Hope and Joy: Bedtime Bible Meditations for Children

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!Jesus has come, our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! God would do absolutely anything and everything just to be close to us.  Jesus came as a little baby because God wanted to be with us, by being just like us.  What about us? How can we open our doors and be good company to those in need? What can we do for people who may not even know? The people that God loves? All the people? We meditate on love and welcome and hear your lovely Christmas greetings in many languages!

In the fields that dark night, angels appeared and brought something important, “good news that will cause great joy for all the people”. News of the kind of joy that brightens the darkest night and fills the hearts of everyone around. Pure joy. What do you think that kind of joy might look like?  We hear your thoughts, a poem and listen to what the Bible has to say about where to find joy.

In this second episode for Advent, we talk about the good news from the angels to the shepherds. What good news do we have? What does the Bible tell us about giving and sharing? This Advent, we are waiting for Jesus, God’s gift to all of us. And God calls us to share the love.  

“For I am the Lord your God, who says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” In this first episode for Advent, we talk about our fears. What are you afraid of? What does the Bible tell us about fear? As it starts to get dark, remember that God is light. And this Advent, we are waiting for Jesus, God’s light coming into the world for all of us.

In our series « What do we know ? »  we’ve been asking people who study the Bible to help answer your questions about God and Jesus. Today, we are asking The Rev. Michael Rusk to help us think about the question“Do people who aren’t Christians go to heaven?” With this episode we are celebrating the end of our very first season of the  Hope and Joy podcast!!  This year, we recorded 20 episodes: talked about the Hope, Joy, Peace and Love of Advent, the very Beginning of the Bible in the New Year, Lent and Easter, and then through your wonderful questions, we have learned so much from you and from our guest writers. We are excited to end on a high note. Looking up to heaven. And we look forward to opening up our new season soon.  Thank you all for listening! In the meantime, you can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!Have a good summer!

In our series « What do we know ? »  we’ve been asking people who study the Bible to help answer your questions about God and Jesus. Today, we asked The Rev. Stephanie Burette to help us think about the question “If Jesus isn’t dead, where is he? Can I meet him?” Stephanie shares a beautiful story with us about a shoemaker from the author Leo Tolstoy, we learn that ‘Where love is, God is’ and think about where we might meet Jesus this summer.The Rev Stephanie Burette is a priest, and chaplain in a College in England, where she is also doing research and more studies herself! She spent six years as a youth leader at the American Cathedral of the HolyTrinity in Paris. Before that, she taught French in middle school and high school, and at universities. She has taught students  aged 10 years old to ... 60+, because we never stop learning! Do you have questions about God, Jesus, the Bible or about being a Christian? Send us a voice memo or have your parents write us an email at hopeandjoypodcast@gmail.com if you want us to answer one of your questions!You can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

The deepest belief that we Christians hold is that God IS love and that God loves us and the whole world.  Today, on World Refugee Day, we are asking The Rev. Austin Rios to help us think about the difficult question“If God loves us, why do bad things happen?”Rev. Austin is the Rector of St. Paul’s Within the Walls and Executive Director of the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in Rome, Italy. Along with his wife Maleah and daughter Aja, Austin enjoys celebrating the wonders of creation and learning how to encourage all the children of God to better love one another.Do you have questions about God or Jesus or about being a Christian? We are answering them along with some great guest writers in our series "What Do We Know?" Send us a voice memo or have your parents write us an email at hopeandjoypodcast@gmail.com if you want us to answer one of your questions!You can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

What we call people says a lot about what they mean to us and how we feel about them.  Often times, we have special names for the people who are the closest to us. The same is true for God.  In church we hear "Our Father", we've asked the Reverend  Nathaniel Katz and you all to answer the question "Is God Our Parent?"The Rev. Nat Katz has gone by many titles since becoming an Episcopal priest – “Reverend Nat”, “Father Nat”, and “Pastor Nat.”  Since joining the staff at the American Cathedral in Paris, he’s been called “Canon Nat,” which he’s come to like a lot.  But his favorite and most important title, which is for absolutely everyone to claim (even you) is “Child of God.”Do you have questions about God or Jesus or about being a Christian? We are answering them along with some great guest writers in our series "What Do We Know?" Send us a voice memo or have your parents write us an email at hopeandjoypodcast@gmail.com if you want us to answer one of your questions!You can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

We know you all have a lot questions about God and Jesus and the church! We do too! Welcome to our new series "What do we know ?" where we get some guest writers to answer your important questions.Today, on Pentecost Sunday, we are asking "Can God understand me when I speak French and English?” and also “"Does God hear everything I say? “ And we are very excited to have The Rev. Katie Osweiler as our guest writer for these questions. Rev. Katie lives and works in Belgium at All Saints’ Church. She runs the Sunday school program there and has produced a number of fun and creative Sunday school videos for children. Do you have questions about God or Jesus or about being a Christian? We want to hear them! Send us a voice memo or have your parents write us an email at hopeandjoypodcast@gmail.com and tell us what you want to know.You can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

We know you all have a lot questions about God and Jesus and the church! We do too! In this episode we start by talk about what we do know, especially what we learned from Bishop Mark Edington at Easter: God loves us so much and wants us to love Him and everyone! And we want to hear from you! In our upcoming episodes, we are about to take a deep dive into the questions kids ask about God and Christian life and see what answers you might have for each other and get some people who study the Bible to help us think about them too. Do you have questions about God or Jesus or about being a Christian? We want to hear them! Send us a voice memo or have your parents write us an email at hopeandjoypodcast@gmail.com and tell us what you want to know. You can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Easter is the biggest deal of our whole church year - even bigger than Christmas. But why? Because at Easter Jesus creates a new relationship between us and God and between us and each other.  And Jesus makes us a promise. No matter what, we will always have a place in God’s house, we will always be God’s own people. We are so excited to share this festive Easter episode, guest written by our very own Bishop Mark Edington, Bishop in Charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.  And to share all of the Easter greetings you sent in! Happy Easter! You can follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Sometimes when we’ve done something bad, or when someone has hurt us, it can be so bad, that we feel like EVERYTHING is bad, and we cannot see anything good anymore. But the good news about forgiveness is that, while it can be hard, it gives colors back to the world. Join us as we talk about the complex topic of forgiveness and how Jesus asks us to do something hard so he can bring us joy!This episode is guest written by Valérie Nicolet, parishioner and mom at the American Cathedral in Paris and  professor at Protestant Faculty of Theology of Paris.  Follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

This week is a very special interview episode with  Traci Smith, an ordained minister, mother of three, and author from Chicago, USA,  with whom we had a conversation about practicing Lent as a family.This episode is very different from our usual podcast, we hope that this would be a way for parents and children to think about Lent together.Find out more about our guest Traci Smith and her passion in helping families find times for connection and spiritual nourishment amid the hustle and bustle of daily life, on her website: https://traci-smith.com/, Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/TraciMarieSmithAuthor and Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/faithfulfamilies/Follow all our podcast news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

In James 1:22 we hear, “Do what God’s teachings say; do not just listen, but practice what God teaches us.”  Lent is a time of getting closer to God, a special time of thinking about how we live our lives, and if we are acting in ways that God would want us to. Join us as we talk about taking on a Lenten practice as a way to follow Jesus during this time. This episode is guest written by the Rev. Tyson L. Røsberg, Curate of The Regional Ministries of Brome-Missisquoi in Canada and former Youth Coordinator at the American Cathedral in Paris, where he actively contributed to the Sunday School program and Godly Play lessons for children. Follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

“Jesus often slipped away to quiet places so that he could pray.” -Luke 5:16 Have you ever tried to listen to a story, while the television is on or while someone is talking in the next room?  It can be hard to focus. During Lent, Christians sometimes give something up so that they can better focus on God.  This episode is guest written by the Rev. Tyson L. Røsberg, Curate of The Regional Ministries of Brome-Missisquoi in Canada and former Youth Coordinator at the American Cathedral in Paris, where he actively contributed to the Sunday School program and Godly Play lessons for children. Follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

God named the light “day” and the darkness “night.” Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day.Every passage from evening into morning, God presents us with new possibilities, new opportunities, to seek God in all situations and find love in the people we see, every new day. This is the last episode is our January series, guest-written by Simon Asquith. After a short break, we will be back with a new series of episodes for Lent!

As soon as God created the light, God saw that the light was good. Even when things are hard and we see the bad things that are happening in the world, this reminds us that there is goodness because what God creates is good. Just as God made the light and saw that it was good, so too he made us and sees that we are good.  

Then God said, “Let there be light!”  - Genesis 1:3Darkness can appear in different forms, like the nasty characters in stories or fears that make us forget God. But as it was in the beginning, light outshines darkness. Just as God brought light into the world, God also brings Jesus into the world, so that Jesus may be the light in our world and in our lives today. Where do you see God’s light? Our January series is guest written by Simon Asquith, former youth ministry coordinator at the American Cathedral in Paris and soon to join Holy Trinity Wimbledon as title curate!

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” - Genesis 1:1In this new year, we explore the beginning of the Bible and the creation of light in this new January series. A new year is a time to celebrate. It is also a time to let go of the old, and let the new in. How do you feel about starting a new year? Whatever your projects for the new year, God knows what it’s like to create something new and will be by your side.Our January series is guest written by Simon Asquith, former youth ministry coordinator at the American Cathedral in Paris and soon to join Holy Trinity Wimbledon as title curate!

"For a child has been born for us" - MERRY CHRISTMAS! CHRIST IS BORN!A festive episode with Christmas greetings from listeners around the world, reflections on Christmas traditions, though they are different for many of us this year, and music from Handel's Messiah sung by the Choirs of the American Cathedral in Paris. A peaceful way to end your Christmas day.Enjoy your holidays! We will back on January 10th for a new series!Follow all our news on Facebook and Instagram and if you're enjoying the show, please remember to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.