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TEXT: Luke 2:8-20
Scott and his mother had come downtown to shop for Daddy's Christmas gift. They were looking at some nice ties in a store window when his mother said, "Listen to the carolers, Scott. They are singing Silent Night."
It was always fun to hear carolers. Scott looked at the group of singers standing in front of a large Christmas tree. The tree had been put up next to the department store. The decorations were bright and colorful.
"Mom, I know two of those boys!" exclaimed Scott. "They go to my school. Hi, Brennan. Hi, Jason," he called to them.
His friends smiled but kept on singing.
"They really sound nice, Mom," said Scott. "Do you think that is how the angels sounded when they visited the shepherds after Jesus was born?"
"Even though they do sound nice," replied his mother, "I think that the angels probably sounded different. Remember, they filled the whole sky! But their message is the same. These carolers are singing songs about the first Christmas. The angels told the good news and praised God."
When the carolers had finished, Scott rushed over to his friends. "You sure sounded good," he told them.
"Did you choose a name from the tree?" asked Brennan.
"What do you mean?" Scott looked puzzled. "What name?"
"See all those cards hanging from the tree branches," said Jason. "Each one has the name of a kid or a grownup on it. Whoever chooses a card gets to give a gift to the person whose name is on the card, something to help that person have a nicer Christmas. It could be a new doll for a girl or a new ball for a boy."
"Or maybe the person needs food for his family's Christmas dinner," Brennan added.
"Our pastor said this is one way we can help celebrate Jesus' birthday," Jason continued. "When you give your gift, there is a little story card that you put on the package. It tells all about God's greatest Gift—Jesus. At the bottom of the card it says, Good Will Toward Men. That is what the angels said when they told the shepherds about Jesus."
Scott turned to his mother and asked, "May I please choose a card, Mom? I want to help someone this Christmas. It might be someone who would end up with nothing. Please, Mom?"
"Yes, Scott," his mother replied. "And, I think I will choose a card also. Helping other people and telling them about Jesus makes God happy. It is one of the ways we can thank God for His special Gift to us. Thank you, boys, for telling us about this special tree."
PARENT'S CORNER
Our Bible story tells about an important message which was delivered in a very special way. Your child will learn how the angels brought word to the shepherds that the Christ Child had been born.
As you talk about that wonderful night, help your child create a special "angelic" message to send a friend or relative this week. On a piece of white paper, draw a simple angel shape, without any features or clothing details filled in. Let your child cut out the shape and use this as a piece of stationery on which to write his message or special holiday greeting.
You may wish to arrange the angel cutout over a sheet of lined paper to help your child write neatly. Suggest he also include his memory verse for this week as part of the message.
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