As well as the mini-sermon for Sunday night’s carol service that I posted earlier, here is a talk for an all-age service on Sunday morning. Some of this is meant to connect with the adults as well as the children. It’s not a straight ‘children’s talk’.
[NB: This talk takes as its inspiration Shane Claiborne’s recent article Creative Cures For The Common Christmas.]
A Question For The Congregation: You can see how we have decorated the church for Christmas. But how would you decorate it? [Take some answers.]
Another Question: How many presents do you expect to receive this year? [Again, take some answers.]
Now let me tell you the answers some Christians have given to these two questions.
One church got rid of the usual Christmas decorations one year. Instead, they scattered hay and manure under the pews. They also invited a donkey, who was kind enough to leave his own particular gift while present. The congregation went from awkward looks at each other to laughter as they realised the church leaders had tried to recreate the feel of a manger in the sanctuary.
Now the second question, about the number of presents. Children in one Sunday School said that Jesus only received three presents: gold, frankincense and myrrh. And they weren’t much use for a baby! The children agreed to keep three presents, and give the rest away.
There’s a third question, but I can’t ask you to answer this publicly. If you did, it would destroy some surprises on Christmas Day. Here is the question: what gift are you most looking forward to giving? Just think quietly for a moment about that. …
Now, here is how some Christians answered that question. They dressed up in fun costumes, and invaded a shopping centre on the busiest shopping day of the Christmas season. They gave out free hot chocolate and free coats to the needy. They carried slogans such as, ‘Buy less – love more’, ‘Celebrate love not money’, ‘Love doesn’t cost a thing’ and ‘Spend time not money.’
But that leads to a fourth and final question, not ‘What should I give others?’, but ‘What should I give God?’ Pause for a moment again, and think about that. …
The answer I’d offer to that question is a traditional one. We’re about to sing ‘In the bleak midwinter’ (all five verses here). You’ll recall that verse in it:
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I have I give him, give my heart.
(Christina Georgina Rossetti, 1830-1894)
What does ‘give my heart’ mean? Some put it like this: if the Old Testament standard for giving was the tithe, ten per cent, the New Testament standard is everything, one hundred per cent. Everything we have is for Jesus. That is what ‘give my heart’ means.
So we’re going to sing the carol now. And I want to invite you to confirm that you have ‘given your heart’ to Jesus. We have a Christmas card for Jesus at the front here. It has the last line of the carol on it. I want to invite you to come to the front and sign your name on Broomfield’s card to Jesus. Let’s pledge that we have given our hearts, our lives to Jesus. That’s real Christian, Christmas giving.
Technorati Tags: ShaneClaiborne, Christmas, giving, ChristinaRossetti
Big Circumstance 
If this is to be delivered in church it is woefully inadequate. The gospel is not about what we give to God. The law and gospel is to be proclaimed. Tell the congregation exactly how bad they are, they are dead in sin, then tell them they can’t give anything to God. Rather God has given them everything, Jesus Christ’s perfect life lived in our place, His death on the cross to pay for our sins, AND His resurrection guaranteeing us eternal life. This should be preached this Christmas season, this should be preached every Sunday in our churches, then we would see what a genuine revival looks like and what true human love is.
In Christ
Alan
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Alan,
This was only the final talk of three in a family service. The first two had been given by the worship leader. She had ended the second talk with a ‘present’ that was an box, which opened out into the shape of a cross. So the cross was proclaimed earlier in the service. My talk, then, was about response to that. No, we can’t give anything to God that earns salvation – of course not, it is all done in Christ. However, those who truly receive the gospel show they have by their fruits, and hence why it was important for me to address the kind of giving we offer in response.
By the way, while I know what you’re driving at in saying ‘preach law and then gospel’ (Wesley did that), I have concerns about the tone of your comment. I know it’s difficult to convey tone in typed words rather than face to face, but ‘Tell the congregation exactly how bad they are’? Yes, of course we need to deal with the question of sin, and I’m not shy of doing so. However – ‘they‘? I have to include myself, too. Also, while in preaching I talk about sin, biblically it is not my responsibility to convict people of sin, but the Holy Spirit’s. Having done that, people need to hear about grace and love. And if grace and love are preached biblically rather than sentimentally, that of itself can lead to conviction of sin.
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I could not agree with the end of your response more. Btw, yes I said they, but I am included in that, it is we. Also tone is hard to convey and I was not trying to be confrontational but with the watered down gospel being passed off today it is hard not to sound a little jaded, I meant no disrespect.
In Christ
Alan
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Alan,
Thanks for your gracious response.
Every blessing,
Dave
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