First Thoughts: This week our Advent journey calls us into watching -- a deeper commitment than waiting and one that requires more investment on our part. Whereas waiting implies passive stillness, watching means we engage actively in the search. One of the prayers of the faithful is that God will give us eyes to see the truth of God's kingdom -- that it's alive and active all around us. We watch for the signs of the kingdom not only so that we are aware of them, but we might understand our part in bringing the kingdom alive. Can you recall a time in your life when God opened your eyes and suddenly you saw something precious and extraordinary where once everything seemed ordinary and regular? Did you find clarity in that moment of what your calling might be? Or perhaps the call was merely to rejoice in God's loving care? Take your eyes of faith with you in your time with the children.
Teaching On Your Own: Hey, everybody. I've got a great magic trick to show you. Want to see? (pours a few pieces in hand) See this candy? I'm going to make it disappear. Ready? One, two... Hey, did you see that over there, outside the window? (points then pops candy in mouth) Did you see that? I think it was a bear! Oh, it's gone now. And voila -- so are the M&Ms! Isn't that a great trick? Want to see it again? No problem. (pours more in hand) Once again, now you see it and -- wow, look up there! I think I see a bat! (Some children won't fall for it this time, so you'll need to use your discretion about whether this will play a third time. You may decide instead to skip to the "caught" part.) Don't you see it? Guess it was just a shadow. But once again, candy gone! Okay, here it is one more time. Here's the candy and now -- oh no, behind you! It's a monster. Ha, you caught me! How did I get rid of the candy? Every time you stopped watching me, I ate it! Keeping your eyes in the right place is important in magic tricks, isn't it? And it's also important for today.
Today is the Second Sunday in Advent, which means Christmas is getting closer! Our scripture passage tells us that before God does something really big, God tries to get our attention. It's like God is telling us, "Keep your eyes open, or you'll miss it!" Just like with my magic trick! Today's scripture passage tells us about a man named John the Baptist. It was his job to get people ready for Jesus. He preached to people, baptized them, and told them to keep their eyes open. You know, lots of people weren't watching when Jesus came. They were busy leading their own lives, running around, and probably distracted by lots of things. And because they weren't watching, they missed John's message and they missed Jesus. But we're not going to let that happen to us, are we? We're going to pay attention and keep watch. What are some things we can do to watch for God? One thing that's really important is to spend time being still and quiet. When we're too busy, we don't really see anything. But when we're still and peaceful, our hearts can always find God. It's a little hard to do at Christmastime, with all the parties. But we need to take time out to be still. Otherwise we might miss the main event this Christmas -- God coming into our lives.
Teaching As A Team:
Leader 2: Hey (name), guess what? I have a magic trick to show you.
Leader 1: You do? Great. I love magic.
Leader 2: (puts a few M&Ms in own hand) See this candy? I'm going to make it disappear.
Leader 1: Wow. I can't wait.
Leader 2: One, two. Hey, did you see that over there, outside the window? (points and while Leader 1 looks, Leader 2 pops candy in mouth)
Leader 1: Where? What did you see?
Leader 2: It looked like a bear. Oh, it's gone now. And voila -- so are the M&Ms!
Leader 1: Hmmm, so they are. You know, I'd like to see that trick again.
Leader 2: No problem. (pours more in hand) Once again, now you see it and -- wow, look up there. I think I see a bat!
Leader 1: A bat? Ewww. They're scary! (while Leader 1 looks up, Leader 2 eats candy again) But I don't see anything.
Leader 2: Oh, I guess it was just a shadow. But once again, candy gone!
Leader 1: I'm getting a little suspicious of that trick. Do it one more time.
Leader 2: Happily. Here's the candy and now -- oh no, behind you! It's a monster.
Leader 1: (pretends to turn around but turns back just as Leader 2 eats candy again) Ha! Caught you! I knew you were doing something with that candy.
Leader 2: You got me! Every time you stopped watching me, I ate it!
Leader 1: You sure did! Keeping your eyes in the right place is important in magic tricks, isn't it? And it's also important for today, the Second Sunday in Advent. Our scripture passage tells us that before God does something really big, God sends us a warning. It is like God is telling us, "Keep your eyes open, or you'll miss it!"
Leader 2: Just like you missed what I was doing in the magic trick.
Leader 1: Right. Today's scripture passage tells us about a man named John the Baptist. It was his job to get people ready for Jesus. He preached to people, baptized them, and told them to keep their eyes open.
Leader 2: Do you mean that there were people who weren't watching when Jesus came?
Leader 1: Sure, lots of people. They were busy leading their own lives, running around, probably distracted by lots of things.
Leader 2: (laughs) Like I distracted you to do my trick!
Leader 1: Right! And because they weren't watching, they missed John's message and they missed Jesus.
Leader 2: Boy, I'm not letting that happen to me. I'm going to really pay attention, to watch for God, so this Christmas I don't miss the big event. But, um, how do I do that?
Leader 1: It's important for us to spend time being still and quiet. When we're too busy we don't see anything. But when we're still and peaceful, our hearts can always find God.
Leader 2: Then that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make time to be still and quiet, so my heart can watch for God. But before that, I think I'm going to finish up these M&Ms!
Closing Prayer: God who visits us soon, give us quiet, peaceful hearts that watch for you and see you when you come. Even in the busy-ness of our lives, help us to find the stillness and focus we need, so we don't miss your blessings. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson in a classroom or home environment, we want to develop further the discipline of watching. To do this, revisit the story of the wise men, those scholars from a distant land who were watching the night sky when Jesus was born. What did they see? What did they do when they saw the sign? We don't really know how long they watched that night sky. Maybe they watched for year and years. Invite the children to imagine what it would be like to keep watching the same night sky for years without seeing a change; but watching anyway, because you knew something special was going to happen. Sounds hard, doesn't it? As the story suggests, being able to watch calmly and patiently is the beginning of true spiritual wisdom.
As a craft idea, we're going to help the children make their own hourglass. For each hourglass you will need two plastic or glass bottles. (I use the small water bottles for this.) Dry the bottles overnight to make sure all the moisture is gone. You will need to keep one cap from each pair of bottles and poke a very small hole in it. (Do this in advance with a nail and hammer.) Provide each child with some play sand and a funnel and invite them to fill one bottle 3/4 full. Then you'll want to put the cap on that bottle and fit the second capless bottle on top. Use duct tape to secure the connection, then wrap some decorative twine or string around the tape. Explain to the children that watching sand pour through an hourglass is a meditation tool. As we watch, our minds grow still and quiet so our hearts can more easily recognize the voice of God. As a group, practice this meditation together. Before you start, you might use the invocation: "God, help our minds grow quiet so our hearts can watch for you." You might even attach copies of this invocation to each hourglass, to give the children a way of beginning their meditation at home. Invite the children to think about how they will use this meditation as the busy-ness of Christmas comes closer.
