In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. Then God said,

“Let there be light”; and there was light.

Genesis 1:1-3

Nearly all of us will be familiar with the above verses. They are the first few sentences found in the Bible. But what did God really mean when he said, “Let there be light”? And what do those words mean for us during this first month of 2021?

The Hebrew word for light is ‘Ohr’ (pronounced ‘or’) which means bringing order to something chaotic. When God was getting ready to set the scene for the earth he’d just created, it was chaotic, dark, empty and bleak. Words we may feel some connection to at this time. So the first thing God did was to speak light, or order, into the chaos of the earth.

The word chaos means to be in utter confusion or disorder. Right now we may feel as though we are in chaos. We began this year with the hope of some return to normality, but a sudden overnight lockdown has changed that completely. Yet the same God who spoke order into a messy and dark earth is the same God who is with us all during this unpredictable time.

Reflect on this as you watch this short video clip about the creation of the earth:

In the Bible it says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace”. Let us remind ourselves of this, and ask God for his peace to be with us all.

Dear Lord,
We thank you that you bring peace and order into chaos. Things feel very confusing at the moment. Please give us your peace and light to help us through this time.
In your name we pray,
Amen

‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.’

Charles Darwin

What do you think this quote means?

The year 2020 was a year when so much changed and we have all had to respond to this quickly. For most of us the changes have not been easy. We have no control over the rules and guidelines that we have had to follow and sometimes not really understood why. The changes have also happened very quickly – sometimes even overnight or on the same day.

Take a moment to think about some of those changes…maybe cancelling social plans or changes to the way that you learn from being onsite to offsite. How did the changes make you feel? Maybe angry, frustrated, confused, happy?

Here are three tried and tested things to do to help us all deal with change:

1. Identify what you can and can’t control – you may not be able to control the fact that we are all in lockdown, but you can control how you spend your time, and what you do with your spare time

2. Make time to take care of yourself – make sure you get to bed on time, get some fresh air, communicate with others remotely – think about how you can look after yourself

3. Be in the moment – it is all too easy to try and think/guess what will happen or why things have happened so far. But this is not going to help you. Make the most of your today instead, make each lesson count!

The Bible says,
‘Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever’ – He doesn’t change – it is great to know that in all of the changes in our world, God stays the same and still cares about us.

As you watch this clip, reflect on how you will make the most of the new lockdown so that you stay positive and are able to deal with all that it brings:

Prayer
Dear Lord,
As we start this New Year we realise that there is so much that we cannot control. We thank you that we can trust you when things change so much all around us. Thank you that you are the same, yesterday today and forever. Help us to cope with all the changes and give us the strength to deal with this new lockdown.
In your name, Amen

What are you good at? What are your strengths? What do people say that you can do well? Take a minute and think about this on your own. Ask a friend or your teacher if it helps. We are all good at something. Maybe for you it is art/drawing or a particular sport or maths…

What about your personality, if someone had to describe the best bits of your personality, what would they say? Maybe you are kind, caring, funny, trustworthy…?

In this week’s Advent story we are thinking about the ‘Wise Men’, sometimes called, ‘the 3 Kings’ or the ‘Magi’. Here is a reminder of this story, as you watch it think about some adjectives to describe them

Our Advent Theme this year is the idea of ‘All being Welcome’ in God’s Kingdom. The main characters in this story could be described as: wise, clever, intelligent, rich, powerful…can you think of any other words to describe them?

They went on a journey to find Jesus and presented him with gifts. Their gifts were expensive because they were rich and powerful people. They wanted to show respect and worship Jesus even though they themselves were so important. They were welcomed by Jesus and their gifts were filled with hope for a better future for us all.

Did you find it easy to think about what you are good at? Whatever your strengths/talents, you are welcomed by God. How could you use your strengths and talents to give someone hope this Christmas time? Here are the lyrics to a verse from a very famous Christmas carol that might help you reflect on what you can do this Christmas to help someone else.

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.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for Christmas time, thank you for family and friends. We pray that at this time of year you would help us to use our gifts and talents to bring joy to others. Please show us who we can help over this holiday season so that we can all help to make this world a better place.
In Your Name Amen

Today we will be thinking about the Shepherds in the story of Jesus’ birth. Shepherds weren’t the most popular or wealthy people at the time. They were often looked at as outcasts, suspicious and lower than other people. Yet God chose to visit them on the night of Jesus’ birth, telling them the good news that he had been born, and even where to go and find him. God obviously saw something in the shepherds that other people didn’t see. After all, Jesus was a vulnerable new-born baby, so for God to tell them of his whereabouts meant he must have really trusted them.

Reflect on this a moment as you watch this short clip:

In a world where we can feel so much pressure to standout, fit in, have clout, be special, and be highly regarded by others, let’s remember that God sees, loves and values us already. He doesn’t see as people see. In the Old Testament, David was a shepherd boy. His older brothers were far more respected than he was. But when the prophet Samuel came to David’s house to find the new king of Israel, God didn’t choose any of his brothers. He chose David.

But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab (David’s brother) is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.

1 Samuel 16:7

Today we may be feeling low about ourselves. We may feel isolated and afraid. The shepherds were isolated and afraid, and yet God’s angel spoke to them saying “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” And the message is the same to us today. Jesus being born is good news for us all.

Dear Lord,
Thank you that you love us for who we are. Thank you that you see us for who we are. Thank you that you became one of us to show us the way to you. Help us to see the good news in Jesus’ birth this Christmas, and to be thankful because you are good.
Amen

Today we will be thinking about Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem. It was a long and hot journey for a pregnant woman. It would have been very uncomfortable. They had to make the journey because they had to be registered in a different town – that was the law. They probably had people staring at them because Mary was son young and pregnant.

As you watch this film, think about all the questions going through Mary and Joesph’s mind:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bible-videos/videos/mary-and-joseph-travel-to-bethlehem?lang=eng

Sometimes we don’t have the answers, I am sure Mary and Joseph were wondering why life had suddenly become so difficult and complicated – little did they know what the future would hold for the child that Mary was carrying!

Life is a bit complicated for all of us at the moment, who knew that 2020 would end up like this! I wonder what we will say about this time in years to come!

What can we learn from Mary and Joseph? Even though they had so many questions, they were obedient and continued to do as they had been told. This is a real example of Hope. Mary and Joseph did not know how their obedience was going to change the world – but it did! As you watch this song, think about some of the questions that you have on your own personal journey and reflect on how you can be obedient and make right choices every day.

Dear Lord,
Thank you that you welcome us when we question. We don’t need to have all the answers to now that we are loved by you. As we start this season of Advent, help us to trust you when there is so much uncertainty all around us. Help us to make wise choices in every situation.

Amen