This is a rare two-person Children’s Moment and should be as much fun for the participants as the children. Construction hats can be found at a Dollar Store or online. I used yellow firefighter helmets and put a label on the front. For the record, the PREPARE THE WAY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY is a division of JESUSINC. (See “JesusInc and Paul’s Message from Thessalonia)
JOE: “I would like to read from Luke 3. Luke writes, ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
MOE interrupts with construction noises, beeping sounds from backing up trucks, etc.
MOE: “Make way, make way – we have work to do here! Make way!”
JOE: “Moe, what are you doing here?”
MOE: “We have a work order here.” (Pulls out a Bible) “It says here, ‘fill in the valley, lower the mountain and hill, straighten the crooked road and smooth the rough…”
JOE: (Interrupting) “No, Moe – you don’t understand. It’s an allegory.”
MOE: “A what?”
JOE: “An allegory.”
MOE: “Are you sure it’s not a metaphor? Because I never metaphor I didn’t like! HA!”
JOE: “Whichever, Moe. The point is, John is not telling folks to do actual road labor. It means ‘Prepare the Way’ for the Messiah. It means give up your sins, open your heart to the living God, begin living the life God wants for you.”
MOE: “So there is no road work?”
JOE: “No.”
MOE: “No bulldozers or trucks or cranes?”
JOE: “Sorry.”
MOE: “Then what am I going to do with all these construction hats?” (Shows hats)
JOE: “I have an idea.” (Turning to the children) “Would like to help prepare the way for Jesus? By wearing this construction hat, that means you are telling people that Jesus is coming and we should be ready for him. We should be ready to love our neighbors, help out each other and be the kind of person Jesus wants us to be. Can you try and do that? (Children respond positively) Then each of you gets a hat!”
JOE continues: “Moe, will you join us in prayer? Let’s say ‘thank you’ to Creator God for the many ways we celebrate the birth of God’s son, Jesus. And may we remember his lessons of love and peace not just during the Christmas season but all year ‘round, in everything we say and everything we do. And for these great gifts, we say, ‘thank you’ and let the children say, ‘Amen.’”