Lesson background
On this first Sunday of Christmas, we take a deep breath and bask in the joy of Jesus’ arrival. And we enjoy singing all those great Christmas songs before they get packed away until next year! Just as Advent closes with Jesus’ birth, we are concluding our series of lessons using hymns to explore the season with carols celebrating the arrival of Christ. In this lesson, children will explore and wonder about the experiences of the characters present on the night Jesus was born through Christmas hymns.
You will need:
- Chart paper or a whiteboard and markers
- A Bible
- Hymnals (optional)
- Recordings of songs on YouTube. All videos include lyrics on the screen (optional):
- Blank paper and crayons or markers (optional)
Starting out
Greet the children as they arrive. Wish them a Merry Christmas. If the children ask why you’re saying this a week after Christmas Day, share that we celebrate Jesus’ birth for 12 days. We continue to rejoice up through Epiphany, the day when the Magi arrive in Bethlehem.
Ask the children to share ways that they celebrate Christmas in their family. Write their responses on the chart paper or whiteboard. If they do not include “singing Christmas songs,” add it to the list. Share that they will be continuing their celebration of Jesus’ arrival on earth through special songs (hymns) that were written about the Christmas story.
Wondering and wandering through the Christmas carols
If your space allows for you to set up “stations” throughout the room for children to move through, create a separate space for each of the following characters. You can label and decorate it to represent that person. If you do not have enough time to explore each of the characters, you can select a few of the characters and carols that you think the children will enjoy and connect with the most.
Mary and Joseph
The story
Read aloud Luke 2:1-7
The song
Play “Away in the Manger” or “Silent Night.” You can play one of the above recordings or another you like. You can provide hymnals for the children if you’d like them to follow along. (In Glory to God, “Away in the Manger” is #114 and “Silent Night” is #122).
Imagining
Invite the children to close their eyes (if they want). Ask them to think about the Scripture reading and the song they heard. Using what they experienced, imagine what it would have been like to be Mary and Joseph on the night of Jesus’ birth. You may prompt their wondering by saying:
- I wonder what Joseph looked like on that night…
- I wonder what Mary looked like on that night…
- I wonder what they were thinking as they looked at this baby…
- I wonder what they were feeling…
- I wonder what they were excited about…
- I wonder what they worried about…
Offer the children the opportunity to share their “imaginings.” They can share them verbally or you can provide blank paper and crayons or markers for them to draw their responses.
The town of Bethlehem
The story
Re-read aloud Luke 2:1-7 or recap the story for the children focusing on the location (Bethlehem).
The song
Play “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” You can play one of the recordings listed above or another that you like. You can provide hymnals for the children if you’d like for them to follow along. (In Glory to God, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” is #121).
Imagining
Invite the children to close their eyes (if they want). Ask them to think about the scripture reading and the song they heard. Using what they experienced, imagine what it would have been like in the town of Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. You may prompt their wondering by saying:
- I wonder what it felt like to be outside that night…
- I wonder what the people in Bethlehem heard…
- I wonder what the people in Bethlehem felt…
Offer the children the opportunity to share their “imaginings.” They can share them verbally or you can provide blank paper and crayons or markers for them to draw their responses.
The angels
The story
Read aloud Luke 2:8-14
The song
Play “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or “Angels We Have Heard on High.” You can play one of the above recordings or another you like. You can provide hymnals for the children if you’d like them to follow along. (In Glory to God, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” is #119 and “Angels We Have Heard on High” is #113).
Imagining
Invite the children to close their eyes (if they want). Ask them to think about the scripture reading and the song(s) they heard. Using what they experienced, imagine what it would have been like to be an angel singing to the shepherds. You may prompt their wondering by saying:
- I wonder what the angels looked like…
- I wonder what the angels were feeling as they sang…
- I wonder what the angels thought would happen next…
Offer the children the opportunity to share their “imaginings.” They can share them verbally or you can provide blank paper and crayons or markers for them to draw their responses.
The shepherds
The story
Read aloud Luke 2:15-20
The song
Play “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night” and “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt.” You can play one of the above recordings or another you like. You can provide hymnals for the children if you’d like them to follow along. (In Glory to God, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night” is #117 and “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt” is #120).
Imagining
Invite the children to close their eyes (if they want). Ask them to think about the Scripture reading and the song(s) they heard. Using what they experienced, imagine what it would have been like to be a shepherd on the night Jesus was born. You may prompt their wondering by saying:
- I wonder what the shepherds were doing before the angels appeared…
- I wonder what they felt and thought when the angels began singing…
- I wonder what they made of the angels’ message…
- I wonder what it felt like to walk into Bethlehem…
- I wonder what the shepherds were thinking and feeling when they saw the baby Jesus…
- I wonder what they imagined Jesus’ life would be like…
Offer the children the opportunity to share their “imaginings.” They can share them verbally or you can provide blank paper and crayons or markers for them to draw their responses.
Want to receive lectionary content in your inbox on Mondays? Sign up here.