May our worship lead us into true repentance – the starting place of justice in our own hearts – this week.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28: God proclaims judgement on God’s foolish people, who are skilled at evil, but have no knowledge of doing good, and the land is destroyed in the wake of God’s anger.
OR Exodus 32:7-14 (): As the people worship the golden calf, God threatens to destroy them, but Moses pleads on their behalf, reminding God of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and God relents.

Psalm 14: Foolish people say there is no God and live in destructive ways, but God’s people hope in God’s salvation and the joy it will bring.
OR Psalm 51:1-10: David’s prayer of repentance, asking for God’s forgiveness, cleansing and restoration after his adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Timothy 1:12-17: Paul celebrates God’s mercy in that God forgave him and empowered him for ministry, in spite of his sinfulness and ignorance.

Luke 15:1-10: Jesus explains his friendship with ‘sinners’ using the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin – where celebration is inspired by the lost thing being found again.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Much of the destruction and evil in our world is the result of ignorance and the failure to recognise God’s presence and purpose – so say the Lectionary readings this week. The suffering and injustice that this causes is an offense to God that arouses God’s anger (Jeremiah, Exodus and Psalm 1) but, God is gracious, seeking out what is lost – as in Jesus’ parables in Luke’s Gospel – and healing, restoring and forgiving those who have done wrong (as in David’s Psalm and Paul’s letter to Timothy). More than this, God so changes those on whom God pours God’s grace that they become agents of God’s grace and healing to others – as Paul testified about himself.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The suffering that is depicted in this week’s readings is still so prevalent in our world today. The ignorance and destructiveness of human folly touches millions of lives every day, and God is still angered by this. As followers of Christ we cannot stand by and watch silently. As the old saying goes, “evil prospers when good people do nothing.” Our hearts must be broken by what breaks God’s heart (to quote another profound, if over-used, saying), and we must become God’s voice for justice and righteousness in our communities and nations. Essentially this means that we need to participate in our society and its systems and structures in order to be agents of change. It is an act of faith and love to sign petitions and join in peaceful protest. It is an act of following Christ to vote for those who best represent the justice we seek and to hold them accountable. It is an act of discipleship to write letters to editors and to leaders, and to challenge the practices of the powerful in politics and in business. We are called to engage and challenge. But at the same time, we are called to be people of grace, forgiveness and restoration. Ours is the tough task of hope – in God’s work and in the possibility for people to change. Ours is the gracious calling to seek justice that restores, not justice that dehumanises through punishment, vengeance and excessive restitution. How can you embrace this two-sided work today?

LOCAL APPLICATION: The word ‘lost’ has come to mean those who are not part of the church, or who don’t believe in Christ as we do, but in the biblical sense, there are still many lost people in the Church. If we’re honest, we all have parts of us that are lost, and we all need to be found more and more. In the light of this, our calling in Christ is to confront the foolishness, ignorance and evil within ourselves, and allow Christ to find, save and transform us. It’s a tough and challenging thing to acknowledge the places where we are unjust or destructive, and to do the work of repentance in order to be changed, but if this is not an integral part of our calling to be people of justice, then what is? Then, we are able to become agents of God’s grace and justice, working alongside the weak, the poor, the marginalised, the excluded and the oppressed, while confronting, challenging and even inspiring the strong, the wealthy, the inclusive and the oppressor. The tough questions, then, this week are these: Where do we still need to confront injustice and “lostness” in ourselves? and In what ways can we offer ourselves to be agents of healing, grace and change in our communities?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Skeletons
Your Grace
God
You Are God

Hymn Suggestions:
And Can It Be
Amazing Grace
O Zion, Haste
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Show Us The Ancient Paths (Link to YouTube video)
Grace Like Rain (Link to YouTube video)
May The Words Of My Mouth (Link to YouTube video)
How Long? Mp3 (Amazon.com), Chord Chart

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Agape

Video Suggestions:
Repent
Psalm 51
The Lost Bear

May this week’s worship teach us to be people of scandalous grace and generosity.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1: Jeremiah grieves the destruction of his people, who insisted on worshiping idols, but for whom there is now no salvation.
OR Amos 8:4-7: A prophecy against the corruption and greed of the wealthy among God’s people who exploit the poor, and whose wickedness God will not forget.

Psalm 79:1-9: A lament for the land of Israel which has been destroyed by foreign nations, and for the temple which has been desecrated, and a plea for God’s forgiveness, compassion and restoration.
OR Psalm 113: A song of praise to the God who is over all nations, and who lifts up the poor and needy and includes them among influential people, and who removes the shame of the barren woman making her a mother of children.

1 Timothy 2:1-7: Paul calls for believers to pray for all people, including leaders, reminding them of Christ’s pleading for us with God – for which Paul has been called as an apostle to the Gentiles.

Luke 16:1-13: Jesus parable of the shrewd manager who wins social capital and his master’s commendation through the act of radical, inappropriate, forgiveness.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
This is a week for lots of prayer and reflection – the Gospel reading is one of the toughest parables to preach, by all accounts! But, there are two clear themes that emerge when all the readings are placed together. The first is the obvious one – the subtle power of money to lead us into corrupt and exploitative practices. Jeremiah bemoans the people’s devotion to idols (of which money is a significant one according to Jesus in Luke); Amos speaks out against the corrupt business practices of wealthy merchants; Psalm 113 praises the God who uplifts the poor and needy. Clearly, how we use our money is a spiritual concern.
The second theme this week is that of forgiveness and undeserved honour. Jeremiah pleads with God for grace for God’s people, as does Psalm 79; Psalm 113 praises God’s grace toward those who are most vulnerable, giving them undeserved honour; Paul reflects on God’s grace in Christ, extended to all people, and embodied in the prayers of God’s people; And Jesus tells a story of a master who, about to be dishonoured because of his dishonest (incompetent?) manager, decides to fire him, but has to reconsider when, through radical, inappropriate, forgiveness, the manager wins honour both for the master and himself, and a connected and secure future for himself.
Put these two themes together and what emerges is the power of gracious, generous forgiveness to lift us to places of honour and connectedness.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The immediate thought that comes to mind when thinking about this week’s theme is the issue of foreign debt and the corrupt system of international finance and trade regulations that has left so many third world countries irreversibly impoverished. The call of God’s generous, inappropriate grace can not be mistaken – there needs to be a rising up of God’s Jubilee people calling for these debts to be written off, and for effective aid to be offered where needed. But, it also goes further than this. For those of us in wealthy countries there is a tremendous responsibility to watch how we use our wealth and opportunity. We need to avoid anything that is exploitative, using our buying power to ensure that fair trade practices are employed and fair wages are paid to those who produce what we use, and that the impact on our planet is likewise just and sustainable. When we use our opportunity to accumulate wealth for ourselves, we are essentially “dishonourable”, but when we use it to uplift others, we bring honour and dignity both to them and to ourselves. As Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala once said: “The opposite of poverty is not wealth. It is dignity.”

LOCAL APPLICATION: In many communities, the Church is among the wealthiest organisations. But, unfortunately that wealth is often taken for granted and two important aspects of its coming to us are easily forgotten – that whatever wealth we have is attained through the generosity of our people, and that our wealth is not a sign of God’s blessing for us to aggrandise ourselves, but is a resource to share and use to uplift the least. This means that we need to ensure that we have not fallen into the temptation to accumulate money for its own sake. It means we must ensure that we do not engage in exploitative practices (think of how some prosperity preachers receive the offering!), and that we are quick to use our money for grace – forgiving, helping and uplifting the needy in our communities and neighbourhoods. If we take this call of the Gospel seriously, we may well find ourselves using our money in ways that “the world” would consider inappropriate, and we may find ourselves seeking connection with and offering grace to those who are considered to be undeserving. This may be a good week to do an ‘audit’ of your community’s use of money – and the priorities it reveals – and to make some gracious, inappropriate, and dignity giving choices.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Inappropriate Grace
Using Our Wealth

Hymn Suggestions:
We Shall Go Out With Hope Of Resurrection
Take My Life And Let It Be
Jesus Calls Us O’er The Tumult
Just As I Am
Song For The Nations: Lyrics
God Of Justice (Link to YouTube video)
Jubilee: Mp3 Preview, Chord Chart
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video Suggestions:
Consuming Culture
My Joy Is Gone

May we be challenged to continue to seek creative ways to bring good news to the poor as we worship this week.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15: In spite of his prophecies of the destruction of Judah, Jeremiah buys his cousin’s field and proclaims God’s word that people will again buy property in the land of Judah.
OR Amos 6:1a, 4-7: Amos proclaims that those who live in comfort and wealth, without grief over the destruction of God’s people, will be the first to go into exile.

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16: God promises refuge, protection and long life to those who trust in God.
OR Psalm 146: A call to trust in God rather than influential people, for God protects and saves those who are marginalised, excluded, poor and suffering.

1 Timothy 6:6-19: Followers of Christ are encouraged to be content with what they have, not to strive after wealth, and to share generously with others.

Luke 16:19-31: Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man who failed to share with the poor beggar outside of his gates, and who finds himself in torment after death, while Lazarus, the beggar, finds himself in comfort.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
In a continuation of last week’s themes, the subject of money is revisited, but this time, it is connected with the ideas of compassion and generosity. In a generous act of optimism, Jeremiah buys his cousin’s land, even though he knows that Judah will be conquered. In contrast, Amos denounces those who, in their comfort, ignore the suffering and destruction of God’s people. Both Psalms stress the importance of trusting God rather than people or things, and Timothy warns against seeking to accumulate wealth for its own sake. Finally, in a dramatic parable, Jesus contrasts the consequence of wealth that is not shared with the plight, and salvation of the poor. There is no question, in the light of this, that God is “on the side” of the poor, that God calls us to put our trust in God, and that wealth is to be shared and distributed equitably. For those of us who are among the wealthy (which pretty much includes anyone who has internet access to read this) God’s word is direct and challenging – the poor need our faith, our generosity and our voice which challenges the wealthy to share. But, they also need our optimism, and the prophetic voice that trusts in God’s purposes over human wisdom or systems.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: It is not hard to know how to respond to this week’s theme. The wealth of the world is desperately unevenly distributed and the gap between rich and poor continues to widen. Millions of people live on less than $2 a day – some on less than 1$ – and struggle just to put food on the table or a roof over their children’s heads. And this dire poverty is solveable. All it requires is the will to put pressure on leaders, law-makers, and corporate heads, and the optimism and faith to embrace and live the economics of God’s reign. Our world-economic systems need to change, and this change can be created through pockets of people who live differently and who support those who live differently – programs of social entrepreneurship, micro-lending, bartering and ethical consumerism all make big differences when small contributions are combined.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Systems of inequity and injustice are sustained because individuals don’t know how to contribute to change. When it comes to addressing poverty, the quest is to offer those who suffer dignity, hope and networks that can enable them to move out of their poverty and into sustainable livelihoods. For followers of Christ that may mean befriending someone who is poor, or partnering as a community with a less advantaged community.It may mean offering time and abilities to work in shelters, or projects that make a difference. It may mean being more careful about how we use our money, and investing in projects that uplift and support the poor. It may mean simply learning to resist the urge to buy more than we need, and it may mean working to change any laws or practices that disadvantage the poor, the weak and the marginalised.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Weak and Poor God
Plenty
A Simple Choice

Hymn Suggestions:
For The Beauty Of The Earth
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
O Worship The Lord In The Beauty Of Holiness
We Give Thee But Thy Own
Kyrie Eleison (An old Fisherfolk song – no link available)
When I Needed A Neighbour
A Life Of Love (Also no link, I’m afraid)
Give Thanks (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy of Compassion

Video Suggestions:
Can You See Them
You Can’t Take It With You
Psalm 146

READINGS:
Jeremiah 33:14-16: God’s promise to raise up a descendant of David to reign in Israel & bring goodness, rightness & justice.

Psalm 25:1-10:  A prayer for God’s compassion, forgiveness and leading, that praises God’s righteousness, compassion & love.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13:  Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians that they may grow in love, and have strong and holy hearts when Jesus returns.

Luke 21:25-36: Jesus speaks of the signs that show the coming of God’s reign, and calls for his followers to be watchful & alert.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The coming of God’s reign is a central focus of this week’s readings. Through Jeremiah God promises a leader like David for God’s people. The Psalmist prays for such leadership and guidance. In his prayer for the Thessalonians, Paul asks them to place themselves under God’s reign, and to grow in love, able to show how they have lived as Jesus did when he returns. Finally, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus calls for us to be watchful and aware of what is happening around  us, and open the the coming of God’s reign – and this does not just apply to the end, but to all times.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The season of Advent calls us to remember the God who comes to us – past, present and future. In the light of God’s eternal reign, we cannot help but reflect on our own priorities. Our lives in this world are called to reflect values that last and that have universal value. This calls us to be aware of the signs of God’s reign that are already visible in our world – in places of peace, restoration and sacrificial service – and to be part of calling out God’s reign in other places – places of need, violence and self-interest. Projects like the Advent Conspiracy (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/) offer a great opportunity to live out our faith in God’s coming reign.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Advent reminds us that in the midst of our daily struggles and victories, there is another reality at work, one that, if we remain aware and connected to it, will fill every detail of our lives with greater meaning & purpose. As we enter this season, we are called to watch, and to look for the signs of God’s reign around us, and then to co-operate with those signs, calling them into the light, and offering our love and strength to make God’s reign even more visible in our families, churches and communities.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Watching
Expecting
O Come Emmanuel
A New World

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Hymns:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Creator Of The Stars Of Night
Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending
How Long We’ve Waited (New Hymn)
Longing (New Hymn)
Prepare The Way (Link to MySpace video)
Come Now Is The Time (Link to YouTube video)
Father, Spirit, Jesus (Link to YouTube video)
Marvellous Light (Link to album previews – scroll down for this song)
Advent Songs by Sojourn (A great album of new interpretations and new songs for the Advent season – and it’s available free or for a donation)

Images:
A Collection of Advent Candle Images from Worship Photos
Advent from Image Bank (and the same image without the words)
Church PowerPoint Backgrounds in Advent Liturgical Colour
Advent Backgrounds at ShareFaith

Video:
The Return Of Christ (The Work Of The People)
Advent – Christmas (SermonSpice)
Advent – He Comes (SermonSpice)
Other Advent Video Resources from SermonSpice

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
Advent (Taylor Burton-Edwards – GBOD)
The Text This Week

READINGS:  
Baruch 5:1-9: A prophecy of God’s restoration of Israel in justice and mercy.
OR Malachi 3:1-4: God is sending God’s messenger to prepare for God’s coming, and God’s people and God’s priests will be refined and made pure.

Luke 1:68-79: Zechariah’s song of thanksgiving for God’s rescue of Israel, and his proclamation of his son, John, as the messenger who will prepare the way for God’s coming.

Philippians 1:3-11: Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians, his desire for them to grow in love and purity, and his assurance that Christ will complete the work begun in them.

Luke 3:1-6: John begins his ministry of baptism and preaching, preparing the people for God’s coming.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
God is always coming, always available to God’s people, and always working for restoration. But, receiving God’s coming takes preparation, and so God sends a messenger to do this work, to prepare God’s people for God’s coming. The challenge in these passages is for us to embrace the work of preparation for ourselves – opening ourselves to God’s restoring, cleansing and disturbing work, and making our hearts ready for us to be messengers of God’s restorative justice and mercy to the world.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:    
GLOBAL APPLICATION: In a world where measurement happens on a quarterly basis, effective preparation is often sacrificed on the altar of expediency and immediacy. We are all too keen to declare the current recession “over” without taking the time to make the necessary changes to correct the flaws in our systems. The same applies to climate change science, addressing poverty, AIDS and conflict. The prophetic message of Advent is that we need to reflect on our brokenness as revealed in times like these, and prepare ourselves to go forward and do the necessary, lasting work of true restoration. These thoughts could apply particularly to the Climate Change Conference which starts tomorrow (Dec. 7) in Copenhagen.
LOCAL APPLICATION: How much of the day do we spend in reaction? So much pain and injustice is caused simply because we react in fear, anger, self-protection or simply impatience. However, if we can develop a prepared heart, we can more easily slow down, reflect and then act with wisdom and grace. Preparation – particularly of the heart – is restorative. It’s a proactive stance that frees us from our selves and our destructive or unhelpful patterns of behaviour and moves us into a life that more easily considers, serves and brings restoration to others. We need John’s to call us to this work of preparation & then we need to be John’s for others.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
New Days
Messengers

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy of Creation and Communion (If you are picking up on the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen)

Hymns: 
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
Messenger (New Hymn)
Clear The Path (New Hymn)
Hark The Glad Sound!
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)
God Of This City (Link to YouTube video)
God Will Make A Way (Link to YouTube video)
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
Over The Mountains And The Sea (I could sing of your love forever) (Link to YouTube video)

Video:
Recapturing Advent (The Work Of The People)
John The Baptist (SermonSpice)
A Voice In The Wilderness (The Work Of The People)

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

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

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

I pray that your Christmas is a time of great celebration and great divine challenge. 

READINGS:  
Isaiah 52:7-10: Good news of the return of God’s peace, salvation and presence to Israel.

Psalm 98: A song of praise for God’s victory and salvation.

Hebrews 1:1-4(5-12): Jesus, God’s Son, radiates God’s glory, created all things and is exalted above all things.

John 1:1-14: The Word who existed in eternity with God, and through whom all things were made, has become flesh, lived among us, and revealed God’s glory to us.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
As is fitting, all of the Christmas readings are full of celebration and joy at God’s visitation, God’s glory revealed in Christ, and the hope of salvation that Jesus brings. The incarnation is good news, and God’s appearance among us overcomes darkness and is a manifestation of God’s victory and sovereignty.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION:  The incarnation is God’s reign revealed among us. Within the “weakness” of this Child, amazing strength is manifest – God’s refusal to buy into human political or economic systems or agendas, revealing their darkness while not being overcome by them. The incarnation, then, must call us to reject “worldly” values and strategies for implementing God’s agenda, and also refuse to allow Jesus or the faith of those who follow him to be co-opted into oppressive or exploitative agendas. This Christmas, let’s reaffirm our commitment to follow Christ alone, and our commitment to God’s hidden, peace-bringing, non-partisan ways.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The incarnation of Christ calls us to be participants in incarnation. In our communities and churches we can embody the ways of Christ, opting out of the power struggles and “worldly” use of faith/religion for political or material gains. We can embrace the hidden, agenda-less, self-giving life of Christ. And if we will renew our commitment to incarnation, we will seek and find the places that most need us to serve, heal, and reconcile while also confronting abuses of power, wealth or faith. What do you need to opt out of, oppose, or serve in your community this year?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Silent Night
Come Again
The Foolishness Of Faith
The Familiar Story
Great God Of Miracles And Surprises
You Have Come To Us

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Hymns: 
The usual Christmas Carols are easily remembered and don’t need to be listed here, so I’m just going to offer a few unusual suggestions that may complement your normal Christmas music.
Christmas Angels Medley (Just a chord chart based on selected verses and well-known tunes of these popular Carols)
A King Is Born
Little Town (Link to YouTube video of Cliff Richard’s version)
Emmanuel (Link to YouTube video)
And check out Dean McIntyre’s settings of Christmas Carols in contemporary formats at the GBOD

Video:
The Word Became Flesh
What Do You Want?
It Is Christmas
A selection of Christmas video clips from popular movies at Wingclips.com

Images:
Christmas Backgrounds from Worship Graphics
Christmas Graphics from UsingPowerPointInChurch.com
Christmas Graphics from ImageVine

Drama:
Two short dramas for children on the Sacredise Advent & Christmas page
(Scroll down to find the links)
The Foolishness of Christmas
Colours & Kings

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

Also, for those who subscribe to the email updates, I have tweaked things so that the email contains the whole post and not just the teaser with the link, as it was in the past. This post will test to see if it works. Please let me know if you prefer it this way, or in the previous, abbreviated, format. Thanks.

The Sunday after Christmas (this year it’s just a couple of days later – the 27th of December) is always a tough one to prepare for. Services, in my experience, are usually quite sparsely attended, and with all the energy that went into Christmas, it can be hard to find anything inspiring for this week. But, the readings are very challenging – a simple reflection on the Christ-child growing up in grace and stature, and the obvious question that is raised – what does the “good life” look like?

READINGS:  
1 Samuel 2:18-20,26: Samuel grows under the care of Eli the priest, and his parents visit him annually when they come to the Tabernacle for the sacrifice.

Psalm 148: A psalm calling all of creation to praise the God who has strengthened God’s people.

Colossians 3:12-17: Instruction on how those who have been chosen and forgiven by God should live – in compassion, harmony and peace.

Luke 2:41-52: Mary and Joseph accidentally leave Jesus behind in Jerusalem, and return to find him in the Temple in discussion with the religious teachers. Jesus is obedient and grows in wisdom and stature.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Like Samuel before him, and for those who seek to follow him, Jesus is the example of a life well lived – in humility, obedience, forgiveness, peace and growth in character, in spirit and in compassion. At the heart of this “good” life, is the constant attitude of reverence and praise for the God who guides and strengthens us to live the best life possible.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The Western world has long chased the dream of “the good life”, and has called other nations and people to aspire to the same dream. However, the cost of this “good life” has been shown to be way too high – for the planet that cannot sustain our high levels of consumption and waste, for poorer nations who have given up resources and have given their bodies in cheap labour to sustain the lifestyles of the wealthy, and for the wealthy themselves, who have discovered, after attaining the “dream” that it fails to satisfy the inner longing, and is, anyway, a fragile and easily lost lifestyle – as the economic crisis has shown. Our world desperately needs to redefine what “the good life” really is – in the terms that were modelled by Jesus: simplicity, humility, compassion, peace and reverence.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Every community knows the pain, frustration and disillusionment of those who have chased “the good life” and “failed”, and of those who have “succeeded” and found only despair. The pain is material, relational, communal and, of course, spiritual. The Church has a calling and a privilege in being able to offer an alternative “good life” – a Jesus-modelled life. Perhaps this Sunday would be a good time to repent of the ways we have allowed the world’s view of the good life to infiltrate our places of worship and our spiritual teaching, while also committing again to live and share the kind of good life that Jesus offers and teaches.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Life That Is Truly Good
A Goodness Worth Pursuing

Hymns: 
All Creatures Of Our God And King
Jesus, Lord, We Look To Thee
O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee
Dear Jesus, In Whose Life I See
Be Thou My Vision
(A gender inclusive version of the lyrics is available here)
And a contemporary version: Be Now My Vision
Give Thanks
Let Me Shine (You can download the chord chart here – scroll down for the link – and listen to a preview of the song here).
All The Way My Saviour Leads Me
What Can I Do
Shine

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video:
Jesus: Man of the Streets
Follow Me

Images:
Forest Path

The focus of Epiphany, as usual, is the visit of the Magi. The other readings, though, add some wonderful nuances and textures to this story, emphasising the inclusivity of Christ and the priority of God for justice and for defending the least. In a world where faith is often used to exclude and exploit, and with the tough conflicts and divisions across our planet, the Epiphany message is a timely word.

READINGS:  
Isaiah 60:1-6: The light of God’s glory and God’s goodness shines on God’s people.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14: A prayer for God’s love of justice to fill God’s king, who will then defend the poor and rescue the oppressed.

Ephesians 3:1-12: In Christ both Jews & Gentiles enjoy the riches of God’s blessings.

Matthew 2:1-12: Wise men from the East arrive, worship the Christ-Child and present him with fine gifts.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
The Festival of Epiphany reveals to us who this Christ is that has incarnated himself among us. There are two clear revelations that would have been startling for the first readers of Matthew’s Gospel. The first is that the Messiah has come inclusively – for all people: Jew AND Gentile, Wealthy AND Poor, Oppressed AND Oppressor. This inclusivity is a significant aspect of the scandal of the Gospel. The second revelation is the mind-bending truth that has traditionally been seen as reflected in the Wise Men’s gifts: This Child is Royalty (gold), Divinity (frankincense), and yet, also, self-giving Sacrifice (myrrh). All of these passages call us into praise for God’s inclusive incarnation!

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Defensiveness and otherness are two of the main characteristics of today’s political, social, economic and relational world. In the quest for self-development, human beings have increasingly seen their individual selves as distinct from and “other than” other people. Businesses work hard to “distinguish” themselves form their competitors and even nations work hard to identify themselves, drawing boundaries, naming enemies and allies, and putting huge investments into defending what is “uniquely theirs”. Epiphany, scandalously reveals that Christ crosses all of these boundaries, refusing to be defensive or self-protective, and refusing to draw lines separation. This incarnate Messiah draws all creation together into one, and gives up his own safety, security and comfort in order to do it.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Every church community, and every person, longs for the light of God’s glory and blessing to shine on them. This longing often leads us into trying to earn God’s blessing through legalism, doctrinal purity or separation from those who are considered “unrighteous”. Too often faith becomes something exclusive, something to defend against others who see things differently. Epiphany reveals an alternative view of God’s glory – that in Christ’s incarnation God’s glory and blessing are already ours – not something to earn; and that the experience of God’s glory is found in connection and sharing with others, while protecting and defending the least. It is a good discipline to ask: “Who needs to be included in our community right now?” and “Who needs to be protected?” – two questions that necessarily call us to emulate Christ’s self-sacrifice in our own lives.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
About The Light
Light And Glory
Who Are You, Jesus?

Hymns: 
What Child Is This?
We Three Kings
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Christ From Whom All Blessings Flow
Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken
Marvelous Light (Listen to preview here)
Shine Jesus Shine (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am To Worship (Link to YouTube video)
How Great Is Our God (Link to New Song Cafe’ YouTube video)
Open Our Eyes, Lord (Link to YouTube video)
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy: 
A Liturgy For The Breaking Of Bread

Video:
Psalm 72 (From TheWorkOfThePeople.com)
To Know The Creator (From WorshipHouseMedia.com)

Images:
Word And Table – Epiphany PowerPoint
Word And Table – Another Epiphany PowerPoint 
Wise Men And Star Still (From WorshipHouseMedia.com)