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SCRIPTURE
Luke 2:8-14
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
SONG
Angels We Have Heard On High
Angels we have heard on high,
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains:Refrain:
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heav’nly song? [Refrain]Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the new-born King. [Refrain]See within a manger laid
Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth!
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
sing with us our Savior’s birth. [Refrain]
ACTIVITY
Today, let’s make the angels. We have made angel ornaments for your Christmas tree, but now we will make the angels for the nativity.
There are several possibilities for the people and angels you will be adding to your nativity. You may have already made other village people. You can make the nativity characters in the same way, or a different way. Below are just a few options.
The first option is to purchase wooden peg dolls, paint them, add pieces of fabric or other details to make them special. This option will give you something that might last for several years.
A second option is to use paper towel tubes cut down to size, paint them or wrap them in paper, and add faces, clothing, and other details with construction paper and markers. This option is cheaper, but they might not last past 1 Christmas – in which case you can do this all over again next year!
A third option is to draw and cut out the people and animals on stiff paper. You will have to attach paper triangles or a paper clip bent in half to help them stand up.
A fourth option for just the angels is to draw or print and color pictures of angels and hang them above your stable with string. You could even make a mobile that hangs from the ceiling.
Maybe you and your kids will come up with other clever options for your cast of characters, in which case, use them!
Whatever option you choose, make a few angels, paint white or add white paper as their clothes, add paper or felt wings, add gold or silver pipe cleaner for halos (or draw and color them the appropriate colors). This is the “classic” or “traditional” look to indicate angels.
Place them in (or above) the village.
