Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11, Psalm 126 or Luke 1:47-55, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, John 1:6-8,19-28.
About the images:
Upper Left: Such a joy filled little face! My image - please feel free to use for worship and related activities
Upper Right: From www.wordle.net
Middle Left: A free image from the excellent Heartlight site - see my link column at left.
Middle Right: My image - please feel free to use for worship and related activities
Lower Left: This is my image of Hezekiah’s tunnel from 2 Kings 20:20. A bus load of tourists with every light and torch imaginable went through ahead of us and then my husband and I went through. We had forgotten about a light and managed to buy a 20 cent torch shaped like a tiny green plastic turtle. It was all we had against the dark. One feels so vulnerable in the dark. We can lose our sense of direction. At Christmas Johns gospel reminds us that Jesus is the light which dispels all the dark.
Lower right: Photo by Justin Young on Unsplash
Call to worship: Streamers
Have lots of 60cm (2') pieces of very brightly coloured streamer and safety pins at the door as people arrive. Ask them to take a pin and to choose two different coloured streamers to take into church with them. During the start of the service ask people to think of something that gives them great joy. On your count, tell them to shout out their reason for joy and wave their streamers about. Do it a couple of times to get everyone in the mood. After praying, thanking God for all the reasons for joy which we have, encourage people to pin their streamers on to their clothing somewhere as a reminder of the joy that God gives each one of us.
Thought starter: The Blues
20% of teenagers feel emotionally empty
20% feel confused most of the time
61% feel extremely sad or depressed at least ten times during their teenage years
60% admit they worry a lot about all sorts of things: poor school results, death, accident etc.
30% experience moderate to severe depression
(can't remember where I got these stats from other than scribbled on a scrap of paper - if anyone knows, please let us all know via the comment section below this post).
Listening Song: Psalm 126: Men Who Dream
By Sons of Korah on their album, Redemption Songs (pictured at left). I have a little talk before playing this about how this is a literal translation and I slot it into its cultural context so that I can emphasise that women have every right to dream too.
Story: Corrie Ten Boom and Thankfulness
Found at http://www.tagnet.org/clarkston/Illustrations4.htm. Put the word "Corrrie" into your Find to save some time - the page (not the story) is very long. This story fits well with the Thessalonians reading.
Quote: Alaskan Road Sign (and could easily be Australian too)
"Choose your rut carefully, you'll be in it for the next two hundred miles". This matches up with the Thessalonians verses about discernment.
Adult Input: Based on the Thessalonians Reading
Label four corners of the worship space "Prayer", "Thankfulness", "Listening to the Spirit" and "Discernment". Ask people to move to the corner that interests them the most and then give everyone the same question to talk about:
How do we put this into practice so that we can dare to rejoice - even in the hard times?
Response Activity: Isaiah reading
Read together Isaiah 61:1-3a (projected) but substitute the personal pronouns (I and/or me depending on your translation) with a space. Encourage people to fill the space with their own names as they read and to use the reading as a personal challenge with respect to their ministry.
20% of teenagers feel emotionally empty
20% feel confused most of the time
61% feel extremely sad or depressed at least ten times during their teenage years
60% admit they worry a lot about all sorts of things: poor school results, death, accident etc.
30% experience moderate to severe depression
(can't remember where I got these stats from other than scribbled on a scrap of paper - if anyone knows, please let us all know via the comment section below this post).
By Sons of Korah on their album, Redemption Songs (pictured at left). I have a little talk before playing this about how this is a literal translation and I slot it into its cultural context so that I can emphasise that women have every right to dream too.
Story: Corrie Ten Boom and Thankfulness
Found at http://www.tagnet.org/clarkston/Illustrations4.htm. Put the word "Corrrie" into your Find to save some time - the page (not the story) is very long. This story fits well with the Thessalonians reading.
Quote: Alaskan Road Sign (and could easily be Australian too)
"Choose your rut carefully, you'll be in it for the next two hundred miles". This matches up with the Thessalonians verses about discernment.
Adult Input: Based on the Thessalonians Reading
Label four corners of the worship space "Prayer", "Thankfulness", "Listening to the Spirit" and "Discernment". Ask people to move to the corner that interests them the most and then give everyone the same question to talk about:
How do we put this into practice so that we can dare to rejoice - even in the hard times?
Response Activity: Isaiah reading
Read together Isaiah 61:1-3a (projected) but substitute the personal pronouns (I and/or me depending on your translation) with a space. Encourage people to fill the space with their own names as they read and to use the reading as a personal challenge with respect to their ministry.
Prayers: Based on the Isaiah Reading
From Advent, Christmas and Epiphany by Brian Wren, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, ISBN 978066423309, page 60 (pictured at right).
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 6th.
Also:
Prayer of
Confession: Based on the PsalmBy Channice E Charles and found in Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship by Marin C and Maria I Tirabassi (Eds), The Pilgrim Press, 2007, ISBN 9780829817508, pages 126 (pictured at left).
Response Activity: Bearing Witness
Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 67 (pictured at left). These are based on the gospel reading.
Lots of Useful Stuff
Found in The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual 2014 by Jenee Woodard (Ed.), Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2013, page 259ff (pictured at right).
Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 80 (pictured at left). This goes well with the gospel reading.
Taize Service: Sing Out My Soul
Found in Worship Feast by Taize, Abingdon Press, 2004, page 32 (pictured at right). This is based on the Luke reading.
For Children and Families: God is True
Found in Rewind by Beth Barnett, SUVictoria, 2011, ISBN987098710035, navigate from page 5 (pictured at left). This is based on the gospel reading.
For Children and Families: God is Knowable
Found in Rewind by Beth Barnett, SUVictoria, 2011, ISBN987098710035, navigate from page 5 (pictured at left). This is based on the gospel reading.
Drama: Guess who's Coming To Christmas Dinner
Beautiful Illustrations of John's Gospel connected to the Australian Outback
Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 79 (pictured at right). This is based on the John reading.
Found in The Gospel According to John Illuminated by Fiona Pfennigwerth, Tien Wah Press, Singapore, 2013, ISBN 9780646912462, page 4 (pictured at left).
Complete Service: Service for a Battered Woman
Found in In this Hour by Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Desbooks, 2001, ISBN 094982433X, page 37ff.
Service Starter: Running Thread
Based on the Isaiah reading, this is found in The All-Age Service Annual Volume 4, published by Scripture Union, 2010, ISBN 9781844275199, page 12 (pictured at right).
Mediation: Disciples of Christ
Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 76ff (pictured at right). This is based on the Luke reading.
Drama: In For A Penny
Found in All Age Sketches for The Christian Year by Peter Shaw, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 10 1 984101 458 3, page 104ff. This is based on the Isaiah reading.
Prayer: Prisoners
Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 48 and based on the Isaiah reading.
Prayer: Using Candles
Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 18 and based on the Isaiah reading.
Prayer: Reviewing the Day
Found in Multi-Sensory Prayer by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2001, ISBN 1859994652, page 35 and based on the 1 Thessalonians reading.
Musical Response Following Psalm 126
By Channice E. Charles 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 126. Based on the Psalm reading.
Reflection and Prayer:
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured above left). These are based on the John reading and found under the heading: December 12th.
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured above left). These are based on the John reading and found under the heading: December 12th.
Reflection and Prayer:
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured above left). These are based on the 1 Thessalonians reading and found under the heading: December 17th.
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured above left). These are based on the 1 Thessalonians reading and found under the heading: December 17th.
Prayer/Action: Thank you
Found in Going Home Another Way by Neil Paynter, Wild Goose Publications, 2008,pages 128 and based on the 1 Thessalonians reading.
Benediction
By Rochelle A Stackhouse 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 208. Based on the Isaiah reading.
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