Follow the Star

Short Talk (SHT132) Follow the Star © Jane Hulme 2018 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Before the service: SHORT TALK: “Follow the Star” To encourage people to seek after Jesus using the “clues” God has given us in the same way that the wise men sought after Jesus using the “clue” God gave them of the star. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Epiphany, Seeking Matthew 2:1-12, Jeremiah 29:13-14a Year C – The Epiphany Hide a member of the congregation somewhere in the church where they are not immediately visible, for example in a side room or on the floor behind a pew or behind a screen etc. Prepare a clue that will guide the children to where the person is hidden. .................................................................................................................. Today N (name of hidden member of the congregation) is somewhere in the church building but we can’t see them.  Children, I want you to see if you can find N and then bring them to the front of church and show them to everyone.  Before you start looking for N I will give you a clue as to where they might be. (Read out clue as to N’s location)  OK – so go and find N (Send children off to find N and bring N to the front of church) Well done children – you followed the clue well and we can now all see N.  When Jesus was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago, God wanted people to find His Son, so He put a special bright star in the sky as the clue to where Jesus was. Some wise men, seeing the special star in the sky and knowing from an ancient prophecy what it meant, decided to follow the star until they found Jesus, the new-born King These wise men had to make a very long journey of hundreds of miles.  In those days there were no aeroplanes, trains or buses.  The best transport would probably have been a camel! Their journey would have taken a lot of time.  They probably had to go through places they had never been through before.  It would have cost them money and effort as well as time. © Jane Hulme 2018 2 But the star eventually led them to Jesus.  The wise men bowed down and worshipped Him, giving Jesus treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Their long journey was worth all the time, money and effort that it had cost them, for they had seen God’s King, Jesus. Today God the Father still wants people to find His Son Jesus.  We may not have a star to follow to help us find Jesus, like the wise men did, but God has left us plenty of clues. We have:  The Bible that tells us all about Jesus; the things that He said and did while He lived on earth, and the wonderful truth that He is alive today. We have:  The beautiful creation around us that Jesus was involved in creating. We have:  Other Christians who can tell us their stories of meeting Jesus. We also have:  The gift of prayer where we can talk to Jesus and hear Him speaking to us. When we are really serious about looking for Jesus, like the wise men were, then we will find Him. Listen to this promise that God makes us, which is found in the Bible in the book of Jeremiah: “When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14a The Message Version) As we go into a New Year, can I encourage you to keep looking for Jesus?  If you have never met Him before, why not go on the journey of looking for Him?  But if you have met Him, keep looking to deepen your relationship with Him, for if you do, you will never be disappointed. © Jane Hulme 2018 3