Some time after Jesus’ birth, some Wise Men from the east, from another country, showed up in Jerusalem and said, "Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, because he was afraid a new king would replace him. Herod brought together the chief priests and the religious teachers and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?" They told him, "He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote.”
Herod secretly called in the Wise Men and asked them when they had first seen the star. He told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too." The Wise Men did as the king said and they followed the star to the place where Jesus was. They were thrilled and excited to see the star.
When the Wise Men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him.
Our Memory Verse is:
“Those who walked in the dark have seen a bright light. And it shines upon everyone who lives in the land of darkest shadows.” Isaiah 9:2 CEV
What we will learn:
Act out the story in pantomime and using a shadow screen in Apostle's Playhouse
Was there a fourth Wise Man offering gifts along the way? Find out in Good News
Find out what gifts we have that we can give to Jesus in Praising Puppets
In Holywood, find out why we give gifts to others when we watch “Jacob’s Gift”
Follow the star to find out how wise you are in Antioch Arcade
Create 3-D stars in Creation Station
Family Time and Prayer:
Read: Matthew 2:1-12
Reflection: What gifts do you bring to Jesus, not just at Christmas, but everyday? How can Jesus show us the way?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your Son and the courage of the Wise Men to follow the star. Thank you for this wonderful season so that we may show our love of Jesus by our gifts. Amen.h
Offering: Your offering will go to the Joy Gift Offering. Presbyterians all over the country give to this offering at Christmas time. The money helps retired church workers and supports eight Presbyterian colleges where most of the students are members of racial/ethnic minority groups. Stars made in Creation Station will be given to the Total Life Center and The Carying Place.
Thank-you to our Wise Men Workshop Leaders:
Creation Station - Hope Brown
Holywood – Lisa Ward
Praising Puppets – Victoria Vojnovich
Good News – Mary Beth Henderson
Antioch Arcade – Dona Woodard
Apostle’s Playhouse - Melinda Thomspon
Thank you to our Curriculum Design Team: Carole Rhodes, Lee Smith, Sara Ridings, Allison Connors, Angela Farthing, Robin Morris, Catherine Devins, Amy Woynicz, and Lori Houck.