EPIPHANY RESOURCESEpiphany is a little longer than the season of Advent. There are only six short weeks to explore and discover what this season is all about.

The following “short list” is divided into five teaching tool categories to help keep things simple. Limited preparation is necessary, directions are brief and supplies are minimal. Click on any link to find directions.

Activities Video Clips Lessons Crafts

Explanation and word search Butterfly Circus Metamorphosis Cocoons

Baptismal Certificates Place

of Honor

Les Miserables What’s in a Name? Baptism Mandala

Random Acts of Kindness

Skit Guys

Wise ManSource of Wisdom -

Overview of Proverbs Paper House

“Follow the Star” scavenger hunt Jim Rohn Stopped in Your Tracks Origami Paper Star

Build A House Rev. Christopher Lee Transfiguration Clay Figures

Foolish or Wise Relay Helen Keller The Wise Men Three Kings bread

Within this table are, hopefully, more than enough easy-to-use activities for use during the short four-week season of Advent. If you have ANY questions, please ask!

ACTIVITIESEPIPHANY EXPLANATION AND WORDSEARCHWhen you realize a truth, things became clear and you looked at the world differently. Compare it to being three and figuring out how to turn on the light. You

didn’t just stop and think – Wow, that’s cool – and forget about it, but it was a catalyst that turned your thoughts into action. Things were never the same because you knew you could flip the switch! It was an epiphany – a flash of insight - a revelation!

Epiphany originally celebrated four different events, in the following order of importance: the Baptism of the Lord; Christ's first miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana; the Nativity of Christ; and the visitation of the Wise Men or Magi.

Each of these is a revelation of God to man: At Christ's Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that Jesus is His Son; at the wedding in Cana, the miracle reveals Christ's divinity; at the Nativity, the angels bear witness to Christ, and the shepherds, representing the people of Israel, bow down before Him; and at the visitation of the Magi, Christ's divinity is revealed to the Gentiles—the other nations of the earth.

Epiphanies still happen - the revelation of God to man! When we’re talking about our spiritual life epiphanies are like holy moments (revelations) that affect our character and leave us looking around for more. Abraham had his. Moses and Paul had theirs and Mary Magdalene had hers. God stopped each of them in their tracks. An awakening of any kind, spiritual or physical, requires staying alert; being aware. Maybe it will come as you visit with a friend, read a book, watch a movie, listen to the wind…..any moment can lead to a deeper awareness of God. We’re all on a journey and epiphanies help us keep moving, growing, learning, adapting; but we have to be ready to be amazed by God.

Can you make an epiphany happen? No. But you can be open and recognize it when it does.

EPIPHANY WORDSEARCH

BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE ENVELOPE OR BOXSupplies:Paper to make an envelope (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Greeting-Card-Envelope )

OR thin boxes large enough to hold a certificatePaintsMarkers, Beads, stickers, etc.

Baptism is a big part of Epiphany because at Christ's Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that Jesus is His Son! Baptism is “..full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s body, the Church.” We are lovingly adopted by God into God’s family (what we call the Church). Baptism is a sacrament; a ritual of inclusion and belonging that indicates our desire to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. You may have been baptized as an infant or small enough that these three promises were made on your behalf until you make it for yourself during confirmation.

1. To resist what is wrong - this is called renunciation; to renounce means to reject its power and influence over us.

2. To believe what is true - This promise is an acceptance of Jesus as Savior, to put one’s whole trust/faith/belief (not 100% understanding) in his grace and love, and to follow and obey him as the Lord of your life.

3. To do what is right - This is a promise to live according to Christ’s teachings which we learn by reading the Bible, by praying, and by committing ourselves to learn and grow spiritually in the Christian faith.

Your baptism was a special day; it’s good to put special things in special places where they are safe and honored. Where are your baptismal certificates? Choose to either create and decorate a special envelope or box to put your certificate in so it can have an honored place in your home….and in your life.RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESSThis website has a lot of great ideas for random acts of kindness – keep in mind that this is written for adults, so not all of these are applicable to your youth, but a lot of great ideas still! Use it to help youth make a list…along with adding their own suggestions!You could make it an Advent-long friendly competition – challenge your entire youth group to reach 100 total, with each person completing 1 or 2 random acts of kindness every week during Advent, then you will have an ice cream party! Keep the tally going throughout Advent; consider adding time for what they have done into a sharing time during youth group or a place they can post (maybe a bulletin board or on a Facebook page) all of their random acts of kindness.

“FOLLOW THE STAR” SCAVENGER HUNT

BUILD A HOUSESupplies: Pie plates (either one for each person for one per group)Play doughSand (wet so it will hold together)Toothpicks

Bring pie plates to class; hand out either a lump of play dough or wet sand. Give everyone some toothpicks and create a "tee-pee" by pressing the ends of the toothpicks into the play dough or wet sand. Pour water from a pitcher over each of the "tee-pees.” The play dough "tee-pee" should stand firm, but the sand "tee-pee" should fall apart. Read: Matthew 7:25 (the importance of a firm foundation)“The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.” Discuss:What was different about the tee-pees? (Jesus did not say the two people's houses looked different; He did not even say the two people looked any different. Only one thing was noticeably different; what was it?) The foundation they built on. Even if we build with the same kind of bricks and with the same materials and directions, it is the foundation that counts.

Take a minute to think about how this relates to our lives. We are all building a "house” (our lives) and each building has to have a foundation or it would topple over right from the start. Each builder has a choice of what kind of foundation to use. When you think about life, what provides a good foundation?

The storms of life will come to beat against our "house" like sorrow, temptation, hopelessness, disappointment, unfairness, persecution, or loss, but our lives do not need to be wrecked if we use the Word of God as our foundation; we can weather the storm and stand to the very end unmoved. There is no avoiding storms and problems. Jesus does not say, “Come to Me and you will never have problems again.” Rather He says, “build your life on Me and the foundation of My Word, then you will be able to stand against the problems that come at you.” Our lives will be upon a solid rock that cannot be moved, no matter what.

We need to be careful not to build our lives on shifting sand. What kinds of things are shifting in life? Our opinions or ideas can change. What the world tells us changes all the time. We cannot count on things we see in movies or television to be truth. The Word of the Lord is one thing that has stood the test of time; a source of wisdom, strength, courage, kindness,....traits that build a house we can be content to live in.

FOOLISH OR WISE RELAY Divide into teams. Each team will need a poster board to run to when the game begins. Each team will also have a pile of small papers, each listing “foolish” and “wise” choices (below). The first player takes one slip of paper and quickly tapes it to the FOOLISH or WISE side of their team's poster board. That player then runs back to the team and taps the next player to do the same, until all the slips of papers have been placed/taped on the poster board for FOOLISH or WISE. Let the class discuss why they put the slips on which side of the board. See which team can defend their decisions the best. (Encourage discussion….e.g. does the risk outweigh the potential reward and does that make it foolish?) Ask if anyone has scripture to

back up their decision!Cheat on a test Leave an abusive

relationshipListen to parents

Help a friend with homework

Lend money to a friend Give money to someone on the street

Pick up a hitchhiker Call in sick to work Trust someone you just met

Steal food from the store Steal someone’s idea Spend time with a friend rather than studying for a test

Go to college Stay up all night studying Eat lots of junk foodGo to a concert Play a sport Stand up for what you

believe

VIDEO CLIPSEach one of these clips presents an opportunity for some great Epiphany discussion!

The Butterfly Circus (22:35 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p98KAEif3bI

Les Miserables “I give you back to God” scene (3:33 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF3FX43F-7Y

Skit Guys - The Wise Men (2:50 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xJVwVUXkoo

Jim Rohn - The Day That Turns Your Life Around (6:13 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoW_jAzZKcs

Rev. Christopher Lee (6:30 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GASRSYmghR8

Helen Keller (1:50 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uheykreqCo

LESSONS Metamorphosis Begin by asking someone to read 2 Corinthians 5:17 “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

Leader: We all know what metamorphosis is….the biological process of change from one form to another. What if we think of ourselves as being in the process of metamorphosis? What if God made you exactly as you are, with something amazing inside you; a God-given light to the world? We can learn to shluff off the pesky outside chains that keep the light inside from shining out - self-centeredness, selfishness, pride, envy, greed, etc. – these are the real shackles that bind us, not the superficial things we get all worried about. In Romans chapter one through eleven, the Apostle Paul gives us one of the greatest dissertations in Scripture concerning man’s relationship with God after the fall of Adam and the Christian’s new relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Not once, in all eleven chapters, does Paul exhort us to "do" anything. The first eleven chapters are pure teaching.

Ask someone else to read Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Leader: Delve a little deeper into the meaning of these words. The English word "conformed" is the Greek word "schema", meaning, an outer transformation in appearance only. "World" in this verse is the Greek word "aion", or "age", meaning for us not to fashion ourselves according to the "age", or "time period" in which we live, and "transformed" is the Greek word "metamorphosis", meaning "an outer transformation due to an outworking of the inner nature".

"Schema" is used in 2 Cor 11:13-15, where Satan and his false apostles are said to be "transformed" into angels of light and apparent ministers of righteousness. They look good on the surface, but underneath, their character has not changed."Metamorphosis" is used in Matt 17:2, where Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration and He was "changed". Jesus showed an outer transformation due to the outworking of His inner nature, or Deity, and He shined like the sun. "Metamorphosis" is also our English scientific term for the life cycle of a butterfly. A butterfly worm, or caterpillar is going to become a butterfly, because that’s his inner nature. All he has to do is grow up. An earthworm, on the other hand, will never be anything but an earthworm. In 2 Cor 3:18, we Christians are said to be in the process of being transformed (metamorphosis) by the Spirit of God.Discussion Questions:

1.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?Directions:

1. Before your time together, do a quick online search to find the meaning of the names of the youth in your group. Write each person’s results on a separate piece of paper.

2. Ask youth if anyone has a story to share about how they were got their name.

3. Share the results of what you’ve learned about their names ahead of time. 4. Ask them to consider if they think it represents them now? How so? 5. Do they have a sense of if they might grow into their name?6. Discuss Jesus’s name a. Where did Jesus’s name come from? (scripture reference)b. Who named him?c. What does his name mean?d. What other names does Jesus (God) go by?

SOURCE OF WISDOM; an overview of Proverbs Discussion Questions:1. What do you think it means to be smart?2. Is there a difference between being smart and being wise? What is it?3. Who is the smartest person you know? Who is the wisest person you know? What makes him or her smart or wise?4. How wise do you think you are? What are you wise about?

We’re going to explore the idea of wisdom today as we dive into the book of Proverbs. But before we go to Proverbs, let’s take a quick look at wisdom in the rest of the Bible.

Wisdom in the Bible - "Wisdom" is mentioned over 200 times in the Scripture. That’s more than "money," "hell," "grace," "perseverance," and many other important topics.

A great deal of the talk about wisdom occurs in the Old Testament. A vast majority of those occurrences are in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. In Proverbs, the book we’ll study today, the word is present in 23 of the 31 chapters, revealing that it is a main theme, as we’ll see.

But the rest of the Bible talks of wisdom, too. From Exodus to Revelation, wisdom is constantly referred to as a treasure, something that should be obtained and something that comes from God. It’s also often attached with righteousness.

Our discussion of wisdom is centered on the wisest man ever to live, Solomon, the author or Proverbs. He obtained this wisdom from God. The story is in 2 Chronicles 1. God tells Solomon to ask for anything and it will be given to him. Solomon asks for wisdom above all else and God grants it to him. Additionally, he gives Solomon great riches and power.

That brings us to Proverbs. Turn to Proverbs 1. Again, the author of these words is Solomon, the King of Israel, the son of David. There are additional authors toward the end of the book, but the vast majority of the book is penned by Solomon.

He was a prolific author, composing over 3,000 proverbs (see 1 Kings 4:32). 1 Kings 4:32 tells us that he also wrote over 1,000 songs (1,005), was proficient in explaining science and agriculture (1 Kings 4:33), and was a popular host to people

from all over the world who sought wisdom from him (1 Kings 4:34).

The purpose of the book of Proverbs is spelled out for us in Proverbs 1:1-7.

Discussion Questions:1. According to these verses, what is the purpose of these writings? (There are several answers. Each verse mentions a couple; list as many as you can.)2. According to verse 7, where does gaining wisdom begin? (Fearing the Lord.)3. How does a fool treat wisdom? (They despise it.)4. How do you think fearing God leads to wisdom? (Allow for discussion.)

Verse 7 is an especially good one to commit to memory; remembering that it all starts with a respect for God. If you do not respect the Lord, you cannot be truly wise.

Breaking into small groups (or individually) ask everyone to read one of the passages below, think about the questions, then come back together and talk about what you learned.

Read Proverbs 2:1-11Discussion Questions:1. What are some of the benefits of wisdom in these verses? (Understanding what is right, fair, and just; protection; gaining an understanding, etc.)2. How might wisdom help you in every day life? (Allow for discussion.)

Read Proverbs 6:16-19 This passage is the source for the popular “Seven Deadly Sins.”Discussion Questions:1. What are the seven things listed that God despises? (Haughty eyes, lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush to evil, false witness who pours out lies, a man who stirs up dissension.)2. How can having wisdom discourage sinful behavior? (This is a tough one; let them struggle and think it through. Encourage critical thinking.)

Real Life Application - Proverbs isn’t the only source of wisdom talk in Scripture. Turn to the book of James. James is sometimes called “The Proverbs of the New Testament” because several times he promotes wisdom and says some things worth hearing.

Read James 1:5-6Discussion Questions:1. How wise do you think you are? Why?2. What does this passage say we should do if we feel we lack wisdom? (Ask for it.)3. What promise is issued if we ask? (We will be given wisdom by God.)4. How must we ask if we expect to receive wisdom? (In belief.)5. Can you think of any other place in Scripture where we are promised to receive something if we ask and believe that we’ll receive it? (No, I can't.)

This is an extraordinary promise. Realize this: God wants you to be wise. James says ask for wisdom and you’ll get it. That was certainly true of Solomon, wasn’t it? But sometimes we get confused about what wisdom is. James further defines what it is we should be asking for in James 3.

Read James 3:13-18Discussion Questions:1. How is wisdom demonstrated, according to this text? (By a life well-lived.)2. What walks hand in hand with wisdom, according to 13? (Humility.)3. What is “earthly wisdom?” (Envy, selfishness)4. What does “heavenly wisdom” look like? (Pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.)5. Of the people we talked about before, that you think are wise, did they possess these qualities. Do you? (List each quality, one by one. Ask, “Are you pure…” etc. This will help students gauge their lives according to Scripture more precisely.)6. How do you think you can become more wise?

Issue a challenge: Everyday for one month, read a different proverb. Just try it. It won’t take long, and you’ll find it an easy way to either begin a daily reading schedule or supplement what you already do. Each day, before and after you read, pray for wisdom. Remember, the beginning of wisdom is fearing the Lord. If you want to be wise, you have to align yourself with God and live in a way that pleases Him.

STOP IN YOUR TRACKSAn Epiphany is that moment when God stops you in your tracks. Of all the wonderful seasons in our Church year - celebrate the season of Epiphany by recognizing the flash of knowing, of insight, an “ah-ha” moment in life. Epiphany can be an instant connection with God in another person, in spirit or in prayer - moments when we recognize something important in the blink of an eye. We may not have put God’s name to it before, but deep down we know the source is beyond ourselves.

We can’t make that happen; it happens when it happens. Epiphanies are unplanned. They also don’t necessarily make us feel good. An epiphany might be an awareness of a terrible injustice or pain that our actions may have caused. Epiphanies transform us. We recognize something that is true; always and everything. We become our more essential self. What happens when we think of life being full of epiphanies that can be found in movies, books, the basketball court, school hallways, the dinner table, etc.? Begin a discussion by:

1. Sharing your favorite activities - reading, hiking, etc. 2. Why do those activities make such an impression on you?3. Are there times during those activities that you’ve learned from a positive/negative

experience?4. How might God be using these activities to share an essential truth with you?

TRANSFIGURATION

The Bible is full of people who have changed, become someone else. There is Jacob, the Grabber, who became Israel, the Wrestler. Abram, or “Big Daddy,” becomes Abraham, the “father of many, or of mercy,” Simon or “Sunshine” becomes Peter or the “Rock.” Name transformations are commonplace in the Bible. But that’s not the same as transfiguration. In the transformation story, Jesus receives no new name, no new identity. Everything that is said about him has already been stated before in the Gospels. What happens is that for the first time, fleetingly, his all-along-identity becomes obvious to the people who were with. They saw him briefly as he really was—not as he was in their lives, not as the Messiah who will ransom ME and my enslaved nation, nor the Rabbi who teaches ME, or the miracle-worker who healed ME, but as the eternal light which was shining before the Big Bang. He was always that—but they had been so blinded by their self-focus that they’d only seen him as he impacted their stories, not as he was in and of himself. That’s a big deal, I think. Because most of us don’t really think about who Jesus is—and for that matter, we don’t really much think about who we are either. We go through life, without thinking much at all about what matters, if truth be told. But the truth is that Christianity isn’t about transformation—this is a religion of transfiguration, of allowing each and every one of the children of God to be truly and totally and completely who we have always been, and never really even known we were. We’re like the clay that Isaiah talks about—it is, in and of itself, perfect for the purposes God has for it. Sure, it may have some pebbles and stones that need to be picked out—call that sin, or fear, or slavery, or addiction, or delusion, call it what you want, but the pebbles were NEVER the clay. They are foreign additions. And maybe the form of the clay today isn’t up to God’s purposes. Maybe the Divine Love needs to take it and break it and then to remake it—but it’s still the same clay. God made the clay that we are, each and every individual one of us—and that clay is delightful in His eyes. The whole universe in all its glory exists, in some strange way, for the sheer delight that God takes in having you, or me, or the person across the pew, in the center of the Divine Eye. God made us, and loves us, absolutely, unequivocally, without reservation. Again, some parts of us may need to be reshaped (call that sanctification) and some things may need to be purged that were never us to begin with at all (call that repentance and conversion), but at the end of the day, God loves you without reservation.CS Lewis in his book the Great Divorce basically argues that there is nothing about us that, with some taking, breaking and remaking, isn’t glorious and delightful in God’s eyes. That filthy lizard on your shoulder may look like lust today, but with God’s help it can be refashioned into what it was intended to be, a beautiful horse called desire. And stern old Augustine of Hippo said “love God and do what you will.” The ancient Greeks had carved over the temple at Delphi “Know thyself.” They all get it right! And yet most of us never do the work to know ourselves. We allow others to define us—for instance, “I’m Steve, the incapable-of-fixing-anything not-athletic it’s-my-job-to-make-peace-in-the-family middle child with bad eyes and hair that requires product to stay under control.” But you know what? That’s not who I am at all! Those are just descriptions of incidentals, not encounters with the real Steve who lies hidden at the core of it all.Transfiguration means that, if we seek out who God intended to be all along, if we seek out our true identity, and don’t just settle for the easy identity that we’re sold (you know, the one that other people tell us we are, the one we have to buy and

pay for, the one that requires no effort at all—the fake identity that leaves us feeling hollow and hopeless and alone)—if we seek out who we truly are, we will shine like Christ on the Mountain. Because our true, transfigured identity is the delight and joy of God. Anything else is simply second-best. And I think God expects and desires and demands and hopes for better than second-best for all of us. Amen.

THE WISE MEN (estimated time: 25 – 35 minutes)Supplies: Bible, blindfolds (can be strips of fabric or even neck ties work)As a group, start by making a list of what you already know about the wise men· Traveled a great distance· Not kings· Names – Melchior, Casper, Balthazar· Gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh Read as a group Matthew 2: 1-12How do you think the Magi felt? They dropped everything in their lives to travel across the continent, because they believed in God. Prepare for a faith walk…..Invite your youth to stand in a line. Hand out the blindfolds, one to each youth, and instruct them to cover their eyes with them. Then have them (may have to help a little) place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.Invite them to think about how the magi felt traveling through the desert, trusting God that they would find the King at the end of their journey.Act as the leader (or have an older youth act as the leader) and take the group on an adventure. Feel free to put some obstacles in the path that the group may have to go around, under, or over.After you have done this for several minutes, collect the blindfold and re-gather. How may the faith walk be like the magi’s journey to see Jesus?A big part of this story of Epiphany is trusting in God enough to follow him blindly. Have you ever had a time in your life where you have felt like this or a situation where this may apply? Closing PrayerGod, you have now come into our world. Help us to open our hearts to welcome you into our lives. Just as the Wise Men, help us to be ready to meet God in the midst of our everyday and to rise up and follow the star. Amen

CRAFTSPAPER-MACHE PRAYERS (filled with prayers to God) Supplies:Water balloonsstrips of newspaper, magazines of recycled paperGlue and waterFoam paint brushes (optional)Directions:

1. What are some things you would like God to help you work on so that you can be everything you truly are; your authentic self? Write those down, each on it’s own piece of paper. Roll the scraps of paper up tight; small enough to fit through the top of the balloon.

2. Blow up the balloon (with the papers inside) and top off at the top.3. To paper-mache, all you need is a 50/50 mixture of water and glue,

newspaper strips, and foam brushes. You can probably even use colored tissue paper so you wouldn't have to paint it.

4. Dip the newspaper strips in the glue/water mixture first and then slap it onto the balloon.

5. Once most of the balloon, slap a dry strip on to help soak up the excess mixture.

6. Leave one end open for the messages to go inside.7. Leave this project to dry until the next time together

CLAY FIGURESSupplies: Modeling clay or play doughDirections: Sitting comfortably in a circle hand everyone a fist size amount of play dough. Ask everyone (yourself included) to form the clay into something they feel represents them (3 min or so). Artistic abilities don’t matter...have fun.

1. Going around the circle, ask everyone to share something about what they created. How did they decide what to make?

2. Ask everyone to continue molding and shaping their figure while you ask them to consider the following questions:

a. Is there a way to create the figure you want without molding it?b. How does it feel to be molded as a human being? Does it hurt? Is it painful?c. What good can come from the process?

“BAPTISM LABYRINTH” - A simple activity to get us “into” scripture and learning more about what it meant for Jesus….and what it means for us to be baptized.

ORIGAMI PAPER STARSupplies:

● a square sheet of paper● some scissors

The finished star Christmas ornaments will be about 60% of the size of the square you start with. So a 12" square

will make a 7" star, or a 8.5" square will make a 5" star.

It’s easy to learn how to make these stars by watching the following video ahead of time.Part 1 (2:19 minutes) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kJmJUQVbO0 Part 2 (6:13 minutes) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvTQDV2O0es#t=38

3-D PAPER HOUSES (lit from within)Supplies: Origami paper (or paper cut to size), markers, scissors, tape and a small electric tea light.Where does our light come from? As you make this craft ask:

1. What lights up your life?2. What is the source of that light?

Instruction video’sPart 1 - http://en.origami-club.com/nature/house1-3d/anime-house1a-3d/index.htmlPart 2 - http://en.origami-club.com/nature/house1-3d/anime-house1a-3d/index.html

THREE KINGS BREADTo make the Dough, you will need:2/3 c. warm milk1/4 c. warm water2 eggs, room temp3 T. butter, cut up4 c. bread flour1/2 c. sugar1 t. salt2 t. yeast

To make the filling, you will need:1/3 c. sugar2 t. cinnamon1 c. dried fruit (I used raisins)1/4 c. butter softened

To make the orange icing, you will need:1 c. confectioner's sugar1/4 t. vanilla Enough OJ (3-4 t.) to make icing of a drizzling capacity

1. Mix dough ingredients together and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.2. Roll dough into a ball and put in lightly oiled bowl and cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour.3. When dough has risen,take out and roll into a 15 x 10 in rectangle.

4. Brush dough with the softened butter and top with the sugar/cinnamon and raisin filling.5. Now roll the dough into a long cylinder. Place it on the baking pan, seam down. Bring the ends together to form a ring and pinch the ends together to seal it.6. Using a sharp knife make 12 slashes in the top of the dough all the way around (represents the 12 days of Christmas).7. Cover the dough and let rise again until doubled in size, about another hour.8. When ring has doubled place in oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 35-40 min or until bread sounds hollow on bottom when tapped. If necessary loosely cover with foil at end to prevent over browning.9. When done remove from oven and drizzle with the orange icing. (I also put some colored sprinkles on mine). You may also hide a coin or bean in the dough before baking ( I used a coin) and the one who finds it is "king/queen" for the remainder of the day.

That's it! Not only was it Liturgically sound, but yummy, too!

MINEFIELD (Estimated time: 10+ min)Supplies: blindfold(s) (can make out of strips of fabric or a tie works as well), pine conesCreate a space where the pine cones are scattered around. This will be your “minefield.” Ask for two volunteers. Have one person put on a blindfold. It is then the other person’s job to direct the first person verbally through the minefield without touching any of the mines (aka the pine cones). It is then the job of the rest of the group to create noise to try to distract the blindfolded individual.You can also have multiple pairs going at once, depending on your space available. Once done, talk about how it is sometimes difficult to hear God’s voice though all the noise. THE TRANSFIGURATION (estimated time: 20 – 25 minutes)Supplies: Bibles, a dim flashlight (partially covered), a candle, matches/lighterPreparation: If you have any windows in your meeting room, close the blinds before the youth arrive. The object is to make the room as dark as possible. What do you remember about the Transfiguration story? As a group read Matthew 17: 1-9 What would it be like to be one of the disciples in the story?Would you be afraid? Now read the passage again like this:Turn off all of the lights in the room, sit in total darkness for several minutes and then with a dim flashlight read the following:After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. Allow a few moments of silence to pass, then light the candle and read the

following:2 There Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”Then turn on the bright lights (no warning!) and read:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.Turn the lights off, allowing only the light of the candle to illuminate the room once again, and continue with:7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” You can then continue either in the light of the candle or turn the lights back on. What does the darkness represent? The candle? The light?Why is it sometimes hard to look directly at the light in the darkness?What is the significance of this story?How can this be connected with our lives today?How can we share this light with others?