“For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
–The words of the wise men in Matthew 2:2
For those churches which follow a three year cycle of Sunday readings, called the Revised Common Lectionary, this year most of our readings about Jesus will be from the Gospel of Matthew. I love the year of Matthew, because this year is the one that tells us the story of the wise men which appear on Epiphany. Because of its emphasis on the wise men, I thought it might be fun to go star-crazy this year from Advent to Epiphany. We will start the season with a four week craft which builds on itself as we watch the star rise to show the way to Jesus. Below, find the complete supplies list for the next three weeks. The star instructions will be revealed week by week.
If you missed week 1, you can find it here: https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2016/11/25/follow-the-star-week-1-advent-2016/
Supplies needed per star:
Week 2:
1/8” metallic gold ribbon
Scissor
Week 3:
Craft tags
Scissor
Brown string
“Follow” stamp or nice handwriting with a black felt-tip or gel pen
Black ink stamp pad (if using stamp)
Week 4:
Clear flat ½” marble
Black paint marker
Gold puffy paint
Paintbrush
1 Permanent Glue Dot
Gathering: Light your Advent wreath, get out your Advent Spiral, or turn on the Christmas tree so that your family knows something special is about to happen.
Gathering Prayer: (repeat-after-me style)
Dear God, we thank you for time to spend together as a family as we wait for Jesus to come. Help this time to be a holy time. Amen.
Bible Story:
Ask your kids to tell you the story of Jesus being born. If they can’t come up with it off hand, you might want to get out a nativity set and have them tell you about all of the pieces. You can also use this to help them to learn the story. A Children’s Bible or Children’s Christmas story book might also come in handy.
After you have sorted out the story, remind them: There were lots of people waiting for Jesus to be born. Angels. Mary. Joseph. Shepherds. Sheep! Who was the group who came from the farthest away? The wise men! They had been watching the sky for a special star that would tell them that an important king had been born. We know this because, in the Epiphany story, the wise men tell the people in Jerusalem, “For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
This year during Advent, we are going to wait for Jesus like the wise men, watch his star rise, and celebrate when he is born!
Craft: Popsicle Stick Star
Instructions for Week 2:
- This week we are making a tail for the bottom two corners of the star. Cut two 15 inch lengths of gold ribbon.
- Fold each ribbon in half. Insert the loop from the front of the star to the back. Bring the loop around to the front again. Attach them to the star, as shown.
When you have finished adding to your star(s), hang them ¼ of the way up your Christmas tree, or put it somewhere off the floor but not too high. It is going to take four weeks for it to rise to the top!
If you’d like to go star-crazy with us, here is another star that you and your family can make this week:
https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2016/11/29/follow-the-star-2016-pipe-cleaner-star/
Song: Do You Hear What I Hear
I chose this song for this week because of its reference to the star having a tail “as big as a kite,” which is what we did in our activity this week. Enjoy!
Playlist: Here are a few playlists that you can listen to while you work!
Closing Prayer: (repeat-after-me style)
Dear Jesus, you are our bright morning star. As we watch our little stars rise, help us to follow where you lead, both now and always. In your name we pray, Amen.
Family God Time 