Tag: Liturgy

Posted in Different Moments, Different Thoughts

Advent: For Your Home

Posted on by Wick

For a long time now, the season of “Advent” (which means “arrival”) has helped Christians to prepare for the celebrations of a special worship service celebrating the birth of Christ.  It includes the four Sundays leading up to Christmas – with a special emphasis for each week.  We believe many of these things can offer new opportunities for us to reorient our lives, our relationships, and our homes around anticipation of what Christ is doing even this year.  With this in mind, we believe Advent can be an incredible season of prayer, celebration, conversation, and devotion as we prepare for Christmas. Here is an easy and tangible way to bring this season into your home:

Advent Wreath – Often seen in sanctuaries, but traditionally this was also done at home.  You don’t need to make it look “churchy”, or even use the traditional colors (though you might find that fun too!).  Any 4 candles (one for each week of Advent) and one central candle (for Christ) will work.  If you have kids, feel free to invite them to help assemble a nice (non-flammable) display for the candles.

When?  You might light the Advent wreath during a mealtime, family devotions, bedtime, or whenever it works out.  Remember, it’s not a rigid discipline – but an invitation to reorient our moments & hearts.

What?  Each time you’re able, light the appropriate candles and make time and space for each person to respond.  Close the time of conversation in prayer, and for young kids especially – take turns blowing out the candles!

  1. Week One: Light one candle, and focus on the word “HOPE”.  What are you each hopeful for?  What is something fun you’re hoping for?  How can hope transform someone’s life?  Where have you seen hope today/this week?  READ Isaiah 7:10-14
  2. Week Two:  Light two candles, and focus on the word “PEACE”.  What does peace feel like to you?  Where is an area of your life/world that needs peace? Where have you seen peace today/this week?  READ 2 Samuel 7:10-16
  3. Week Three: Light three candles, and focus on the word “JOY”.  What’s the difference between happiness and joy?  What brings you joy?  Where have you seen joy today/this week?  READ Isaiah 61:4-11
  4. Week Four:Light four candles, and focus on the word “LOVE”. What helps you feel loved?  Who is someone you know who needs to experience love?  Where have you seen or felt love today/this week?  READ Isaiah 40:3-11
  5. CHRISTMAS EVE/CHRISTMAS: Lighting all 4 surrounding candles and the 5th “CHRIST” candle also. Why did God come as an infant?  What message does that send us?  If Jesus was sitting in your home today, why would He get excited that you have received Him? How will you respond?  READ Luke 2:1-21

(Here’s a printable version of this same content, you can edit for your context!)

Posted in Different Thoughts, Uncategorized

Responsive Reading for a Church Board

Posted on by Wick

(For use in opening a church board meeting. I recommend asking different members of the board to serve as each “Leader”.)

Leader: Lord, we come together today as a group of your children.  We come from days that have been busy and full of people.  We come from days that have been quiet and lonely.  We come tired and ready to be finished.  We come energized and excited to contribute.  We pause, here at the beginning of our time together, to center ourselves on You.  

We are an organization, but we are first and foremost a community of lives and homes being transformed and renewed in Your Love – for Your purposes in our neighborhoods and world.  We pause to be thankful – for it is a holy gift of Your grace that we are invited to serve with You in these Loving ways.

ALL: Lord, come unite and minister to our hearts in Your presence.

Leader: We are gathered here, representing different parts of this local body of Christ.  We confess that we know our own parts intimately, but must humbly depend on one another to come to full knowledge of the body as a whole.  

ALL: Father, help us to listen to all areas of the body. Even those not represented here.

Leader: Even more than we listen to the parts of the body, Holy Spirit we want to listen to your voice.  Sometimes you will speak through one of us. Other times you will speak in the silence, or in the discomfort.  Help us to hear you, and to respond.

ALL: Holy Spirit, guide us by Your presence and in Your Loving Wisdom.

Leader: We come to approve reports and budgets that represent ministry that can never be fully measured, and yet we have been entrusted with this holy task of being faithful with all we’ve been given.  We also recognize that “being faithful” is measured differently in Your Kingdom, than by our worldly measurements.

ALL: Jesus, we offer all these things to you.  We confess that our own abilities, perceptions and measurements fall short of Your wisdom and power.

Leader: We have visions, and dreams, and other things we imagine for the sake of this local church and our impact out in the community and world.  Yet even the best of these things are not seen with Your Vision, nor are they of any value without Your Loving presence.  We come together excited with our ideas, but holding all things loosely for the sake of following Your heart, Lord.

ALL: God, come and have Your way.  We invite You to have these moments, and have this community for Your purposes now, and for tomorrow.  Amen.