http://www.gimpel.tv/mov/Christmas_Story_Family_Reading.docx
I got this idea this morning. (Popped awake at 5am with it and finished
it at 8am) Most families read some portion of the Christmas Story on
Christmas Eve or whenever. Some of us observe advent, some read the
story Christmas morning, whatever.
But every year we read it I find the process lacking. Maybe you're not
like me and if not, stop reading. I don't want to rock a perfectly good
boat.
It seems like on Christmas morning the kids are all amped up and
excited, and then... we make them wait. Wait for coffee, WAIT for food,
WAIT for the reading of the Word and all they want to do is open a present.
Our job as parents is to EXCITE the kids about the Love of Christ....
and I'm concerned that by timing the reading of the Scripture wrong,
what we're really doing is saying..
"hold on kids, before you can get to the good stuff, you have to listen
to some boring words because of a tradition that unknowingly raising you
up to dislike and rebel against, when really what I'm trying to do is
teach you to love and value Christ more than presents."
With that context in mind, I came up with this:
http://www.gimpel.tv/mov/Christmas_Story_Family_Reading.docx
I didn't spend much time on it. It isn't chronological. It is only
interactive. A while ago the president of YWAM talked about his color
coded Bible so that families can take turns reading Scripture out loud.
What I've done is taken excerpts from the prophets, and the Gospels and
put together a story the entire family can engage in. Not a
chronological one. Not even a complete one. Let's be honest, most of
our kids can recite these things from memory. They know the Christmas
story.
All this is, is a different way to read it. More engaging.
Here's how I'm using it. Print out 4 copies (color or not). Assign the
parts. Begin reading. There are parts for non-readers as well.
For my family of four, I assign the parts as follows:
Dad - Narrator
Mom - Angel
Son - Prophet and Joseph
Daughter - Mary and Wise Men
Just read the Scripture when its your turn (there are a few
non-scripture lines in there you can modify as you see fit, I wrote them
to fit my son's personality)
The end result is... the entire family ends up reading the Christmas story.
