Advent 2 B (6th December 2026): Preparing the way Through the desert

 

 

Under Construction 

Bible Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13, 2 Peter 3:8-15a, Mark 1:1-8

About the Images:
Upper Left: This is the Oodnadatta track just out of William Creek in Central Australia (for more info please visit http://www.pleasetakemeto.com/australia/oodnadatta-track/information). This is my photo so please feel free to use it for worship and other related activities.
Upper Right: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license by Luc Viatour (www.Lucnix.be). Please let Luc know if you use it (l.viatour@gmail.com). I put the text on to this most beautiful of images. 
Middle Left: An Image from the Hermano Leon site - see my links column at left.
Middle Right: An image from Image bank - see my links column to the left - with words from the Isaiah reading. 
Lower Left: This Photo  is by an unknown author and is licensed under CC BY-SA. I added the text.

Lower Right:  My image of the desert just out of Dubai so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.

Call to Worship: Isaiah 40:1-11

By Maria I. Tirrabassi and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 3 (pictured at right). 

Listening Song: Jesus Freak 
By dc Talk on their album, Jesus Freak (pictured at left).  This song goes well with the gospel reading. 

Film Clip: The Lion Kin

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(pictured at right) Show the clip which follows the section where Simba, because of his huge feeling of guilt, runs away from his home and the role he was born for. He has made a new life for himself outside the kingdom. He knows he does not belong there but he has convinced himself that he cannot change the past. Show Raffiki, who has the role of priest/prophet in the film, going out to find Simba, and telling Simba he has forgotten who he is. Raffiki then calls Simba home. This is a great clip for teaching kids (and adults) that a prophet is someone who reminds us and tells us to return to and depend on God. 

Discussion: 
Think of the rough places and the hard times in your life. 
What are good ways of coping with these? 
What have you found helpful?

Song: Hills and Valleys by Tauren Wells
visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4rRCjrAyCs

Prayer:
Jesus, come to my house this Christmas.
Come to my country.
Come to the world of men and women. 
And first of all, come to my heart. 
Anonymous, Argentina, 1970.

Meditation: A Story of Light and Darkness 
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 32ff. (pictured at left).

Responses: Prepare the Way of the Lord
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 41. (pictured at left). This is based on the Isaiah reading. It is written as a spoken response but also works well with music and images.

Also:

Reflection and Prayer: 
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured at right). These are based on the Psalm and found under the heading: December 5th

Response Activity: Wilderness and return
Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together: Year B by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, Adelaide, 2011, ISBN 9780949656919, page 16ff (pictured at left). This is based on the all four readings. 

Poem and prayer: wilderness of longing.
Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 66 (pictured at right). These are based on the gospel reading.

Lots of Useful Stuff

Found in The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual by Jenee Woodard (Ed.), Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2013, page 255ff (pictured at left).

Meditation: God is Coming

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 38 (pictured at right). This is based on the Isaiah reading.

Creative Ideas: Isaiah: The Messianic Prophet

Found in Multi-Sensory Prophets by Mike Law, Scripture Union, 2007, ISBN 9781844272587, page 25 (pictured at left). This is based on the Isaiah reading.

Drama: I'm Speechless 

Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 63 (pictured at right). This is based on the gospel reading.  

Drama: Advent is.........

Found in Let's Make A Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing, 1991, ISBN 085910608, page 70 (pictured at left). This drama is linked to the Isaiah reading.

Prayer: Advent

Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 18 (pictured at right) and based on the Isaiah reading.

Reflection and Prayer: 
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured at left). These are based on the Isaiah reading and found under the heading: December 7th

Activity: Rolling Out the Red Carpet

Found in Multi-Sensory Scripture by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2005, ISBN 1 84427 166 8, number 37. This is based on the Isaiah reading.

Prayer Exercise: Having Companions on the Way
Found in Choosing Pilgrimage by Craig Mitchell and Kyle Dugan, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8358 9826 3, page 30-31. This is based on the Mark reading.

Liturgies: God of Mystery

Found in Navagatio: Pocket Liturgies by Safe Space Telford, Proost, 2007, ISBN 978 1 9066340 03 2, page 71ff. These use the Isaiah reading.

Advent 1 B (29th November 2026): Hoping/Waiting/Anticipation

  

N.B.  You will find a search engine to the left if you do not follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Just pop in a Bible reference or a topic and it will take you to a relevant post.                                                                                                                                               Bible Readings: Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37

About the Images:
Top Left: This is a free Microsoft clipart image with text.
Top Right: This is my photo of Southern Cross Station in Melbourne, Australia (for more info visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SouthernCrossrailwaystation,Melbourne). Please feel free to use this image for worship and related activities. 
Upper Left: This free clipart with my text comes from http://www.scripturepics.org - a useful site which seems to have been in recess for some time.
Upper Right: A good hymn to sing today would be There's a Light Upon The Mountain... this image is of the light on a snowy day at Danny's Lookout near Mt Hotham. Please feel free to use this image for worship and related activities.
Middle Left and Right: Free images from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left. 

Lower Left: A free image from Cerezo Barredo based on the end of the Mark reading.

Candle Lighting Liturgy
Found in Ideas For Worship, July to December 1996, JBCE (pictured at left).

Kids' Talk
One enjoyable thing to do for the four Sundays of Advent is to turn the whole Christmas story into a serial telling a small part of the story each week - or act it out (see below). Start this week with the story of Mary and the Angel.

Drama: Mary and the Angel

From Cloth For the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 42ff (pictured at right) 

Meditation: Waiting
From Cloth From the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 20ff (pictured at right) 

Discussion: On the Isaiah reading
1. What was Isaiah hoping and waiting for?
2. What are you hoping and waiting for: for yourself? for your church? for the community in which you live? for the world?

Story: God's Answer
There is a story told about a faithful old deacon whose oft repeated prayer expression was, "O Lord, touch the unsaved with Thy finger." One prayer meeting night he was leading in prayer when as he intoned this petition, as he so often did, he abruptly stopped praying. Supposing he had been taken suddenly ill, someone went to him and asked if there was anything wrong, if he were ill. "No," he replied, "I’m not ill. But something seemed to say to me, ’Thou art the finger’."
I cannot find a specific copyright for this story (please let me know if you know) but if you google the first line it pops up all over the place on the net and can be found in the now out of print Bible Illustrator under the above title. 

Adult Response:
Give everyone a marking pen (or access to one) and a 2" (5cm) wide strip of green cloth,. Ask them to write on the strip one of the things that they hope for. These can be displayed in any number of ways. If you do a similar activity each week of advent (connecting the writing and the colour with the theme of each week), you will have the resources to finish in Advent 4 with the symbolic action Cloth for the Cradle found in Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 74ff (pictured above).

Adult Response: Wilderness and Return
From Bringing the Word to Life Together Year B by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, 2011, ISBN 9781921945038, page 13ff (pictured at left).

Blessing: One Day at a Time 

From Advent, Christmas and Epiphany by Brian Wren, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, ISBN 978066423309, page 56 (pictured at right).

Also:

Poem/Meditation: The Cup
By Ruth Burgess in Dandelions and Thistles: Biblical Meditations from the Iona Community by Jan Sutch Pickard (ed.) Wild Goose Publications, 1999, ISBN 1901557146, page 38 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Isaiah reading.

Drama: Just Like Lightening 

Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 48 (pictured at right). This is based on the gospel reading. 

Four Advent Meditations:

Found in In this Hour by Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Desbooks, 2001, ISBN 094982433X, page 46ff (pictured at left). 

Drama: Up, Up and Away

Found in All Age Sketches for The Christian Year by Peter Shaw, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 10 1 984101 458 3, page 113ff (pictured at right).  This is based on the Mark reading.

Prayer: Pray Dough

Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 19 (Pictured at left) and based on the Isaiah reading.

Call to Worship: Isaiah 64:1-9

By Maria I. Tirrabassi and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 6

Reflection and Prayer: 
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured at right). These are based on the Isaiah and found under the heading: November 28. 

Listening Song: Psalm 80: Restore Us

By Sons of Korah on their album, Resurrection, Wordsong Artists, 2005 (pictured at right). 

Advent Candle Liturgy:

Found in Celtic Daily Prayer Book 2: Farther Up and Farther In, William Collins 2015, ISBN 978 0 00 8100019 3, pages 987ff (pictured at left). 

Christ the King A (22nd November 2026): How Shall We Live?

 

 

N.B.  You will find a search engine to the left if you do not follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Just pop in a Bible reference or a topic and it will take you to a relevant post. 

Bible Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Psalm 100, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46  

About the Images:
Top Left: This is my photo taken near Chambers Pillar in Central Australia (for more info on this area please visit http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/chamberspillar.html) with Nathan Nettleton's translation of Psalm 100:4a.
Top Right: This is my photo of the walkway beside the railway line at Sawtell in New South Wales, Australia (for
more info on this area please visit http://www.sawtellnsw.com.au/).
You may use either of these images for worship and related activities.
Upper Left and Right : These are free Heartlight images - see my link column at left.

Middle Left:  A free clipart from the Hermano Leon site - see my link column at left. 

Middle Right: a free image from Cerezo Barredo

Lower Left: Another free image from Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú

Listening Song: Above All 
By Michael W. Smith on his album, The Second Decade, or on WOW 2003 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Ephesians reading.

Kid's Story: Popa Panov
By Leo Tostoy - a classic and found in innumerable publications.

Story: Kindness

Based on the Matthew reading; Story No. 355 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers edited by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 2002, ISBN 0801091551 (pictured at right). 

Story:
The legend is told of a desert wanderer who found a crystal spring of unsurpassed freshness. The water was so pure he decided to bring some to his king. Barely satisfying his own thirst, he filled a leather bottle with the clear liquid and carried it many days beneath the desert sun before he reached the palace. When he finally laid his offering at the feet of his sovereign, the water had become stale and rank due to the old container in which it had been stored. But the king would not let his  faithful subject even imagine that it was unfit for use. He tasted it with expressions of gratitude and delight, and sent away the loyal heart filled with gladness. After he had gone, others sampled it and expressed their surprise that the king had even pretended to enjoy it. "Ah!" said he, "it was not the water I tasted, but the love that prompted the offering." Many times our service is marked by multiple imperfections, but the Master looks at our motives and says "It is good." 
This story is found at http://associate.com/library/www.christianlibrary.org/authors/Grady_Scott/makemeservant.htm 
Copyright 2000 by Grady Scott may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others. 

Meditation/Prayer: As You Did to the Least of These, My Brethren
by Robert W Castle in Imaging the Word Volume 3 by Susan A Blain, Sharon Iverson Gouwens, Catherine O'Callagan and Grant Spradling, (Eds.), United Church Press, 1996, ISBN 0829801862, page 66ff (pictured at left). I put images with these words. Musical suggestion to back it:  Pie Jesu by Sarah Brightman and Paul Miles-Kingston on Andrew Llyod Webber's album, Gold (pictured at right )

Mediation: How Was I To Know?                            

Based on the Matthew reading and found in Ideas for Worship, July - December 1996, JBCE, page 44 (pictured at left).

Also:

Meditation: Worship                          

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 19 (pictured at right).This goes well with the Psalm. 

Meditation: The Shepherd and the Sheep 

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 66 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Ezekiel reading.

Kids: Oi Get Off Our Train

By John Burningham, Random House,  with lots of ideas for a whole worship service found in Worship is For Everyone by Julie Pinazza, Openbook Publishers, 2000, ISBN 0859109259, page 42 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Matthew reading.

Taize Service: Loving the Least

Found in Worship Feast by Taize, Abingdon Press, 2004, page 14 (pictured at right). This is based on the Matthew reading.

Worship Activity: On Your Knees

By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 38 (pictured at left).  This is based on the Psalm.

Worship Activity: Power Praying

By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 42 (pictured at left).  This is based on the Ephesians reading.

Service Starter: Sheep and Goats

Based on the Matthew reading, this is found in The All-Age Service Annual Volume 4, published by Scripture Union, 2010, ISBN 9781844275199, page 37 (pictured at right).

Drama: The Final Judgement

Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 25 (pictured at left) This is based on the gospel reading.

Poem: I thirst

Found in In Due Season by Herbert F Brokering, Augsburg Publishing, 1966 (pictured at right) in the Summer section.

Poem: A Prayer to the Trinity
Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew, 2003, ISBN 1844170411, page 112 (pictured at left) and based on the Ephesians reading. 

Drama: The Complaints Department

Found in Let's Make a Scene for..... by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 1998, ISBN 0859108937, page 63 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Psalm reading. 

Drama: Coffee Break?
Found in Let's Make A Scene For...by Verena Johnson, Open Book Publishers, 1998, ISBN 0859108937, page 10 (pictured at right). This drama is based on Psalm 100.

Meditation: The Day of Judgement

Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 209ff.  This is based on the Matthew reading.

Poem: Ash Sitter

By Maria I. Tirrabassi and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 48. Based on the Matthew reading.

A Time to Care

By Maria I. Tirrabassi and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 52. Based on the Matthew reading.

Poem and Comment: Nation

Found in Disturbing Complacency by Lisa Bodenheim, Wild Goose Publications, 2007, ISBN 978 1 905010 37 0, found under the third Thursday of Advent.  This is a Christmas preparation book, but is very useful for other times of the year as well. This entry is based on the Matthew reading.  

Intercession: A Word So Harsh

Found in Worship Resources: Life Overflowing by Ian Price (Ed.), The Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia, 2012, page 33. This is linked to the Ezekiel reading.