Words for the Beginning: Advent Reminders for New Seasons
Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year begins. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving; and yet, the world as we know it spins madly on. This series is filled with blessings, with the words we need to hear again and again as we begin a new season.
Here are some quick highlights:
Enjoy these samples:
1. Devotional—SAMPLE
2. Words for Worship—SAMPLE
3. Children’s Curriculum—SAMPLE
4. Poems—SAMPLE
From the Manger gathers around the birth story in Luke 2, embracing the playful symbolism of a newborn Jesus being laid down to sleep in a feeding trough in a town called “House of Bread.” Beginning Advent with the birth of Jesus may feel a bit unconventional. Still, we hope this liturgical dissonance will invite you to reflect on the life-sustaining hope, peace, joy, and love Jesus brings and notice how the baby born in a bread town continues to feed a hungry world today.
What you can expect:
|
|
The Bundles: While all of these products can be purchased individually there are also three bundles to choose from. Get all Bundle information here.
In Stay Awhile, pastor Kara Eidson presents a banquet table of inspiration for Advent, including weekly reflections for personal and small group use, brief daily devotions, and ideas to involve the whole congregation. Congregational resources include liturgies, sermon starters, children’s moments, and even a no-rehearsals-needed Christmas pageant.
In his blog, This Common Life, Amar D. Peterman offers an advent reading list (essays and ikons for the advent season from Amar D. Peterman:
Invite artists of all ages to illustrate your Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or First Sunday of Christmas sermon. Use one of our Illustrate Your Own rhyming verse sermons for free. (Please share appropriate credits on all platforms.)
THE DANCE OF DELIGHT: AN ILLUSTRATE-YOUR-OWN CHRISTMAS SERMON
I AM: AN ILLUSTRATE-YOUR-OWN CHRISTMAS SERMON
Dreams of a New Day: An Intergenerational Advent Pageant Liturgy
includes a study guide that facilitates easy preparation
Every Birth is a miracle. The Christmas story gives us a chance to relive, to re-experience the miracle every year. Find a number of Christmas liturgies to support deep connections with this miracle.
“My Heart Shall Sing” Liturgical Resources from Barn Geese Worship
Missy Greene (St Stephen's Episcopal, Edina, MN) created Digital Nativity Stories.
Download as .pdf, .zip and/or .png file to share in a variety of formats.
|
A Star-Filled Grace: Worship and prayer resources for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany |
Jan Richardson's writing is appropriate for worship, contemplative practices, family devotions and small group discussions. |
A collection from preeminent hymn writer and liturgist Brian Wren suitable for use in a variety of worship traditions. |
The Iona Community offers these seasonal liturgical resources and a slew of other downloadable liturgical elements.
Illustrated Ministry offers four distinct Advent liturgies, along with a full line-up of resources on the same theme.
Now in Flesh Appearing includes:
Their three other themes are:
For a brief description of all four different themes, check out this video.
See also their more general:
SALT Project created Advent Lighting Litanies
