Gathering Song: Option 1

Song: ‘We are waking in the light of God’, based on ‘We are marching in the light of God’ (traditional)

Tune: traditional. 

 

This song is so repetitive it doesn’t need to be taught line by line. Instead, start singing with the actions and the children and the rest of the group will gradually begin to join in. Some of the group may already know the traditional version of the song.

​

If you’re using imaginative aids, ask two or three children to give them out at this point. Then invite the children to warm up their imaginations by exploring actions for different kinds of activities: writing, eating, painting, washing, cooking, eating, playing, hiding, brushing teeth, etc. ‘Can you show me . . . writing!’ etc.

​

Our song [for Epiphany] is all about Jesus’ light shining.

It’s about how everything we do is in ‘the light of God’.

​

We started off our day in bed.

So let’s start our song fast asleep in bed.

Who can show me fast asleep!

Lead the children in showing fast asleep.

Morning! It’s time to wake up!

Let’s stretch up high with our arms.

Lead the children in stretching and waking.

When we wake up, we wake up in the light of God!

​

Now let’s eat our breakfast.

Maybe we had toast or cereal or something else . . .

Let’s eat our breakfast together now.

Lead the children in miming eating their breakfast.

Let’s sing ‘We are waking in the light of God’. Stretching action

Then halfway through, let’s change to

‘We are eating’. Eating breakfast action

​

Either:

And when we sing ‘oh!’ jazz hands

let’s show Jesus’ light shining all around us with jazz hands.

Lead the children in jazz hands.

 

Or (if you’re using imaginative aids):

And when we sing ‘oh!’ fireworks action (aids moving very fast above head)

let’s show Jesus’ light SPARKLING like fireworks all around us. Fireworks action

​

Let’s start off asleep . . . Sssssssh!

Lead the children in miming sleeping.

Time to wake up!

​

We are waking stretching action in the light of God,

we are waking stretching action in the light of God!

We are waking stretching action in the light of God,

we are waking stretching action in the light of God!

Interrupt the song: Breakfast time!

We are eating, eating action we are eating, oh! Jazz hands

We are eating eating action in the light of God!

We are eating, eating action we are eating, oh! Jazz hands

We are eating eating action in the light of God!

​

I wonder what else we’ll do today?

Invite two different children to make two different suggestions together with an action. (We change actions halfway through the song.) If the group is part of a playschool/nursery/school you could also ask one of the teaching staff what the children will be doing that day to help make connections between this time of worship and the rest of each child’s day.

​

Example: the children might suggest counting and playing.

Let’s start by painting in the light of God.

Can you show me painting?

Lead the group in following the suggested action for painting.

Then let’s play in the light of God!

Can you show me an action for playing?

Lead the group in following the suggested action for playing.

​

Let’s go!

Lead the children in continuing painting as you sing.

We are painting in the light of God,

we are painting in the light of God!

We are painting in the light of God,

we are painting in the light of God!

Interrupt singing: Playtime!

Lead the children in their chosen playing action as they sing.

We are playing, we are playing, oh! Jazz hands

We are playing in the light of God!

We are playing, we are playing, oh! Jazz hands 

We are playing in the light of God!

Depending on your group, you may like to repeat with two new actions.

​

Actions we have used at St Peter’s, Walworth, include:

We are learning in the light of God! Phonics sound of week

We are singing in the light of God! Conducting action

We are jumping in the light of God! Jumping up and down

We are counting in the light of God! Counting on fingers

We are praying in the light of God! Hands together

We are brushing in the light of God! Mime brushing teeth

We are walking in the light of God! Walking on the spot

We are climbing in the light of God! Mime climbing a tree

We are reading in the light of God! Mime reading a book

We are cooking in the light of God! Mime stirring

Encourage the children to make their own suggestions. Everything we do is in the light of God!

​

When it comes to the final time that you’ll sing the song:

My goodness! We’ve done a lot today!

Who’s feeling tired?

Let’s rest.

Raise arms and wiggle fingers, slowly bringing arms downwards to show a resting action.

​

Can you show me resting? Resting action

And now sleeping . . . Rest head to one side on joined hands

​

It might be dark outside when we go to bed,

but let’s remember Jesus’ light is still shining in us.

So let’s rest in the light of God. Resting action

Then let’s sleep . . . Sleeping action

​

Sing quietly:

We are resting in the light of God, Resting action

we are resting in the light of God! Resting action

We are resting in the light of God, Resting action

we are resting in the light of God! Resting action

Interrupt: Sleepy time! Ssssh!

Lead the children in settling down to sleep.

We are sleeping, we are sleeping, ssssh!

We are sleeping in the light of God!

We are sleeping, we are sleeping, ssssh!

We are sleeping in the light of God!

​

Jesus is the Light of the World!

We’ll be doing lots of things today.

Let’s remember [the message of Epiphany]

Jesus’ light is shining whatever we do.