~ by Bowie Snodgrass
Yesterday we had a wonderful, meditative Living Room based on Advent, the season in the Christian calendar that precedes Christmas. In American consumer culture, the Christmas shopping season begins after Thanksgiving (or even before!), but in the Christian calendar, Christmas begins on December 25 and the feast continues for twelve days. The four weeks of Advent are a time of preparation, penitence, expectation, anticipation, pregnancy, darkness, quiet, silence, and listening…
You can go through the service we did yesterday by yourself at home. You just need a computer with internet, speakers or headphones, and a couple of candles to light. In this modified “Lessons and Carols", you will read the first chapter of the gospel of Luke (the silence of Zacharia, the song of Mary, the birth of John the Baptist, etc.), selections from Isaiah (a prophetic vision of social justice), a psalm and the beginning of the gospel of Mark. Interspersed are verses of O Come O Come Emmanuel, which you can sing aloud or read along, and “anthems” you can watch or simply listen to on YouTube.
Enjoy!
Instrumental Prelude: Isaac Everett
[at home: listen to “Incarnation” at www.isaaceverett.com/listen]
Welcome [at home: think about what this time before Christmas means to you]
“O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
Isaiah 11:1-10
* Note: we used the JPS translations for the Hebrew Scripture readings in the service, but this translation is not available online
[email protected] Sing Coldplay
Silence… [at home: think about what is in your darkness or silence this season]
“O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
Song: Isaiah the Prophet (click on the music notes to enlarge)
Share stories… [at home: think about what unfulfilled promises or miracles you are waiting for; what thoughts or memories have the stories and songs above sparked?]
“O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
Song: “Waiting for the Miracle” by Leonard Cohen
During this song, light candles for the forgiveness of sins, the fulfillment of promises, miracles – for yourself or others
“O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
“Waiting”
By Vaux, London, in Alternative Worship, compiled by Jonny Baker and Doug Gay.
As Sarah waited . . .
40 years for a son to fulfill God's promise
We wait in hope for what we thought had been promised to us
As Moses waited . . .
40 years in the desert being prepared by God to lead his people
We wait for emptiness and humility; for bravado to wither
As Israel waited . . .
40 years in the desert, hungry, depressed, thirsting, unsure
We wait for things to move on and generations to pass
As the prophets waited . . .
1000 years of promises that God would raise up a Savior
We wait for things to change
As Mary waited . . .
9 months of her 14 years for the child of God
We feel the birth pangs yet fear for the child
As John the Baptist waited . . .
Scanning the crowds for the one whose sandals he would not be worthy to untie
We long for an experience of the Divine
As Jesus waited . . .
30 years of creeping time
40 days in the desert of temptation
3 years in the midst of misunderstanding
3 days in the depths of hell
So we wait for God's time
Preparing the way
Our turn to toil on leveling mountains and straightening paths
Our turn to watch the time horizon
Our turn to pass on the hope –
The one who promised is faithful
And will come back.
Postlude: “Waiting In Vain” by Annie Lennox (written by Bob Marley)
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