Christmascarols,shepherdsand

angels.

Thursday3rdDecember2020

LO:Understandingthemeaningof‘sacred’.

WhatisaChristmascarol?Whichcarolsdoyouknow?

Talktoyourfamily.

Whatcarolsdoyour

familyknow?

Doyouknowthiscarol?SilentNight

hIps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRZOv31n1sY

Orthisone?WhileShepherdswatched

TheirFlockshIps://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=IgYzJDxxzN8

TheplacewhereJesuswasborninBethlehemismarkedbyastar.

Bethlehemisanordinarytown,butChrisXansbelievethatGodwasbornasaXnybabyonthisspot.

WhatdidwelearnlastweekaboutMuslim

beliefsaboutJesus?

DoyouknowthisChristmascarol?Silentnight,holynightAlliscalm,allisbright'RoundyonvirginMotherandChildHolyinfantsotenderandmildSleepinheavenlypeaceSleepinheavenlypeaceSilentnight,holynight!Shepherdsquakeatthesight!Gloriesstreamfromheavenafar;HeavenlyhostssingAl-le-lu-ia!ChristtheSaviourisborn!ChristtheSaviourisborn!

DoyouknowthisChristmascarol?

WhileshepherdswatchedTheirflocksbynightAllseatedonthegroundTheangeloftheLordcamedownAndgloryshonearoundAndgloryshonearound

“Fearnot,”hesaid,FormightydreadHadseizedtheirtroubledminds“GladXdingsofgreatjoyIbringToyouandallmankind,Toyouandallmankind.”

Readthesewordsagain:“TheangeloftheLordcamedownAndgloryshonearoundAndgloryshonearound“Fearnot,”hesaid,FormightydreadHadseizedtheirtroubledminds…”

Imagineyouarejustashepherd,doinganordinaryjob,justlookingagersheepatnight.Imagineyousawanangel!

Whymightyoufeel‘mightydread’?

Whatisanangel?Haveyouseenone?

Aretheyreal?

‘Angel’isaGreekwordformessenger.

Whereelsedoangelsfeature

intheNaXvitystory?

Canyouspotthefaceoftheangelinthepicture?

Lastweek,welookedatpictureofangelsbyMuslimarXsts.Therearestoriesineveryreligionofspiritsappearingtoordinarypeople.

TheauthorofTheLion,theWitchandtheWardrobe,C.S.Lewis,wasaChrisXan.Healsowrotebooksaboutreligion.

Herehetalksabouthowitmightfeeltoencountera‘mightyspirit’:‘SupposeyouweretoldtherewasaXgerinthenextroom:youwouldknowthatyouwereindangerandwouldprobablyfeelfear.Butifyouweretold,"Thereisaghostinthenextroom,"andbelievedit,youwouldfeelfearofadifferentkind.Itwouldnotbetheknowledgeofdanger,becausenooneisprimarilyafraidofwhataghostmaydo,butofthemerefactthatitisaghost.Itis"uncanny"ratherthandangerous,andthatspecialkindoffearcanbecalleddread.Nowsupposethatyouweretoldsimply"Thereisamightyspiritintheroom,"andbelievedit.Yourfeelingswouldthenbeevenlesslikethemerefearofdanger:youwouldfeelwonderandawe.’

TheOldTestamenttellsustofearGod:

“Godisawesomeinhismajesty,

Almightyandexcellentinpower,injudgmentandabundantjusXce;

ThereforemenfearHim.”

Religionisaboutmorethandoinggood,andbeinggood,

althoughofcoursethoseareimportant.

Whatdoes'holy'mean?

Whatdoes'sacred'mean?

LookinadicXonary,

orlookupthemeaningonline:

writeoutthedefiniXonsofbothwords

inyourbooks.

Holymeansmuchmorethan‘good’.

Sacredmeanssomethingmorethan‘special’.

‘Sacred’comesfromaLaXnword,‘sacer’thatmeans‘setapart’.Thesacredandholyarethingsthatare‘setapart’,thatarenotofthisworld.Lookatthewaytheangelinthispictureseemstobreakthroughthesky,asifcomingintoourlivesfromanotherrealm.

Ogenangelsareshown

asgolden.

Wingsrepresentflight:

angelscanmovebetween

HeavenandEarth.

Someangelsareshownas

impossiblecreatures,

thatwecan’tunderstand.

Holypicturesuse

lotsofpaIern.

(ThisisbyaMuslimarXst.)

IntricatepaIerncreates

asenseofperfecXon,

ofeverythingfinng

intoGod’splan.

Lookatthelanguageofthecarols.HymnsarebeauXfulpaIernsofwords.

Haveyoueverseenaghost?Haveyoueverseenanangel?Doyoubelieveinspirits?DoyoubelieveinGod?Canyouunderstandwhyitwouldbefrighteningtomeetanangelfacetoface?

Imagineyouareashepherd,inthehillsnearBethlehem.Itisacoldwinter’snight,andtheskyisfullofstars.

Youcanhearwolveshowling,owlshooXng,yoursheeparehuddlingtogether,asifsuddenlyafraid.

Youhearastrangevoice,andseealight…

WritethestoryofthatfirstChristmasnight,

asifyouwereashepherd:tellinghowyoucameface-to-facewithanangel,

andfoundababyborninastable...

Writeinthefirstpersonandpasttense.I’veaddedtheGospelstoryonthenextpage,tohelpyou.

TheGospelofSt.Luke

CaesarissuedadecreethatacensusshouldbetakenofthewholeRomanworldandeveryonewenttotheirowntowntoregister.SoJosephwentfromNazarethtoBethlehem,thetownofDavid,becausehebelongedtothehouseofDavid.HewenttherewithMary,whowasduetobemarriedtohimandwasexpecXngachild.WhiletheywereinBethlehem,thebabywasborn,andMarywrappedhiminclothsandlaidhiminamanger,becausetherewasnoroomattheinn.Therewereshepherdsinthefieldsnearby,keepingwatchovertheirflocksatnight.AnangeloftheLordappearedtothem,andthegloryoftheLordshonearoundthem,andtheywereterrified.Buttheangelsaidtothem,“Donotbeafraid.Ibringnewsofgreatjoy.TodayaSaviourhasbeenborntoyou;heistheMessiah,theLord.Thiswillbeasigntoyou:Youwillfindababywrappedinclothsandlyinginamanger.”Suddenlyagreatcompanyoftheheavenlyhostappearedwiththeangel,praisingGodandsaying,“GlorytoGodinthehighestandpeaceonearth.”TheshepherdshurriedtoBethlehemandfoundMaryandJoseph,andthebaby,whowaslyinginthemanger.Whentheyhadseenhim,theytoldeveryone,andallwhohearditwereamazed.ButMarytreasuredupallthesethingsandponderedtheminherheart.