Manny does Lucia

So, let’s set the stage for you....

It’s the 3^rd Sunday of Advent.

A quiet 3rd Sunday of advent moment later at home...

  

Advent is a big deal here in Sweden.

It’s also going to be a familjgudstjänst in our local church ~ a family oriented worship service…which always means lots of fun kids’ songs, a shorter sermon, and a special visit by a certain….

 

Before we let the cat out of the bag (if you choose a cat, though you might want to think of a larger….grey….animal…with a snabbel….)

 

Click here if you’d like to view the worship service ~ spoiler alert:  it’s in Swedish.  But fun translates easily into any language.

The stage is set ~ literally ~ as we wait for worship to start!

 

We opted to change the sermon option this particular Sunday.  We figured it was the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, and people who usually don’t come to church during the year might be coming on this particular Sunday looking for a more formal Advent service, complete with Advent sermon.  No problem.  Peter was quick to adjust his sermon plans, and we decided to take the kids out after the drama and singing ~ to make….

 

But before we took the kids out to Leva Livet (our version of children’s church), the worship service started with a very ceremonial piano solo “Sankta Lucia”….because tomorrow, the 13^th of December, is when Sweden celebrates Lucia.

 

And then walked in….Manny!  With his snabel.  And a Lucia crown.

Snabel:  the trunk of an elephant (in Swedish).

Manny does Lucia ~ imagine the gasp of surprise that went around the room when Manny the elephant walked in to the tune of "Sankta Lucia"!!  Priceless!!!

 

It made for laughter all around, as both kids and adults alike enjoyed the talking elephant who wanted to celebrate Lucia but was really looking for the chance to celebrate Jesus!

This was what the kids created and decorated during Leva Livet today on the 3rd Sunday of Advent....because there must be a book in this Nordic land which is entitled "100 + 1 things to do with pepparkakor"....of course, the local grocery store will sell you a bucket of pepparkakor cookies that can be glued together with sugar glue in order to make a julgran (Christmas tree) ~

Personally, I never tire of this view during Advent....lights, camera, nativity!!!