Summary: A short talk for children aged 5 to 11 plus their teachers and parents. This is Joseph (preaching in character) telling a bit of his story. The talk ends with a short song using the chorus of the well known carol O, Come let us adore him.

Hello everyone my name’s Joe – bet you don’t know what Joe is short for! Yes, that’s right, it is Joseph!

Well, you’ll never believe some of the amazing and weird stuff that’s happened to me and my fiancée this year. No way will you believe it. My fiancée, my lovely girlfriend, my wife-to-be, she is the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful girl you could ever meet. Of course you’ve never met my fiancée so you’ve no idea who I’m talking about have you?

You don’t even know her name do you? (Gasp – so you do know her?)

Well her real name is Miriam but a lot of people shorten that to Mary.

Back in March my Mary had a visitor.

You will never, never believe who visited my Mary. I didn’t believe it at first. Have you got any ideas?

An angel! Yes! Has someone been talking to you lot?

I didn’t believe her at first; but everything she’s said has come true. The angel said that my Mary would give birth to God’s Son and we should call him Jesus.

I was gobsmacked. I mean Mary and I …we’re close, but not that close and we were not thinking about babies yet. No way!

But then an angel visited me. He said, “Get married to Mary. Her son will be called Jesus.” And do you know what the name Jesus means? It means God and Saviour.

The angel said our baby boy Jesus will one day save people from their sins. It’s been so much to take in.

And now Mary’s about to give birth! She’s only got a few days before the baby arrives and we’ve got to walk 80 miles to Bethlehem.

I hope we’ll find somewhere nice for Mary to have the baby. I mean, if this is God’s son he’s going to be born somewhere really posh, somewhere really nice, somewhere clean. What do you think?

(Note to the reader - this should be read by someone else: “He wasn’t born anywhere nice. It was smelly and dirty, but it means that today God’s son Jesus can be born in any heart, in any person, not just the nice. Not just the clean.”)

Not many people know this, but I love to sing; and I’ve been writing a little song ready for the day when Jesus is born. Mary hasn’t heard it yet so could I try it out on you?

It goes like this:

O come let us adore him (x3) Christ the Lord.

Let’s give him the name Jesus (x3) Christ the Lord.

For he alone can save us (x3). Christ the Lord.

These next few days are going to change my life forever. I hope and pray that the birth of Jesus changes you too.

Amen.