1. Bishop Justus Church of England School
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Morning Worship
The birth of Jesus
Advent
16th December 2015
Bishop Justus Church of England School

2. Gather The Lord be with you And also with you
Most of us have really cute and rather immaculate pictures of sweet nativity scenes…. Everything is clean, smells nice—it’s glittery and twinkly…. But the story of the nativity is anything but sweet.

3. Receive
At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own town. Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendent of David. He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger—there was no room for them to stay in the inn.
From the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 2, verses 1-7

4. Engage The Nativity Story is a scandal….
Mary was a young unmarried pregnant girl.
Mary and Joseph were homeless.
The birth of Jesus would have included smells and mess—Mary and Joseph have to make do with a manger for Jesus’ bed—if animals were present there would have been plenty of mess—and it wouldn’t have smelt nice!
Giving birth is difficult. Ask a mother what birth is like? It can be messy and painful.
God’s gift freely given
· Wrap up some mini chocolates enough for the whole class and put the present in sight of the class
· Say, ‘here is a present—if anyone wants it—then its yours’ (you’ll get the eager ones and the suspicious ones….
· If someone does take the present—ask them to open it—say, ‘ Christians believe that God’s gift to us in the baby Jesus is freely given to all of us—we just have to receive it
· Then ask the student who opened the present what he would like to do with the gift (hopefully they will share it)
· Say, ‘God’s gift’ to us is something to share’
Sweet nativity
Video suggestion - Watch a clip from the Nativity Story showing the birth of Jesus to the end...

5. The story of the nativity should surprise us because God comes to humanity as a poor baby. Jesus is born in a scandal at the edges of society rather than the expectations of a Kingly birth in a palace full of comfort. God coming to us in the baby Jesus is called the ‘Incarnation’.
We understand that Jesus is both God and human, that God comes to earth in humility should challenge us this Christmas.
The Holy Family had nowhere to stay when Jesus was born which reminds us that God came amongst us in the lowest places.
Discuss:
Where would God be born today?
Where should Christians find God today?

6. Respond Amen As we think of Mary and Joseph away from home
we pray for people who are alone
at Christmas
as we think of Jesus,
being born into poverty
we pray for people living their lives
in unhygienic, unsanitary conditions.
We pray for people whose water supply
is a dirty pool, miles from home.
We pray for those with nowhere to stay.  
Amen

7. Go Be born to us Lord Jesus. Be born in our hearts today.
Don’t forget to collect at least £1 for Friday’s “Own Clothes” Day
Money raised for Demelza and WellChild