Advent Readings & Ideas

It doesn’t seem like it, but it is still the Christmas season; at least on the Church calendar, it is. Another look at the reason for the season is this:

Almighty God, who hast poured upon us the new light of thine incarnate Word: Grant that the same light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Can it be that things are back to usual so soon? Are we programmed to continually be moving on to the next thing? What will the world be like in 2009? Has this Christmas made a difference for you? I’m asking these questions for myself also.

Advent begins again on 29 November 2009.

I’m wondering if you got what you wanted for Christmas. Did you have a Christmas wish? I’m glad it’s finally here, and yet if we were to look at it another way. . .

Of course, nobody wants to have a Charlie Brown Christmas, but one of the most adorable and catchy tunes of the season is attached to the Peanuts TV special — Christmas Time is Here.

Winter has only just begun and this year, we have had severe snow and ice in many parts of America. Get some extra kid activity ideas to help you keep your composure during school vacation times.

A Very Merry Christmas to You!

Voices resound worldwide with the greetings of the Season – Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Gifts are unwrapped. Thank you’s are exchanged and lovingly prepared delicacies will be shared from Christmas throughout Christmas day.

For many Christians, the midnight mass from the Vatican is the event that marks their observance. Other believers gather in local congregations to sing carols and listen to the recurring story of the Christ child’s birth. There are many television programs that in some manner acknowledge the significance of the day. And with all of it, music sets the atmosphere.

The wonder of a child, a very special child. And working people were the first to receive the good news of great joy.

Happy, Happy Holiday!

Went to a Presbyterian church this evening. Here’s part of the service:

Isaiah 9:2-7  |  Luke 2:1-14
and the Responsive Reading

(To the tune of Away in a Manger)

We honor Messiah with Christ’s candle flame
Our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim.
O come all ye faithful, rejoice in the night,
As God comes among us, the Christian’s true light.

Leader: Let us pray …

All: Eternal God, this Holy night is radiant with the brilliance of your own true light. May that light illumine our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. May we share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity. Amen

The Light shines in the darkness

Last minute preparations are in the mix of shopping, wrapping, and traveling before we gather with friends and family for yet another Christmas celebration. For children, it is an especially wondrous time. They have presented their wish list for the magical overnight delivery of gifts. And for adults too, it’s a time to reflect upon our wishes and desires. I like the way Amy Grant presents it in Grown Up Christmas List.

Another way of expressing the true meaning of the season is here in What I Want for Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Waiting for the Christ to manifest. Waiting for the Promise, the Messiah. The scarlet thread of prophecy points to his Holy arrival throughout the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

I like the idea a youth leader used with his senior high class and the prophecy video from Youth Specialties. (You have to download that one to watch it – wav and mp4.)

…printed each passage on individual numbered cards to make it easier for class members to read.

There are two more big props. The first is the portion of A Charlie Brown Christmas in which Linus recites a bit of the Christmas story. For the second prop, you need to go to a hardware store and buy an 8-inch spike and a craft store to get red yarn. Tie the yarn to the spike and wrap the spike on the bandanna. Now, twist the yarn around the spike. Use a lot of yarn because you need to be able to stretch it along and it needs to disguise the look of the spike.

Follow living3368′s activity here…

We beseech thee, Almighty God, to purify our consciences by
thy daily visitation, that when thy Son our Lord cometh he
may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the
same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
ever. Amen.

II Sam. 7:1-11, 16
Luke 1:47-55 (or Ps. 89:1-4, 19-26)
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

See Advent Calendar for additional Readings

As we view news of chaos and misery among people, it seems so easy to hope for the kindness, joy and peace of the season to manifest. Here’s another perspective of how that might be accomplished.