Columbus Mennonite Church and Bethel College Mennonite Church have worked together this year to create an Advent worship series that invites us into a place of spacious faith:

A faith that helps us create space in our lives to nurture our relationship with God and our relationships with each other.

A faith that invites us into God’s calming peace no matter the world’s chaos.

A faith that is wide enough for our questions.

A faith that is big enough for us all.

Each Sunday of Advent we will focus on the beginning of Jesus’ story in one of the four Gospels. We will see that, while each writer has a unique perspective on Jesus’ birth, all of the stories proclaim the Good News of God’s presence among us, of God’s peace holding us, of God’s love with us. 

Below you will find a few resources to accompany the worship material that we have prepared for this Advent season. May the Holy Spirit grant us spacious hearts and minds as we hear these familiar stories and seek to live out our spacious faith in this holy season.

Spacious Faith Advent Resources

• Advent calendar with daily invitations (see bottom of this page)
• Weekly sermons from Columbus Mennonite 
• Full worship services from Bethel College Mennonite 

Our weekly Children’s Prayer (by Mark Rupp)

God of spacious faith,
(hands spread wide in front, like opening a big door)

Make our hearts big enough to welcome your love
(hands over heart)

Make our minds open enough to learn your ways.
(hands point to the head)

Make our bodies brave enough to follow Jesus
(hands down at sides strongly and resolutely)

Help us make room for wonder,
(hands circle over head)

Room for kindness,
(hands cup in front)

Room for loving everyone and ourselves.
(hands cross the body into a self hug)

We wait, we watch, and we pray for you to come again
(hands clasped in prayer)

Amen

From our candle-lighting liturgy (by Mark Rupp)

Come, Christ of spacious faith.
Widen our hearts, deepen our hope,
and make us ready to receive you again.
Come, Light of the World.

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Making Space Each Week
(Poetry suggestions from Nathan Koontz; breath prayers from Joanna Harader)

First Sunday of Advent (November 30): 
Scripture: Mark 1:1-8
Suggested Poem: Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
–Read by Mary Oliver
–Link to text
*Breath Prayer: Prepare my heart / to receive your Spirit.

Second Sunday of Advent (December 7):
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Suggested Poem: Christmas Eve by Ted Kooser
Breath Prayer: I am not afraid. / You are with me.

Third Sunday of Advent (December 14):
Scripture: Luke 1:39-56
Suggested Poem: Five A.M. by William Stafford
–Poem text is on p. 3 of this document
Breath Prayer: God, lift the lowly. / God fill the hungry.

Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 21): 
Scripture: John 1:1-14
Suggested Poems: Testament and “incandescence” by Lucille Clifton
–Testament: Second poem on this page
Breath Prayer: You are the life / and the light of the world.

*Breath Prayer: Breathe in while praying the first phrase; breathe out while praying the second phrase. Repeat several times and throughout the day.

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