Lectionary Worship Resources from Sacredise » Advent

Advent 1A

Sacredise — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 13:31:03 +0000

And so the Lectionary Cycle begins again. This is always an exciting and moving time, as we prepare ourselves for the journey ahead, and begin to open our hearts to a new experience of transformation. Year A is, in a sense, a double beginning, because it starts not just a new year, but also the start of the three year cycle as well.

As is usual for this time of year, the Lectionary begins with our hope in Christ, the coming of God’s reign in Christ, and the challenge for us to live from this hope, remembering God’s comings in the past, recognising God’s comings now, and awaiting God’s comings into our future. Just this one day, if embraced mindfully and wholeheartedly, can change us forever.

This week, let’s celebrate and open ourselves to the power of God’s gift of hope in Christ.

READINGS:
Isaiah 2:1-5: A prophecy of the days when all people will seek to learn God’s ways, and God will teach them justice and peace; and an invitation to walk in God’s light.

Psalm 122: A song of celebration for Jerusalem, the place of worship, the place where God’s people are taught and led by God, and a place for which the Psalmist prays prosperity and peace.

Romans 13:11-14: Believing in the soon coming of God’s day of salvation, Paul encourages the believers to live lives of morality, peace and modesty.

Matthew 24:36-44: Because we do not know the day or time when Christ will come, Jesus encourages the believers to be ready at all times.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The first Sunday of Advent always leads us to reflect on Christ’s Second Coming, which is both problematic and exciting. The problem lies in how we deal with the issue of the Second Coming – especially with the ongoing tendency to try and predict times and dates, with the recent obsession with the Mayan calendar and 2012, and with the possibility that it creates a “pie-in-the-sky” theology for our people. The readings offer us another possibility, though – and this is where the excitement lies. In every reading, the promise of Christ’s coming is related back to how we live now – which is as it should be. Isaiah and Paul both invite us into a life lived in God’s light – a life of peace, justice and morality. The Psalmist encourages us to pray for peace, and to continue to gather for worship where God’s presence and ‘judgment’ are encountered. Finally , Jesus, encourages us to live in ‘readiness’ – always aware that Christ’s coming is immanent, and avoiding the temptation (unlike those in Noah’s day) of growing absorbed in self-interest and personal pleasure (what Paul refers to as ‘wild parties’).

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: At it’s heart, this week in the Lectionary is about hope, and living up to a higher standard. If this world is all we have, we can “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. But, if we truly have hope in Christ, in the coming of life, and of the day when God’s reign is the norm, not the exception in our world, we must live according to this hope now. We live as people who believe enough in God’s coming reign that we will begin to practice it’s values and principles now. This means we commit ourselves to integrity, justice and peace, and invite others into this way of life – embracing Isaiah’s image of the nations streaming to God’s mountain.This means we cannot accept things as they are just because “it’s just the way it is”. Rather, we commit ourselves to working to create the world of which we dream. This means we live in peace, so far as we can, with all people. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics and morality. We embrace a life of gentle modesty, not in the unfortunately limited sense in which that word is usually used – of dressing to cover up our bodies out of a fear of our sexuality – but in the sense that we reject ostentatious displays of wealth, wild and excessive self-pleasuring events and exercises, and over the top attention-seeking ploys. Rather we seek to demonstrate the kind of life that enriches the world and all creatures who live in it.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In too many ways the life of Christians and their churches simply reflects the values and beliefs of the societies around us. To look at us you wouldn’t know that we wait for a different world, and hold out the hope of peace and justice. If we really lived our faith in the coming of Christ, we would seek to express hope in all our interactions, we would invite others into a hope-filled way of living, and we would live the kind of life that demonstrates what we believe the world will one day be. This means we must embrace a life of simple, daily justice – reducing our personal carbon footprints through modesty and simplicity; bringing peace through the practices of forgiveness, negotiation and listening; seeking justice through serving those in need and challenging injustice wherever we find it in our communities. In addition we need to develop the habit of readiness – looking for every coming of Christ into our lives and world, and noticing and proclaiming the presence of Christ whenever we can. If we can do this, we become the fulfilment of the prophecies in this week’s readings. In what way can you seek to be a quiet, but prophetic community through this Advent season?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
An Incredible Hope
Quietly Prophetic
Your Coming

Hymn Suggestions:
There’s A Light Upon The Mountain
Sing We The King Who Is Coming To Reign
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
At The Name Of Jesus
There’s A Light (Upon The Mountains): Chord Chart; Mp3 Download
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
Hosanna (Link to YouTube video)
Prepare The Way (Link to MySpace video – it’s not the greatest video, but it will give you a sense of the song)

Liturgy:
A Foretaste Of The Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
The Prophet’s Candle – Hope
Christ Is Coming

Advent 2A

Sacredise — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:02:02 +0000

This second week in Advent draws into the possibilities of real peace for us and our world – God’s Shalom realm. Ironically, there is so much in this time of year that works against a sense of peace – and much of it is the product of misguided faith and exclusivist religion. What would it mean if we really began to embrace the peace, the mutuality, the community and the enemy-love of the Gospel? These are the very powerful and practical challenges of the Lectionary this week.

May our worship lead us into God’s Shalom and transforms us into agents of Shalom in every moment, every situation and every interaction.

READINGS:
Isaiah 11:1-10: Isaiah proclaims the coming of the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” who, through God’s Spirit resting on him, will bring peace, justice, righteousness and equity to the earth.

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19: A prayer for the King to rule wisely and justly, protecting the weak and vulnerable and refreshing the world and the godly who live in it.

Romans 15:4-13: Paul’s prayer that God may empower the Church to live in harmony, since Christ came for both Jew and Gentile, and together they form one voice of praise to God.

Matthew 3:1-12: John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness, baptising those who repent and speaking out against the corrupt religious leaders, and challenging people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
From the dream of the future world where God’s reign is actively and visibly manifest, the lectionary now moves to the promise of the Messiah, and the harmony and justice he will bring. Both dreams are essentially one – that God’s reign will take root among us bringing in a world in which the weak and vulnerable are cared for, in which justice prevails and in which all people live in harmony in spite of (or maybe even because of) their differences. Perhaps the word that best sums up the Messianic dream of this week, and which John proclaimed, is the word “shalom” – well-being, peace, salvation, harmony, goodness, justice are all implied in this word. Isaiah proclaims it in the image of predators living in harmony with their prey. The Psalmist uses the word ‘Shalom’ in describing the peaceful refreshed world for which he prays. Paul pictures Jew and Gentile as one celebratory voice offered to God in worship, and John the Baptist, while speaking of judgement, which may seem to be the opposite of shalom, invites people to be ready for the coming of the Messiah who wil immerse people in God’s Holy Spirit. God’s presence and power available to all, irrespective of title, position or background – this is, perhaps the ultimate Shalom!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The dream of Shalom may seem like a fantasy in a world at war, a world in which so many issues divide us so strongly – “pro-life” or “pro-choice”, “liberal” or “conservative”, “creationist” or “evolutionist”, “capitalist” or “sociaist”, “pro-gay” or “anti-gay”, “rich” or “poor”. It’s tempting to define the world in clear terms like this, but when we do so, all we do is deepen the enmity between us, and keep us all from knowing and living God’s Shalom. Ultimately justice is not something that can be achieved by alienation and by taking sides. While there are real evils in the world that must be resisted, it is wise to remember Paul’s words that it’s not the people we fight so much as the “principalities and powers”, and as we embrace a Shalom way of being – which includes loving even those we consider to be our enemies – we reflect the light of God’s grace and love, and we begin to bring God’s Shalom into our world as a lived reality. In what ways can you opt out of the polarising habits of your society and embrace a Shalom-bringing inclusiveness that welcomes all and that seeks and celebrates common ground wherever it may be found?

LOCAL APPLICATION: In so many ways we attempt to create Shalom for ourselves. Unfortunately, though, our attempts are often the exact opposite of what God shows us is the real route to Shalom. We think we can find security by preemptive attacks on our enemies, and then we find ourselves more at risk. We think we can find peace by excluding those who challenge and disagree with us, only to find our safe community growing smaller and smaller, until we only have ourselves to agree with (and even that fails sometimes!). We think we can find joy and abundance by amassing money and stuff, only to discover scarcity growing around us, and our planet dying, and the reality of losing it all robs us of any joy we might have known. We think we can find love by turning inward and making our own needs, potential and purpose more important than relationships, or the service of others – even those closest to us – only to find that our self-absorption leaves us alone and empty. We think we can find God by ignoring the realities of our world and escaping to an other-worldly faith, while waiting for a heavenly bliss after death, only to discover that our souls remain dissatisfied and God feels distant and unattainable. If we are to know Shalom, we need to change how we do things. We must allow ourselves to be driven to the risky acts of listening, dialogue, hospitality, service, justice and compassion. Then, as we give ourselves to create shalom not just for ourselves but for others, we discover that shalom finds us, and God’s reign is truly within us.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Shalom
Preparing The Way

Hymn Suggestions:
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
O Come, O Come, Immanuel
See How Great A Flame Aspires
I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship
Everyone Belongs: Chord Chart; Mp3 Download (Amazon.com Mp3 Store)
Jesus Messiah (Link to YouTube video)
Mighty To Save (Link to YouTube video)
Consuming Fire (Link to YouTube video)
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
Child Of Hope
A Voice In The Wilderness
Kumi, Ori Sar Shalom

Image Suggestion:
Wilderness

Advent 3A

Sacredise — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 07:18:45 +0000

Joy is seldom recognised for the incredibly restorative, liberating force that it is. Unfortunately, even in faith communities, soberness, seriousness and even cynicism are often portrayed as the marks of true spirituality and maturity. The Lectionary this week would challenge that thinking, and would call us to consider joy as the mark of true faith, of spiritual maturity and of true justice-bringers. If our work for justice and peace, for compassion and grace brings no joy – to us or to those we serve – we do not really bring liberation. But, when we can dance and sing, and draw others into the celebration, we have truly become life-givers, and reflections of the Christ who was not only a man of sorrows, but also a man of celebration and joy.

Let’s fill our sanctuaries and our world with singing and celebration this week, and let’s rediscover the healing power of joy as we wait on the joyous incarnation event.

READINGS:
Isaiah 35:1-10: God’s promise to restore God’s people, creating a land of peace and prosperity for them, and providing a safe and sure way for them to return home, guaranteeing their arrival in God’s Zion where they will find gladness, joy and an end to their suffering.

Psalm 146:5-10: A celebration of the God who helps those in need – the poor, the blind, the prisoner, the bent over, the widow, the orphan – and who trips the wicked up.
OR
Luke 1:46b-55: Mary’s song of praise to the God who has chosen her, even though she is lowly, and who helps and sustains the weak and needy, while opposing and bringing down the rich and powerful.

James 5:7-10: James encourages the believers to be patient as they wait for God’s coming, even as the farmer waits for rain, and as the prophets of old faithfully endured their suffering with patience.

Matthew 11:2-11: John the Baptist sends his disciples to question whether Jesus is the One or if he should wait for another, and Jesus assures him with the example of his ministry of liberation, healing and proclaiming the Good News. Then he teaches about John’s role, explaining that, as great as he was, those who embrace God’s reign are greater still.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The invitation to find fullness of life in the commonwealth of God resonates through all of this week’s readings. God’s grace and love covers and protects those who seek God’s reign, and God guides them – provides a ‘way’ for their journey – bringing them joy and gladness as they enter God’s home. The journey, though, is not easy, even though it is protected. It is a journey requiring patience (James), and in which the poor, the needy, the vulnerable and the weak are to be served and protected – for these are the marks of God’s reign, both in those God ‘chooses’ (like Mary) and in the Messiah God’s people seek to follow (as in Matthew’s Gospel). Ultimately, though, those who endure and stay on the path will find an end to their suffering (and that of those they have served) and eternal joy. What an awesome vision!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: What does the word “Joy” mean in a world of suffering, inequity, war and terrorism, and climate change? In what ways can God’s reign be seen as an invitation to joy for the weak and vulnerable of our world. Sometimes joy is seen only as a distant hope awaiting us after death, and historically this joy has been inspiring and sustaining for the exploited and poor. However, sometimes this promise of joy has also been used to excuse injustice in this world. Joy must be embraced, then, as both a goal for us to work for – the quest for ‘a home’ for all people, and for peace and equity to flood our world - and a characteristic of those who do this Christ-following work. God’s reign is seen in the way God’s people find joy in whatever circumstances they face, and it is seen as they spread joy around them through healing, uplifting, and proclaiming Good News. Our call then is to be cheerful, but firm, activists, identifying the places in our world where joy is being robbed, and challenging the unjust “killjoys” in our society, while joyfully serving those who mourn and grieve. This is the call of Jesus’ example, of Mary’s song, of Isaiah’s promise and the Psalmist’s celebration. It is also the source of patience and hope as we wait for God’s reign to be fully realised, both in this world and the next.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Where are the places of greatest grief and hopelessness in your community? What are the sources of this pain, and in what way do we, perhaps inadvertently, contribute? In what ways have you allowed a future hope to “let you off the hook” of bringing joy to those in need? As we wait, in Advent, for the coming of the One who brings joy and Good News, how can we allow this hope to inspire us and empower us to Gospel action? It may mean simply addressing areas of complacency and neglect in your community – cleaning up rubbish dumps and fixing broken windows wherever you may find them. It may mean refusing to buy into the suspicion and scepticism of the times, and committing to hope and compassion. It may mean speaking out against the politics and religion of fear and slander that so easily become the loudest voices in our world. In small ways we can become those who make this world ‘homely’ even for the most vulnerable, and we can speak prophetically against any power that would seek to control through fear, grief and corruption. In the way we live, speak and interact we can be “counter-cultural” demonstrating that joy can be known in this world without oppressing, bombing or ignoring others, and without buying into rampant consumerism and “achieveism”.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Magnificat
Seeing Glory
Joy To The World

Hymn Suggestions:
Joy To The World
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Blessed Assurance
Blessed Be Your Name (Link to YouTube video)
Give Thanks (Link to YouTube video)
Sing Sing Sing (Link to YouTube video)
You Are: Chord Chart; Free Mp3 Download

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video Suggestions:
Advent: Joy
Joy
Joy

Advent 4A

Sacredise — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:06:01 +0000

It seems almost trite and superfluous to say that the incarnate is the greatest statement, the greatest manifestation of love ever – but that doesn’t make it untrue. The name Immanuel – God with us – is a profound and powerful statement of God’s desire to be in intimate communion with human beings. The challenge for us is to recognise God’s presence in all situations and circumstances. We can doubt God’s love in times of grief, pain and trauma, but we find comfort, healing and strength when we are able to experience God’s “with-us-ness” even in such times. And, when we are able to help others to recognise and experience God’s presence and love in their lives – whatever they may be going through – then we have truly become Advent people.

May our worship overflow with proclamation and experience of God’s ever-present love this week.

READINGS:
Isaiah 7:10-16: God promises a sign for King Ahaz, who is looking to Assyria for assistance with the threats of neighbouring Damascus and Samaria, that a virgin will give birth and call the child “Immanuel”, and that the enemy nations will be desolate before the child knows good from evil.

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19: A prayer for God to forgive and restore God’s people, and to send and empower the One God raises up to keep God’s people from turning away from God.

Romans 1:1-7: Paul celebrates Christ who is of both human and divine descent and who has called the apostles – and all of God’s people – to belong to Jesus and to spread the Good News.

Matthew 1:18-25: Mary discovers herself to be pregnant while betrothed to Joseph, but Joseph is informed in a dream that the Child is of God, and must be named Jesus. These events are proclaimed to be the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the virgin who conceives and gives birth to Immanuel.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The final Advent week before the Christmas celebration turns our attention to the significance of the name given in Isaiah’s prophecy, and ascribed to Jesus by Matthew – Immanuel. The idea that God is with us may seem commonplace to us now, since we’ve heard it so many times, but for the ancient hearers of the Gospel, it must have sounded radical, or even scandalous. Yet, it reflects the intense longing within God for intimate union with humanity. It is a testament to God’s unfailing, unconditional love, and is reinforced by all the readings this week. Isaiah speaks a prophecy which offers a sign of God’s care and willingness to protect God’s people to a king who has largely ignored God’s law. The Psalm offers a prayer in faith and expectation that God cares for God’s people and will send one who will lead and deliver them. Paul celebrates the Good News of God’s kindness and the belonging we find in God through Christ. And, in a rather moving narrative, Matthew describes Joseph’s love and care for Mary, which becomes something of a metaphor (whether intentional or not on Matthew’s part) for the love of the God who is about to step physically into human affairs and experience.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: On the scale of global issues, love may seem to be completely irrelevant. When governments negotiate, when corporations strategise, when soldiers march, or when the weak and poor struggle to survive, what place is there for love? Yet, God must know something about love that we don’t since love is the only command we have been given as followers of Christ. In truth, if love was the driving force behind our voting, our business dealings and our consumption, our dealings with friend and enemy, and our awareness and care of the most vulnerable, the world would be a far more whole place. How could a policy of love actually work out practically in the world, though? Perhaps if followers of Christ in places of influence began to embrace dialogue, collaboration and the quest to listen and understand, that would be a powerful first step. Secondly, if all followers of Christ chose to operate from love in whatever capacity we may engage in social and political structures – whether voting, volunteering, contributing, lobbying, petitioning, negotiating or communicating with leaders, this could have a transforming impact on the systems that operate in our world. Such a policy of love would inevitably impact economic realities (poverty and the gap between rich and poor) climate change, conflict, health care, immigration and xenophobia concerns, crime, exploitation and human trafficking in positive ways, because we could no longer remain uninvolved in the struggles of our world, and we could no longer choose the methods of expediency, dominance and self-service in our responses to our world’s need. The Advent challenge this week is for us to follow Christ in becoming – individually and together – Immanuel in our broken world. The incarnation continues through Christians if we take Christ’s call seriously!

LOCAL APPLICATION: It’s not hard to discern, in our churches and communities, how the call to be agents of God’s presence and love should be worked out. Within our own groups, it’s the simple acts of service, inclusion and grace that easily manifest God’s love. In this Advent season, a particular awareness of, and care for, those who have significant need is a visible reflection of God’s care. Food parcels, invitations to be part of small groups and special community building events all open us, and those in need, to God’s presence and love. Beyond the walls of the church, simple neighbourliness can be a very effective reflection of God’s care. Setting aside time to volunteer in a shelter or caring ministry, or welcoming needy or lonely people into our celebrations – making them part of our family – also offers tremendous healing and transformation. Whatever the actual actions we may choose to do, the key to experiencing Immanuel again this Advent, is to offer ourselves to be “little Immanuels” in practical ways in our own world. If we can lay aside any possible benefit we may receive – whether church growth or personal satisfaction – so much the better!

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
God With Us
Come Again
Where Is The Love?
Love In Action

Hymn Suggestions:
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Love Came Down At Christmas
Let Earth And Heaven Combine
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
What Child Is This?
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)
Jesus Messiah (Link to YouTube video)
Born That We May Have Life
Joy Has Dawned
Light Of the World

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Advent: Love
God With Us
Four Words
Christ Is Coming

Advent Sunday B

Sacredise — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

27 November 2011

And so the year starts again, and as usual, we begin with the end – the vision of God’s reign consummated in Christ. To be fair, though, Mark’s Gospel does not give us a vision of some future second coming of Christ so much as it gives us a vision of the events that the early church had to navigate as they witnessed the might of Rome crush their nation. But, whether we speak of a vision of God’s reign in the midst of the turmoil of the past, or a vision of God’s reign coming in the midst of the turmoil of the future, the essential message remains the same – God is always coming to us, and the world’s turmoil does not stop us from knowing and experience God’s reign right here and now. It is the hope we have that God is at work in our world that gives the security, the grace and the strength to live faithfully as followers of Christ and to make our contributions to the world’s transformation – and it is this hope that Advent Sunday offers us.

May our worship this week, and throughout the Advent season, fill us with hope in God’s subversive, ever-present reign.

READINGS:

Isaiah 64:1-9: A prayer for God to come and display God’s might as in the past. Also, a confession that, while God welcomes those who do good, God’s people have not done good, and have failed to confess. Finally a plea for God’s forgiveness.

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19: A plea for God to reveal God’s glory and come to God’s people to turn them back to God, to make God’s face smile on God’s people, and to save them.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9: God has given us every spiritual gift, and will sustain us and strengthen us, as we await the return of Christ.

Mark 13:24-37: Jesus speaks about the signs of his coming – darkened sun and moon and fallen stars – and encourages his followers to watch the signs and be alert. Then he tells a story about a man who goes on a long trip, leaving his servants with work to do, and telling the gatekeeper to keep watch for his return. In the same way we are to keep watch for we don’t know when the Master will return.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
As the new Church Year begins and we enter the Advent season once again, the Lectionary offers us a challenge to reflect carefully on our lives and our response to God’s presence and activity in our lives and our world. Both Isaiah and the Psalm for this week offer a plea for God to come to rescue and restore God’s people, with repentance as a strong element of this plea. The recognition here is that the people have landed in the trouble they are in because of turning away from God, and now they long to be turned back and healed. In the New Testament this theme is developed and connected with the coming of Christ to a troubled world. The passage from Mark’s Gospel – which certainly relates to the war which arose from the Jewish uprising of 66AD – gives an apocalyptic picture of a world in turmoil to which Christ comes, and from which God’s people are rescued. This rescue is not so much an escape from the struggle as it is an experience of God’s presence and protection in the midst of it – although the image of harvest is often interpreted (unhelpfully, I believe) in "evacuation" terms. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, God’s blessing and sustaining presence are celebrated as the things that sustain us as we await the hope we have in the coming of Christ’s consummated reign. This Advent season starts, then, with a reminder of our hope in Christ, and the assurance of God’s presence in our lives, even as we are encouraged to be alert and repentant in order to ensure that we do not miss God when God comes to us.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Repentance, alertness and God’s coming are particularly relevant themes in the world as it stands today. There is a growing sense that our systems – economic, political, military, international, educational and medical – must change. Movements like Occupy Wall Street are calling, essentially for a global repentance – an acknowledgement of how the systems we have built have brought harm and suffering on most of the people in our world, and a commitment to change. There is also a constant cry for us to be more conscious as human beings – conscious of our place in the interconnected world, conscious of the consequences of our actions, conscious of others and how their needs intersect with our own. There is also a growing call for a greater spiritual consciousness – an greater awareness of the call of God to serve and love one another, and to honour the way God has come to others who are different from us. Finally, there is the growing sense of the need for healthy, life-bringing spirituality – a healthy awareness of God’s grace and compassion, and of God’s saving presence which is always coming to us – in our world. This Advent Sunday is an amazing opportunity for us to take stock of our faith, our lives, our compliance with broken systems, and our work for justice and change, and commit to being agents of God’s coming – God’s reign – where we are. And underlying all of this challenge is the hope we have in Christ – that God is working in our world with purpose, and that we are participants in bringing the reign of Christ into reality in our world. May we have the grace and the humility to do this important re-evaluative work.

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is extremely sad that the Christian view of Christ’s coming has come to be seen as something that is filled with terror, destruction and a God who uses the violent and dominating methods of human dictators to accomplish God’s ends. While popular publications and movies may glorify this way of seeing God’s reign, it is certainly not what Christ had in mind, and it doesn’t help us to experience or reflect God’s grace in our communities either. This year Advent calls us to think differently about the coming of Christ – as a gracious, restorative event that is always happening, and which gives us a cause for hope, not fear. Yes, there is the need for us to change – to repent – but all growth and healing requires this. The joyous challenge for our daily living in our neighbourhoods, families and churches, is to use the gifts God has given us to help others to see Christ as coming to them to restore and heal, and to be willing to watch for the signs of God’s coming in our own lives and in our communities, in order to co-operate with what God is doing. This challenge is the opposite of waiting passively for a conquering God to come and sweep us off to a different world somewhere. It is an active participation in God’s saving, peace-making, restoring work. It’s about staying alert to the signs of God’s presence everywhere, and jumping in, eagerly and graciously, to share in it. It is about believing that a new world is possible, and holding on the hope that God is at work to bring this new world into being. And, it is about being prepared to examine our own hearts and make changes where we find things that oppose God’s reign. Perhaps if our Advent hope led us into this kind of just and gracious awareness and action, others would be more able to see the signs of Christ’s coming in and through us.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Your Coming
Forgetting God
Watching

Hymn Suggestions:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Joy to The World
Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
General Advent Hymns & Songs from Singing From The Lectionary
King Of Glory (Link to YouTube video)
You Bring Peace
Joy To The World (Sojourn) (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent and Christmas

Video Suggestions:
Come To Us Emmanuel
Stay Awake
Advent: Hope

Image Suggestions:
Bright Sky
Sky Light

Advent 2B

Sacredise — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000

04 December 2011

There are no surprises that John the Baptiser comes into focus in the Lectionary this week. As we meditate on his ministry, there are so many rich perspectives we could take. His work of proclaiming a message of preparing hearts is particularly challenging, though, and opens all sorts of possibilities – both for us to create the space to hear his message anew and to follow him into the ministry of proclamation and preparation in our own lives and communities.

May the message of John lead us deeper into the experience of God’s Reign and teach us to be messengers of the Coming One this week.

READINGS:

Isaiah 40:1-11: A word of comfort for God’s people, because a herald is announcing the coming of God to his people who are as fragile as grass. Yet God comes as a gentle Shepherd to feed and nurture his flock.

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13: Thanksgiving that God has forgiven and restored God’s people, so God’s people should not return to their wicked ways, but rather should listen to what God says, for God’s salvation is near, and God’s blessings are poured out.

2 Peter 3:8-15a: Peter encourages the believers to live godly lives as they await the passing away of the heavens and the earth and the coming of the new heaven and earth. God is not slow to keep God’s promise to do these things, but, in mercy, delays so that people may be saved.

Mark 1:1-8: John the Baptiser comes, as a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the voice in the wilderness, and prepares people for the coming of a greater One after him, teaching that, although he baptises with water, the Coming One will baptise with the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This second week of Advent places the emphasis on those who announce God’s coming, and the important role they play in preparing people for the divine encounter. In Isaiah, a herald is announced who will bring comfort to God’s people by proclaiming the news of God’s coming as a caring and nurturing Shepherd. In Peter’s letter, he acts a messenger of God’s grace, encouraging the believers to live in hope and righteousness, trusting in God’s mercy and the certainty of God’s coming, even though it may seem that God is delaying. In the Psalm, God’s people are encouraged to listen to what God is saying and not go back to ways of wickedness. Finally, in Mark’s Gospel, John the Baptiser comes on the scene and is described as a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the voice in the wilderness preparing the way for the coming of the One whom God sends to baptise God’s people in the Holy Spirit. Messengers like these have always been an important part of God’s "strategy" for working in human affairs. There are always those who are called to prepare others for God’s coming and to announce what God is doing. The challenge for our worship in this Advent season, is twofold – to create an environment in which we can listen to God’s messengers as a worshiping community and to recognise the ways in which we are called to be messengers to our world in our time.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It goes without saying that our world is as much in need of prophetic messengers as it has ever been. In the face of the combined crises of our time, we need voices that will speak loudly and bravely of the implications of God’s presence and purposes for the world. It may well be that movements like Occupy Wall Street are part of this prophetic proclamation, but there can be no question that those who are called by the name of Christ are to be messengers of God’s justice, God’s generosity, God’s grace and compassion, and God’s liberating reign. The problem, though, is that all too often the Church has been quick to speak out about things we oppose and slow to act in ways that demonstrate our own commitment to God’s Reign. The challenge of the Advent call is for us to embody what we proclaim – even as John embodied in his dress, diet and actions, the spirit of the Old Testament prophets. What this means is that, as much as we might speak about Christ and the change that God’s justice requires of us all, we are to live it out in our own commitment to small acts of justice, inclusivity, grace, compassion and generosity. It means that rather than just blindly participating in the status quo, we are to be conscious and critical participants, acknowledging the inherent flaws in our systems and boldly speaking out about the injustices and woundedness it creates, while striving to live an alternative way in the midst of the current one. We do this by rejecting partisan point-scoring and the culture of "winning" at all costs. We do this by rejecting the principle of limitless growth and accumulation, and by embracing a willing practice of sharing, simplicity and giving. We do this by reaching out to those who are different from us and who disagree with us, and we do this by noticing and caring for those who are usually ignored or marginalised. Ultimately, the best way we can proclaim God’s coming to those who long for God’s Reign is to be the incarnation of God’s presence for others. May we learn how to do this more and more this Advent season.

LOCAL APPLICATION: There are so many distractions at this time of year. The festive atmosphere, the giving of gifts, the holidays and family gatherings all vie for our attention and flood us with expectations and values that we are invited to adopt. In the face of this it is tempting to adopt a negative, judgemental attitude denouncing the loss of Christ in the festivities, but in many ways this achieves the exact opposite of our calling at this time. Rather than becoming messengers of God’s grace and presence, we end up proclaiming the judgment of a God who is removed from our joy and play, and who has nothing of value to say to our addictions and excesses. Perhaps this Advent we can consider a different way to view our calling. Perhaps we can proclaim – in word and action – the God who is present in the midst of our celebrations, and who seeks to connect with us, and we can invite people to prepare their hearts to encounter this God. We can offer people ways to be come more aware of God’s presence in the midst of our celebrations, and we can invite them into the life that comes from embracing the values and principles of God’s Reign. And perhaps we can do this work of proclamation less through our words and more through actions that demonstrate an alternative way of being and that demonstrate God’s grace and compassion, God’s justice and mercy, God’s concern for the poor and marginalised, the broken and grieving, the excluded and rejected. And perhaps we can recognise that the people that need to hear this message of hope and joy are often in our own families, churches and neighbourhoods. If we can become those who both receive the message of God’s Advent messengers and who proclaim the presence of God in our world and our lives, we may well discover that the people around us are eager to receive our message.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Chains
Why Do you Bother?
Messengers
Preparing The Way

Hymn Suggestions:
The Voice Of God Is Calling
Comfort Ye, Comfort Ye, My People
Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding
On Jordan’s Bank The Baptist’s Cry
Days Of Elijah (Link to YouTube video)
Prepare The Way (He Has Come) (Link to YouTube video)
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)
Consuming Fire (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent and Christmas

Video Suggestions:
A Voice In The Wilderness
Don’t Be Afraid

Image Suggestions:
Wilderness

Advent 3B

Sacredise — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

11 December 2011

We continue to journey with John the Baptiser this week – with a focus on John’s Gospel. The emphasis here is on John’s message and his refusal to allow himself to become the focus, while calling people to prepare for God’s restoration. Add to this, the themes of liberation and deliverance that are proclaimed in the other readings, and the third week of Advent becomes a wonderful opportunity to recognise God’s presence and activity in our world.

May we be challenged to hear, to prepare our hearts and to participate in God’s liberating work as we worship this week.

READINGS:

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11: God’s Spirit is on God’s servant to proclaim freedom, healing and liberation. God’s loves justice, and God’s servant is filled with joy, like a bridegroom dressed in his suit, for God will reward God’s people and make a covenant with them.

Psalm 126: Joy at God’s restoration of God’s people to Jerusalem, and a plea for God to prosper God’s people, with hope for the joy that will come.
OR Luke 1:47-55: Mary’s Magnificat, celebrating God’s grace and justice, and the way God has fulfilled God’s promise to the ancestors of God’s people, raising up the lowly, and bringing down the powerful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24: An exhortation to live with joy, prayer and integrity until Christ returns.

John 1:6-8, 19-28: John, the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the voice in the wilderness, promises that he is not the Messiah, but that the Messiah is right there and about to appear.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
John the Baptiser’s message is in focus this week, and some of the prophetic foundations for his ministry, and that of Jesus, are coupled with the story of his preaching, and his refusal to really identify himself. For John, he was unimportant – it was his message that mattered, and it is a message of restoration and of empowerment, both internally and externally. John proclaims that One is coming who will baptise in the Holy Spirit – moving the ‘law’ into the heart (as Jeremiah prophesied). In the letter to the Thessalonians, the believers are encouraged to live as true followers of Christ, with Spirits, souls and bodies enlivened by God’s Spirit. In a similar way, Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of restoration, particularly of the marginalised, poor and suffering ones, in the power of God’s Spirit. Finally, in the Psalm for this week, the experience of being restored by God is described, and it is not just an outward reality, but an experience that changes God’s people inwardly too, creating joy and strength. God’s saving restoring work must always embrace our entire lives, our entire experience and our entire being. This means that, as much as our hearts need to be changed, so to do our structures and systems. As much as we need to rebuild broken cities, homes and nations, so too do we need to rebuild broken hearts, broken relationships and broken spirits. It is God who does the work of restoration – this is the Good News of Advent – but we are invited, even as John was, to be voices proclaiming God’s coming, and participants in God’s saving work.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Restoration is a huge concern in our world right now. There is the restoration of the nations where dictators have been overthrown this year, and rebuilding must happen. There is the restoration of our economic system that has still not recovered from the global crisis. There is the ongoing debate around the restoration of our damaged planet and its creatures. On other levels there are issues around the restoration of families, communities, and, particularly, the Christian faith. In so many of these conversations, the nature of restoration is polarised between internal and external facets. Those who work for restoration may even be categorised or stereotyped in terms of the whether their focus is on changing hearts and people or changing systems and structures. But these are false dichotomies. We cannot hope to address the great challenges of our time without a deep, revolutionary change of our hearts, minds and attitudes. But, equally, we cannot hope to find answers if we keep the same systems and structures and actions that have created our crises in the first place. As followers of Christ we are called to deal with both realities – the internal and the external. As John the Baptiser challenged people to live differently, to change not just themselves but their world, so too did he invite people to prepare for a "Baptism in the Spirit" which would radically change them from the inside out. And so as we work for peace and justice, may we also embrace the call to work for love, compassion and connectedness with God for those with whom we work. And may we continue to pray that God will continue to come to us and bring God’s reign into visible manifestation among us and through us.

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is a shame that the church is sometimes seen to be concerned only with the hearts and minds of people. We have created a split between the spiritual and the physical which is neither helpful nor biblical. But, it shapes our work and causes some to view the work of the church to be purely "spiritual" calling for conversions, and seeking to change people’s hearts and minds to embrace a "biblical worldview". It also results in some leaders preaching that social justice is not the work of the church. What a pity this is. In every church and every neighbourhood and every city there are people who need both a change of heart and a change of circumstance. There are those who need to encounter Christ both in an experience of God’s Spirit, God’s healing and God’s forgiveness, and in an experience of God’s comfort, provision, protection and care through the physical hands and voices of people. As such, we proclaim Christ’s coming not just through our preaching and singing, but also through our feeding of the poor and visiting of prisoners and shut-ins. We demonstrate God’s Reign not just through evangelical campaigns or calling people to repentance, but also through living as citizens of God’s Reign by our acts of care, advocacy and service. And our message is proclaimed and heard most effectively in those places where God’s presence is most hidden. When we enable people to recognise God’s coming to them, even when they don’t expect it or don’t feel they deserve it, we have revealed God’s Reign. When we have touched people with God’s love and grace through our actions and words, we have made straight paths for God’s coming, and have prepared the way for people to open themselves to God’s transforming presence. Like John the Baptiser our task is both internal and external, and it enables both people and the communities they live in slowly, but surely, to become more just and peaceful and compassionate.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Painting By Numbers
A New World
God Of Restoration
New Days
Magnificat

Hymn Suggestions:
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Do You Hear What I Hear (Link to YouTube video)
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Hark The Glad Sound! The Saviour Comes
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
God Is Coming
Praise The God Of Grace And Glory
My Soul Magnifies The Lord

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent and Christmas

Video Suggestions:
Christmas: Advent
Mary’s Song
Hope Has Answered

Image Suggestions:
Wilderness

Advent 4B

Sacredise — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

18 December 2011

The Annunciation and the Magnificat are at the heart of this week’s worship. Mary’s experience of becoming the mother of the Coming One is revealed to be not just about her giving birth to a child, but about her participating in bringing a whole new world to birth. The light of God’s Reign radiates through the stories associated with Advent 4, most especially the Magnificat which expresses the justice and peace that Mary’s child will bring. And so, this week, as we finish our time of preparation, we discover that we’re not just waiting for a person – however divine he may be. We’re waiting for a radically new way of being that embraces not just Jesus, or those involved in his birth, but the entire cosmos!

May we find that our preparation for the Coming One is completed, and that our work is done well as we worship this week.

READINGS:
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16: God, through the prophet Nathan, declares God’s promise to David that he will establish his kingdom forever, will give him peace from his enemies, and will establish a nation for God’s people.

Luke 1:47-55: Mary’s Magnificat, celebrating God’s grace and justice, and the way God has fulfilled God’s promise to the ancestors of God’s people, raising up the lowly, and bringing down the powerful.
OR Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26: A celebration of God’s choosing of David, and strengthening him to serve God as king.

Romans 16:25-27: Paul celebrates the God who has fulfilled prophecy and has made known the Good News about Jesus so that Gentiles might believe.

Luke 1:26-38: The angel Gabriel visits Mary and declares that she will give birth to God’s son. He also tells her about Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and Mary accepts her calling.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The last Sunday in Advent offers a creative juxtaposition of images. In the Old Testament God’s promise to David is spoken through Nathan the prophet. It’s a fascinating exchange in which David seeks to align God with his own agenda by building God a house. But, in reply God refuses, offering instead to build for David a dynasty (a house). As Psalm 89 reveals, God does not need David’s wealth or protection and God will not be domesticated to David’s agenda. Rather it is David who is to be strengthened by God and who is to align with God’s purpose. Yet, centuries later when this promise is fulfilled in Christ, the way it happens is in stark contrast to the royal wealth and grandeur of David. In fact, the circumstances and songs of Christ’s incarnation reveal the Baby to be One who undermines imperial power, wealth and domination in all its forms. In Mary’s Magnificat the subversive nature of God’s Reign in Christ is celebrated, and in Paul’s closing words to the Romans, the radically inclusive nature of this Reign is celebrated. And so, as we remember again the announcement of Christ’s incarnation, let’s remember that it’s not just the birth of a Child that is important here, but the birth of a whole new order of love and justice which this Child brings into our world.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The Christmas story can often be viewed as a cute, irrelevant story which, in order for us to celebrate it, requires us to step out of the tough realities of our world. In this sense it may be simply a form of spiritual escapism. However, when we read the Lectionary passages for this week, what we see is the very opposite of escapism. It is, in fact, a call to radical, subversive and transformative engagement. But the strategies of this engagement are completely different from the power, wealth, domination and “divide-and-conquer” methods we are so used to in human affairs, and by which we are so easily seduced. The inspiration and challenge of the Christmas story is that God’s new order is among us. We are no longer waiting for God’s Reign to arrive. We can participate in it now if are willing to receive the courage and the imagination and the faith. And so, as we engage with the issues of power in our world, we are invited on a journey downward to become servants and collaborators, rather than tyrants and dominators. As we engage the issues of need and poverty, we are encouraged to become givers and sharers, rather than hoarders and accumulators. As we wrestle with disease, loneliness and homelessness, we are invited to become friends and welcomers, rather than judges and excluders. As we face the impact of our consumption on our planet, we are invited to become mindful protectors and to live lightly on the earth, rather than careless consumers of resources. Ultimately, like those we encounter in this story, we discover that there is a whole different way of living within the old order of our world, and that, no matter what our station or position may be, we can share the benefits of this new order by simply living it visibly among our neighbours.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In our homes, churches and communities, we may be tempted to celebrate Christmas as a sentimental holiday which takes us out of “the world” for a time, and gives us a distraction from the pain and difficulties facing us all at the moment. But to do so is to miss a profound opportunity. When we begin to realise that Christmas is not just about the Baby, but about the new order, the new way of being, that the Baby inaugurated, we are open to experience and live this new life now. When we recognise that God’s Reign cannot be understood with the framework of our power structures, we begin to open ourselves to a new reality, and a new experience of God. The Christmas story invites us into more than just an individualised spirituality or a judgemental rejection of materialism. Rather it calls us into a radical connectedness with others – especially the least and marginalised. It calls us into a radical generosity and care for one another. It calls us into a radical simplicity and servanthood. Which means that, even as we share gifts, we are called to share ourselves, and to move beyond simply giving “things” to taking the time to understand one another and give each other the gifts of love, support, protection, acceptance and challenge. The big question is how our Christmas celebrations can manifest the new order of God’s Reign, and how they can welcome and touch others with their life-giving reality.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
O Come Emmanuel
Magnificat
Joy To The World

Hymn Suggestions:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Joy To The World
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Link to YouTube video)
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
What Child Is This?
Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)
My Soul Magnifies The Lord
What Kind Of Throne
Praise The God Of Grace And Glory

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent and Christmas

Video Suggestions:
Nothing Is Impossible
Mary’s Song
The Annunciation – Children’s
Christmas on Canvass: The Annunciation

Year C – Advent 4

Sacredise — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:34:56 +0000

The last week of Advent returns us to the beginning of John’s story, as Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits Elizabeth, and John leaps within his mothers’ womb. Mary’s song is, of course, one of the highlights of the birth narratives, and carries a powerful justice-proclaiming message.

READINGS:
Micah 5:2-5a: A ruler for God’s people will come from Bethlehem who is a source of peace.

Luke 1:47-55: Mary’s song of praise to the God of justice and mercy.
OR Psalm 80:1-7: A prayer of repentance asking God to turn God’s people back to God and show them mercy.

Hebrews 10:5-10: Jesus’ obedience and sacrifice establishes a new covenant and makes us holy.

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55): Unborn John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb when the pregnant Mary comes to visit.
REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The need for repentance, and for God to ‘intervene’ in our world to bring peace, mercy and justice are the strong themes in this week’s readings. Also, there is a sense of great hope and joy because in Jesus God has ‘intervened’ and offered us grace and a new, just way to live.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The work of repentance requires us to take responsibility for our part in the brokenness in our world, acknowledge our responsibility to others. As a society, we do this work by calling our leaders to account, and by responsible participation in the global community – by choosing to act with awareness of the implications of our actions for others. Power is found in this work as we commit to hope, and embrace the signs of growing interconnectedness and collaboration between countries, faiths and sectors of society. These are the signs of Advent in the real world.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The small acts of repentance toward those we have hurt in our families and communities, and the small acts of turning from apathy to daily justice through learning, participating, voting and teaching, all herald God’s Advent among us in practical ways. Add to this the power of hope in God’s Spirit to empower us, and in Christ’s example to lead us, and we begin to live out the truth that small things really do make a huge difference in the world. These are the signs of Advent in our daily lives.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
In Praise Of Small Things
The Turning Dance
Magnificat

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet

Hymns:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Just As I Am
Joy To The World
Cradled In A Manger Meanly
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
A King Is Born (Link to site with previews of sheet music and mp3, and downloads available)
That’s Why We Praise Him (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am To Worship (Link to YouTube video)
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Link to YouTube video)

Video:
Mary’s Song

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
GBOD

Year C – Advent 3

Sacredise — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:43:27 +0000

The third week of Advent (December 13) continues the journey with John the Baptist, focussing on his preaching and the call to justice that he proclaimed. In worship services where we seek to have a strong justice orientation, we couldn’t ask for a better platform to work from!

READINGS:
Zephaniah 3:14-20: God’s promise to bring the exiled people of Israel home, and to dwell among them, bringing them joy and healing, and including all the marginalised and oppressed ones.

Isaiah 12:2-6: A song of praise for the God “who lives among you”.

Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice, pray and give thanks, and God’s peace will fill you.

Luke 3:7-18: John prepares the people for the coming Messiah, denying that he is the one, and calling them to live justly and with integrity.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The journey with John the Baptist continues as he preaches, baptises and calls people to just and ethical living. All of the passages make a clear connection between preparing the heart for God’s coming and living out the righteousness, justice and joy of God’s reign. The call, then of Advent, is to embrace this internal and external spiritual work. In the run up to Christmas, this call is particularly prophetic, as we choose how to celebrate this season ethically, spiritually and in a Christ-honouring way.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It is ironic that the season of God’s coming to us has, in the wealthy West, become characterised by inflated prices, increased profit-seeking, rampant consumerism and individualistic greed and excess, while in other parts of the world – notably Africa – the struggle for survival and for a meaningful place in the world’s decision making bodies continues. What might John the Baptist preach to us about this? How can we, who live among the wealthy and powerful, use our privilege to create opportunities and justice for our poorer brothers and sisters?
LOCAL APPLICATION: Who are the voiceless, excluded ones in your community? Who are the ones that a John the Baptist would call you to serve and include? What practices or ways of living would John challenge you on? What uses of your wealth might he question? Is there a way, this week, that your worship can overflow to the poorer communities and people around you? Can you use this Advent season to develop long term programs or strategies for embodying Christ’s coming to the people who most need to hear it in your neighbourhood, and perhaps the world?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
An Uncomfortable Vision
It’s My Problem, Too

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy of Compassion

Hymns:
A whole selection of hymns new and old for this week at “Singing From The Lectionary”
Advent Hymns arranged for Contemporary Worship from Dean McIntyre of the GBOD
Advent Hymn (David Beswick)
Hallelujah! What A Saviour
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
O Spirit Of The Living God
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
Prepare The Way (Link to MySpace video)
How Long? (John van de Laar) (Link to Amazon mp3 download)
Glory In The Highest

Video:
Restored Fortune (From The Work of the People, based on the Zephaniah reading)
John The Baptist (SermonSpice)
A Voice In The Wilderness (The Work Of The People)

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
GBOD