Gathering, A/C/E 2017‒20181
Gathering, ADVENT/CHRISTMAS/EPIPHANY2017‒2018
Advent to Epiphany and the Season after Epiphany, Year B
Season of Advent
Season of Christmas
Season of Epiphany
December 3 – Advent 1
December 10 – Advent 2
December 17 – Advent 3
December 24 – Advent 4
December 24– Christmas Eve (Sunday)
December 25 – Christmas Day (Monday)
December 31 – First Sunday after Christmas
January 1 – New Year’s Day (Monday)
January 6 – Epiphany (Saturday)
January 7 – Baptism of the Lord
January 14 – Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 21 – Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 28 – Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4 – Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 11 – Transfiguration Sunday
Season of Advent
Dates: Advent is the beginning of the church year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is sometimes the last Sunday in November, and ends on Christmas Eve at sundown. Sometimes the fourth Sunday of Advent is Christmas Eve.
Feast Days* and Special Days
*December 6 – St. Nicholas’ Day – provides a good antidote to the commercial Santa Claus.
December 6 – National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women (Canada).
Meaning of Name:
The term Advent comes via Old English from the Latin adventus(“arrival”). It is a combination of ad(to) + venire (come). In Advent, we are anticipating the arrival of the baby Jesus as well as the Second Coming of Christ.
Liturgical Colour: Blue
Blue is used within most United Churches for Advent, though some continue with the older practice of using purple. Blue was adopted to symbolize hope and replace the penitential purple, associated with Lent.
Season of Christmas
Dates:Christmas Day is fixed on December 25 and begins the Christmas season, which runs through January.
Meaning of Name:
The word Christmas comes from Old English Crīstes mæsse or “Christ’s mass,” referring to the worship service in celebration of Christ’s birth.
Liturgical Colours: White and Gold
White, which is all colours of light combined, traditionally symbolizes goodness, innocence, and God’s faithfulness. Gold reflects glory, triumph, wealth, richness, and extravagance. Together, they symbolize the light of dawn and are colours of celebration.
Season of Epiphany
Dates: January 6 through to Shrove Tuesday. The length of the season of Epiphany varies, based on the beginning of Lent.
Feast Days* and Special Days
*January 6 – Epiphany – also celebrated as Christmas Eve for Orthodox Christians.
*Baptism of Jesus – the Sunday after the day of Epiphany.
January 18–25 – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
*Transfiguration – This feast comes from the Eastern churches, who celebrate it on August 6. It became part of the Western calendar in about the ninth century and was universally celebrated by the fifteenth century. In some Western denominations, the date was moved to the last Sunday before Lent.
*Shrove Tuesday – the day before Ash Wednesday, on which pancakes are traditionally served. Shrove comes from the word shriven or “to confess.” The practice of making pancakes was meant to use up rich foods in the house, such as fats and sugars, to prepare for Lenten fasting.
Meaning of Name:
The word epiphany means a sudden insight or new understanding. It comes from the Greek word epiphainein meaning “to reveal” or “to be manifest.”
Liturgical Colours: White and Gold; Green
White and gold are used for Epiphany and Baptism of Jesus Sunday. Green is for the rest of the season. Green is a cool colour, evoking nature, growth, vitality, freshness, harmony, endurance, and fertility. It is associated with healing and rest. It is the depth and stability of blue combined with the warmth and joy of yellow.
December 3 – Advent 1
Worship materials for Advent were contributed by Maggie Watts-Hammond, Gilmore Park U.C., Richmond, B.C.
Isaiah 64:1–9
Tear open the heavens and come down.
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19(VU p. 794 Part One)
Shine upon us, shepherd of Israel.
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
In every way, you have been enriched in Christ.
Mark 13:24–37
You will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds.
To Ponder
What have you asked God and what did you expect, only to find that God answers in a different way?
Spark
Have ready a large piece of dark blue cloth, cut in half and joined by Velcro. Or use a cheap piece of fabric you can tear. When it comes time for the reading of Isaiah, tear apart the cloth so the sound is audible. Prepare a place in the sanctuary to hang the ragged cloth. At each Advent service, add pieces of cloth, for example, purple for turning back to God and for the mountains; green for comfort (Isaiah 40) and for the earth; red for the annunciation (Luke 1:26–38), the Spirit, and the sunrise; pink for the Magnificat (Luke 1:47–55) and for joy; white and gold for the presence of Christ. On Christmas Eve, gather the pieces and roll them into a bundle of swaddling cloths for the manger.
With Children
You may want to teach a song such as Bruce Harding’s “Shine Upon Us” (search then share the Isaiah reading. Read Isaiah from the beginning again and have the children help tear the cloth and hang it up (see above). Tell them that each time they gather, they’ll add another cloth to remind everyone that God comes to mend the broken-hearted, to free the captives, and bring good news to those in poverty.
Sermon Starter
It is the great paradox of Christian faith that the story of Christ is one of glory bound up in ragged cloth. We cry out for God’s help and it comes in forms we don’t expect and maybe don’t want. In his song “Anthem,” Leonard Cohen sang of the crack that allows the light in. In “Narrative Theology #2” poet Pádraig Ó Tuama speaks of God as the crack that allows the story of God’s love to begin.
God is the crack
where the story begins
We are the crack
where the story gets interesting.*
The image of God being the tear, the rift in the heavens, the crack in reality, brings me up short when I think of how afraid we are of the things that don’t make sense, that disrupt or confuse, so much so that we will paper over, or throw away, things or even people that seem “cracked.” This season can offer us a chance to suspend that fear—to see the glory of “the crack.”
Hymns
Isaiah 64:1–9
VU 23“Joy shall come”
VU 509“I, the Lord of sea and sky”
VU 578“As a fire is meant for burning”
MV 25“O God, send out your Spirit”
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19
VU 1“O come, O come, Emmanuel”
VU p. 755“The God of heaven”
MV 11“Come, come Emmanuel”
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
VU 337“Blessed assurance”
VU 345“Come, children, join to sing”
MV 157“I am a child of God”
Mark 13:24–37
VU 25“Lo, he comes with clouds descending”
“Days of Elijah” by Robin Mark
“Come Christmas child” by Shirley Erena Murray & Ron Klusmeier
General/Seasonal
MV 158“Dream a dream”
MV 164“Christe, lux mundi”
*from In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World by Pádraig Ó Tuama (Hodder and Stoughton, 2015). Used with permission.
December 10 – Advent 2
Isaiah 40:1–11
Comfort, O comfort, my people.
Psalm 85:1–2, 8–13 (VU p. 802)
Will you be angry with us forever?
2 Peter 3:8–15a
The day will come like a thief in the night.
Mark 1:1–8
The preaching of John the Baptizer.
To Ponder
When you are on a journey, when you feel far from home, what brings you comfort?
Spark
Add the piece of purple cloth for turning back to God and for the mountains. Also add green cloth today for comfort and for the earth and valleys, creation themes in Isaiah 40 as well as in Romans 8. You may also add a brown cloth for John the Baptizer (Mark 1:1–8) and for the earth. They can be torn and ragged if you like.
With Children
Tell the children how the prophets called the people back to God and how they told stories of a messiah. Have the children help hang the purple cloth. Tell them the story of John, Jesus’ cousin, and how he baptized people so they could be clean of their old ways and see things fresh. Have the children hang the brown cloth. If you wish, tell them how the prophets told the people that the mountains would be made low, the valleys raised up, and the pathway made clear to people returning home. Hang the green cloth.
Sermon Starter
There are those who embrace the idea of science in the same way others embrace dogma about God. Science, they say, cannot be wrong. But, of course, scientistscan be wrong. The whole scientific endeavour (at its best) is based on the idea that by observing, the scientist might learn something new—something not known before. Therefore, they may prove themselves wrong in their previous assumptions. Even many scientists find this hard to accept. When John the Baptizer calls on people to repent, he doesn’t care if they feel guilty. He cares that they change what they do. Being wrong is not the end, for science or for faith, and it should not be the end of our sense of self. Opening up to the idea that we might be wrong can be freeing. A child, like the one whose birth we are about to celebrate, will make many mistakes learning how to walk, but without those mistakes, will never walk at all.
Hymns
Isaiah 40:1–11
VU 5“All earth is waiting”
VU p. 883“Comfort, comfort now my people”
MV 84“In you there is a refuge”
Psalm 85:1–2, 8–13
VU 379“O Holy Spirit, root of life”
2 Peter 3:8–15a
VU 2“Come, thou long-expected Jesus”
VU 254“Songs of praise the angels sang”
Mark 1:1–8
VU 18“There’s a voice in the wilderness”
VU 29“Hark the glad sound”
VU 31“O Lord, how shall I meet you”
VU 949“Grant to us, O God”
MV 12“Come touch our hearts”
General/Seasonal
VU 17“O ancient love”
VU 215“Hope of the world”
VU 406“See the morning sun ascending”
December 17 – Advent 3
Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
The spirit of the Lord is upon me.
Psalm 126(VU p. 850)
Sow in tears; reap in joy.
or Luke 1:47–55 (VU pp. 898–899)
Song of Mary.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing.
John 1:6–8, 19–28
John testified to the Light.
To Ponder
What is the power source for your preaching? Prayer is key. Upon what else do you rely?
Spark
Today, you may add cloths of other colours, depending on your focus. Pink is the traditional colour for the joy candle, used when purple candles are used for the other three Sundays. The tradition of using pink is ancient and has been brought into Advent from a very old Lenten tradition. It’s a reminder that there is joy even in the midst of sorrow and hard times. Orange or red cloth might represent the Spirit.
With Children
Talk to the children about Mary, about who she was and why she was joyful. Share a version of the Magnificat and Mary’s “prophecy” that God would raise the lowly and cast down the powerful. Have them hang the pink cloth as a sign of joy and the red or orange cloth for the Spirit.
Sermon Starter
According to his biographer Thomas of Celano, Francis of Assisi said, “The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he will later pour out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold.” The readings this week are both prayers and preaching. Isaiah speaks about being anointed to bring good news to the oppressed; the psalm speaks of labouring in the fields of the Lord; the Song of Mary is a praise, prayer, and justice sermon all in one; and Paul writes (preaches) to the church in Thessalonica and urges them to rejoice always and pray without ceasing, to give thanks in all circumstances, even in hardship. The gospel writer John speaks of “testifying” to the light and the importance of the Word. Ultimately, we arrive at the great “hymn” to the incarnation—that Christ is the “Word,” the creative Word, the testimony itself, prayer itself, incarnate in the world. That is a powerful statement that takes prayer and preaching from the ordinary to the transcendent; to a power beyond mere conversation, to something else, something greater than the preacher or the pray-er if, as Francis says, we draw from secret prayers to pour out in the holy, and grow hot within before speaking words that in themselves are cold.
Hymns
Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
VU 378“Spirit of God, descend upon my heart”
MV 97“Listen, God is calling”
“The Spirit of the Lord” by Jim Strathdee
Psalm 126
VU 9“People, look east”
Luke 1:47–55
VU 61“Of the Father’s love begotten”
MV 120“Canticle of the Turning”
MV 134“There was a child in Galilee”
“Magnificat” (with Wexford Carol) by Keith & Kristyn Getty
“Breath of heaven” by Amy Grant
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
VU 249“Rejoice in the Lord always”
MV 57“I’ll praise eternal God”
John 1:6–8, 19–28
VU 30“Hail to God’s own anointed”
VU 42“Down to earth, as a dove”
VU 87“I am the light of the world”
VU 336“Christ whose glory fills the skies”
Seasonal
VU 84“O radiant Christ, incarnate Word”
MV 71“When the wind of winter blows”
MV 115“Behold, behold, I make all things new”
December 24 – Advent 4
2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16
Who will build God’s house?
Luke 1:47–55(VU pp. 898–899)
Song of Mary.
or Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26(VU p. 804)
I will sing of God’s steadfast love.
Romans 16:25–27
Glory to the only wise God through Jesus Christ.
Luke 1:26–38
The angel Gabriel visits Mary.
To Ponder
Why me? Why do I bear this story, as Mary carried the Word?
Spark
Continue with the theme of adding cloths of different colours. The liturgical colour for the annunciation is often purple or wine-red. The traditional colour for Mary is blue for Theotokos, the God-bearer. While pink is often used to represent joy, wine-red symbolizes Mary as she enters into her role as prophet, knowing that this is a joy that comes with grief and work. The blue symbolizes the openness to the Holy Spirit.
With Children
There is a wonderful simile used to describe peace. It says that peace is like a precious baby you carry. If someone bumps into you on the street, or hurts you, you would never set the baby down and leave it in the street while you respond in anger. Instead, you carry the baby (peace) with you and respond while you hold the precious gift. This is the story we carry. Hang the cloths for today.
Sermon Starter
Mary and Joseph commit themselves to carry a precious child no matter what. Long before the child is ever born, long before they have even seen the child, they commit themselves to this precious child. They literally carry the light of the world, the hope of the nations, love embodied, all at risk to their own lives. We have been given this story to carry. The story is a truth about who we are and how we love. In a world where we are developing a whole new language of lying, the only salvation of the “post-truth” era may be the truth of this embodiment of love.
Hymns
2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16
VU 499“O Christ, the Word incarnate”
MV 1“Let us build a house”
Luke 1:47–55(see Advent 3 hymns)
Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26
VU 61“Of the Father’s love begotten”
MV 103“Ka mana’o ’I ’O”
Romans 16:25–27
VU 315“Holy holy, holy, Lord God almighty”
VU 686“God of grace and God of glory”
VU p. 750“Lift up the gates eternal”
Luke 1:26–38
VU 8“Lo, how a rose e’er blooming”
VU 14“To a maid whose name was Mary”
MV 134“There was a child in Galilee”
“The angel Gabriel from heaven came” (Basque carol) S. Baring-Gould, trans.
General/Seasonal
MV 82“Bathe me in your light”
“Always there’s a carol” by Shirley Erena Murray & Ron Klusmeier
“Come, radiant one” by Bruce Harding
“Daughter Mary, saying yes” Brian Wren & Ron Klusmeier
“Oh, what a wonderful gift!” by Linnea Good
December 24– Christmas Eve (Sunday)
Worship materials for December 24 to January 1 were contributed by Elise Feltrin, St. Andrew’s U.C., Bayfield, Ont.; Randy Banks, Brucefield Community U.C., Brucefield, Ont.; Gary Clark, Blythe U.C. and Brussels U.C., Blythe, Ont.; and Kate Crawford, Huron Shores U.C., Grand Bend, Ont.
Isaiah 9:2–7
A child has been born for us.
Psalm 96(VU p. 816)
Sing to God a new song.
Titus 2:11–14
Live a godly, upright life.
Luke 2:1–14, (15–20)
Jesus’ birth.
To Ponder
What is the fresh message for you in the midst of this ancient celebration?
Spark
Congregations may have trouble because Advent 4 is the morning of Christmas Eve, and there may be multiple services that evening. The changeover in the same day may be challenging. To distinguish the evening event from the morning, consider visual changes in the sanctuary. Changing the paraments from blue/purple to white/gold is one example. Bring in a crèche, hang angels from the ceiling, show slides of barnyard animals…. You will know what will work in your context to make the worship space fresh and engaging.