Happy new year!
Children's sermon
Object:
a New Year's noisemaker and party hat
Happy New Year! It's not the end of December, but it is the beginning of
the church year. We call it Advent. It's the first Sunday in Advent. How
many Sundays are in Advent? (Let them respond.) Some of you remembered
that there are four Sundays in Advent. I brought some party things with me
today to remind us that Advent is a time to celebrate. In another month it
will really be the end of another year. Have you ever been to a New Year's
Eve party? (Let them respond.) It's awfully late for you to stay up, but
sometimes on special nights some children get to stay up really late. At
the end of one year and the beginning of a new year some people decide
they are going to do things a little differently the next year. Maybe they're
going to try to be friendlier or maybe they're going to try to lose some
weight. Maybe they're going to try to relax more. Do you know what these
are called? (Let them respond.) We call them New Year's resolutions.
Our lesson today talks about new ways to act. It says we should not quarrel so much. That's a pretty good thing to remember the whole year and not just at New Year's time. It's also good to remember at the beginning of Advent. The beginning of Advent and the beginning of our church year is a good time to look at how we act toward each other. We can make New Year's Resolutions now instead of waiting until January 1. Do you know what quarreling is? (Let them respond.) Quarreling is fighting and arguing. Do any of you fight and argue? (Let them respond.) It's easy to do. I think when we are too tired and too busy it's easy to lose our tempers and spend time fighting and arguing. Our lesson today says we should try not to do it.
Did you ever notice that sometimes during the Advent season, the closer it gets to Christmas, the nice people are. It just seems to happen that way. Maybe it's because Christmas makes us happy with gifts and fancy food and lots of relatives to visit. Advent, those four weeks before Christmas, is a time for getting ready -- for Christmas, for peace on earth and for celebrating with lots of love. So Happy New Year to you on this first Sunday in Advent!
Our lesson today talks about new ways to act. It says we should not quarrel so much. That's a pretty good thing to remember the whole year and not just at New Year's time. It's also good to remember at the beginning of Advent. The beginning of Advent and the beginning of our church year is a good time to look at how we act toward each other. We can make New Year's Resolutions now instead of waiting until January 1. Do you know what quarreling is? (Let them respond.) Quarreling is fighting and arguing. Do any of you fight and argue? (Let them respond.) It's easy to do. I think when we are too tired and too busy it's easy to lose our tempers and spend time fighting and arguing. Our lesson today says we should try not to do it.
Did you ever notice that sometimes during the Advent season, the closer it gets to Christmas, the nice people are. It just seems to happen that way. Maybe it's because Christmas makes us happy with gifts and fancy food and lots of relatives to visit. Advent, those four weeks before Christmas, is a time for getting ready -- for Christmas, for peace on earth and for celebrating with lots of love. So Happy New Year to you on this first Sunday in Advent!
