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- Family Overview
showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
(Revelation 21: 10)
Imagine this wonderful vision given to John on the Isle of Patmos - a great city of gold, descending from heaven! This pictures the beautiful teachings of the New Church that the Lord is establishing in heaven and on earth.
NOTE: The Holy City is a spiritual illustration of the beautiful doctrines of the New Church and a life in keeping with these teachings. It may be difficult for us to imagine exactly what John would have seen as a physical picture in our minds. The projects and illustrations for the June website offer a variety of ways to picture this beautiful city. Enjoy!
FAMILY WORSHIP
Read aloud the story in Revelation 21:2-23. Try to picture the Holy City in your mind as you hear the description of it. Think about the kinds of building materials that are mentioned: gold, pearls, precious gems. It sounds like a beautiful city - a wonderful place to live!
You might want to explore the meaning of the story with your family, perhaps reading aloud one of the family talks or sermons. You may also want to read and discuss some of the quotations From the Word: The Holy City.
READ: "John's Vision of the New Church" a preschool talk by the Rt. Rev. George de Charms
READ: "The Gates of the City" a family talk by the Rev. Kenneth Stroh
PROJECT: Diorama of John Seeing the Holy City Descending (for ages 9-14)
PROJECT: Open the Pearl Gate and See an Angel (for ages 4-9)
This project illustrates the concept that each gate of the city is made of a single pearl and guarded by an angel.
COLORING PAGE: John Sees a Vision of the Holy City
READ: "The Holy City, New Jerusalem" by the Rev. Eric Carswell
ACTIVITY: Bake and Decorate a Holy City Cake (for ages 5 and up)
Here is a special cake to help you celebrate New Church Day.
PROJECT: Make a Model of the Holy City (for ages 10 and up)
This is a lovely model of the city designed by Leon Rhodes which could be suspended in the air.
ACTIVITY: Paper Doll Chains of Children Playing in the Street (for ages 6-9)
Make paper chains of children to illustrate the prophecy about the city being full of boys and girls playing in its streets (Zechariah 8:5), picturing the rejoicing of those who love the beautiful teachings of this new church.
PROJECT: Make a Model of the Holy City with Surrounding Wall (ages 9-14)
This project was designed by Kent Cooper and includes the surrounding wall with its 12 pearl gates and the golden city inside.
ACTIVITY: How Big Is It? (ages 10-16)
Using the description of the Holy City, figure out how large this city would be if it was a physical city on earth. Hint: It would be very large!
ACTIVITY: The 12 Gates (for teens)
What are 12 truths or teachings that could lead a person into the New Church? What might appeal to people searching for answers about the nature of God, eternal life, and more?
PROJECT: Pray for the Peace of New Jerusalem Calligraphy Project (for ages 7-10)
Make a decorative border for this portion of Psalm 122. You might also want to draw a picture of the holy city above the quotation.
PROJECT: The Lamb and Wolf Together (ages 6-10)
This project illustrates a prophecy about a wolf and a lamb peacefully feeding together (Isaiah 65:25).
ACTIVITY: For All Nations
All are invited to learn about the truths of this New Church and enter the gates of the holy city. To illustrate this idea, cut out pictures of people from all over the world from magazines, etc., and put them around a picture or model of the holy city. You could also display flags, stamps, or coins from various countries.
ACTIVITY: Holy City Crossword Puzzle (ages 8-12)
SING: New Hope of Every Nation
ACTIVITY: New Church Day Word Search (ages 8-14)
Food for Thought: What's in a Name? (teens and adults)
Talk with your family about the words "New Jerusalem." This website is produced by a church organization named "the General Church of the New Jerusalem". Some New Church congregations incorporate the words "New Jerusalem" into their name. This is a way of expressing their hope that they are helping the Lord bring His New Church (a spiritual entity) into the minds and hearts of people.
The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it,
for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
(Revelation 21:23)
The holy city shines with the glory of the Lord for He provides spiritual light for the city.
READ: "A Most Precious Revelation" a sermon by the Rev. Peter M. Buss, Jr.
PROJECT: Surround a Candle with a Picture of the Holy City (ages 9-12)
Color a picture of the holy city to place in front of a candle or in a window.
PROJECT: Make a Golden Mat or Word Cover (for ages 6-12)
The city seen by John was made of pure gold but was transparent like glass. This pictures the clarity of the truths of the New Church, for the Heavenly Doctrine explains the inner meaning of the Old and New Testaments. Make a golden covering or mat for the Lord's Word. Let it remind you of how much the Lord loves you and wants to help you see and understand the truths of the Word in all their beauty.
I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(Revelation 21:2)
As John looked at the beautiful city descending from heaven, he also saw it appearing like a bride wearing white linen. The bride pictures our loving response to the Lord and the truths that He gives us.
READ: Prepared as a Bride" an article for teens by the Rev. Robert Junge
ACTIVITY: Adorned As a Bride - A New Church Day Representation of the Holy City
PROJECT: Make a Paper Bride (ages 6-10)
PROJECT: Make Your Own Picture of a Beautiful Bride (ages 7-10)
When seen as a bride, the Holy City symbolizes our loving response to the Lord and the truths which He gives us. This project invites you to picture a beautiful bride!
The reason for celebrating this day may be more obscure for children than why we celebrate Christmas and Easter, but parents and teachers can help children sense its importance by differentiating this day from other days.
READ: "The New Church" a concept article by the Rev. Walter E. Orthwein
READ: "Our Attitude Toward New Church Day" by the Rev. J. Clark Echols
It is important for adults to have an understanding and affection for New Church Day so that they can teach children in their care to have an affection for the spiritual event, which may be celebrated with external events such as a special worship service, pageants, picnics, the giving of gifts, etc.
Making New Church Day Special
There are many ways to help our children develop affections for this religious festival. New Church congregations may hold an outdoor service, put on a pageant, give gifts to the children, and have a picnic. Families can have a special breakfast or brunch. Choose red and white food to echo the colors of the New Church flag (strawberries and whipped cream, cherry Danish, cranberry juice, etc.) or yellow food to suggest the gold of the Holy City (New Jerusalem cake, scrambled eggs with cheese, lemon Danish, lemonade, etc.).
Decorating Your Home
Among the projects provided for this issue are several that can help you decorate your home for the birthday of the New Church. Among these are the Adorned as a Bride Church Day representation and many other art projects. To extend the theme of the Holy City, you might decorate the house with yellow streamers and balloons. And if you give your children New Church Day gifts (such as religious books or song tapes), you might want to wrap them in yellow or gold paper.