Here is our candle-lighting call to worship for the third Sunday of Advent. The Advent Conspiracy theme for this week is “Give More,” and our focus will be on Mary. Check previous posts for candle-lighting liturgies for Advent 1 and Advent 2. One: During these weeks of Advent, we prepare gifts. We look forward with…
My oldest two children came into our family as a foster-to-adopt placement. We were told that their biological dad was not in the picture and mom would not be able to get custody. They were foster children that would be available for adoption soon. James was three and a half. Jasmine had just turned two.…
I am preparing for this upcoming Sunday’s worship service–the second Sunday of Advent. The Advent Conspiracy theme for this week is “Spend Less.” And I should give credit to parishoner and friend Thomas Heilke for the phrase “right relationship with the economy”–which he manages to use about once a month in his insightful…
For the Monday prayer practices during Advent, I will be posting reflections on different characters from the Advent and Christmas stories. I pray a blessed and holy Advent for you all! The reflection below is adapted from a sermon I preached a few years ago. The scripture reading is Luke 1:5-25. – – – –…
This morning at the gym, I found myself on the elliptical machine with two television options in front of me. To my left was evangelist Creflo Dollar telling his congregation that they could escape the prison of sin by being born again. To my right was supermodel Cindy Crawford telling viewers that for $39.95 a…
I LOVE ADVENT. The candles. The carols. The chocolate. . . . And of course the eager anticipation of the coming Christ child! This year our worship committee has decided to do Advent Conspiracy. (Actually, we’ve decided to take the basic themes of Advent Conspiracy and do our own thing because the Advent Conspiracy stuff…
Last Thursday I was preparing for today’s service of communion and anointing. I pulled out the little bowl—hand-formed and glazed a brilliant blue—that we use for anointing oil. To my surprise, the bowl still contained ashes from Holy Week. So there I was in mid-December, trying to pour the ashes on our lily plants and…
We will be having a service of communion and anointing this Sunday–the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Here is the prayer of confession I wrote for the service, primarily based on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. The assurance of pardon will be the hymn “O Jesus so Sweet,” sung by our choir. Holy God, Open our eyes to…
We will be doing the Holden Evening Prayer Service tonight. It is an Advent tradition in our congregation and one of the most meaningful holiday activities in which I participate each year. Here are the scripture readings for tonight along with a brief meditation I wrote. Isaiah 11:1-9 Luke 1: 5-38 The Advent season is…
Here is the offertory prayer we are using during Advent each year. I just change out the “candle” words from week to week–God of Hope, God of Peace, God of Joy, God of Love. I pray you are all having a blessed Advent so far. God of Peace, in this season of Advent, this time…
Spacious Faith 