Advent
Alphabet of Ideas
In the wake of the 2016 US presidential election, Rev. Martha Peck wrote a newsletter article for her church and an accompanying “Alphabet of Ideas for Anxious Times.” This list could be used: by a mission committee, seeking to expand its reach by a prayer group as a prompt for intercessory prayer. as an art activity—inviting people to illustrate the actions with stick figures or other drawings by individuals/families during the season of Advent The presidential election of 2016 revealed a deep divide between Americans,...
read moreChristmas Eve: Drama of the Light (for 4 Voices)
Below is a dramatic reading for 4 voices that was written for Christmas Eve, 2014. We used it as a call to worship but you could use it anywhere in the service. If your setting allows it, you may consider scattering the four readers around the sanctuary. You can also have them grouped, perhaps in the back of the sanctuary. Whatever you decide, make sure the readers speak loudly or have microphones so that all can hear! Narrator: In Bethlehem that night there were many lights. The moon was out. The stars were twinkling. And...
read moreLight of the World
A Christmas Eve tradition that some in our congregation have observed involves bringing lanterns to worship. During the singing of “Silent Night,” they light their lanterns and then bring the “light of the world” with them as they leave the sanctuary and travel home. Over the years this tradition was carried on by fewer and fewer. SAD. Valuing the tradition and desiring to carry it on, we revitalized it by doing the following: We advertised and announced this tradition (bulletins, newsletters, email updates, worship...
read more“Xmas Eve on Fire”
Imagine this: Christmas Eve Snow blanketing the ground Early/family service begins at 5:00 p.m. and the time is now 4:30 p.m. Portable firepit on the front lawn of the church with logs blazing Hot chocolate in vacuum pots on a table nearby Small Christmas tree with a box full of ornaments Families, individuals, couples, whoever, arriving, grabbing a cup of cocoa, hanging an ornament, warming themselves by the fire, giggling with Christmas excitement At 5:05 p.m. booklets with Christmas carols are handed out and people sing their favorites At...
read moreThrough the Church Year
Below is a detailed liturgy for a single Sunday morning service that walks a congregation through the entire Church calendar from Advent through Reign of Christ. Through Word, explanation, and song, this service is a worshipful way to educate and to help a multi-generational congregation to participate in the rhythms and patterns of the liturgical year. It was originally used in 2006 for a United Church of Christ congregation in Massachusetts. (Note: *= Stand as you are able) Order of Worship Prelude & Meditation Time Greetings,...
read moreInvocation for Advent Festival of Choirs
A few years ago I was invited to deliver a prayer of invocation to begin a local festival of choirs on the first Saturday of Advent. This annual festival is now a little over ten years old and includes ~7 choirs (sacred and secular) from around our area. It is well attended and brings in a wide cross section of our community members. Writing a prayer of invocation for such an occasion is not as simple as it might seem as there is much to do in a short time! Below is a sample prayer which acknowledges the nature of the gathering, gives...
read morePainted Worship
We are fortunate to have an artist in our congregation named Mary Hill who is generous with her time (see her website here). As Advent 2014 approached, we were looking for: 1) new banners to line our walls, and 2) a way to engage the congregation through visual art in worship. After conversations with our worship team and with Mary, we did the following: We chose one Sunday during Advent to have Mary paint a banner during our morning worship service. (She had prepped the banner ahead of time and sketched out her design. She then...
read more[.mp3] to Worship
![[.mp3] to Worship](https://i0.wp.com/worshipwell.church/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/call-to-worship-banner-pic.jpg?resize=184%2C184&ssl=1)
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone It is common in many church services to begin with a CALL TO WORSHIP. It’s an ancient thing to do and we Christians do it for a variety of reasons: 1) historical (we learned it from our Jewish brothers and sisters – shema); 2) theological (it reminds us that it is God who calls us to worship); 3) scriptural (calls to worship are often adapted from psalms and other scripture passages); and 4) practical (a call to worship signals the start of a service and focuses a...
read moreChristmas Eve Instant Pageant: “A Very Special Night”
Below is a short (5 to 7 minute) INSTANT PAGEANT for Christmas Eve. What is an instant pageant? It is a story read by a narrator or narrators where the other characters are selected “instantly” before the story is ready by willing individuals/groups. For example, the famed Bethlehem star could be a “character” and every time it is mentioned in the story, those who volunteered to be the star could make a twinkling sound (whatever that sounds like!). It is possible for everyone in the congregation to have at least...
read more“‘Star Wars’ Nativity: A Long Time Ago, in a Village Far, Far Away…”
Below is a short (5 to 7 minute) Star Wars themed nativity that may be used as a pageant, or as part of a service or worship on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We might also call it a tableau. As the Christmas story is read, individuals will be invited forward to help form a living picture. When the reading is done, the tableau will be held for a minute or so as a scene for reflection and personal prayer. Click here for an audio recording of this being enacted on 12/24/2015 at the United Church of Underhill, VT. “Star Wars...
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