A Children’s Sermon Series from Pastor Brooks…
Part 1: The First Candle
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a little Viking girl named Kirstin. She had two great, big parents named Ola and Olaf. Back then, all the world thought Vikings were mean and cruel, but they didn’t know Kirstin and her two parents Ola and Olaf. They were a jolly, happy family, and they loved each other very much.
Kirstin’s family lived way up north in the tiny, little village of Norwich. In the winter, Norwich got very cold and the sun never shined. It was nighttime all day. Kirstin struggled not to feel miserable during the winter. To lift up her spirits, her parents laughed and joked around. But one year nothing seemed to work.
Finally, Ola suggested to Kirstin that she go knock on the door of the wise man of the village, an old man named Skags. Whenever children would pass by the house where Skags lived, they would see him through the window hunched over with a magnifying glass reading a great big book full of knowledge and wisdom.
Kirstin followed her mother’s advice and plodded through the snow to Skags’ home. With her small little hand, she knocked on the door three times. Skags answered with a great big, “Hello, there little girl. What can I do for you?” Kirstin told Skags how miserable she felt, and Skags said to her, “Do you see that evergreen tree over there? Will you go get me some of its branches?” Kirstin went to where the tree was, and she brought back some branches. Skags took them and started to bend them around in a circle until they made a wreath like this one. As he did this, he explained that the evergreens were a source of inspiration for the Vikings during the winter because they were hearty and strong and were able to survive the winter when all the other plants died.
Skags then told Kirstin to go to the local candle maker and ask for her finest candles. Kirstin did this, and she came back with five candles: three purple candles, a pink candle, and a white candle. Then, Skags put three purple candles and the pink candle around the outside of the wreath. Last, he put the white candle in the center. Next, Skags lit the first of the candles, and as he did so, he said, “We are in the season of Advent awaiting the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. With each passing week, I want you to light a candle that will shine when it is cold and when it seems the night will never end. This first candle is the candle of hope. It represents the hope that soon Jesus will come and bring joy into our lives. Next week come back to me, and I shall tell you the meaning of the second candle…”