December Cell Material

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2 celloutlines | overview

CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED

INTRODUCTION

Once again it’s Christmas Time, time for us to be,

Busy wrapping presents and setting up the tree.

It seems we have so many things, to think of and to do,

We may forget that Christmas, has a deeper meaning too.

A meaning that goes far beyond, the things the eye can see,

Such as holly wreaths, mistletoe, and gifts beneath the tree. For these are only symbols,

of what happened Christmas morn, When in a little manger,

God’s only Son was born. God put him here upon this Earth,

with one idea in mind. To put new hope around the world,

and love in all mankind. So even though we’re busy, and have many things to do,

Let’s not forget that Christmas, has a deeper meaning too.

(Eugene W. Miller)

December is here again, and with it all the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations and celebrations! You may love or hate the build up to Christmas day …. but there’s no escaping it!

This month’s cell groups are called ‘Christmas Unwrapped’. We are going to push past the outward embellishments of Christmas to discover some beautiful themes amongst the pages and characters of the Christmas story; worship; giving, obedience and celebration. We will focus ourselves again on the real meaning of Christmas and make time to thank God for the baby born in a stable, bringing life to us all!

For a child has been born—for us!The gift of a son—for us!He’ll take over the running of the world.His names will be: Amazing Counsellor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness.His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.

(Isaiah 9:6–7 MSG)

Finally, watch the following short You Tube film together: ‘2010: Nativity story told via social media.’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqi1IO_J2mU. This is the Christmas story retold through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, Google Maps, GMail, Foursquare, Amazon etc. It’s very clever!

It ends with an advertising slogan for a digital media company ‘Times change, feelings remain the same.’ Perhaps

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2together you could come up with a better second line than this, which could underpin the whole of this month’s cell groups. For example: ‘Times change, the gift remains the same.’

Leader’s notes

This month there are three normal cell outlines with an additional fourth ‘Christmas Celebration’. The thought behind this fourth session is that as a group you plan your own meaningful and creative way to celebrate Christmas together.

Although this is described as week four you could actually get together for your celebration at any point during this month – especially if you want it to be before Christmas!

Included in the notes for week four is a ‘celebration reflection sheet’ for you to give out to your group members as early as possible during the month. It is four pages that you will need to print out for each person. This sheet outlines the spiritual discipline of celebration and prompts some reflection on this with a few questions. In addition this sheet asks the group members to begin to think about how they would like to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the group.

You will need to allocate some time in your first couple of cell groups to discuss and plan what you want to do for your celebration. Be as creative as you like, but don’t miss the point of ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ – it should be a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth with praise and thanks, not just indulge in the more usual Christmas festivities!

There are some ideas in the notes on week four about some creative ways of giving gifts to each other in the cell group if you choose to do this. And don’t forget to include the ‘gifts’ in envelopes if you asked your group to do this in week two.

Cell Extra

Don’t forget to remind your group about Cell Extra – which you / they can download from the ALOVE website. Cell Extra provides six devotional style readings / activities that continue to consider ‘Christmas Unwrapped’. It will encourage more personal reflection on this month’s themes, and some practical and personal ways of continuing to ensure the real meaning of Christmas stays at the heart of all of our celebrations!

Christmas Icebreakers

Below are a selection of Christmas Icebreakers / games from which you can choose to begin each cell group. (Or of course, use your own tried and tested ideas instead!)

Wrap Superstars

For this game you will need

• Two rolls of wrapping paper

• Two spools of present wrapping ribbon

• Two rolls of sellotape

• Two identical sets of three different sized boxes.

• Two sets of scissors

Divide the group into two teams who must race against each other to be the first team to wrap three presents. Give each team their supplies as above and give one minute for strategising before letting the teams begin their mad wrapping. The first team to wrap all three of their boxes completely with wrapping paper and ribbon are the winners.

What’s in the sock?

Fill one thick sock with ten to fifteen objects that you use or see in the time around Christmas. Then tie a ribbon around the opening so nobody peeks. Give everyone a piece of paper and pen. Pass the sock around and ask

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2them to write down as many objects as they can recognise in the sock. The winner is the person who correctly guesses the most items.

Christmas Carol Pictionary Relay

The aim of this game is for one team member to get their team to recognise and then sing a Christmas Carol/Song. The first team to have all team members complete the task wins.

Divide group into teams. Each team sends one person up to you to get the name of a Christmas carol. Then the person returns to group and in the manner of Pictionary tries to get the group to guess the name of the carol by drawing only. As soon as the group knows the song, they must sing it as a group until the you give the thumbs up sign (10 – 20 seconds). Once they get the thumbs up, the team sends a new person for another song. Play continues until one group completes all their songs.

Here are some Christmas Carols/Songs to get started.

• Jingle Bells

• Deck the Halls

• Here Comes Santa Claus

• Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

• Silent Night

• Joy to the World

• Away In a Manger

• We Wish You A Merry Christmas

• We Three Kings

• Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Candy Cane Pass (relay race)

You will need 4 candy canes per team (have a few extras due to breakage). The first player holds 4 candy canes between their fingers and then passes them down the line, teammate to teammate, without dropping them!

Word Find

Take a Christmas related word such as: Christmas, Poinsettia, Candy cane, etc, and find as many smaller words from it as possible before the timer runs out.

For example: ‘Christmas’’

Words: sit, is, his, miss, rat, tar, this, math, chair, rim.

Or ‘Candy cane’

Words: candy, cane, and, dance, day, can, dye, an, an.

Name that Tune – Christmas carols and songs

Search on iTunes for instrumental Christmas albums. If you have your computer present you can then use the album ‘preview’ to play ‘Name That Tune’ type Christmas party games. First team to correctly guess a song wins a point!

Ring a Bell Christmas Party List

Ring a bell and then announce... “I am looking for...

01. ...the person who has mailed out the most Christmas cards so far this year.

02. ...the person who can say “Merry Christmas” in the most different languages.

03. ...the person who owns the most pairs of Christmas socks (Christmas earrings).

04. ...the person who will travel the most miles/kilometers for Christmas Day dinner.

05. ...the first person who can correctly list all twelve gifts in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (or all of Santa’s reindeer).

06. ...the person who is wearing the most red and/or green.

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207. ...the person who has the most elaborate outdoor Christmas decorations on their home.

08. ...the person who has spent the most Christmases in another country.

09. ...the person who put up their Christmas tree the earliest.

10. ...the person who has been to the most Christmas parties this year.

11. ...the person who owns the most Christmas music albums.

12. ...the person who plans to, give the most hand-made Christmas gifts this year.

The person who ‘wins’ each statement gets a point, the person with the most points is the winner!

Crazy Christmas Scavenger Hunt

A crazy Christmas scavenger hunt involves setting up unusual Christmas items in the hunt area prior to the group arriving. People must then walk about and try to determine which Christmas items seem odd or out of place.

Give each person a numbered sheet of paper and a pencil. Let them know how many crazy Christmas items they are looking for. When someone thinks they have located every item have them bring their list to you for verification. The first person to find all of the items is the winner.

You may also choose to set a time limit. In that case, the person with the most items at the end of the allotted time is declared the winner.

Note: Crazy Christmas scavenger hunt items must be noticeably odd, yet fit in well enough that they don’t stand out immediately. They must be left sitting or hanging around the room as if they were meant to be there. Using colours that blend in with your Christmas decor, when making changes to the items, will cause them to be harder to spot. Below is a list of examples that you could use.

• Santa in a outfit other than his traditional one (e.g. a dress, an elf suit). Note: It will have to be obvious that the doll or figurine you use looks like Santa, with or without his outfit.

• A pair of Christmas socks hanging in the tree as if they were an ornament.

• A candle placed upside down in a candle holder.

• An angel with a square halo. Note: A square halo can be made from wire or pipe cleaners.

• Rudolph with a green nose

• A gift or closed box with wrapping paper and tape place on top and a note saying, “Wrap it yourself.”

• A partially eaten candy cane hanging in the tree

• A snowman wearing a cowboy hat

• A star with no points. Square off the points by cutting the tips off. Cut enough off so that the star doesn’t look pointed, but not so much that it no longer looks like a star.

• An animal that doesn’t belong in a nativity scene, like a stork or elephant

• A Happy Easter or birthday card among the Christmas cards

• A sleigh with any animal but reindeer pulling it (e.g. bats, lions, hippo).

• A wrapped gift with the wrapping paper facing the wrong way out

• Add a gift tag to a gift that says “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL EASTER.”

• A three-legged reindeer

• A wreath with a pink ribbon or other Easter-looking decorations

• A skinny Santa Clause

• Ivy or some other greenery instead of mistletoe

• An ornament on the Christmas tree that says ‘Happy Easter’ or ‘Happy Birthday’

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2 Christmas Quiz

Read this quiz aloud and ask people to jot down the points they are getting as you go along. Should prompt some fun and laughter! Have a prize ready for the person with the most points (and the least?!)

Points

If you have a real Christmas tree 5

If you helped to decorate it 10

If you are wearing something red or something Christmassy 5

If you are a secret Santa this year 5

If you sat on Santa’s knee this year 5

And had your picture taken with him 5

And you felt jolly at the time 5

If you have Christmas decorations outside your home 10

If you’ve started listening to Christmas music at home or in the car (at the shops doesn’t count!) 5

If you have ever been in a Christmas Nativity 5

And were actually one of the holy family, not just an angel or a shepherd 5

Or if you were a wise man 5

Or if you were a donkey, camel or sheep 10

If you have ever worn a Father Christmas costume 5

If you have finished your Christmas shopping 10

If you have already opened a gift -5

If you bought something for yourself while Christmas shopping -10

If you have written all your Christmas cards 5

If your birthday is in December 10

If you have ever roasted a turkey 5

If you stuffed it yourself 5

If you have worn it on your head like Mr. Bean 25

If you have ever watched Heidi or The Sound of Music or The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on Christmas Day 5

If you watched the Queen’s Christmas Speech last year 5

If you are in a choir that sings Christmas songs 5

If they have any songs in a language other than English 5

If you will sing one of them for us now 10

If you wrap your own gifts 5

If you have ever eaten fruitcake 5

A roasted chestnut 5

Christmas pudding 5

A Christmas goose 5

If you have kissed under the mistletoe this year 5

If you have kissed Santa Claus 5

If you have a Christmas secret that no one else in this room knows 5

If you wish it was January! -5

Adapted from Jane Logan, 2003 www.loganstrategy.ca

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2 These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources

celloutlines | week one

CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED: WORSHIP

WELCOME

Choose from one of the Christmas icebreakers or use your own!

Read the cell introduction together.

WORD

a. Worship in the Christmas story.

There are loads of examples in the Christmas story of people who worshipped.

Split your group into pairs and give each pair one of the following passages of scripture to read. Ask them to consider the following questions:

• Who is the worshipper?

• How did they worship?

• What prompted them to worship?

• What words did they use? (Collate all these on to a piece of flipchart paper as you discuss)

• What inspires you to worship from this story?

After a suitable amount of time gather the group back together and ask each pair to feedback what they have discovered.

Luke 1:39–56

Luke 2:8–14

Luke 2:15–20

Luke 2:25–33

Matthew 2:1–2; 9–12

b. Worship in my life

Sometimes worship is missing during the Christmas period as we get so caught up in the preparations and the shopping! Discuss how you can make sure that you keep worshipping God with your whole lives during this month and beyond! Use the following thoughts as you find useful in your discussion:

At school we all had times of ‘collective worship’? At church we attend a ‘worship’ service? Perhaps we’ve seen court room drama’s where the presiding judge is always addressed as ‘Your Worship’. Or have you ever used the expression ‘She worships the ground he walks on!’? Worship means different things to different people. Whether it’s a pop concert, football match, walk through the countryside or a simple meal with friends, we all express love or worship for the things we count worthy.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking- around life – and place it before him as an offering.

(Romans 12:1 The Message)

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2 celloutlines | week one (continued...)

Now that’s worship!!

True worship is us giving ourselves back to God as a response to his love, goodness and greatness, both in our own lives and in the world. It’s what happens when God’s people give their world back to God. Worship is not all about turning up to a meeting or service on a Sunday, although that is certainly part of it. To worship is a whole way of life, living in such a way as to glorify, honour, praise and please God 24/7. We worship in response to the awesome love and goodness of God, to glorify, honour, praise, exalt, and please him. We communicate to God just how awesome we think he is, whether that is through song, music or poetry, or the conversations that we have with others and the way we treat our family

We believe that everything we have comes from God. Our response to the things he has given us, even for our very life, is to dedicate ourselves back to him. True worship comes from our hearts and is about giving all of ourselves, the very best we can, back to God.

WORSHIP

Using some of the ‘worship’ words that you have written down on the flipchart paper, ask each person to have a go at writing their own Christmas worship prayer or poem.

Play some reflective Christmassy music and ask people to read aloud their ‘worship’ to God.

Then, if your group are brave enough, sing / play some songs of Christmas worship together.

Try ‘Light of the World’ by Matt Redman or ‘Born That We May Have Life’ by Chris Tomlin (find on You Tube or iTunes)

Or for a more traditional approach try ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’ or ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’!

WITNESS

What can you do to ensure that worship remain a central part of your Christmas celebration; for you personally, your family, your corps and your community?

Ask each person to jot down some practical ideas to the above questions, and feedback to the group next week their experiences of worship.

Christmas celebration

Give out the ‘celebration reflection sheets’ and explain to the group!

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celloutlines | week two

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CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED: GIVING

WELCOME

Choose from one of the Christmas icebreakers or use your own ideas!

Feedback from last week

Ask the group to share their experiences of worship over the last week.

WORD

a. Read Matthew 2:1 - 12

Use the following thoughts to introduce the theme of ‘giving’.

The giving of gifts at Christmas is something that is often thought to originate in the bringing of gifts to Jesus by the Wise Men. When we choose a gift for someone we try to fit the gift to the person, to find something that suits them, something they like or will use, or that says something about the way we feel about them. The gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh that the Wise Men bought to Jesus may on the surface seem rather strange gifts to bring to a baby. But, when we look closely we can see that these gifts help us to understand what the Wise Men knew about Jesus and the kind of person they believed he was going to be.

Gold signifies Jesus was a King – more than that, he was God come to earth. When the Wise Men presented gold, they were honouring Jesus with the very best that they possessed, and they were also recognising that Jesus was King. The gift of gold was given to Jesus to symbolise that he was God in the flesh.

The gift of frankincense given to Jesus symbolised his holiness and his purity, Ancient people burned frankincense, believing it to carry their prayers to heaven. Frankincense speaks of worship, holiness, and Jesus’ role as our High Priest.

Myrrh is brought as a gift to acknowledge the human suffering that Jesus endured when he came into our world. As an embalming ointment it signified that he was born to die for the world. The gift of myrrh reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice, his very life for our salvation.

b. Three Wise Dudes.

If your group enjoy a bit of drama you could have a fun read through of the attached script – ‘Three Wise Dudes’. There are plenty of parts to go round; some people may need to read for more than one character. Adapt as you need to for practical purposes (e.g. You probably won’t have the three wise dudes riding their bikes!) and you may want to change some of the New Zealand references!

Allow some discussion after the play if appropriate. For example:

If Jesus were born today, where would we find the baby? What gift would you take him? What lengths would you go to take your ‘gifts’ to Jesus?

WITNESS

Forget about Christmas shopping for a minute - what else can we give to others that doesn’t involve wrapping up a present?

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2 celloutlines | week two (continued...)

Think of one way you can give to someone in need this Christmas that doesn’t involve money! E.g. offer to babysit for a couple of hours; help someone with their errands (buying stamps, posting Christmas cards); visit someone who is on their own and stay for a cup of tea; help to decorate your corps building for Christmas; give some time in the local homeless centre or refuge; participate in a Christmas service; offer to help with your corps’ carolling efforts!

Is there anything you could do as a group?

Allow time for people to consider individually, and to discuss this. Try to make this practical e.g. encourage group members to actually put into action what they are thinking …and report back next week!

As an additional idea: Have everyone think about one ‘gift’ that they can give to someone in the cell group that doesn’t involve wrapping up a shop bought present. These ‘gifts’ need to be general enough that any group member could receive it.

For example; ‘I’ll take you out for a coffee’; ‘I’ll come to your house and do one of your chores for you’, ‘I’ll help you dye your hair’, I’ll show you how to do X, Y, Z on your computer’, ‘I’ll give you a lift somewhere in my car,’ ‘l’ll take some portrait photos of you,’ ‘I’ll paint you a picture ‘, I’ll knit you a funky scarf’, ‘I’ll bake you some chocolate brownies.’

Ask each person to bring their ‘gift’ in a sealed envelope to the next cell group. You can then give these out to each other during your Christmas celebration!

(see week four)

WORSHIP

Read the well known poem together:

What can I give him,Poor as I am?If I were a shepherd,I would bring a lamb;If I were a wise man,I would do my part;Yet what I can I give him—Give my heart.”

Play some reflective music and ask people to prayerfully consider what they can offer of themselves to Jesus this Christmas; and what they can offer to others.

Ask them to write down their ‘offering’ on a piece of paper and fold it. Have an offering ‘receptacle’ ready e.g. a box or a basket, and ask people to place their paper in the box as a symbol of their giving to God. (Assure your group members that no-one else will read their notes).

Take some time to thank God for his gift of Jesus.


Take some time to discuss the ‘celebration reflection sheet’ and begin to plan your group celebration!

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2 Three Wise Dudes

By John McNeil

Summary

This play seeks to answer the question: If Jesus were born today, where would we find the baby?

Setting

The capital city of a small country

Characters

• 3 Wise Dudes

• Passer-by

• Prime Minister

• Hotel receptionist

• Matron

• Punk Kid

• City Mission Helper

• Joseph & Mary

• Other street kids

Script

(Enter 3 Wise Dudes on BMXs or Mountain Bikes, singing as they pedal.)

We 3 Dudes from Kiwiland are.Bearing gifts we’ve travelled afar.Cross Cook Strait and on till daybreakWishing we’d come here by car.Oh, star of wonder, star of might,Star of beauty, she’ll be right.Star of glory, that’s the story,Following yonder star.

(They halt)

Dude 1: Well, if this is where the star has led us where on earth are we?

Dude 2: Beats me. But then, the instructions were pretty vague to start with. (Takes piece of paper from his pocket and reads.) “First star on the right, and then straight on till morning.”

Dude 3: You idiot, that’s the wrong play. We’re looking for a baby king, not Peter Pan.

Dude 2: Whoops. Hold on a minute. (Searches his pockets again, brings out another paper.) Let’s try this.

“Follow the star and you will find

A baby king who’ll rule mankind.”

Dude 3: Better, but not much.

Dude 2: That’s the secret of being a good prophet. Make it vague enough and something’s bound to fit.

Dude 1: Don’t be so cynical. You were happy enough to set out on this quest. We’re nearly there now, so let’s stop squabbling and get our bearings. We’ll ask one of the locals. They’re bound to have heard something. (He stops a passerby.)

Dude 1: Excuse me, sir/madam. We’re looking for a baby king that we have been told has been born in your town. Can you tell us where we might find him?

Passer-by: A baby king? Haven’t seen anything on the TV news about that. Are you sure you’ve got the right place?

Dude 2: This is where the star has led us

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2Passerby: Star! Which star was that? Dustin Hoffman? Robin Williams? Julia Roberts?

Dude 3: What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re in the right play? We’re looking for a baby king.

Passerby: Well I don’t know anything about baby kings. Perhaps you had better try the Prime Minister’s office. First on the right and straight on till.....

Dude 2: Till morning! Yeah, we know that one. Thanks a bunch.

(Passerby exits, and the 3 Dudes do a circuit of the stage. During this and several other similar circuits at later stages of the play, a carol could be sung by the audience or choir. The 3 Dudes arrive at the door of the Prime Minister. They knock.)

PM: Hello, how can I help you?

Dude 1: Are you the Prime Minister of this country?

PM: According to the latest Gallup research poll, I am the most preferred person for the position of Prime Minister, yes.

Dude 2: We have been told that a baby king has been born in your city, and we are trying to find him.

Dude 3: We have some gifts that we want to give him.

PM: A baby king? You’re looking for a baby king? Don’t you read the opinion polls?

Dude 1: No, why?

PM: The latest Gallup poll shows that 51.5% of the population of this country want to become a republic. They don’t want a king or a queen any more. And in my speech to the Westhaven Rotary Club yesterday I pledged on the basis of this mandate to lead us out of slavish adherence to an outmoded institution and into a new era in which we can determine our own destiny and forge our own identity.

Dude 2: No baby king, huh?

PM: Certainly not. Any king is, of course, welcome to apply for immigrant status, but he will be treated the same as any other applicant.

Dude 3: Where else in this place would royalty stay on a visit?

PM: You could try the Park Royal Hotel, I suppose. I hope you like that little pun. Opinion polls show that 65% of adults prefer their Prime Minister to have a sense of humour. Good day, and thank you for voting for me.

Dude 1: Good day. (They turn to leave.) A republic! That’s how much they know about this baby king.

(They do a circuit, arriving at the Park Royal Hotel.)

Receptionist: Welcome to the Park Royal Hotel, gentlemen? How may I help you?

Dude 1: We’re looking for a baby king that we’ve been told has been born in this city? Would he be parked here by any chance?

Receptionist: Be a little cautious making that sort of joke around here, good sir. We punished the last person who did by electing him Prime Minister.

Dude 2: Apologies. Ignorance seems to be a terribly catching disease in this town.

Receptionist: Pardon?

Dude 2: Granted. But can you please tell us whether you have a baby king here?

Receptionist: None have arrived since I came on duty. And none have been booked in, to my knowledge. But let me check the register. (Looks up book.) Let’s see. We have a Koenig....Rex...Royaume...Regent ...but no king.

Dude 3: What about the stable?

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2Receptionist: I beg your pardon?

Dude 3: Is there anyone using the stable?

Receptionist: Stable? We don’t have a stable. We have a car parking level in the basement, but no-one travels by horse any more. What made you think we would have a stable?

Dude 3: (Mumbles) Just something I read in a story once.

Receptionist: It looks like I can’t help you, gentlemen. And unfortunately, neither can I offer you any accommodation. We’re absolutely fully booked.

Dude 3: At least you got that part right.

Dude 1: Is there anywhere else you can suggest that we might find a baby king?

Receptionist: I would have thought the most obvious place to find a baby was the maternity hospital. Why don’t you try there?

Dude 1: There are some times when even we wise dudes miss the obvious. Thank you, miss. Come on guys. To the hospital.

(They pick up their bikes and do a circuit, arriving at the maternity hospital. They go to the entrance, and peer at the notice by the closed doors.)

Dude 2: What does it say? “After hours admissions, press button.” Here we go. (He pushes the button) Let’s hope it’s the last place we have to traipse round after.

(Matron comes to the door.)

Matron: Can I help you?

Dude 1: I sincerely hope so. We’ve come a long journey, looking for a baby king that we have been told has been born in this town, and nobody seems to know where he might be stabled....er...stationed. Is he here?

Matron: Are one of you gentlemen the father?

Dude 3: Good grief no. We just want to bring him some gifts.

Matron: In that case, I can’t let you in. Only fathers are permitted in after hours. Visiting hours for others are 2-4 and 7-8 daily. And (heavy emphasis), there is a maximum of two visitors permitted to each patient.

Dude 1: (Excited) So he’s here! After all our searching, we’ve found him! Please, we must see the baby king.

Matron: I’m sorry, the rules are there for a purpose, and one of them is to allow mothers to have plenty of rest after the delivery of their babies. Visitors can be very tiring for a new mother and baby.

Dude 2: But the baby king. How is he? What’s he like?

Matron: You do keep going on about a baby king, don’t you. Well, if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place. We have no baby king here.

Dude 3: But you just said.....

Matron: I said nothing of the sort. I was merely explaining the rules. Good rules make a good institution.

Dude 3: But he must be here. We’ve looked everywhere and there’s nowhere else we can think of to try.

Matron: Well, I can’t help you. Perhaps you could ask at the police station. Good night.

(She closes the door. The 3 Dudes look helplessly at each other, not knowing what to do.)

Dude 3: I’m hungry.

Dude 2: And tired. Let’s find somewhere to spend the night.

Dude 1: But where? We’ve got no money left. Only these gifts we’ve brought for the baby.

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2(A punk street kid comes along.)

Dude 1: Hey kid, where can 3 Dudes without any money get something to eat?

Dude 2: And spend the night.

Punk: Come with me. I’m going to the City Mission. They give free meals there and a place to sleep if you’ve got nothin’.

Dude 3: Sounds most excellent to me. Lead on, noble sir.

(While they do a circuit, enter City Mission helper, other street kids, Joseph, Mary and baby. They sing 2 verses of the carol, “What Child is This”)

Punk: Here you are. This is the City Mission. (They knock)

Mission Helper: Hi, can I help you?

Punk: I picked these Dudes up down the Square. We all need something to eat and a bed for the night.

Helper: Crumbs, it’s going to be a full house tonight. Every man and his donkey seems to have come from out of town. You’ll probably have to sleep on the floor. The last bed was taken by a young woman who’s just had a baby. Hardly got in the door than we had to call the doctor. Seems okay though.

Dude 1: Did you say a baby?

Helper: Yeah, a wee boy.

Dude 2: A baby king?

Helper: Well, he’s sure ruling the roost right now.

Dude 3: We’ve got some presents we’d like to give him.

Helper: That’s a nice idea, seeing it’s Christmas Day. Come on in.

(They enter, kneel before Mary & Jesus, and give their gifts. All sing, “O Come All Ye Faithful”.)

________________________________________

© John McNeil 1989

All rights reserved

This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged.

In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed.

He may be contacted at [email protected]

Or at: 36B Stourbridge St, Christchurch 2, New Zealand.

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celloutlines | week three

CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED: OBEDIENCE

WELCOME

Choose from one of the Christmas icebreakers or use your own!

You could also use this fun film clip on YouTube entitled ‘Christmas Obedience.’www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPxf7Vkpf4w

Feedback from last week

Ask the group to share their experiences of giving over the last week.

WORD

a. Obedience of Mary And Joseph

Obedience is a fundamental theme threaded throughout the Christmas story. It is what weaves together the players and allows God’s great plan to be outworked through ordinary people like you and me. Almost all the characters that are so familiar to us …… think of Elizabeth & Zachariah, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, the Wise men, the shepherds …. demonstrate obedience combined with faith, and in doing so find themselves caught up in the greatest adventure story the world has ever seen!

This session focuses on the obedience of Mary and Joseph.

Place a large piece of flipchart paper / wallpaper in the centre of the group and, using the following Bible passages, try to draw out a timeline of Mary and Joseph’s journey of obedience.

Luke 2:26–38Matthew 1:18–25Matthew 2:13–15Matthew 2:19–23Luke 2:21Luke 2:22–24, 39

Mark on your timeline all the moments you can think of where God spoke and either Mary or Joseph, or both, made a choice to believe and obey.

At each point discuss some of the following questions:

• What did God ask Mary or Joseph to do?

• How did he / she respond?

• What excuses could he / she have made to not obey God? (E.g. what difficulties would be faced if they chose God’s path?)

• Honestly, would any of these things have stopped you obeying God?!

• What inspires you about Mary / Josephs’ response to God in this situation?

(You could also use these questions to discuss any of the other obedient and faithful characters in the Christmas story!)

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2Use any of the following quotes as you find useful (the web articles referred to would certainly be worth reading as you prepare for this session.)

Obedience is not a soft, syrupy word. It is a gritty, tenacious one. It challenges us to do what God commands, to go where he leads, and to speak what he inspires. Two of the finest examples of a steadfast obedience are Mary and Joseph. Their lives paint a picture of obedience in its full context and reveal to us the difficulty and delight of devotion to God.

David KruegarPillars of Christian Character: Obedience http://sermons.logos.com/submissions/119279-Pillars-of-

Christian-Character-Obedience#content=/submissions/119279

The true test of our faith and trust comes in our obedience to God. I wonder what would happen if, like Mary, we willingly offered ourselves, without questions or delay, to God’s purpose and plan for our lives.

Candy ArringtonMary - Obedient Servant www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/arrington_Mary0312.aspx

Mary was an ordinary human being trying to live a godly life, and that was all the preparation she needed to say ‘yes’ to God. We are offered that same opportunity, to live godly lives in the midst of our normal humanity. The only real question is: are we prepared, like Mary, to say ‘yes’ to God?

www.yorkminster.org/worship/minster-sermons/sermon103/mary-the-mother-of-jesus.html

We learn from Joseph’s life that God may instantly change any plans we make on our own. We learn that to quickly obey is to be included, for eternity, in God’s Kingdom. When we take that step of obedience in faith, God will honour it and we will find that God will continue to guide us through many more adventures.

Lynne Chapman Joseph, Husband of Mary www.bellaonline.com/articles/art7188.asp

Joseph was obedient to God. Matthew makes no mention of Joseph quarrelling with God or questioning God’s wisdom. If there was any question of Joseph’s righteousness before the dream, Joseph’s obedience after the dream demonstrates his genuine faith. Not only did Joseph obey the angel in taking Mary to be his wife, but Joseph also obeyed the angel in naming the Child Jesus.

Joseph’s Obedience and Jesus’ birth http://blog.pricelesseternity.com/2010/12/josephs-obedience-and-jesus-birth.html

In his sovereignty, God prepared the perfect couple to raise his Son. They are wonderful examples of submission to God. Even though his intervention in their lives threw a huge monkey wrench into their personal plans, they selflessly said, “So be it, Lord. What would You like us to do next?”

Richard T. Ritenbaugh Mary and Joseph’s Obedience www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/

ID/4203/Mary-Josephs-Obedience.htm

Lessons From The Lives of Joseph and Mary www.brfwitness.org/?p=736

b. Obedience in my life

Use the following thoughts and Bible verses to discuss how we can be obedient in our own lives.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible has a lot to say about obedience. In the story of the Ten Commandments, we see how important the concept of obedience is to God. Deuteronomy 11:26–28 sums it up like this: “Obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed.”

In the New Testament, we learn through the example of Jesus Christ that believers are called to a life of obedience.

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2Biblical obedience means, simply, to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and obey his Word. The Bible tells us that we show our love for God by obeying his commands (1 John 5:3, John 14:23).Our motivation for obedience is love: If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).

Over and over again we read in the Bible that God blesses and rewards obedience.

Genesis 22:18“And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.” (NLT)

Exodus 19:5Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. (NLT)

Luke 11:28Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (NLT)

James 1:22–25But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (NLT)

(http://christianity.about.com/od/whatdoesthebiblesay/a/Obedience-To-God.htm)

Discuss with the group what they find easy / difficult about obeying God in their day to day lives? From the above verse discuss why obedience is vital if we are to continue to grow in our relationship with God and experience all that he has planned for us.

WORSHIP

Right after God broke into Mary’s life in the most amazing way, and right after she said yes to him in faith and obedience, Mary sang this song of praise and thanks. Mary worshipped God in song for what he was going to do for the world through her!

And Mary said,I’m bursting with God-news;I’m dancing the song of my Saviour God.God took one good look at me, and look what happened—I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!What God has done for me will never be forgotten,the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.His mercy flows in wave after waveon those who are in awe before him…………He embraced his chosen child, Israel;he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.It’s exactly what he promised,beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

Luke 1: 46 - 55 The Message

Take it in turns for your group to pray out loud their prayers of worship and thanks; for the example of faith of those we read about in the Christmas story; and for the amazing privilege that we can each be part of God’s plan for the world if we are prepared to obey him and say yes to his call on our lives!

Ask each person to start their prayer by reading the first six lines of Mary’s prayer above, substituting ‘man’ for ‘woman’ where necessary!

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2 WITNESS

Christmas can be a stressful time. Sometimes at home people can get overwhelmed by the pressures of the preparations and financial worries; there are often lots of parties and other activities that we get asked to participate in. We must be sure that we obey God’s commands and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding us through this time. God’s guidelines give us safe boundaries, and he may even ask us to do something unexpected, perhaps with a cost to ourselves, to bless someone else who is need this Christmas.

Give each person a copy of the attached diagram and explain that their challenge this week is to make notes in the relevant circles, as described on the handout below.


Take some time to discuss the ‘celebration reflection sheet’ and begin to plan your group celebration!

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2 Christmas Unwrapped: Obedience

Note down in the following circles times when you have:

• Obeyed and honoured my parents / carers and been a blessing to them (Ephesians 6:1-3).

• Obeyed the commands of God and stayed within his safe boundaries.

• Obeyed the conviction of the Holy Spirit within my heart when faced with a particular choice, or when prompted to do something to bless another person.

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celloutlines | week four

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CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED: CELEBRATION Hopefully over the last couple of weeks you will have come up with a plan with your cell group as to how you want to celebrate Christmas together.

Allow your group some real creative input into this planning as you develop something that is sincere, meaningful, perhaps a little bit different, but definitely fun!

Essential ingredients must include some time to remember and thank Jesus for his life on earth and for the inspiration that we find in the Christmas story.

At the beginning of your celebration make a short amount of time available to discuss the group’s thoughts on the ‘celebration reflection sheet’ that they have read and hopefully completed. (see below)

Perhaps you may choose to have a ‘traditional’ party with food and games, perhaps a Christmas movie night, or maybe a fun trip out together to bowling, laser quest etc. Maybe you want to celebrate by serving others; perhaps helping out with a Corps community Christmas event, perhaps carol singing – on the streets or at an elderly care home. Maybe you’d like to go out for a Christmassy prayer walk ….looking at the Christmas lights in your local high street or shopping mall and praying for your community whilst you walk!

Ideas for giving Christmas gifts:

You may wish to decide together if and how you are going to give each other Christmas gifts.

Below are a few of ideas for a creative gift exchange if you choose to give gifts. (Be sure to set a very strict small budget for each gift)

• Secret SantaPut each name of all group members who want to participate on a Christmas gift tag, and then put all the tags in a hat. Each person takes one gift tag out of the hat, making sure they do not pick their own name. Each person then buys a small gift for the person they have picked out of the hat and brings the wrapped gift, with the name tag attached, to the celebration. Allow time during the celebration for everyone to open their gifts! (You will need to do the name allocating in week one or two to ensure enough time to go shopping!)

• Every person brings a wrapped unmarked present to the celebration. Have everyone sit in circle and pile with presents in the middle. Write numbers on small pieces of paper up to the number of presents/people that you have. Fold the pieces and put them in a hat and have everyone pick out a number. Number one goes first, choosing a gift and unwrapping it for all to see. Then number two goes and things start to get interesting. Number two can take number one’s gift if they desire it. If this happens, then number one chooses another wrapped gift, and opens it. If number two does not want number one’s gift, they choose their own gift from the table of presents. This continues with each person having the option of choosing a wrapped gift and opening that, or taking a previous participant’s gift. If a gift is taken, the person stolen from chooses a new gift. It continues until each person has received a gift.

• Ask everyone to bring an unmarked gift that is wrapped in five layers of paper. Give everyone a gift and tell them when you turn on the music to pass the gift. When you turn off the music, the person holding the gift gets to take off one layer of paper. Continue this until the last layer of paper is removed by the final recipient.

• Every person brings the agreed amount of money that you would have used to spend on a gift as described above. Pool all the money and then choose a ‘Just Gift’ from the Salvation Army Website. (see link below)

‘Have you ever given a child who has been trafficked the chance to be a child again, or provided a family

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2 celloutlines | week four (continued...)

with clean water for life? Have you ever helped an HIV/AIDS widow to set up her own business to support her family, or planted trees to help keep lands used to grow crops healthy and fruitful? JUST Gifts help to support people in developing communities all around our world to improve their own lives. Every time you buy a JUST GIFT you will be helping people with a ‘hand-up’ out of the poverty and injustice that they are living in.’

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/justgifts

If you created ‘gifts’ in envelopes in week two, don’t forget to give out and open these as well as, or instead of, any of the above options!

Celebration reflection sheet

The following four pages are the celebration reflection sheet that you should print out and give to each group member as soon as possible in this month, as discussed in the Leaders notes!

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2 Christmas Unwrapped: Celebration

Christmas is of course a time of great celebration! As we have read through some of the Bible passages of the first Christmas, we can see that woven throughout the worship and the giving of gifts, these original characters are quietly celebrating the birth of the new king – the promised saviour of us all!

Well, when we say quietly….one group weren’t at all quiet in their celebrations….!

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,“Glory to God in highest heaven,and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

(Luke 2:13-14)

It’s unlikely that the ‘armies of heaven’ celebrated quietly….. this was a celebration that would have been loud and proud…..it scared the shepherds half to death!!!!

Did you realise that celebration is in fact a spiritual discipline? Yes, that’s right. God wants us to enjoy life, have fun and celebrate. If you think about it, out of everyone, Christians should be the people who have the most fun in life and are leading the celebrations of Jesus’ birth…..after all Jesus said he came to bring us “life in all its fullness”…so let’s enjoy it!

Read the following copy of a web article about the spiritual discipline of celebration, then answer the questions that follow it. You will be asked to share some of your thoughts with your cell group during the month.

**********************************************************************

Spiritual Disciplines: Celebration

By Kelli Mahoney

It may seem like kind of strange to talk about the spiritual discipline of celebration. After all, discipline sounds like serious business. Yet our faith brings us so much joy and happiness, and just as we need to learn to take it seriously, we also need to learn to enjoy it.

Christians Can Have Fun, Too

When we look back at Jesus’ life, we often talk about the more solemn and serious moments. The crucifixion is one of the most important events in Christian history, and we should always keep in mind that Jesus died for our sins. Yet Jesus also celebrated life. He attended weddings where he turned water into wine. He raised the dead to much celebration. He celebrated his disciples at the last supper by washing their feet and breaking bread with them.

There are plenty of examples of celebrating in the Old Testament. From David dancing in the streets to the celebrations in Esther when the Jews were saved from slaughter (now known today as Purim), we learn that God did not just put us here to be solemn all the time. He also knows that sometimes the best examples of our faith come from joy, celebration, and just having some good fun.

Nehemiah 8:10 - “And Nehemiah continued, ‘Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!’” (NLT)

Let Celebration Be in Your Heart

The spiritual discipline of celebration is not just an outward expression. Celebration is also something very internal. Joy is something we have to find in our own relationships with God. We know that every day is a gift. We know that God provides us with moments of laughter and sheer happiness. Even the darkest moments are made tolerable if we develop celebration in our hearts for the things God has done.

John 15:11 - “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (NLT)

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2

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What Does Celebration Do For Your Faith?

When we develop the spiritual discipline of celebration we make ourselves stronger. No matter what happens to us, that joy in our heart holds us up and keeps us moving forward. We break down barriers to faith when we find happiness in God. We allow God to carry our burdens so that they become less heavy. We also find a way out of the darker moments faster, because we are more open to God bringing that joy back to the forefront of our lives. Without this discipline it could become easy to let the darker moments dwell in our hearts and weigh us down.

Celebration also is a greater light to others. Too many people see the Christian faith as whiney and more fire and brimstone rather than joyful celebration. When we practice the spiritual discipline of celebration we show people all the wonderful things about our faith. We demonstrate the strength and wonder of God. We worship God better and evangelize through our actions when we have celebration in our hearts.

How Do I Develop the Spiritual Discipline of Celebration?

In order to be strong in the spiritual discipline of celebration we have to practice it. This particular practice can actually be very fun for you and those around you:

• Take yourself less seriously. We tend to take our lives and our faith very seriously, and we should. However, we also need to have a good sense of humour about what happens to us and around us. Mistakes and faux pas will be made. We all have those embarrassing moments, but allow God to use them to laugh at yourself. You never know when those moments will become an opening of faith.

• Worship fully. Let yourself go when you worship God. When the singing in church begins, really belt it…even if you don’t have a great voice. When you pray, let it all out. When you read your bible, make notes and think about the Word. Celebrate God in all that you do for Him.

• Laugh a lot. Laughter really is the best medicine. When we practice the spiritual discipline of celebration we learn that there is something funny in any situation. Laugh when something is funny. Laugh when you’re happy. If things get too serious, find something less serious to laugh about. Take a moment away from the darkness to just laugh.

• Celebrate everything and everyone. The best way to demonstrate to God that you know how to celebrate Him is to celebrate everything around you. When a friend has a special moment, celebrate it. When something good happens in the world, celebrate it. Show your joy for even the small things.

http://christianteens.about.com/od/christianliving/a/Spiritual-Disciplines-Celebration.htm

**********************************************************************

Read the above web article carefully! Then:

• Highlight a word, phrase or sentence that leaps out at you.

• Circle a word, phrase or sentence that describes how you are feeling right now.

• Underline a word, phrase or sentence that outlines something you would like to have or do in your life.

For personal reflection:

Write the names of some of the people who you have the most fun with!

(make sure you spend some time with them over the Christmas holidays!)

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2What makes your whole family laugh? How can you make sure you laugh together over Christmas?

Do you understand, and have you experienced, real joy in your life? The kind of joy that this article talks about? If not, find someone to talk to and pray with about this and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up with joy!

To share with the group:

What is the funniest joke or story that you know? Share with your cell group!

What are some of the particular ways that your family always celebrate Christmas? Why are these special to you?

Research some more about the Christian spiritual discipline of celebration. Write down anything interesting that you discover here to share with your cell group.

What does ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ mean to you?

How would you like to celebrate Jesus’ birth with your cell group?

Documents

December Cell Material