Advent 1 C: Hope, Waiting and Watching

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Bible readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Luke 21:25-46, ! Thessalonians 3; 9-13, Psalm 25:1-10 Theme: Hope, Waiting and Watching About the Photo: This is watch tower built on the south east coast of Australia at Boydtown near Eden by Benjamin Boyd in the 1840s as a lighthouse and as whale lookout. It was never completed and was never used as an official light house, however generations of whalers used it for spotting whales. Reading: And this Shall Be A Sign to You By Robert A. Raines in Imaging the Word Volume 1 by Kenneth T. Lawrence, Jann Cather Weaver and Roger Wedell (Eds.), United Church Press, 1994, ISBN 0829809716, page 78. (pictured in an earlier blog) Prayer: Blessings Prayer Found in Seasons of Celebrations by Patricia Mathson, Ave Maria Press, 1995, ISBN 0877935661, page 19. Confession: Use bits of the Jeremiah reading and the psalm. Kids: Hope Ask the kids if they have ever planned something that didn't work out the way they intended it to. Share a story from your own life which will illustrate this and show them if possible (mine is a quilt which went horribly wrong between the planning and the completing!!!) Tell them that Advent is the time when we remember all of God's terrific promises to us that everything will work out because jesus is the one who brings us ...... Have huge letters H O P E stuck up in random order around the worship space. Ask the kids to help you sort them into a word they know. Discuss with them what the word means and how it relates to Christmas. Advent Angels: an advent version of secret buddies Encourage or organise people (in the sense that you pair people up somehow without them knowing - like you do for secret buddies or Chris Kringles) to be advent angels ie where people do unexpected favours or give unexpected encouragement or praise anonymously to others in the congregation. Story: Some Things are Immovable Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and greg Mckinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, page 47 (pictured in an earlier blog). Meditation: Waiting From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 20. (pictured) Discussion: In pairs or threes. What do you think has gone wrong with the world? How do you think it should be? What do you think has gone wrong with our local community? How do you think it should be? What do you think has gone wrong with our church? how do you think it should be? Talk about waiting for change and about changing back or changing forward. Then discuss: What are you waiting for? What are we as a church waiting for? What is this particular congregation waiting for? Film Clip: The Man in the Egg Found on Leunig Animated, Madman, 2001 Poem: Accept surprises that upset your plans shatter your dreams, give a completely different turn to your day and - who knows? - to your life. It is not chance. Leave the Father free himself to weave the pattern of your days. By Dom Helder Camara in A Thousand Reasons For Living, ISBN 0800606647. Prayer for Others; Pinning Our Hopes on Jesus (i) Found in Cloth For The Cradle, page 54 - see above Adult Response: Pinning Our Hopes on Jesus (ii) Found in Cloth For the Cradle, page 56 - see above Prayer/poem: The Coming Bushman Found in Outback Christmas by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Lutheran Publishing House, 1981, ISBN 0859105628 (pictured) Fridge magnets: Give everyone a small (laminated maybe) card with the words of Psalm 25:4-5 on it attached to a small fridge magnet.