Mary Had A Baby -Children Go Where I Send Thee

CHILDREN

Go Where I Send Thee Lesson #3 Mary Had A Baby Advent Bible Study

Material From: Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan And Marilyn E. Thornton Questions By Marben Bland

NAZARETH

Bethlehem

What is the distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem?

A. 30 Miles B. 10 Miles C. 70 Miles D. 44 Miles

LESSON 3 TABLE OF

CONTENTS Children Go Where I Send Thee

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Lyrics: Children Go When I Send Thee

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Lyrics Rise Up Shepherd And Follow

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Children Go Where I Send You The Fairfield Four

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Luke 2:1-7

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Questions For Luke 2:1-7

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Micah 5:2-5

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Matthew 21:1-6

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Matthew 1:1-17

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Luke 2:5 And Matthew 1:16

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Luke 2:22-24 And Exodus 13: 1-2

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What is the Religious and Spiritual Significance of “Children Go Where I Send Thee?”

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Muhammad Ali And The Draft

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Questions Muhammad Ali And The Draft

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Bonus Material

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The Authors RTTitTitle Page

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“CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE” The central theme of “Children Go Where I Send Thee” is the idea of obedience and faithfulness to God’s will. The song portrays God as the sender and the children as the messengers or instruments of his divine plan.

Each verse represents a different aspect of God’s creation, salvation, and redemption, and emphasizes the importance of following God’s commandments, teachings, and examples. The repeated phrasing of “How shall I send thee?” suggests that the children have a choice and a responsibility to respond to God’s call and follow his path.

The final verse, which mentions various biblical figures and events, reinforces the idea of continuity, tradition, and community in faith.

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LYRICS “CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE”

Children, go where I send thee.

How shall I send thee?

I’m gonna send thee one by one.

One for the little, bitty baby who’s born, born, born in Bethlehem.

I’m gonna send you two by two.

Two for Joseph and Mary.

Three for the good, old wise men.

Four for the shepherds who knocked at the door.

Five for the animals in the stall.

Six for the stars that shone so bright.

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TRADITIONAL VERSION INCLUDES

Two for Paul and Silas.

Three for the Hebrew children.

Four for the four that stood at the door.

Five for the gospel preachers.

Six for the six that never got fixed.

Seven for the seven that never got to heaven.

Eight for the eight that stood at the gate.

Nine for the nine all dressed so fine.

Ten for the ten commandments.

Eleven for the eleven deriders.

Twelve for the twelve apostles.

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CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND YOU THE FAIRFIELD FOUR

Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. (Luke 2:4)

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LUKE 2:1-7 1In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be taxed. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room.

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QUESTIONS FOR LUKE 2:1-7 1. What was the reason Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem? Who called him to travel?

For clues look at Micah 5:2-5, Matthew 2:1-6 2. Joseph traveled to Bethlehem because he is in the family line of David. Why is this significant?

For clues look at Matthew 1:1-17 3. How is Mary described in this passage?

What does this tell us about Mary’s relationship with Joseph? For clues look at Luke 2:5 and Matthew 1:16 4. In verse 7 Jesus is described as Mary’s firstborn son why is this significant?

For clues look at Luke 2:22-24, Exodus 13: 1-2

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MICAH 5:2-5

The Ruler from Bethlehem 2But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.

3Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. 4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5and he shall be the one of peace.

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MATTHEW 2:1-6 1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise mena from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising,b and have come to pay him homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiahc was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

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MATTHEW 1:1-17 An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, 4and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

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MATTHEW 1:1-17 7and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,c 8and Asaphd the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,e and Amosf the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel RTTable Of Content

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MATTHEW 1:1-17 13and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

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LUKE 2:5

5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant.

MATTHEW 1:16

16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

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LUKE 2:22-24 22When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

EXODUS 13: 1-2

The LORD said to Moses: 2Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.

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WHAT IS THE RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF “CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE?”

“Children Go Where I Send Thee” is a song that celebrates the Christian faith and the narrative of salvation history. The song’s references to various biblical figures and events and its cumulative structure reflect a deep respect for the Bible and its teachings. The song also emphasizes the importance of obedience, humility, and trust in God’s will, and encourages listeners to view themselves as part of a larger community of believers. The song has been used in various religious contexts, including church services, Christmas shows, and spiritual retreats.

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CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE MUHAMMAD ALI AND THE DRAFT

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QUESTIONS MUHAMMAD ALI AND THE DRAFT

1. What did the government call Muhammad Ali to do?

2. What call did Muhammad Ali follow?

3. Do Ali and Joseph have similar calls?

4. In the film what did you learn about Ali’s call? How was it received by the nation, Dr. King and Black soldiers?

5. What are the similarities between the spirituals “Rise Up Shepherd And Follow” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee/”? How do they apply to the calls of Joseph, Ali and your own calling?

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s u n Bo l a i r e t Ma

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The Authors Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan is an African-American womanist theologian, professor, author, poet, and an elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. She is ProfessorEmerita of Religion and Women's Studies and Director of Women's Studies at Shaw University Divinity School.

Marilyn E. Thornton (Master of Divinity, Vanderbilt) has degrees in music from Howard University and from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She is the lead editor for Abingdon Press’s Bible study series based on spirituals RTTable Of Content

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Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church 140 Rose Street Athens, Georgia 30606 The Reverend Marben Bland, Pastor

Bible Study Thursday @ 7:00 PM ET www.zoom.us Meeting ID: 903 988 1805 Passcode: 982846 Call 301 715 8592 ID :903 988 1805 Passcode: 982846

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