Christmas Eve A (24th December 2016): Peace on Earth

Note: 

There is an updated 2025 version of this post with more stuff.

Bible Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20

About the Images:
Upper Left: A free microsoft clipart with text from the Bible
Upper Right: Found at http://www.gwpda.org/photos/greatwar.ht It is an actual picture of two soldiers with Christmas trees during the Christmas Truce on the Western Front.
Lower Left: A free clipart with text from the Bible.
Lower Right: This free image comes from www.sundaygraphx.blogspot.com

Call To Worship: This, Tonight, is the Meeting Place
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 83. (pictured below at left).

Listening Song: Christe Elieson
By Michelle Tumes on her album, Centre of My Universe (pictured at left).

Listening Song: Emmanuel
By Michael W. Smith on WOW  Christmas or on his album, Christmas Time (pictured at right).

Listening song: I Still Pray
By Casey Chambers on The Spirit of Christmas 2001 (pictured at left)

Listening Song: Blessed is...
By The Cafe of the Gate of Salvation on their album, A Window in Heaven (pictured at right) 

Reading: The Journey of Jesus
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worsh
ip Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 84 (pictured at left below).

Film Clip: He Came Down



Drama (Monologue): The Shepherd
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 94 (pictured at left).

Story: Two Babies in the Manger
Author unknown but it can be found in many places on the net by googling the title. It is the story of a little orphan boy called Misha and is set in the early 1990's.

Story: The Christmas Truce on the Western Front
The web has lots of pictures and accounts of this amazing truce which occurred on Christmas Eve 1914. Just google the title. Wikapedia is as good a source as any. However if you are really stuck, The Lion Christmas Book by Mary Batchelor (ed.), Lion Publishing, 1986, ISBN 0745912206, has the story on page 69.

Film Clip: Joyeux Noel
This is the film of the above story.

Film Clip; Christmas Truce
This is a documentary of the same story with lots of useful scenes.

Listening Song: Belleau Wood
By Garth Brooks on his album, Sevens (pictured at left). This is a song about the Christmas truce. I turned the sound off the documentary above and played this song as the backing for silent scenes of the soldiers coming out of their trenches to make their peace with each other.

Film Clip: Belleau Wood
This puts original photos, paintings and modern film stills together with Garth Brooks' song.



Story: The Christmas Troll
By Eugene H Peterson and Will Terry, Navpress,2004, ISBN 1576836819 (pictured at right)

Meditation: The People Who Walked
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 24.

Meditation: How Can I Keep from Singing
Show a series of images of the nativity and play How can I Keep from Singing (by Enya on her singles album, Silent Night) in the background.

Responsive Prayer: A Boy Has Been Born For UsFrom Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 114.

Prayer for Others: When The World Was Dark
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 92.

Proclamation: They Have Heard It on the Hills
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 97.

Response Activity: Candle Lighting and Offering at 12 midnight:
Works as follows:
Our offering tonight is for......fill in the blanks but not your own church - someone else instead. Please come forward and place your offering in the bowl provided and take a taper. If you have not brought anything with you, don't worry, just come and take a taper. Form a large circle around the church instead of returning to your seat. (This can be done with just about any number of people). Jesus said "I am the light of the world". (Light the Christ candle, light your taper off the Christ candle and light the tapers of the people on each side of you. Encourage them to light the taper of the person next to them and so on). As Jesus' light travels around the circle, we pray that God's love will be in everyone's hearts tonight and always.

Response Activity: Jesus the Light of the World
At some point in the service (where it fits) ask people to take a tea light, light it and place it around a small wooden feed box (with or with out baby) to represent Jesus as the light of the world. If your service ends at midnight, turn the lights off completely at this point so that only the manger is highlighted.

Also:

Meditation: Quiet Remembering

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 16.

Advent 4 A (18 December 2016): A Life Uncommon/Courage

Note: 
There is an updated 2025 version of this post with more stuff.

Bible Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7,17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25

About the Images:
Upper Left: This is a free microsoft clipart image with a line of text from the song 'Life Uncommon' by Jewel.
Upper right: The Dream of St Joseph by Rembrandt. Public domain. Found at http://www.consciouslivingfoundation.org/photo_gallery.fineart.htm
Lower Left:  This is a free Hermano Leon image.  Please visit their site via my link column at left.
Lower Right: This is a slide from Church Galleries - see my link in the column at left

Kid's Story: An "Ordinary" Christmas?
Found in Fun Group Devotions for Children's Ministry by various authors, Group Publishing 1993 ISBN 1559451610, page 31 (pictured at left). This is based on the Matthew reading.
 
Kid's Time: Jesus' Family Tree
Found in More Hot Illustrations for Youth by Wayne Rice, Zondervan 1995, ISBN 0310207681, page 93 (pictured at right). There are the most amazing and colourful characters in Jesus' family tree and this little story makes the most of them all.  Lots of fun if you get the whole congregation to participate with the kids.

Drama: The Diaries of Joseph and Theodore
Found in Cloth For the Cradle by The Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 68 (pictured at right). This is based on the Matthew reading.

Drama: The Village Gossips
Found in Cloth For the Cradle by The Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 58 (pictured at right). This drama is also based on the Matthew reading.

Discussion:
How would Joseph have felt?
How would Mary have felt?
In what way does Immanuel (God with us) make a difference to you?

Listening Song: Immanuel
By Michael Card on his album, The Final Word.(pictured at right). This goes well with the gospel reading but, as you can tell from the title, it goes well with Christmas in general.

Listening Song: Life Uncommon
By Jewel on her album, Spirit (pictured at left). This goes well with the Christmas story and relates well to those ordinary people, like Mary and Joseph, who did indeed live a life uncommon.

Listening song: So This is Christmas
By John Lennon on his album, Lennon Legend (pictured at right). This song, an oldie but a goodie, challenges us to think about the implications of Christmas.

Story: A Stranger At the Door
Found in More Hot Illustrations for Youth by Wayne Rice, Zondervan 1995, ISBN 0310207681, page 25 (see illustration above right).


Story: Taking a Stand
Found in The New Century Version Youth Bible, Word, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 907 (pictured at left).

Response Activity: Christmas Haiku
Give everyone a small piece of paper or card and a pen or pencil. Give them step by step instructions on how to write a five line haiku as follows: 1. Choose a character from the Christmas story 2. Two feelings your character experienced 3. Three words which describe your character 4. Four or more words to describe something your character did that you admire 5. One word that describes how you would like to be like your chosen character. To conclude, one option is then to collect them all and laminate them and return them - another is to put them all in a photo album and leave the album where everybody has access to it.

Quote: St Hildegard of Bingen
This makes a great benediction/blessing.
Be not lax in celebrating.
Be not lazy in the festive service of God.

And be ablaze with enthusiasm. 

Also:

Taize Service: The Greatest Story Ever Told

Found in Worship Feast by Taize, Abingdon Press, 2004, page 40. This is based on the Matthew reading.

Blue Christmas A (anytime in Advent): For those who find Christmas to be a tough time.

Note: There is an updated 2025 version of this post with more stuff

Bible Readings: Luke 2:1-7, Luke 6:17-23, Psalm 22:1-11, Matthew 11:28-29, Romans 8:35, 38-39

Blue Christmas's are not lectionary based - here below are a few ideas which vary from those I have put up in previous years B and C.

About the images:
Above left: This is a free microsoft clipart image - it connects well with a particular age and gender for whom blue Christmas services are particularly applicable.
Above Right: Taken by Mrs Julia Walker - please feel free to use it for worship and related activities. Grief and loss are experienced by all ages.
Lower Left:  This is a free Heartlight image: see my links column on the left.
Lower Right: This free image comes from www.sundaygraphx.blogspot.com. It makes a great background slide.


Listening Song : Mary Did You Know
By Kathy Mattea on her album Good News (pictured at left) or on WOW Christmas.

Story: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.
By Susan Wojciechowski and P. J. Lynch, Walker Books, 1995, ISBN 0744554020 (pictured at right) . This is a breathtakingly beautiful children's book which speaks to all ages about loss, grief and Christmas.

Advent 3 A (11 December 2016): Healing and Transformation

Note: There is an updated 2025 version of this post with more stuff

Bible Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1;46-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11

About the Images:
Upper left: This is a microsoft free clipart image with text from the Isaiah reading.
Upper right: It never ceases to amaze me how the prickly, brittle and dry Australian bush can be transformed at certain times of the year by the most amazingly beautiful flowers. I took this photo near Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales. It is a drumstick flower which grows on a rather spiky large bush. Feel free to use this photo as you wish.
Lower left: This image comes from the excellent Church Galleries site (see my link in the below left column).
Lower Right:  This is a Microsoft free clipart image onto which I added the words from Luke 1:50.

Listening Song: Flowing Over Me
by Derri Daugherty on Flap Your Wings, Resolve Records, 2000 (pictured at right). This song matches in beautifully with the Isaiah reading.

Kid's Story: The Race
By Christobel Mattingly and Anne Spudvilas, Scholastic, 1995, ISBN 1863882251 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Isaiah reading.

Film Clip: The Mission
Depending on time either show or describe the scene between Father Gabriel and Rodrigo Mendoza in the monastery cell. Then show Mendoza's epic struggle to get to the mission ending when the Indian releases Mendoza's burden (pictured at right). This too fits in well with the Isaiah reading.

Film Clip: An Unexpected Christmas
And if you are doing anything at all about angels, this New Zealand film clip is just brilliant (providing you can translate beforehand  "shipherd" and  "pisant" :)

Litany: Among the Poor
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 31 (pictured at left).

Meditation: The Magnificat
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 45 (pictured at left). This, of course, fits in well with the Luke reading.

Intercession: Pinning Our Hopes on Jesus (i)
From Cloth for the Cradle by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 54-55 (pictured at left).

Response Activity:
Give everyone a green leaf made of cardboard or paper and a pen and have an advent wreath somewhere in your worship space with a pile of nappy (diaper) pins beside it. Explain that God calls us to be part of the healing and transformation of others. Ask: How are we doing that? How can we do this specifically in some practical way this Christmas? Write what you think you can do on the leaf and attach it to the Advent wreath. Pick up a pin and return to your seat and hold it as the above  intercession is prayed. (If you used the pins this last week I would advice against using them this week!)

Advent 2 A (4 December 2016): God's Bigger Picture

Note: There is an updated 2025 version of this post with more stuff

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
Lower 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.
Lower Right: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website. These images are very reasonably priced,  however this particular one is free on the site this week.  Well worth the subscription!!! Visit the website at www.churchgalleries.com.


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

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 power 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:

Poem/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 rea ding

Advent 1 A (27 November 2016): Waiting! Anticipation! Celebration

NB: There is an updated 2025 blog for these readings with more resources. Please find in the archives in the column to the left.

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).
Lower 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).
Lower Right: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which was decimated by hackers last year. At present it is possible to buy these images very cheaply however this particular one is free on the site this week.  Well worth the subscription!!! Visit the website at www.churchgalleries.com.


A NOTEOF THANKS:
Well!  Here it is, the start of another church year!  Happy New Year folks and a big thankyou to all 1500+ 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 Clip: What 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. 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 right).

Response Activity: Complacency
Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, 2010, ISBN 9780949656911, page 12. 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 loveis 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.