Where Is The Love? (Christmas) Series

Order of service- Christmas day 2003

Props: camcorder, nativity set (minus Jesus), Jesus hidden somewhere near manger (or have Him re-appear) reindeer hat, tacky singing Santa, readers, audio going into pa, jokes

10am

Carols playing as folks come in.

Welcome & Happy Christmas!

- jokes

Reading: Luke 2:8-20 Matthew Isaac

Carol 1: O come all ye faithful

(born this happy morning. We come to adore Him!)

Open prayers of praise

WHERE?- where’s Jesus?! (fun and games as kids hunt for Jesus)

- Tessa’s story. (teacher at local school)

o View crib with camcorder… ‘coo’s and ‘aaah’s’

o But something’s wrong! Jesus had been taken

 = true!

 Somebody had taken a liking to Him… in the wrong way!

o Was able to legitimately say to her class ‘let’s go search for baby Jesus’

- can you help me find Jesus, this morning?!

o Search, and bring all you find up to the front, here

o (they can open them during next Carol)

- Kids search everywhere and find:

o Bells (used later)

o Candy cane (used later)

o Best present wrapped in plain brown paper (used later)*

o Sweets

o Chocolate coins

o Musical, Christmas thingies

o ?stockings

o ? tacky singing Santa

o (stand on stage but don’t unwrap them, yet)

Carol 2: See him lying on a bed of straw

- (or don’t see Him, as the case may be ‘coz He’s missing!)

IS?- is this the true meaning of Christmas?

- kids unwrap what they’ve found

- have a play with all the kids (and adults’!) toys!

o Give out some more presents

- Ask: but is this what we were looking for? Is this what Christmas is all about?

o No: they are real fun… good things… that God wants us to enjoy

 But it’s not Christmas without Jesus!

 He’s the reason for the season

Prayer (& open prayer) of thanks re our gifts

Carol 3: Girls and boys leave your toys

THE?- darkness

- without Jesus- there is no Christmas… fun

- but without Jesus- the world’s a dark, dark place as well

o there are problems in the world

- Jesus knew all about this! It is a wonderful story… true story

o But God’s gift to us wasn’t wrapped in beautiful shiny paper. It… HE…was wrapped in plain paper

• (like the best present)

 A cold manger. Poor family

 Experienced he full hardship… suffering of this life

 Cried out ‘Father- where are you? Where is your love?’

How do we know God loves us? How do we know that God IS love?

What is he like? WHERE IS THE LOVE?

- Rap to backing music of ‘where is the love’ by the Black Eyed Peas

Rap & PowerPoint to ‘where is the love?- Mics, audio into PA

LOVE

- find Jesus… the love… in the manger after all

- where is the love? – “it’s in the manger, yo!’

Carol 4: Away in a manger

- candy cane- explain

o looks like letter “J”. reminds us it’s Jesus’ DAY.. birthday

o other way up- looks like shepherd’s staff. It’s a reminder that ‘The Lord is my shepherd’

o it’s also made of rock. Now, this has nothing to do with ‘rock the flock’, as you might expect

 it’s that the Lord Jesus is a rock… a rock to all who trust Him. ‘the rock of my salvation’

o and here’s how, why. You notice the rock is mainly white- that’s because Jesus was the perfect, sinless, lamb of God

 and traditional candy canes have 3 red stripes- which remind us of the stripes on Jesus’ back, and the blood when he died for our sins

• so we could be forgiven… and have a friendship relationship with God.

• That’s why he came at Christmas!

o so- the candy cane shows the true meaning of Christmas!

- bells- explain

o church bells ring to tell happy news!

o Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:8

 That’s why we ring bells Christmas day. It’s a happy time because we celebrate the birth of God into this world

o Look at the bell. What makes the sound?

 It comes from a little ball or stick inside that bounces around and makes all the happy sound!

 Our joy comes from inside, too

• We haven’t seen Jesus- but we know Him inside and that makes us so happy

o Give them a jangle!

 Do you know what can stop the bell ringing?

• Holding the toggle, or the outside of the bell can dampen the sound

• We mustn’t forget to thank God for Jesus at Christmas… or let anything dampen the sound… our joy!

Prayer/ open prayer of thanks for Jesus

Carol 5- Joy to the World! (Plus jangle those bells!)

Blessing