Mary Had a Baby: An Advent Study Based on African American Spirituals is the second in Cokesbury's Spiritual Bible Study series begun by Plenty Good Room: A Bible Study Based on African American Spirituals. The Spiritual Bible Study series provides the opportunity for small groups to learn more about the Spirituals and their connection to the Bible while deepening faith and knowledge in a fun, communal, and interactive setting.
Mary Had a Baby contains four sessions, one for each week of Advent. Each session is made up of the lyrics and recorded music of a Spiritual, the historical context of that Spiritual, reference to the related Scripture and discussion questions and suggested activities.
The four Spirituals featured in Mary Had a Baby are:
“Mary Had a Baby”
“Rise Up Shepherd and Follow,”
“Children, Go Where I Send Thee,”
“Go Tell It on the Mountain.”
A session of Mary Had a Baby might go something like this: The group listens to the music and interacts in some form of activity, such as liturgical dance, singing, or role-playing. The group then reads the Scripture passage and historical context of the Spiritual. Next, there is discussion and interaction based on the Biblical, historical and spiritual themes of the words and music. Participants can reflect on the culture, art, spirituality, history, and contemporary meaning of the Spirituals.
The student book contains all of the historical and devotional material as well as Scriptural references and discussion questions. The leader's guide contains suggested activities, liturgical movement guide, and further discussion questions.
