Thursday, November 24, 2022

Advent 2 A (December 04): God's Bigger Picture/ Transformation/Celebrating Peace


Bible readings: Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12.

About the Images:
Upper left:  This is my photo so please feel free to use this one for worship and related activities also. It is of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. I liked the way the rainbow is seen through the framework of our world - i.e., there is a bigger picture greater than the one we see.
Upper right: This is also my photo with text. I did some work in one of the areas devastated by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires (when 173 people lost their lives). This is the amazing regrowth which occurs in the Australian bush weeks after a fire. Trees which seem dead grow leaves close along their trunks - epicormic growth- and ferns pop out of layers of ash. Please feel free to use this photos for worship and related activities. For more information about the fires, wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive and coherent report of what happened at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_bushfires
Middle Left: This illustration is by Cerezo Barredo.  Unless you speak Spanish, the easiest way to access his lovely line drawings is to go through Textweek (see my link at left) and scroll down to the Graphics and Multimedia section. There is a new one each week.
Middle RightThis image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which is down at present, however this particular one was free on the site one week.  
Lower Left: Once again this is my image, so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities. This image is of a young man in Jerusalem blowing the shofar. One of the reasons a shofar is blown is to call people to repentance and to foreshadow the coming of the Messiah; consequently the blowing of the shofar is often linked to John the Baptist - you will notice the song below from Godspell is introduced with the blowing of a shofar. 
Lower Right: A free image from Sundaygraphx. 

Listening Song: Prepare ye the Way of the Lord
From the soundtrack of Godspell (pictured at left).


Pass the Peace:
I don't use the Pass the Peace option every week.  I think it becomes a kind of rut we do without seriously thinking about why we do it - and there are also people in every congregation who find it quite confronting ie shy people, some people with Asbergers, and now we have Covid issues as well etc etc.  I try to use it on special occasions when it has some significance or meaning to the rest of the service.  It works in well today with the lighting of the second Advent candle which is often known as the peace candle and in particular it works well with the Isaiah reading for today.

Who Am I?
I was born in 1931.
My father was a school teacher.
I spent three years as a high school teacher before I
 was ordained.
I am a small person with a huge laugh.
I bounce into room full of joy and delight.
I can put people at ease easily.
I catch people's attention.
I use my hands when I speak.
My eyes twinkle behind gold rimmed spectacles.
I am passionate about God, Christianity and my country.
I have spent my life fighting against injustice and racism.
I have shared my vision with kings, presidents and all sorts of world leaders.
I believe in a world where black and white can go hand in hand into a glorious future.
I believe each person in the world is a creature of infinite value made in the image of God.
I am confident of the future because I believe in God's faithfulness and p
ower to deliver those who ask for help.
I am Desmond Tutu.

Story: Get a Bigger Frying Pan
Found in Still More Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Zondervan, 1999, ISBN 0310224640, page 67 (pictured at right). This story goes well with the Isaiah reading.

Discussion Questions:
1. What is God's picture of our church?
2. What is God's picture of our community?
3. What do you think is God's picture of the world?
4. How can we help to make that vision a reality?

Poem: The 
Stump
Found in In Due Season by Herbert F Brokering, Augsburg Publishing, 1966 (pictured at left) in the Summer section under Isaiah 11:1. I put images with this poem and used backing music. I used UK by Burial on their CD, Untrue (pictured at right).

Poem: Warning
By Jenny Joseph and often know by its first line "when I am an old woman I shall wear purple". Easily found by googling. It is a poem about not being dictated to by the expectations of our society.

Also:

Po
em/Meditation: John
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 46 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Matthew reading.

Drama: John the Baptist Speaks
Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 81 (pictured at right). This drama is based on the Matthew reading.

"Be Prepared" Kit
Found in Messy Church 2 by Lucy Moore, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84101 602 3, page 207 (pictured at left). This is based on the Matthew reading.

Drama: When Two Or More
Found in All Age Sketches for The Christian Year by Peter Shaw, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 10 1 984101 458 3, page 44ff.  This is based on the Romans 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 right). These are based on the Isaiah reading and found under the heading: December 11th.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Advent 1 A (November 27): Waiting/Anticipation/Celebration

 



Bible readings: Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44

About the images:
Upper Left: This is a free microsoft clip art.
Upper Right: This is a free microsoft clip art. The text is the last line of Judyth Hill's poem (see below).
Middle Left: This is my image and is copyright free for use in worship and related activities. The text comes from Judyth Hill's poem (see below).
Middle RightThis image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which is still down at present, however this particular one was free on the site.  
Lower Left: A free image from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left. 
Lower Right: A free image from https://sundaygraphx.blogspot.com

A NOTE OF THANKS:
Well!  Here it is, the start of another church year!  Happy New Year folks and a big thankyou to all of you who visit this page weekly.  It is your visits which keep me sitting down each Sunday arvo to write another post.  Grace and peace, love and laughter to you all.

 
Listening Song: I Wish We'd all Been Ready
By Cliff Richard on his album, Yesterday, Today, Forever (pictured at right) or by dc Talk on the WOW 1998 music collection.

Prayer: Open Our Eyes
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 35 (pictured below left).

Advent Response: Behind the Corridors of Space
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 19. (pictured at left).

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

Film Clip: Are You Smarter Than a Fly 1: Christmas Pudding
This comes from a lovely little site called Max 7. To save you time the exact address for this clip is: http://www.max7.org/resource.aspx?id=0ae2bbb9-a4ba-473d-bef5-476928b6cf3a. The clip is for kids but is equally useful for adults.


Discussion: Are You Smarter Than a Fly 1: Christmas Pudding
Have a go at answering the blowies question: What are you supposed to do when God comes to visit?

Film ClipWhat is Advent Again?
Made by De La Salle - an excellent youtube clip


Drama: Asleep
Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 29 (pictured at right). This drama is based on the Romans reading.

Drama: Waiting
Found in Let 's Make a Scene Too by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 70. This goes really well with the gospel reading.

Story: Unarmed Officers
Index 3894-3899 
from Bible Illustrator for Windows Version 1.0d, Parsons Technology Inc., 1990 or go to http://www.calvaryfullerton.org/Bstudy/45%20Rom/1998/45Rom13d.htm and look at the illustration under Romans 13:12.

Story: Blind Mules
Index 503-506 from Bible Illustrator for Windows Version 1.0d, Parsons Technology Inc., 1990 or go to http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/illustrations-about-mining.asp?Keyword=mining and scroll about half way down the page. This story is also based on Romans 13:12.

Story: St Augustine's Conversion
This story is found on the web everywhere and is a good one to use. The verses he read are said to be Roman 13:11-14.

Story: Evangelism: Presence
Found as story No 56 in Your Point Being? by Graham H. Twelftree, Monarch, 2003, ISBN 1854245929 (pictured at right). This story fits well with the Romans reading.

Poem: Wage Peace
By Judyth Hill. You can find this poem all over the web by googling the title and author. Written in response to 9/11 it fits well with the readings for today. Try putting music 
and pictures behind the words via powerpoint or similar software. Don't necessarily use 9/11 pictures - people are at war in all kinds of ways everywhere. Use pictures conjured up by Paul's words ("quarrels and jealousy") in the Romans reading. I used the music "The Journey Home" by Joan Doan on the CD Celtic Twilight Volume 2 (pictured at left).

Poem: All Earth is Waiting
by Alberto Taule and found in Imaging the Word Volume 2 by Susan A. Blain, Sharon Iverson Glouwens, Catherine O'Callaghan, Grant Spradling (Eds.), United Church Press, 1995, ISBN 0829810331, page 82 (pictured at left). I matched the words with images and music from Incantation by Lorema McKennet on her album, An Ancient Muse.

Response Activity: Pinning Our Hopes on Jesus (i) and (ii)
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 54 and 56 (see picture above).

Response Activity: Advent Angels
I have done this on the first Sunday of Advent at any congregation where I have not done it before; irrespective of the lectionary year. Ask everybody in the congregation to write their name on a small card as they come in the door at the start of the service. Collect these all in a collection plate or whatever. At a given point in the service, explain that everybody is to have an anonymous advent angel who will pray for them for the duration of Advent (and may do other stuff as well such as sending an anonymous note of encouragement - but at the very least they will pray). Send the plate around and ask everyone to take one of the cards - they will become an advent angel to the person on the card they selected. NB Someone always pulls out their own name so make sure that they swap with somebody else or with you. This idea has been around for years but a good description of it can be found in Seasons of Celebrations by Patricia Mathson, Ave Marie Press, 1995, ISBN 0877935661, page 32 (pictured at left).

Response Activity: Complacency

Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, 2010, ISBN 9780949656911, page 12 (pictured at left). This works well with the gospel reading.

Response Activity: Three Doctrines
I printed a quote out from Barnabas (early second century) in large hollow print as follows: "The doctrines of the Lord are three: the hope of life is the beginning and the end of our faith; righteousness is the beginning and end of judgement; and glad and joyful love is the evidence of the works of righteousness." I asked people to sit with the quote and then to colour in the phrase which spoke to them most and which helped them to connect with God. I found the quote in Resources For Preaching and Worship Year A by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild (Eds.) Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN 066422507, page 5.

Also:

Four Advent Mediations:
Found in In this Hour by Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Desbooks, 2001, ISBN 094982433X, page 46ff. 

Poem: The Place of Worship
Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 2003, ISBN 1 84417 041 1, page 62.  This poem is based on the Psalm reading.  

Prayer: Newsprint
Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 17 and based on the Psalm reading.

Prayer/Action: Peace on Earth
Found  in Going Home Another Way by Neil Paynter, Wild Goose Publications, 2008,pages 112 and based on the Isaiah reading. 

Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Christ the King C (November 20): Servant Power




















Bible readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43

About the image:
Upper Left: 
This image comes from www.sundaygraphx.blogspot.com. It makes a great background slide and comes in three languages: english, spanish and portuguese (I think).
Upper Right: I found this image on http://commons.wikimedia.org. It is one of the earliest photos ever taken of lightning. The copyright has expired because it was taken in 1902. As human beings we tend to think we are pretty powerful and can do/build just about anything but compared with nature's power we look a tad insignificant and compared to God's power .....well........

Middle Left: A free image from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left.
Middle Right: A free image from Cerrezo Barredo - see my link column at left.
Lower Left: Another free image from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left.
Lower Right: My image of St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne with words from the Newsboys song He Reigns. 

Kid's Story: I'm the Boss of You

Tell a story - preferably from your own life if you have one (not a life - you all have one of those - a story :) )  where you suffered some sort of bullying as a child or a situation where another child took an unfair advantage of you....an "I'm the boss of you" sort of story. Use this to lead into a discussion of good and bad power and how we recognise and deal with both sorts of power.

Listening Song: Boss Of Me
By They Might Be Giants on their album, Malcolm in the Middle (pictured at left)
. This song relates to the activity above but it is also a good song to introduce a discussion/sermon/whatever on the type of power which necessitates that there is always a winner and a loser. You can compare this sort of power with God's power where everybody ends up a winner.

Listening Song: Thief
By Third Day on their album, Third Day (pictured at right).
 This song gives an interesting take on the Luke 23 reading.

Listening Song: He Reigns
By the Newsboys and found on their album, Adoration (pictured at left), Sparrow Records. This goes well with the Colossians reading.

Film Clip: Ben Hur

The last scene, where Jesus' blood trickles down the cross and mixes with the rain in a puddle, which runs down to a creek, and then to a river and then out to sea, is a good example of the implications of Jesus' death and kingship.


You probably only need the first minute of this clip.

Prayer: Christ the King Prayer

Found in Seasons of Celebration: Prayers, Plays and Projects for the Church Year by Patricia Mathson, Ave Marie Press, 1995, ISBN 0877935661, page 162 (pictured at right).

Responsive Reading: Colossians 1:15-20
Use two versions of this reading - (I used NRSV and Laughing Bird) and have the congregation read it verse by verse, translation by translation, to each other as you would in a normal responsive reading.


Introductory Activity: What Sort of King Was Jesus?
Have as many pictures as you can find of Jesus and pin them up all over the worship space. In one 
church, I pinned them to the end of each pew, at another I put them on the walls and at yet another i spread them out on the floor around the communion table. Ask people to walk all around and look at them all. After a few minutes ask people to stand near the one that they like the most and ask them to talk to anybody else who likes the same picture. depending on the size of your congregation, you may alternatively ask everybody to share why they chose a particular picture.

Word Association Game:
Read out a list of kingly qualities (eg power, justice, ruler etc) and ask people to write the first word that comes into their heads each time. Then read out a list of words describing 
Jesus and his death (eg cross, servant, death etc) and ask people to do the same again. This is a game that will lead well into the anticipated style of King people thought Jesus should have been and what he was actually like.

Drama: Guides for all Occasions
Found in Mega Drama 6 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book Publishers, 2002, ISBN 0859109208, page 13 (pictured at left). This drama is based on Colossians 1:13,14.


Story: Stronger Than Hatred
Found in The New Century Version Youth Bible, Word, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 191 (pictured at right). This is a story about God's power.

Story: Lasting Impact

Found in The New Century Version Youth Bible, Word, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 1054 (pictured at right). This story is based on the Luke 23 reading.

Story: Do Something
Found in Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks Book 4 by Wayne Rice, Zondervan, 2001, ISBN 0310236193, page 45. (pictured at left). This is story about God's power realised in us.

Response Activity: Praying With Icons
Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 58. I adapted this slightly by having numerous and various business size pictures of Jesus available at the start of the service for people to choose from. This meant that everyone for the duration of the service, and not just for this activity, had a small picture to hold on to. It also meant that they could repeat the activity again at home if they wanted to.


Poem and prayer: this king

Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 185 (pictured at left). These are based on the gospel reading.

Prayer Exercise: Praying with Icons
Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 58 (pictured above).  This is based on the Colossians reading.


Also:

Meditation: Confession
Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 46 (pictured at left). This goes well with the gospel reading.

Meditation: Bearing the Cross 1
Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 47 (pictured at left)

Prayer Exercise: A Life of Prayer Requires Discipline
Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 22 (pictured above).  This is based on the Psalm.

Kids: The Way of the Cross 
This is another brilliant book by Andrew McDonough, Lost Sheep Resources, 2018. This goes with the Gospel reading.  The great thing about these books is that they only around $A7 and for a further $A10 (or instead of) you can buy online the story in any format you need to project the pictures in church.  There are also free activity sheets and for a cost activity books for both teachers and children.  Visit www.lostsheep.com.au to check out all the excellent resources.

Hope Beyond Death
Found in Party On Together by Beth Barnett and Dr Keith Dyer, Scripture Union, 2010, page 110. This is based on the Gospel reading. This resource is also available in electronic form through the Baptist Union of Victoria website, www.buv.com.au. where it can be copied freely for non-commercial use. 

New Life in Jesus
Found in Lucy Moore, Messy Church, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 978 1 84101 503 3, page 158ff. This fits with the Luke reading.

Prayer: An Easter Offering
Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 39 and based on the Luke reading.

Prayer: Reminders
Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 47 and based on the Luke reading.