This weekend the children heard the Bible account about the birth of John who was Jesus’ cousin. We taught the children that John was born to prepare the way for Jesus, God’s promised Messiah. And we gave the children opportunities to give thanks for the coming Messiah as they begin to celebrate Advent.

Thanksgiving is over, and the stores and radios are surely already full of Christmas music. It can be tiring to think that Christmas is already here. Didn’t we just celebrate Labor Day? Didn’t school just begin? For children, the yearly extension of the Christmas holiday can seem tortuous. The excitement and anticipation they feel throughout the season, usually centered on what presents they will be receiving or maybe giving, can seem to last forever. It can be a difficult lesson in patience, made more difficult by the larger community’s insistence that presents are the focus of the season.

But the truth is, the patience and anticipation is what the season is all about. The season of Advent is a time for us to prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child. In physical ways, we prepare our homes, spend time with friends, and prepare gifts for friends and family because we give gifts in honor of Jesus. But we also prepare for Jesus’ arrival in our hearts. This week’s lesson will help your children learn about the anticipation of Advent. Our lesson is based on the account of Zechariah and Elizabeth giving thanks for the birth of their son, John. While this may seem a strange story to begin the season of Advent, we see in Zechariah the patience he had in waiting for the birth of his son without the ability to speak! And once John was born, Zechariah sings praise to God for the wonderful things that are to come in John and in God’s Son, Jesus.

This week as you interact with your children, return to the themes taught on the fourth Sunday of September rest, sabbath, and a gift from God. As we anticipate this most precious gift from God, we take time to pause and enjoy the moment, however hectic it may be. We look longingly toward the day when Jesus arrives as a tiny baby in Bethlehem. And we praise God for the gift of a Savior, one who will prepare the way for the Lord.

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1