Jesus' Birth through the Eyes of the Wisemen
Cooking Workshop: Pomander Balls
Christ Seekers (Magi) – Loaves and Fishes Café
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Children will make a scented gift – a clove decorated orange – which reinforces the star, the three gifts given Jesus, and the concept of gift giving.
Scripture Reference:
Matthew 2:1-2 and Matthew 2:9-11
Lesson Objectives
- Children can name all three gifts given by the magi.
- Children can describe frankincense and its uses.
- Children can describe myrrh and its uses.
Leader Preparation:
- Read the scripture ahead of time.
- Gather the materials.
- Make a pomander so you are familiar with the process and how long it takes.
Materials List:
- Catalogues for opening discussion (optional)
- Pictures of gold and frankincense and myrrh (use any good search engine to find on the web)
- Bibles
Pomander Ball Ornaments - Oranges–purchase those w/ thick skin, preferably a golden color rather than bright orange (need one per child)
- Whole cloves – a pound will cover a dozen oranges
- Mix of ground spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice
- Ground orrisroot (if you can find it, it will help preserve the ball longer)
- A paper bag for each child
- Toothpicks
- Paper towels
- Ribbon
- Plastic bags (to carry the balls home)
Advance Preparation Requirements:
- Mix together the ground spices (and ground orrisroot if you could find it)
Presentation
Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction
Greet the children and introduce yourself and any helpers that you have.
Ask children what they would like for Christmas. If you would like, you can bring catalogues or ads for children to look through.
Ask children if they have made or bought any gifts for anyone this Christmas.
Ask the children why we give gifts at Christmas. (1) God gave us the gift of Jesus; (2) The magi brought gifts for Jesus.
What gifts did the Magi give Jesus?
Read together Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11.
Ask the children what they know about gold, frankincense, and myrrh and explain what each of those things are and show the pictures of Gold and Frankincense.
Dig- Main Content and Reflection
Main Lesson
The pomander balls are gifts that remind us of the gifts of the magi. (You can search the web for more detailed instructions for making a pomander; we like these from first day of home.)
Let each child pick an orange.
The oranges remind us of GOLD.
Stick the orange all over with cloves, being sure to cover it evenly. The more cloves are in, the longer the pomander ball will last. It may be helpful to use a toothpick to poke holes in a pattern first.
The cloves we stick in remind us of MYRRH (which is thorny, and smells good, and was a preservative).
Allow the orange juice to drain some, then roll the ball in cinnamon and other spices in a paper bag. (NOTE: The original recipe recommends allowing the orange to drain 24 hours before rolling in cinnamon mixture.)
The cinnamon we roll them in reminds us of FRANKINCENSE (which made the temple smell good, just as this will make our homes smell good).
Tie the ball with a Ribbon so that it can be given to someone as a GIFT they can hang up.
Life Application:
Gold reminded people that Jesus is really important.
What sort of things might you give someone today to show the world that you think s/he is really important?
Frankincense reminded people of God’s presence.
What reminds you of God’s presence?
Myrrh was very expensive and valuable.
What is something you have that is expensive or valuable? Are you willing to give it up for Jesus?
Who will you give your orange pomander to?
What will you tell the recipient about Jesus and gifts that we give?
To take home:
Completed balls
Cinnamon spice mixture and instructions, if they’ll be completing the project at home.
Closing:
Have the children assist with the cleanup and close with a prayer.
Adjustments for age levels and abilities
Little fingers may get tired of sticking in the cloves. You can “pre-drill” some holes for them with a bamboo skewer. It will be easier for them to push into premade holes.
If you have extra time…
Make an extra pomander ball
If time runs short…
Give extra cloves for completing the project at home.
Be creative
How else can you connect this project with the story of Jesus’ birth?
A lesson written by Lisa Martin from: Trinity UCC, Pottstown, PA
A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.
