AGE:
Infants and Juniors |
THEME:
Advent - the candle
(ideally this act of Collective Worship should be held on the first Monday in Advent)
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AIM: |
| To use candles as a starting point for thinking about the beginning of Advent. |
PREPARATION: |
You will need:
- a selection of candles - perhaps different sizes and shapes
- one or two 'special' or 'celebratory' candles, e.g. birthday candles
- an Advent candle
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INTRODUCTION: |
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Show the children some of the different candles (these should be unlit). Talk about how candles have become very popular in recent times. Sometimes people have candles in their home because they like the shape, or colour - they are used simply for decoration. Sometimes people choose candles for their perfume/smell, e.g. lavender or rose. Ask the children if they can think of any other reason why people might buy candles - draw out responses which focus on candles to provide 'light', e.g. in the event of a powercut; candles to celebrate special times or events. Talk about the celebratory candle(s) you have selected and, if used in your school, make reference to the special candle lit at the start of Collective Worship each schoolday. |
DEVELOPMENT: |
Ask the children to close their eyes and to sit very still. During this brief moment, light an Advent candle. When the children open their eyes, ask them if they know what kind of candle it is and what it is for. Establish the following:
- the candle is sold in shops so that people can 'count down to Christmas' - it has 25 sections and it is called an Advent candle.
- shops also sell Advent calendars with 25 doors or windows.
- for Christians the season of Advent is a time for looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
- for Christians, Advent is an exciting time with all the preparations for Christmas Day.
- although there is a lot of preparation to do, buying presents, sending cards, shopping for food, for Christians Advent is also about preparing to celebrate a very special event - the birth of a special baby.
- Advent means 'coming' and Christians remember how everything was prepared for the coming of Jesus into the world.
- Advent also starts in the darkest time of year - it usually begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and lasts till the bells ring in the Christmas festival at midnight on Christmas Eve.
- explain that the candle should really have been first lit on Sunday and will need to burn down for two days.
- Christians think of Jesus as 'the light of the world' and the candle reminds them that for Christians the coming of Jesus 'turns darkness into light'.
This is the appropriate point at which to sing an Advent hymn/or song. A useful song would be 'Flickering candles in the night... darkness turning into light' (Come and Praise 2).
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PRAYER AND REFLECTION: |
In a moment of stillness, ask the children to focus their attention on the Advent candle and to think about what it stands for. After a period of silence ask the children to listen to the words of the following 'prayer'.
"Thank you for the Advent candle which reminds us, in the dark days of the year, to think about Jesus coming into the world to bring light, joy and peace."
At the end of the prayer, extinguish the Advent candle and tell the children it will be lit each day in Collective Worship until school breaks up for Christmas holidays.
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LINKS WITH OTHER AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM: |
| RE: |
Children could learn about and make an Advent ring (or Advent wreath) used in many churches during Advent - usually it has 4 candles, one for each Sunday in Advent and a large white one in the centre for Christmas Day. |
| ART/DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY: |
Make a large wall Advent Calendar - each window opening to show a painting of some aspect of Christmas. |
| MUSIC: |
These are opportunities to listen to extracts from Handel's Messiah (Part 1). This famous oratorio contains settings of some of the most familiar biblical passages relating to Advent. Children could compose their own Advent 'carol'. |
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