TABERNACLE LAMPS WITHIN THE HEART - SONG

 

Tabernacle Lamps Within the Heart

(To the tune of “Be Thou My Vision”)

Long years the blind man walked without his sight,
Without the dawn, without the light;
He knew no bright colour, no soft shining flame,
And few in pity, remembered his name.

Beside the roadside, in sorrow he stayed,
While seasons passed, and sunlight played;
Yet deep in the darkness, his weary heart cried,
For healing, no earthly hand could provide.

Then Jesus came, with compassionate Gaze,
Bringing God’s Healing and heavenly Grace;
He spat on the earth, and He fashioned the clay,
To open blind eyes, that very same day.

The clay He placed on the blind beggar’s eyes,
Beneath the wide blue Judean skies;
“Go wash,” said the Christ, with tender command,
Then hope like lit lamp, burned bright in the man.

He washed in waters, refreshing and clear,
Suddenly all of the world drew near;
The light burst forth, like the gold morning sun,
As a new healed life, just truly begun.

The first bles'sed sight, that met his cleared eyes,
Was Christ Whose mercy, he did recognize;
O what a Saviour, so gentle, Divine;
Glorious  Redeemer, forever is mine!

(Modulate to one key higher for the next verse)

So let us ask of Christ every day,
To wash all our inner darkness away;
To heal the blindness, concealed in our soul,
And make our broken hearts, united and whole.

When others suffer in silence and pain,
Too often we turn, and pass by again;
Lord, give us eyes, that truly can see,
The wounds of the lost, in humanity.

Bring holy light, into our minds and heart,
Bid hidden shadows, and fear depart;
Shine through the chambers, within us today,
Drive all the blight of sin, from us far away.

Then when at last, unto Heaven we rise,
With opened hearts, and with glorified eyes;
May holy lamps, within us still burn,
As our souls joyfully, to Jesus return.

Like the blind man, healed by Christ’s holy Flame,
Who joyfully praised, the Lord’s holy Name;
May Heavn’s tabernacle lamps brightly spark,
Ever shine in the depths of each heart.

This song fits beautifully to the public domain hymn tune “Be Thou My Vision” which has a gentle, prayerful flow suited to the theme of healing and inner light.

Hymn inspired by John Chapter 9

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle "Offering of light to the Divine" 

IN THE HUSH BEFORE THE DAWN OF GRACE

 

God sent Jesus to earth to be born in a stable, among oxen, donkeys and sheep. Extra-biblical traditions name camels, horses and other livestock as also in the stable at the time of Christ's Birth. 

God looked down and chose that His Son be born in a palace of innocence and love, among those who do not murder or hurt or hate.

The Gospel of God's Son would first be preached to the innocent of the world who would look upon Christ and love Him, not seek to kill Him. 

So Jesus came to be born of a Virgin Mother and protected by a devoted Foster-Father, among the loving presence of sweet animals.

Where no hand was raised against Him

In the hush before the dawn of grace,
When heaven bent to kiss the earth,
God beheld the world of restless hearts
And chose, with tender, sovereign worth -

Not marble halls nor thrones of might,
Nor courts where pride and power reign,
But lowly beams and borrowed light,
A stable worn by wind and rain.

There, where the oxen gently fed,
And donkeys breathed the quiet air,
Where sheep in drowsy clusters spread
Their wool like clouds of patient prayer;

And, as old whispers softly tell,
Where camels knelt and horses stood,
A humble, breathing, living well
Of creaturely and blameless good . . .

“I give My Son,” the heavens said,
“To dwell where innocence is known,
A palace not by kings be made,
But hearts that harm not flesh and bone.

Let Him be first by these adored,
Who do not wound, nor scheme, nor hate;
Let beasts receive their quiet Lord
Before the proud and learned great.

For they will gaze and not conspire,
They will draw near and not condemn;
No hidden blade, no vengeful fire,
Only a gentle warmth in them.”

So came the Child, so small, so mild,
Jesus Christ in straw and shadow laid to rest,
The Holy One, the undefiled,
At peace on nature’s humble breast.

And Mary watched with wondering, silent eyes,
Her heart a cradle deep and wide,
While Saint Joseph kept his faithful guise,
A guardian standing close beside.

No sword was raised, no hatred stirred,
No voice of scorn, no cruel decree;
Only the quiet, living Word
Among the meek of land and lea.

O mystery soft as breathing hay,
O wisdom clothed in earthen guise -
That Love should choose such hidden way,
And open first the simplest eyes.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle, "Nativity scene in a quiet stable" 

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL CHILDREN'S PRAISE READERS

Happy Easter to all readers.

May blessings be with you and your loved ones

at this time of peace, joy and goodwill.

A candle has been lit in 

remembrance of all. 

Image: source unknown. With thanks to the creator

CATECHISM BOOK TWO AND COMPANION COLOURING BOOK - DOWNLOAD FREE

Dear students and teachers, 

It gives me great joy to welcome you to Catechism Book Two. In these pages, we will take another step on the beautiful journey of faith. This book will help you to learn more about how to pray. You will also learn how to listen to God more closely through reading the Bible. 

The holy practice of meditation helps us to think more deeply about the Lord. When we take time to reflect on Scripture, our hearts are gently shaped by God's Love and Truth.

When you read the book, you will find out about the four gospels written by Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke and Saint John. The gospels tell us about the Life and Love of Jesus Christ for us, His people.

As you read and pray, remember that Jesus is your Friend. The Saviour listens to you. He walks with you. Jesus, the Son of God, loves you more than you can ever imagine. 

There is a companion colouring book to Catechism Book Two. You can colour in pictures while reflecting on the beauties of the Christian faith which they portray.

Blessings, 

Catherine Nicolette Whittle D.D.

In Christ's Love

“Let us all learn to love Jesus more each day. T

o love Him is the greatest joy of all”

HERE IS YOUR VERY OWN 

CATECHISM BOOK TWO

DOWNLOAD AT THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ocON-_TbHOUeOzVPbHMWudwCew8VdRIT/view?usp=sharing

CATECHISM COLOURING BOOK TWO

MAY BE DOWNLOADED AT THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q278JsC-pR9tTWJjXhZo3Sm1xCqeCMKK/view?usp=sharing

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle

CATECHISM TWO COLOURING BOOK - DOWNLOAD FREE

 Reading the Bible with Jesus

Colouring Kingdom

CHRISTIAN TEACHING

Foreword

Greetings everyone,

Welcome to this colouring book which has been made just for you. This book helps us to get to know Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

As you colour each page, you will learn wonderful things about the Christian faith. You will discover the joy of different ways to pray. You will realise how prayer can help you talk to God and feel His Love every day.

You will meet Jesus through stories of the gospels of Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You will find out about Jesus’ Life and His Love. You will learn about the many ways Jesus cared for people.

This colouring book is companion to Catechism Book Two. Colouring pages may be used at home or in catechism class activities.

May the pages of this book remind you that God’s Love shines in everything good that you do.  Happy colouring and happy learning!

Blessings,
Catherine Nicolette Whittle DD
In Christ's love

 

HERE IS YOUR VERY OWN 

CATECHISM TWO COLOURING BOOK

DOWNLOAD AT THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q278JsC-pR9tTWJjXhZo3Sm1xCqeCMKK/view?usp=sharing

DOWNLOAD CATECHISM 

BOOK TWO AT THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ocON-_TbHOUeOzVPbHMWudwCew8VdRIT/view

Image courtesty colorifyai.art with CN Whittle

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO CHILDREN'S PRAISE READERS. HERE IS YOUR VERY OWN COLOURING PAGE!

 

Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year

to all Children's Praise readers.

May blessings be with you and your loved ones

at this time of peace, joy and goodwill.

Here is your very own colouring page

showing the birthday of sweet Jesus,

Who lay in a manger, with Mother Mary

and Foster-Father Joseph looking after Him.

Jesus loves the little animals, there were animals

in the stable too. And overhead a happy angel

sang and watched over the stable where Jesus lay.

Above shone a wondrous star.

Images courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle

ADVENT OF JESUS THE MESSIAH

 

Here is a 60-minute classroom activity plan for teaching a catechism class about the advent of Jesus the Messiah. The advent of Jesus was promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

ADVENT OF JESUS THE MESSIAH

(60 minutes Classroom Activity Plan)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this session, children should be able to:

• Understand that Jesus is present throughout the whole Bible
• Know that the advent of Jesus the Messiah was promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

ACTIVITY:

1. Opening prayer and introduction: (5 minutes):

• Begin with a short prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help the children learn and understand God’s holy Word.

Opening prayer:

“Dear Jesus, thank You for loving us through all time. Help us to see how You are in the stories of the Bible. Give us understanding of how Your advent was promised in the Old Testament long ago. Help us to know how You are working in our world today. Amen.”

 2. Introduction & Whiteboard Activity: (10 minutes)

Objective:

Introduce the connection between the Old and New Testaments regarding the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

 Materials:

• Bibles or printed handouts of key passages
• Whiteboard/markers or chalkboard
• Timeline of Old and New Testament advent prophecies and events (poster or printout)
• “Old and New Testament advent figures” flashcards or cut-outs
• Worksheet: “Old and New Testament advent exploration”
• Colouring or drawing supplies (optional).

 Activity Steps:

Stories of Old and New Testaments regarding the advent of Jesus the Messiah: (10 minutes)

Mini-lecture and visual aid:

• Use whiteboard or timeline poster briefly to explain the advent of Jesus
• Draw two large columns marked Old Testament and New Testament.

·    Ask the students: “What stories do you know from the Old Testament?” (Write answers such as King David who had been a shepherd, Joseph who was sold as a slave and rose to prominence in Egypt in the Old Testament, Joseph the husband of Mary in the New Testament, Moses who parted the Red Sea, Mary who was asked by God to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God, Noah who built the ark and saved his family and the animals of the world)

·     Ask the group: “What stories do you know from the New Testament?” (Write answers such as the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the miracles Lord Jesus performed and names of the disciples of Jesus)

·      Explain: “The Old Testament told us that Jesus would arrive.”  The New Testament shows us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as had been foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament

·   Draw a simple bridge or cross between the two columns, showing Jesus as the link between them.

3. Group Activity: Bible exploration: (10 minutes):

Objective: discover the Presence of Jesus in Old and New Testaments

Materials: Bibles or printed verses, paper, pencils

Method: Allow students to work in pairs or small groups

Pair of verses: Give each group a pair of verses to look up and discuss:

• Isaiah 7:14 → Matthew 1:22–23 (Jesus’ birth foretold and fulfilled)
• Micah 5:2 → Luke 2:4–7 (Jesus born in Bethlehem)
• Isaiah 53:5 → John 19:16–18 (Jesus’ suffering)
• Psalm 22:16–18 → John 19:23–24 (Details of the crucifixion)

Sharing: Each group shares briefly what they found: proof that the Old Testament promised the advent of Jesus. Further, the New Testament shows that the ancient promises were fulfilled.

4. Character match-up Game: (10 minutes):

Objective:  

Connect Old Testament figures to the way they pointed to the advent of Jesus.
Materials:

Printed cards or paper slips with names and clues.

Instructions:

Create two sets of cards:

• Set A: Old Testament characters: Adam, Noah, Moses, David, Jonah and Isaiah
• Set B: How they point to Jesus:

·         “Saved us from sin” (Adam → Jesus is the New Adam)

·         “Saved people through water” (Noah → Baptism)

·         “Led people to freedom” (Moses → Jesus leads us to salvation)

·         “A shepherd king” (David → Jesus is the Good Shepherd and King)

·         “Three days in the fish” (Jonah → Jesus’ resurrection after three days)

·         “Spoke of the coming Messiah” (Isaiah → Jesus fulfilled prophecy).

• Make it fun: act it out, quiz style, or do a quick “Who am I?” game.

5. Role Play: (10 minutes)

Objective: Help children understand how Jesus fulfils Old Testament promises.

Instructions:

Choose children to act out short scenes:

• Prophet Isaiah announcing the advent of a Saviour
• Angel Gabriel explaining to Mary that God had asked her to give birth to Jesus the Saviour
• John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

After each role play, explain how that shows God’s plan being fulfilled from the Old Testament to the New Testament. 

OR

6. Creative reflection: (10 minutes):

Option A (younger children): draw a story about the Nativity of Jesus from the New Testament.

Option B (older children): write a short reflection: “Why do you think God sent Jesus to earth as our Saviour?”

7. Closing prayer: (5 minutes):

Activity:

Gather the children in a circle. They can close their eyes and clasp their hands together in prayerful manner.

Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank You for being with us from the beginning of time. Thank You for keeping Your promises and showing us Your love. Help us to see You in all the stories of the Bible and in our lives each day. Amen.”

 

HOMEWORK:

Ask each child to draw a picture showing a story from the Old Testament that reminds them of Jesus (such as Moses parting the sea). Beneath the picture, they can write one sentence: “This story reminds me of Jesus because …”

 

 Image designed by Chatgpt