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Readings and rituals of this season help us wait and watch for a Savior. It is a time that can feel tender and heavy with grief and memories, it can feel hopeful and bright, and it can be a mixture of many different emotions. However you feel as you wait and watch, notice the deep longing that we all share: for God to come close to us. We invite you to wait and watch for Emmanuel with the videos, activities, and other resources you find on this page.
Parents, use your own discretion when it comes to your kids. If content is rated for certain ages then we will indicate that. Enjoy!
Share: What were your high and low points today?
Read: Matthew 1:23b: “and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”
Reflect: At Christmas, we celebrate that God comes “close to home,” chooses to be with us in the human baby Jesus. When or where do you notice God with you?
Pray: “Dear Emmanuel, help us to see and welcome you into our homes and into our lives. Amen.”
Bless: Trace a cross on each other’s shoulder, hand, or head and say “[Name], you are a beloved child of God.”
For more conversation starters, try Daring Deep Discussions.
For more Bible texts, go to Suggested Scripture Readings.
Even if you don’t manage to watch the entire animated classic this year, this excerpt of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” helps to remind us what is the real reason for the season.
Enjoy the music and visual artistry of “Wherever You Are,” a song written & produced by Barnaby Bright for A Sanctified Art’s “Close to Home” Advent and Christmas series.
Recordings of 2024 Children’s Christmas Program: “Rufus and the Very Special Baby.”
Affiliated with the ELCA and Saint Paul Area Synod
