Session 1

Session Goals

Participants will be encouraged to:

• Discover ways to be awakened to the wonder of Christmas.

• Think about ways in which we pursue more in our lives, and what is behind that desire.

• Consider how the birth of Jesus fulfills our hopes.

• Ask the Lord how we should follow and be aware of the meaning of this season.

Materials Needed

• The Wonder of Christmas book (one for every participant)

• Bibles (extras for participants)

• The Wonder of Christmas DVD, DVD player

• Markerboard or chart paper, markers

• Advent wreath, candles, matches

Optional:

• Writing paper or journals, pens or pencils for journaling (provide or have participants bring their own)

• Recordings of Christmas carols or hymns

• Inexpensive or homemade star ornaments (one for each participant)

Preparation

• Read and reflect on Chapter 1, "The Wonder of a Star."

• Read through the session outline and select the material you plan to cover.

• Read and reflect on the following scriptures:

* Genesis 1

* Isaiah 43:1

* Ecclesiastes 3:11

* Psalm 42:7-8

* Isaiah 55:2

* Matthew 4:18-22

* Matthew 14:22-33

• Prepare the room and gather the necessary materials. Cue the video for Session 1. Be sure to set out an Advent wreath to light during the closing. (Don't forget matches!) You may want to play some soft Christmas music during this time. If you choose, you may have participants journal during this time.

• Optional: Make or purchase inexpensive star ornaments (one for each participant) to hand out during the closing.

Getting Started (10 minutes)

Opening Activity

Welcome participants as they arrive. Open your time together by discussing the following questions:

• Can you recall a time when you eagerly hoped and waited for a specific Christmas gift? Describe the gift and if you received it. (If time permits, you could have each member anonymously write down what the gift was on a slip of paper; then draw them out one by one and try to guess who wanted each gift.)

• Advent is a time of waiting and reflection. What do you hope to experience this Advent?

Opening Prayer

Lord, as we begin this study, we thank you for the opportunity to slow down and spend these weeks contemplating the joy and wonder of the greatest gift we've ever been given — Jesus Christ. As we reflect on the Christmas story and the questions it raises, speak to us and make us aware of the grand story you are telling and how we fit into it. Thank you for your abundant love and mercy. Now bless our time together as we seek you this season. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Content Review and Application (40 minutes)

Note: This section allows approximately 10–12 minutes for a video segment and 25–28 minutes for discussion. More content has been provided than you will have time to cover. Select in advance those questions you would like to discuss, putting a check mark beside each one.

Video

Play Session 1 (running time 11:24).

Discuss:

• When have you experienced a longing for "something more"? In what ways has this longing led you to seek after God?

• What are some of the "signs" in your life that have pointed you to God?

• Why does it require real courage to go to Jesus?

Study and Discussion (25–28 minutes)

The Gift of Wonder

Read aloud or summarize:

Do you know someone who seems to notice things that others don't — who pays attention to the subtle details and finds beauty and meaning in the unexpected? Maybe it's you!

Rob Renfroe writes, "As we explore the wonder of Christmas together in the coming weeks, you are invited to see the world — and what God has done — through the gift of wonder; to believe there is more to this world than the eye beholds; to look for the beauty in what God has done and allow yourself to be amazed by a story you've heard a hundred times; to come to this season with a spirit of curiosity, trusting that if you will slow down and open your heart, Creation's Artist will astonish you with gifts that are waiting for you" (pp. 16-17).

Discuss:

• Each of us enters the Christmas season with expectations about what this year's celebration will be like. How do past Christmases shape or influence how you feel about Christmas this year?

• What does wonder mean to you? Who or what causes you to wonder — to be amazed, curious, or inspired?

• Take turns reading aloud Genesis 1, the story of creation. How does meditating on this story affect your view of God and inspire wonder in your heart?

The Search for More

Read aloud or summarize:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." ...

They went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11)

The story of the wise men is familiar to anyone who has ever heard the biblical Christmas story. The magi had "successful" lives in terms of what the world values. They didn't need more money or accolades. So why did they put aside everything to go and follow a star? What compelled them to travel hundreds of miles through barren terrain and unknown dangers to find a promised king? What did they hope to gain? What did they long to find?

At one time or another, all of us sense that we are made for more. We ask questions and go on journeys to find the answers. Often we feel that something is missing — that we need something more in order for our lives to be right. But not all of us recognize what this need for more truly is. In fact, many people who yearn for more end up focusing on simply getting more of the same — more wealth, more success, more recognition, more possessions, more pleasure — more of everything that has already left them unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

Discuss:

• What do you think the magi were looking for when they set out to find Jesus?

• In what ways do people in our society tend to spend time and resources searching for more?

• Read the following verses aloud. How do they speak to this deep yearning of our hearts for something...