Is This the Road to Bethlehem?: A Children's Liturgy for Advent
Worship
A Christmas Journey
A Collection of Resources for Advent and Christmas
Object:
Order of Service
Prelude
Welcome
Procession Of Acolytes
Opening Hymn: "O Come, Little Children"
Responsive Sentences
Prayer
Scripture
Children's Choir
Anthem
Action/Sermon
Presentation Of Gifts
Closing Hymn: "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
Script
Prelude
Welcome
Leader: Welcome to our children's liturgy. We come together today to think about and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Procession Of Acolytes
(Acolytes enter down aisle as Leader reads)
Leader: Men travel bravely by 1,000 roads
Some broad and lined with palaces
Some hard and steep and lonely which blindly twist through tangled jungles where there is no light.
And mostly they are traveled thoughtlessly;
But once a year an ancient question comes to every traveler passing on the way.
A question that can stab and burn, or bless,
"Is this the road that leads to Bethlehem?"
-- Source Unknown
Leader: Let the candles that light that path be lighted.
(Acolytes light Advent candles)
Opening Hymn
"O Come, Little Children"
Responsive Sentences
Child Leader: We come thankfully before you, O God;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: We join with the Wise Men who bring great gifts;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: We join the lowly shepherds who hurry to the stable;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: We join with our family, our friends, and our church;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: Be with us and hear us and lead us, O God;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Prayer
Child: Let us pray. As we make the journey to Bethlehem, we confess we have not always done our best. We have put rocks and bumps in the road with our selfishness. We have not listened to God's Word. We have not been as helpful to our parents and our teachers and our friends as we could be. We have not thought much about the sick and lonely people and tried to comfort them. We have wanted our own way a lot of the time. We are sorry for our selfishness and we want to do better.
Leader: Boys and girls, God has wrapped his arms around you with his forgiveness. To thank him for his goodness and his care for us, let us put our arms on each other's shoulders and pray the prayer he taught us to pray.
Response: Lord's Prayer (unison)
Scripture
Leader: Let us listen now to the story of the first journey to Bethlehem. Listen carefully to the story, because I will ask you a question when it is finished.
(Read Luke 2:1-20.)
Leader: Who remembers what the shepherds said to one another when the angel went away? (let them answer) "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened that the Lord has told us." Our children's choir will tell us more about this story.
Children's Choir Anthem
(Children's choir or church school class sings, "How Far Is It To Bethlehem?" or "How Many Miles To Bethlehem?" or "Shepherds, Shepherds, Where Are You Going?")
Action/Sermon
Leader: The road to Bethlehem is a long, long road. For many, many years, people had waited for a Savior to be born. We think of Christmas as the story of the birth of Jesus, and it is; but another way to think of Christmas is to remember some of the Old Testament stories and events leading up to the birth of Christ. Let's remember some of these people who traveled the long road to Bethlehem, waiting for a Savior.
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 1: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Abraham, the great forefather of the Hebrew people. He is thought to have lived about 2000 B.C. At the time of Abraham, most of the people of the world believed in many gods. Abraham came to believe that there was only one true God. One day, he heard the voice of God telling him to leave his home in the Arabian desert and travel westward to the land known as Canaan to make a new home there. He took all his family and possessions and made the long, hard journey. He walked to the promised land. He was waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 2: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Once Jacob had a fight with his brother and ran away from home. Jacob traveled over valleys and mountains and through forests and fields. One night he was very weary and laid down to sleep under the open sky. He dreamed that a great ladder of light rose from the earth, its top reaching to heaven. On the highest rung stood God, who renewed to Jacob the promise he had made to Abraham that the land of Canaan should belong to their descendants. After many years, Jacob decided to return home. On the way home, God appeared to him and told him to change his name to Israel, and after that the Hebrews called themselves Israelites, or the children of Israel. Jacob was waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 3: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Joseph, Jacob's favorite son. Because of jealousy, his brothers sold him into slavery and he was carried off into the land of Egypt. After many hardships, he rose to a place of power in the Egyptian government. When a great famine hit the nation, Joseph forgave his brothers and brought them and his father and all of their families to live with him in Egypt. He spent his life trying to follow God, doing his best in a strange land, waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 4: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Moses. For 400 years, the children of Israel lived happily in Egypt. They prospered and increased, and then changes came about. A new pharaoh who hated the Hebrews and made them slaves, ruled over Egypt. The people suffered greatly. Moses led them out of Egypt into the wilderness. It was a hard life. They found no city to live in. They were hungry and thirsty and weary, but God was with them. In the desert, he gave Moses the Ten Commandments and he always led them and fed them. For many years, they wandered about seeking the holy land that God had promised them. Moses died on a lonely mountain before the people entered the promised land. Moses had been given the Law, but he waited for truth and grace. He waited for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 5: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is David. After the Hebrews had settled in Canaan, he became their greatest king. He made Jerusalem the capital city. Here he brought the sacred chest containing the Ten Commandments. He built a tabernacle where it could be kept. David reigned for forty years, waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 6: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Sad to say, the kingdom built up to such magnificence by David and his son, Solomon, was not to last. Enemies destroyed the cities and captured the people. During that time, men of godly spirit arose who believed that they were directed by God to lead their people back to the ways of righteousness. These great religious leaders were called prophets. The noblest of the prophets was Isaiah. He was filled with a sense of the greatness of God. He dreamed of a golden age when the ways of men would be the ways God had taught them, and all injustice and wrong would be swept away. He dreamed and taught and preached, waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
Leader: And the wonderful news we have to tell is that in the fullness of time, God did send a Savior; a child was born in Bethlehem who would show the world how to live. He would show them what God was really like. He would be like a light shining through the many years of dark waiting. It was as Isaiah had prophesied.
Child 6: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:2).
(Congregation sings verse 2 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Presentation Of Gifts
Leader: The people who first came to the manger at Bethlehem brought gifts. The Wise Men brought gold and frankincense and myrrh. The shepherds brought lambs and piped a merry tune for the new baby. If we came to the manger, we might bring clothes to keep the baby warm. Since we can't go to Bethlehem, we can share those gifts with children here.
(Preschool children bring forward mittens to be given to a local day care center.)
Leader: If we came to the manger, we might bring toys. Since we can't go to Bethlehem, we can share those gifts with children here.
(Elementary children bring forward small toys.)
Leader: If we came to the manger, we might bring food. Since we can't go to Bethlehem, we can share those gifts with children here.
(Older elementary children bring forward canned goods.)
Leader: Accept these gifts, O Father. We bring them to Bethlehem remembering your words: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto me."
Closing Hymn
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
Prelude
Welcome
Procession Of Acolytes
Opening Hymn: "O Come, Little Children"
Responsive Sentences
Prayer
Scripture
Children's Choir
Anthem
Action/Sermon
Presentation Of Gifts
Closing Hymn: "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
Script
Prelude
Welcome
Leader: Welcome to our children's liturgy. We come together today to think about and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Procession Of Acolytes
(Acolytes enter down aisle as Leader reads)
Leader: Men travel bravely by 1,000 roads
Some broad and lined with palaces
Some hard and steep and lonely which blindly twist through tangled jungles where there is no light.
And mostly they are traveled thoughtlessly;
But once a year an ancient question comes to every traveler passing on the way.
A question that can stab and burn, or bless,
"Is this the road that leads to Bethlehem?"
-- Source Unknown
Leader: Let the candles that light that path be lighted.
(Acolytes light Advent candles)
Opening Hymn
"O Come, Little Children"
Responsive Sentences
Child Leader: We come thankfully before you, O God;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: We join with the Wise Men who bring great gifts;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: We join the lowly shepherds who hurry to the stable;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: We join with our family, our friends, and our church;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Child Leader: Be with us and hear us and lead us, O God;
Response: On the road to Bethlehem.
Prayer
Child: Let us pray. As we make the journey to Bethlehem, we confess we have not always done our best. We have put rocks and bumps in the road with our selfishness. We have not listened to God's Word. We have not been as helpful to our parents and our teachers and our friends as we could be. We have not thought much about the sick and lonely people and tried to comfort them. We have wanted our own way a lot of the time. We are sorry for our selfishness and we want to do better.
Leader: Boys and girls, God has wrapped his arms around you with his forgiveness. To thank him for his goodness and his care for us, let us put our arms on each other's shoulders and pray the prayer he taught us to pray.
Response: Lord's Prayer (unison)
Scripture
Leader: Let us listen now to the story of the first journey to Bethlehem. Listen carefully to the story, because I will ask you a question when it is finished.
(Read Luke 2:1-20.)
Leader: Who remembers what the shepherds said to one another when the angel went away? (let them answer) "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened that the Lord has told us." Our children's choir will tell us more about this story.
Children's Choir Anthem
(Children's choir or church school class sings, "How Far Is It To Bethlehem?" or "How Many Miles To Bethlehem?" or "Shepherds, Shepherds, Where Are You Going?")
Action/Sermon
Leader: The road to Bethlehem is a long, long road. For many, many years, people had waited for a Savior to be born. We think of Christmas as the story of the birth of Jesus, and it is; but another way to think of Christmas is to remember some of the Old Testament stories and events leading up to the birth of Christ. Let's remember some of these people who traveled the long road to Bethlehem, waiting for a Savior.
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 1: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Abraham, the great forefather of the Hebrew people. He is thought to have lived about 2000 B.C. At the time of Abraham, most of the people of the world believed in many gods. Abraham came to believe that there was only one true God. One day, he heard the voice of God telling him to leave his home in the Arabian desert and travel westward to the land known as Canaan to make a new home there. He took all his family and possessions and made the long, hard journey. He walked to the promised land. He was waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 2: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Once Jacob had a fight with his brother and ran away from home. Jacob traveled over valleys and mountains and through forests and fields. One night he was very weary and laid down to sleep under the open sky. He dreamed that a great ladder of light rose from the earth, its top reaching to heaven. On the highest rung stood God, who renewed to Jacob the promise he had made to Abraham that the land of Canaan should belong to their descendants. After many years, Jacob decided to return home. On the way home, God appeared to him and told him to change his name to Israel, and after that the Hebrews called themselves Israelites, or the children of Israel. Jacob was waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 3: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Joseph, Jacob's favorite son. Because of jealousy, his brothers sold him into slavery and he was carried off into the land of Egypt. After many hardships, he rose to a place of power in the Egyptian government. When a great famine hit the nation, Joseph forgave his brothers and brought them and his father and all of their families to live with him in Egypt. He spent his life trying to follow God, doing his best in a strange land, waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 4: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is Moses. For 400 years, the children of Israel lived happily in Egypt. They prospered and increased, and then changes came about. A new pharaoh who hated the Hebrews and made them slaves, ruled over Egypt. The people suffered greatly. Moses led them out of Egypt into the wilderness. It was a hard life. They found no city to live in. They were hungry and thirsty and weary, but God was with them. In the desert, he gave Moses the Ten Commandments and he always led them and fed them. For many years, they wandered about seeking the holy land that God had promised them. Moses died on a lonely mountain before the people entered the promised land. Moses had been given the Law, but he waited for truth and grace. He waited for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 5: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Here is David. After the Hebrews had settled in Canaan, he became their greatest king. He made Jerusalem the capital city. Here he brought the sacred chest containing the Ten Commandments. He built a tabernacle where it could be kept. David reigned for forty years, waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
(Congregation sings verse 1 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Child 6: (comes to the front carrying a figure and holds it up for the congregation to see) Sad to say, the kingdom built up to such magnificence by David and his son, Solomon, was not to last. Enemies destroyed the cities and captured the people. During that time, men of godly spirit arose who believed that they were directed by God to lead their people back to the ways of righteousness. These great religious leaders were called prophets. The noblest of the prophets was Isaiah. He was filled with a sense of the greatness of God. He dreamed of a golden age when the ways of men would be the ways God had taught them, and all injustice and wrong would be swept away. He dreamed and taught and preached, waiting for a Savior. (places figure on the table, then sits down)
Leader: And the wonderful news we have to tell is that in the fullness of time, God did send a Savior; a child was born in Bethlehem who would show the world how to live. He would show them what God was really like. He would be like a light shining through the many years of dark waiting. It was as Isaiah had prophesied.
Child 6: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:2).
(Congregation sings verse 2 of "Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus.")
Presentation Of Gifts
Leader: The people who first came to the manger at Bethlehem brought gifts. The Wise Men brought gold and frankincense and myrrh. The shepherds brought lambs and piped a merry tune for the new baby. If we came to the manger, we might bring clothes to keep the baby warm. Since we can't go to Bethlehem, we can share those gifts with children here.
(Preschool children bring forward mittens to be given to a local day care center.)
Leader: If we came to the manger, we might bring toys. Since we can't go to Bethlehem, we can share those gifts with children here.
(Elementary children bring forward small toys.)
Leader: If we came to the manger, we might bring food. Since we can't go to Bethlehem, we can share those gifts with children here.
(Older elementary children bring forward canned goods.)
Leader: Accept these gifts, O Father. We bring them to Bethlehem remembering your words: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto me."
Closing Hymn
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
