Yesterday we began a new series for our Circle of the Word program at the Montgomery County Jail. The theme is “Journey to Bethlehem.”

Journey to Bethlehem is a six-week series for Advent-Epiphany inspired by a presentation I learned from Young Children and Worship by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman. It uses materials from Worship Woodworks that include a model of Bethlehem, felt underlays, and wooden figures. I bring artificial votive candles as reminders of “who can show us the way to Bethlehem.”

During the first week of Advent we focus on the prophets, represented by Isaiah, because “prophets listen to God so they can show us the way.” We made “illustrated manuscripts” instead of storyboards. Some were drawn around the text and others on the backside of the story paper.

In addition to naming the king as “Prince of Peace” the prophet looks forward to a day when there will be “endless peace.” In these days when one mass killing follows another in the headlines we yearn for endless peace just as much now as in ancient times when Isaiah spoke the Word of God to his people.

We used peace symbol stickers to decorate our nametags. These showed up a lot in our drawings. Also, you can see how the prophets in the illustration below were inspired by the wooden figure of Isaiah. The imagery of boots of tramping warriors and garments rolled in blood was powerful in contrast to the imagery of rejoicing at the harvest and a child born who will be the Prince of Peace. The card saying, “rolled in blood” was from The Word I Heard activity.