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The Wise Still Seek Him

Art Workshop

paper.star.for.Wise.Men.Bible.lesson.craftSummary of Lesson Activities:

Through story and the art of creating star ornaments, the children will learn about the wise men seeking Jesus, bringing gifts to honor him, and how we can do the same. In addition, children will learn about the church calendar and the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.
[Note: 4th – 6th graders visited this workshop.]

For scripture, objectives, and background- see above.


Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture for this lesson.
  • Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
  • Gather the materials.
  • Test out the technique of folding, cutting, and gluing the stars. (See end of lesson resources for several sources for written and video instructions.)
  • Color in a copy of the church calendar with the appropriate colors to represent each season.
  • Set up to play the CD of Christmas music while the students are working.

Supplies List:

  • Bibles
  • Children’s Illustrated Bible
  • Heavy wrapping paper scraps, scrapbook paper, or origami paper (or in a pinch: copier paper) – two 5 x 5 inch squares needed per student (to make one star each) – must be perfectly square and paper must all be the same size (you can use bigger or smaller squares for different-sized stars)
  • Scissors
  • Glue sticks, double-sided tape, or glue
  • Needle
  • Heavy thread
  • Optional: CD player with a CD of instrumental Christmas music
  • A crèche set in a box, not set up
  • Optional: Copies of page 28, Unit 2 in the Worship for Life materials (church year calendar)

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Art Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

Ask: Why do you think some people have stars on the top of their Christmas Trees? (accept all answers)
Say: Today our focus will be on stars. We’ll be talking about the story of some wise men that followed a star to find Jesus. And we’ll be making some stars. First, let’s go out to the Bible timeline mural and look at the pictures painted there. Let’s see if we can find our story depicted in the artwork.

Head out to the time line:
Remind students not to touch the art work.

Ask: Can anyone find the story of the wise men depicted in this art?
Are they with Jesus when he was in the manger? (not depicted that way, they are a ways off)
Do you suppose that the wise men visited Jesus when he was a little baby in the stable? (accept all answers)

After a couple of minutes of looking (encourage seeking other stories that they know), head back to the classroom.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Ask: Since the wise men visited Jesus, where in the Bible would we read our story? (NT)

  • What are the first four books of the New Testament? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
  • What do we call those first four books? (the Gospels)
  • What does the word “Gospel” mean?

Say: The word Gospel means “good news.” The story of Jesus’ birth is very good news.

Distribute Bibles. Have everyone find Matthew 2:1
If this is a week early in the Rotation, read the scripture together. Towards the end of the Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story. Have them check the Bible for accuracy.

Initial Discussion:
Ask: What did you learn about the wise men story that you didn’t know before?

Say: The wise men followed a star because they were people who studied the stars. To them new stars represented important events. In this story, the wise men found Jesus by following a star. God created the Earth, the planets, and the stars and arranged them all in the heavens.

Ask: Isn’t it amazing that God used the arrangements of his heavenly bodies to guide the wise men -- do you suppose that God placed the star in the sky to lead the wise men to Jesus?
Who leads us to Jesus?
Do you suppose God leads us to Jesus by providing us with a star?

Say: It would be great if God would always provide us with a “star” to find where we should go and how to find Jesus in our lives. But such a direct sign doesn’t always happen.
Ask: What are some of the ways God provides for us to get to know Jesus? (some possible answers: studying the Bible, prayer, learning about Jesus in Sunday’s Cool, attending worship services, talking to other people who believe in Jesus)

Say: We can think of all of those things as “stars” which lead us to Jesus and to God. God reaches out to lead us even though we may not be aware of it.

Ask: Does this story gives us a connection as to why people put stars on the top of their Christmas trees?
Say: Let’s make some stars.

Start the art project:
Say: Today, you will be creating Christmas star decorations to represent the star that led the wise men to Jesus.

Follow the instructions to make stars (see resources). Have the students all make the first folds and cuts together as you demonstrate the process.

Watch the time and stop a couple of minutes before the end of class to do the closing and to clean up.

Discussion while the kids are working: (Do as much of this discussion as time allows)

Ask: Do any of you give gifts at Christmas?
Why do you give gifts? (accept any answers)
Say: It is thought that the practice of giving gifts at Christmas, traces back to the gifts that were given to Jesus by the Magi.

Ask: Who were the Magi? (another name for wise men)
Say: The Magi are sometimes called kings. They probably were not kings.
Ask someone to read the sidebar note on page 196, “From the East” in the Children’s Illustrated Bible.

Say: God has given everyone his son Jesus as a gift. Jesus came to earth as a person to teach us about God’s love for us and to teach us how we should act.
Ask: What did the Wise Men do when they saw Jesus? (worshipped him & gave gifts)
God has given Jesus to us as a gift. How can we respond to this gift of Jesus? (allow all responses)
Say: We also worship God. We can also respond by sharing our gifts.

Ask: What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus? (gold, frankincense, myrrh)
Say: These gifts had significance to Jesus.
Ask someone to read the sidebar note on page 197, “Three Gifts” in the Children’s Illustrated Bible.

Ask: Did you know that this is the time of year in our church calendar when it is appropriate to say “Happy New Year?”
Talk about how the church calendar starts with Advent. Show the church calendar and note the specific colors that are associated with each season.
(I had test here that I’d taken from Unit 2 of the Worship for Life material but I’ve removed it from this lesson for copyright reasons.)

Ask: Did you know that there is even a day that celebrates the wise men visiting Jesus?
Does anyone know what that day is called?
Say: It’s called Epiphany. Epiphany actually happens on January 6th but we’ll celebrate Epiphany here in this church on January 4th because that’s a Sunday.
Ask: I wonder if there will be some sort of special event that day?
Say: The season of Epiphany lasts until the start of Lent before Easter.

Ask: Are you all familiar with crèche sets?
What is typically seen in a crèche set?

Bring out the box with the crèche set. Encourage the telling of the Christmas story. As each piece is mentioned set it out on the table in front of the students.
Ask: What about those wise men? Should they be a part of the crèche set?
What clues did you get from this story that tell us that the wise men probably didn’t visit Jesus when he was in the manger of the stable?
Have someone read Matthew 2:11 (“On coming to the house…")

Ask: Who can tell me what town you were born in? (allow a few answers)
I wonder what it would have been like if someone had predicted 700 years before you were born, that you would be born in __<name a town>__?
Say: Well, that is what happened to Jesus. A prophet by the name of Micah predicted that a king would be born in Bethlehem.

Ask: What town was Jesus born in? (Bethlehem)
Read to the students Micah 5:2 -- “But you, Bethlehem, though you are one of the smallest towns, but the Lord will choose one of your people to be ruler over Israel.” (paraphrased)
Say: Remember the part of our story where King Herod asked the Jewish religious leaders where the Christ was to be born? Those religious leaders would have looked up in the Old Testament and found the words of Micah.

Closing:

Say: Let’s close with prayer.
Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer.

A suggestion: God, thank you for sending Jesus to the whole world. What a great gift! Thank you for all the ways you help us to know Jesus. Amen.

If there is extra time: the students can make extra stars. Encourage them to give them as gifts, telling the story of the wise men, the gift of Jesus, and why we give gifts to others.


Resources for the Art Lesson:

Why are we sending kids out into the hallway to look at our timeline? Well, we are mighty proud of our time line! It is a work of art! For pictures view the artist's web site.


A lesson written by Carol Teener and Carol Hulbert for First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI
Copyright 2008 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.
Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material.

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:
Teener, Carol and Carol Hulbert. "The Wise Still Seek Him: Art Lesson." 2008. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

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Last edited by Amy Crane
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