Christmas 1: Handle with Care
28 December 2025
Bible readings
Psalm 148
Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps...
Matthew 2:13–23
‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him’
Songs and hymns
- Carols 190–222 (StF)
- Unto us a boy is born! (StF 218)
- I cannot tell (StF 350)
- A safe stronghold our God is still (StF 623)
- Everyone needs compassion (StF 627)
- Faithful one, so unchanging (StF 628)
- O love that wilt not let me go (StF 636)
Opening liturgy
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
The God-given gift of Jesus, the gift of love, joy, peace and hope in a fragile babe, laid with care in a manger of hay, nurtured and protected by Mary and Joseph.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
We do not walk the world alone, we tread in the footsteps of others. Others do not walk the world alone, they tread in our footsteps. Together and not alone we are God’s people walking with God.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
The world is not always an easy place in which to live, O God, it is rough and it is tough and it is hard. Let us handle with care and protection, love, joy, peace and hope all who we meet.
Emmanuel, God is with us!
The Lord is King! Let earth rejoice!
Symbol: Handle with care sticker/stamp
Background notes
Psalm 148
This is one of the final five psalms that conclude the book – a sweeping hymn of praise that calls all creation to glorify God.
Verses 1–6 focus on the heavens. The psalmist calls upon angels, the sun and moon, shining stars, and even the waters above the skies to praise the Lord. These cosmic beings and forces, created and sustained by God’s command, declare God’s glory simply by being what they are.
Verses 7–14 shift the attention to the earth. Praise now comes from sea monsters and wild weather – images that, throughout Scripture, often represent chaos or opposition to God. Yet even these untamed forces are called into the chorus of praise, revealing that nothing lies beyond God’s reach or purpose.
The psalm gathers together all parts of creation – animals, trees, rulers, young and old – and places them in harmony, united in worship. God’s name alone is exalted, and God’s people are invited to join this great, universal song.
Matthew 2:13–23
This is a harrowing passage, marked by violence and grief, and stands in stark contrast to the joyful visit of the Magi that comes just before. The beauty of epiphany light is suddenly shadowed by human cruelty and fear.(1)
This text introduces a major theme in Matthew’s Gospel: Jesus as the new Moses, sent to deliver God’s people. Just as Moses narrowly escaped death as an infant (Exodus 2), so too does Jesus, rescued from Herod’s rage by divine intervention. Both are threatened by powerful rulers, both make a dramatic escape, and both find temporary refuge in Egypt – the very place that once represented slavery.(2)
This theme continues in later chapters as Jesus passes through water (his baptism), enters the wilderness, and ascends a mountain to teach; all echoes of the Exodus narrative.(3)
If children are indeed a gift from God, they are gifts in their most fragile form. This passage reminds us not only of the vulnerability of infants, but of the fundamental truth that all human beings are fragile – if not physically, then emotionally, spiritually, or socially.
Recognising our shared vulnerability invites us to live with compassion and care for one another. We are called to handle each other gently, honouring the sacredness of every life – especially in a world where too often, power is used to harm rather than protect.
(1) Brueggemann, Cousar, Gaventa, Newsome, Texts for Preaching Year A (1995), p. 71.
(2) W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison, Matthew, A Shorter Commentary (2004) London: T&T Clarke, pp. 31–35.
(3) Evans, p.57.
Questions for discussion
All things praise God
In Psalm 148, even the chaotic forces – sea monsters and wild weather – are invited into the song.
- What does it mean that even things we associate with danger or disorder are still part of God’s creation?
- How might this shape the way we understand life’s untamed or uncertain moments as places where God is still at work?
Handle with care
We are reminded that children are gifts in their most vulnerable form.
- How might recognising the vulnerability of others lead us to live more gently and compassionately?
- Can you think of a time when someone treated your fragility as sacred – a moment of being truly seen or cared for?
Power
- Power is misused in this passage, but God’s response is to protect and preserve life. How can we become gifts of protection, healing or safety for others today?
- In what ways can we challenge harmful uses of power and honour the God-given gift of every life?
Hands-on activities
Fragile hands mobile
Materials: Paper or card, scissors, string, beads, pipe cleaners, glue, markers.
Activity: Invite participants to trace their hand on paper and cut it out. On each hand, write or draw moments when they felt cared for or truly seen. Decorate the hands gently with soft colours, glitter, or small hearts. Assemble them into a hanging mobile with string and beads, symbolising how fragile hands (and people) need gentle holding and care.
Reflection: The mobile moves gently with air currents – like how our lives need gentle care to flourish
Eggshell or seedling pots – Handle with care
Materials: Clean eggshell halves or small biodegradable pots, soil, flower or herb seeds, paint or markers.
Activity: Decorate eggshells or pots with gentle messages like “Handle with care,” “Loved,” or “Fragile, precious.” Plant a seed inside and talk about how plants need nurturing and careful tending to grow – just like people need kindness and compassion.
Reflection: Caring for the seedlings becomes a reminder of nurturing vulnerable lives.
Collage of praise
Materials: Roll of plain paper, coloured pens and pencils, sheets of plain paper.
Activity: Highlight all the elements mentioned in the psalm: sun and moon, sea monsters, flying birds, cattle and invite everyone to draw and create one of them. Retell the psalm with each element and drawing being added to the bigger picture.
Reflection: Wonder together about which part of the psalm we like the most or surprises us.
Prayer ideas
Silent Intercession for people who are fragile at the moment
Name different groups of people in need of special care and compassion:
- children without homes
- people living in fear
- people carrying heavy burdens
- the overlooked and unheard
After each one, allow a pause for silent prayer. You could respond together with: “God, hold them with care.”
Collage of praise
Gather around the picture created with everyone’s artwork and express your praise either quietly or as a cacophony of sound as everyone speaks together.
Global Prayers
One part of the world that is currently fragile now is Haiti. Up to a million Haitians are facing displacement and the devastating impacts of gang violence creating severe crisis in education, health and food security. In spite of difficult circumstances our global church partner the Haiti District of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) is committed to being the hands and feet of Christ for its community.
Loving and faithful God,
In the midst of Haiti’s fragility, with lift up the Methodist Church and all who serve within it. Strengthen your people with courage wisdom and hope. May your Spirit bring peace where there is unrest, provision where there is need and healing where there is pain. Let your Church be a beacon of light, rooted in your love and resilient in faith.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
The good news to get across
The world can be a tough and challenging place, so let’s care for one another.
Life isn’t always easy. People face struggles, pain and uncertainty all around us. In the midst of this, we are called to be a community that looks out for each other with kindness and compassion. Caring for one another means noticing the vulnerable, offering support, and sharing hope. It’s about creating spaces where people feel safe, valued and loved – even when life feels hard. Together, we can make a difference by living gently, listening deeply, and acting with heart. In doing so, we become a source of healing and strength in a world that desperately needs it.
Ways people can respond
Invite everyone to hold out their hands, palms up, as if they’re gently cradling something precious.
Say:
“In your hands, imagine someone vulnerable — a child, an elderly neighbour, someone lonely, or grieving. Ask God to help you hold them with care, in prayer and in action.”
Leave a moment of stillness, then pray aloud:
“God of gentleness, show us how to hold others with tenderness. May our care be your care.”