and love. Then, we showed the children examples of the gifts and explained the meanings behind them. The church we were in has just been restored and there is a beautiful golden star on the ceiling that served as visual of the gold that foretold Jesus' kingship. I burned some frankincense, the symbol of Jesus' priesthood, near the altar, and a colleague passed around a bottle of myrrh preparation, a symbol of Jesus' humanity, from the local pharmacy.
As a response, the children could write down what they wanted to give Jesus, and wrap it in a small parcel to lay in the manger.
I love seeing children moving about in the church as if it's their second home.
