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SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 40:3
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Malachi 3:1
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord.
John 1:6-7
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
Matthew 3:1-3
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'”
SONG
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
Down in a lowly manger the humble
Christ was born, and brought us God’s
Salvation that blessed Christmas morn’
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
ACTIVITY
Foot “Tree” Mural
- Green Acrylic Paint
- Markers OR paint and small paintbrush
- Poster board large enough to fit everyone’s feet
- Wipes, wet washcloths, or wet paper towels to clean off paint
You may want to cover the floor that you are working over with newspapers or a drop cloth. One foot at a time to keep the mess under control, paint the bottom of your children’s feet and press them onto the poster board straight up and down. The heel of their feet will be the tops of the trees, so make sure you are pressing their feet in the right way.
Extra credit: Mom and Dad, get your feet in there, too!
You can bunch the “trees” together or space them apart, depending on your preference and how much space on the poster board you have to work with.
Allow it to dry completely. Using markers or different colors of acrylic paint, draw/paint on lights, ornaments and a star on your “trees.” If desired, use a brown marker or paint to give your “trees” a trunk (below the toes).
Underneath the trees, write “How beautiful… are the feet of him who brings good news…” Isaiah 52:7.”
This can also be done with each pair of feet on individual pieces of cardstock instead of all on a larger poster board.
Salt Dough Ornaments
If your children are little, and painting their feet sounds like a little too much potential for disaster, how about salt dough ornaments with their precious footprints? You will have a keepsake for years to come.
Salt Dough Recipe:
- ½ cup salt
- ½ cup flour
- about ¼ cup water
Mix together, adding enough water to not be either too crumbly or too sticky.
Press child’s foot into a flattened ball of dough.
Use a straw or toothpick to punch out a small hole for a ribbon to go through. Make sure you do not make the part the ornament will hang from too thin, or it will easily break under the weight of the ornament.
Bake the dough at 200 F for about 3 hours until completely hardened.
Paint if you want to. Definitely label with your child’s name and the year either on the front or on the back. Hang on the Christmas tree with ribbon.
