Ecumenical Prayer Calendar

Things to keep in mind this week…

Planning ahead…

Planning

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If you have Internet access, visit www.seasonsonline.ca to access Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and the focus passage.

Liturgical colour: purple or blue

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Revised Common Lectionary (Year B)

Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2017–2018

16

15

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11

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Sunday, December 10 – Saturday, December 16 • 2017

S M T W T F S

1 23 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 23

25 26 27 28 29 30

December 2017

November 2017S M T W T F S

1 2 3 45 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 2526 27 28 29 30

January 2018S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 67 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 31

24/31

Advent 2

Our Lady of Guadalupe

St. LuciaChanukah begins (Judaism)

Isaiah 40:1–11 Psalm 85:1–2, 8–132 Peter 3:8–15aMark 1:1–8

As listed in In God’s Hands: Com-mon Prayer for the World, ed. by Hugh McCullum and Terry Mac-Arthur (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2006).

Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal

52 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2017–2018 Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017

Biblical Background • December 10, 2017Advent, Christmas, Epiphany 2017–2018

God’s Way of Love Lasts Forever

Focus scriptureIsaiah 40:1–11

Additional scripturesPsalm 85:1–2, 8–132 Peter 3:8–15aMark 1:1–8

On this second Sunday of Advent we are chal-lenged, O God, to focus less on ourselves and more on those around us, especially those who are searching for hope and grace in this holy season. Amen.

One of those “scarlet threads” woven in the tapestry of scripture is hesed, that love of God which is constant in times of uncertainty, is eternal even when we are

limited by time and space.

Focus scripture: Isaiah 40:1–11Actors and comedians know the power of the pause. Rather than immediately speaking the next line or joke, they simply stop speaking, waiting for just the right moment to speak again, catching the audience’s full attention with that silence. This is what happens in Isaiah. Chapter 39 speaks of the disaster that is to come, in the form of exile into Babylon, and then there is the pause. Not just a short beat of time, but one which lasts some 160 years. But the pause prepares the people for what God will say next, and it is completely unexpected.

After the pause, God speaks not more words of punishment, but of comfort. The words are no longer negative in tone, but overwhelmingly positive. To a people whose economic, theological, political, military institutions were destroyed, the promise comes that a new infrastructure will be built. God comes leading a massive construction crew to level mountains of fears, to use the rubble to fill in potholes, and to build new paths for folks to travel as they return home.

After the pause, to a people whose hopes have faded, who have heard about their ancestors who lie buried in Babylon’s sands, God speaks a word of promise. Your love, your hopes, your compassion, your justice may seem like grass and flowers that wither under despair’s glare, but my

word for you, my love to you, my justice will never fade, says God. It is as constant as you are human.

After the pause, after all the years of silent prayers and unspoken hopes, God speaks the gospel. The good tidings spoken to them, the good tidings those who are given new voices will now proclaim, will be passed on to succeeding generations. A gospel of hope, of new life, of comfort is proclaimed, after the pause.

Psalm 85:1–2, 8–13 reminds us that this comforting love of our God embraces the other – running up to us, throwing its arms around us, kissing us, even as God’s tears of joy mingle with ours at this grand reunion.

2 Peter 3:8–15a is an affirmation that, like that constant, comforting love, God’s patience never fades. To people living in the exile created by persecution for their faith, the author is emphatic that God is determined to make sure that all people will be brought home, every single one of us.

Mark 1:1–8 is a word spoken after another long pause. Like that unexpected word of comfort which came to the folks in Babylon, John comes in a time of loss, to people who have seen their city, their nation, their institutions overrun by forces beyond their control. John speaks not only of repentance but of forgiveness, another sign of God’s constant love.

• • • • • The readings for this day are reminders of the love of God which is always with us, always for us, whether we find our-selves in the grip of exile or wonder if we should continue the journey to Bethlehem. How do we recipients of this constant love discover ways to share it with those around us?

5353Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2017–2018

Reflection and Focus • December 10, 2017

Adapt and use for youth and adult studies, sermon seeds, lay worship teams.

Reflecting on the WordAdvent, Christmas, Epiphany 2017–2018

Connecting with life The teenager shunned by his friends, the partner who has gone through a divorce, the aging widow whose life is now experienced in a retirement centre – so many have experi-enced exile (the loss of life as we have known it), which comes to each of us at some moment. Reflect on where and when you have experienced exile

■■ Where was faithful love found at such a time?

ScriptureIsaiah 40:1–11 People of privilege may have trouble relat-ing to the notion of exile and being called to new life. But residents of Syria, Somalia, and other places can relate to this reading.

■■ How are we to be involved in the process of making/preparing a way for refugees?

This writer, more a poet than prophet, reminds us (rather vividly) that our lives are finite; yet, God’s presence, God’s love, God’s grace are eternal.

■■ How do we not only talk about but live out, the belief that God’s constant love is for all?

Even with this marvellous intervention by and invitation from God, only a small group of exiled people chose to re-turn to Jerusalem, to the homeland of their ancestors.

■■ Why do you think this is so?■■ Even if we are unhappy with our circumstances, why

is it so difficult for so many of us to get up and leave, even if a new life, location, community will bring a fresh start?

■■ What roadblocks/mountains do we build for ourselves that keep us from following God?

Mark 1:1–8 Compared to the prophet, the call to prepare here seems to be more personal.

■■ Does repentance and forgiveness bring comfort only to the individual, or is there a communal aspect as well?

Connecting scripture and life In some countries, road projects are handed out with the stipulation that they need to last 20 years. If they do not, the contractor is responsible for repairing the roads, without further compensation. In other countries, roads are built, and when they begin to crumble, crack, and fill with holes, new money is paid out, often to the same company who did the original work. One can imagine which residents get the better roads.

■■ While our love is transitory and often needs repairs, God’s love is steadfast and sure, according to the prophet. How can we learn such skills in love?

■■ What obstacles stand in the way of us building bridges rather than walls?

Focus for Worship, Learning, and ServingBy and large, unless we are descended from native peoples, we are all immigrants, we have all come from somewhere else. Maybe our grandparents were displaced by war; maybe our ancestors fled an exile of famine and joblessness, maybe it was a matter of escaping from re-ligious/political/economic oppression. But our families came to places with which they were unfamiliar, having to develop new customs and skills, perhaps even learn a new language.

When they travelled, was the way smooth or rocky; did they experience welcome or rejection; were there neighbours, employers, faith communities, strangers who offered them comfort and hope? Or was their journey so difficult, was the path so hard, was the time

seemingly so short, that they wondered why they ever left that former place?

This week, encourage one another to learn more about the journeys of the ones who came before them. Invite them to imagine the fears, the worries, the doubts, the conversations which might have taken place. Challenge them to put the faces and names of their ancestors to the images and pictures in the media of those who are seeking to find new hope, new comfort, new life, new communities around the world.

On this second Sunday of Advent, when many churches light a candle for peace, how can the simple act of offering comfort to others begin to bring about peace and hope for others?

54 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2017–2018 Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017

Music Suggestions

A chart that shows the licence holder(s) for each song in each of the 9 Seasons of the Spirit Music Volumes can be found at www.seasonsonline.ca. Click on Library; Seasons Music Information. Please contact a licence holder for permission to duplicate.

Worship Outline • December 10, 2017

NOTE: All of these suggestions are mere starting points; adapt, delete, and add according to your local needs.

Prepare

Gather

God’s Way of Love Lasts Forever ❑❑ Recruit volunteers needed for worship: three for the

candle lighting liturgy on p. 12; for moving into the focus scripture, copy the letter “Dear Becca” (in the Ex-tra Resources folder on the Advent, Christmas, Epiphany CD, and in the web version of Seasons FUSION), and place in an envelope. Arrange for someone to come for-ward carrying the letter, open and read it.

❑❑ Choose an option for hearing Isaiah 40:1–11. For the Bible story, arrange for a storyteller to present the story “Comforting Words” on p. 58. For the drama, bring 2–3 metre/6–10 ft length of fabric, and arrange for a reader and two people to perform the actions.

❑❑ Bring items for setting the worship space.❑❑ You might choose to print the art image Mountains Melt

Like Wax on your bulletin covers (in the Images to Project and Print folder on the Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, CD and in the web version of SeasonsFUSION). See also “Connecting with the Art” on p. 4.

❑❑ Bring song such as “May You Find Peace” (Seasons Song-book, vol. 7, #19 on Seasons Music CD, vol. 7. Printed music and recording are also available at Seasons MP3 Down-loads, www.seasonsonline.ca).

❑❑ Set stations as described on pp. 59–60.

Comfort MeMonica O’Brien, Gina Ogilvie; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7

Don’t Be AfraidJohn L. Bell; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7

Comfort, ComfortRobin Mann; Seasons Songbook, vol. 4

God’s with UsPeggy Evans, Reuben Evans-Galeski; Seasons Songbook, vol. 4

Psalm 85:10Donald Schmidt; Seasons Songbook, vol. 4

O Come, O Come, EmmanuelNeale and Henry Sloane Coffin; Seasons Songbook, vol. 1

Come, O Lord, and Set Us FreeJohn L. Bell

Let Us Build a House/All Are WelcomeMarty Haugen

Wait for the LordTaizé/Jacque Berthier

Call to worshipOne: You come to us, alive and present in that Word clothed in human flesh,All: so we might hear those songs about forgiveness, echoing with joy.One: You come to us, Shepherd of God’s people, feeding us with your peace,All: so we might go out and offer the bread of hope to all the lost.One: You come to us, Spirit of comfort, welcoming us into the reign,All: where righteousness is our best friend, where justice lives right next door.One: Come, let us worship God.

Opening prayerOne: While others are making lists of things we have

enough of, you come:All: to offer us salvation, the one gift we cannot

purchase.

One: As the world prepares to entice us with more and more, you come:

All: to fill our hearts with all the hopes you have dreamed for us forever.

One: When skepticism and fear callous our hearts, you come:All: to bathe us in the soothing lotion of compassion.One: When stress scoops out potholes for every step we take, you come:All: filling the emptiness with serenity as tough as your

grace.One: As the clock turns faster and faster each day, you come:All: to swaddle us in a shawl woven with patience.One: When others push past us to get to the front of worry’s line, you come:All: so we can clasp them so close to our hopes they can

hear your heartbeat.One: So come to us, come to us, God in Community, Holy in One, even as we pray, saying,All: (the prayer that Jesus taught).

5555Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2017–2018

Worship Outline • December 10, 2017

Engage

Advent candle lightingIf you are lighting Advent candles, an “Advent Candle Light-ing Liturgy” can be found on p. 12.

Prayer of confessionAll: You call us into a relationship with you, comforting God but we are too busy right now to listen. We flock to the stores run by temptation and seduction, seeking the best prices. We rush to judge everyone around us, but ask you to be more patient with our repeated errors. We feast at the table piled high with broken promises and drink from the cup of fading dreams.

You continue to cry out to us, speaking to us of your love.Forgiveness is the gift for every moment, not just one day; hope is our constant companion as we journey with Jesus the Christ, who is your Messenger of mercy.Silence is kept.

Words of affirmationOne: At the beginning, at the end, and in every time

between, the good news speaks to us of God’s tender mercy and love for us.

All: God comes! Not to punish, but to give us peace, not to judge, but to save us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Opening the wordWhile the psalms have been the foundation for much of the music of the church over the ages, we often don’t notice them. But they reveal new things about God, and God’s actions in our midst. For instance, Psalm 85 invites us to open our eyes to where righteousness (justice) and love are at work, side by side. How often do we notice?

2 Peter 3:8–15 is also a reminder to us that we should prac-tice the spiritual discipline of patience more often, for that is surely what God does with us!

Moving into the focus scripture Copy the letter “Dear Becca” (in the Extra Resources folder on the Advent, Christmas, Epiphany CD, and in the web ver-sion of Seasons FUSION), and place in an envelope. Arrange for someone to come forward carrying the letter, open and read it.

Isaiah 40:1–11 Choose from the following for hearing the focus story.Bible story Have a storyteller present the story “Comforting Words” on page 58. Drama Have two people use the guidelines below to drama- tize as another reads Isaiah 40:1–11.

Verse 1: Person A is wrapped in fabric; person B stands nearby.Verse 2: A unwinds some of the fabric from around her- or himself, and wraps around B. Verse 3: A and B spin out of the fabric, stretch it out and lay it flat on the ground. Verse 4: At “valley” – A and B stand and lift fabric so that it dips between them to touch the ground, they then step back to raise the dip up and level the fabric above the ground. At “mountain” – A and B throw the fabric up (still holding ends) to make an arch, then let the fabric float down flat on the ground. At “rough places” – A and B scrunch the fabric up towards each other, then pull it flat on the ground.A and B crouch/sit until verse 11.Verse 11: A and B stand and float the material over the people if possible, or through the people. This can take what- ever time it needs, even beyond the reading if necessary.

Leave a brief time of silence for the people to stay with the words and actions.

After the focus scriptureInvite children, young people, and all who wish to move to the stations. Others will remain seated for proclaiming the word.

RespondAfter proclaiming the word, you might invite those who have not already done so to move to and around the stations, taking ten minutes or so with a chosen practice.

Sing or listen to a song such as “May You Find Peace” (Seasons Songbook, vol. 7, #19 on Seasons Music CD, vol. 7. Printed music and recording are also available at Seasons MP3 Downloads, www.seasonsonline.ca).

Prayers of the peopleIn the songs of children in the bathtub,in the soothing touch of a nurse,in the gentle words of a teacher,in the caress of a grandmother,in soft falling snow and in beach breezes,you comfort us, approaching God, often in ways we never noticeor we take for granted.

56 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFusion Advent • Christmas • Epiphany 2017–2018 Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017

Worship Outline • December 10, 2017

Bless

Yet, you are always there for us,smoothing our ways,rebuilding our lives, creating communities.And so, in the silence,we give you thanks for such comfort.

Silent prayers may be offered.

We would ask for comfort, God of Advent hope,for those who toss and turn in worry’s bed,for those who wander down the alleys of loneliness,for those who are in exile in grief.We would ask that you clear a way,for all who struggle with addictions,for those fleeing from war and looking for peace,for children who cry from hunger and parents who weep from frustration.

We would ask that you make us sharers of grace,to neighbours with whom we disagree,to people we have hurt and forgotten,to those left by the side of society.

And in the silence, we would pray for those who need your comfort:

Silent prayers may be offered.

All of our prayers, those spoken aloud as well as in silence,are offered in the name of Jesus,the comfort of Advent and all days. Amen.

Prayer of dedicationMay the gifts we offer smooth the way for those who struggle, rebuild the lives of those who have fallen, and bring grace and comfort to all your people, loving God, we pray. Amen.

One: As you are present with us in and through Jesus, O God:

All: may we be present to those you send us to serve this week.

One: As you feed us with your peace, Bread of life:

All: may we grace others with that peace, this day and all the days to come.

One: As you welcomed us to your table, Spirit of hope:All: may we welcome all those you send us, that they

may find a home with us. Amen.

Special Days Commentary

December 12 – Our Lady of GuadalupeArguably the most important celebration on the Mexican calendar, this day marks the date of an apparition of Mary in a village north of Mexico City in 1531. The day is marked with a great fiesta of dancing, singing, arts and crafts, and exotic foods.

December 13 – St. LuciaLucia was born of noble and wealthy parents in Syracuse, Sicily, in 284 CE. Her father died when she was an infant, and her mother, Eutychia, raised her as a Christian. At the time, Roman authorities were trying to re-establish the worship of Roman gods, and Christianity came under scrutiny. Tradition has it that Lucia, as a young Christian woman, was betrothed to a man who was not a believer. Lucia resisted the marriage, and in return for a miracu-lous healing of her mother, she gave away her inherit-ance and dowry to the poor. When her betrothed learned of this, he turned her over to the authorities. She was or-dered to recant her faith but refused, and was killed in 304. Lucia’s name was derived from the Latin word for lux, meaning light. She often is depicted wearing a crown of lighted candles. Because of when her feast day falls, she has been associated with Advent’s theme of light, and her feast day is of major importance in Sweden.

December 13 – Chanukah begins (Judaism)Chanukah is a holiday that cannot be found in the Heb-rew Bible or Tanach. Its scriptural roots are found in the books of I and II Maccabees, which appear in some Chris-tian Bibles in a section called the Apocrypha. These books detail a small group of Jewish zealots who feared that the rest of the Jewish community was too ready to adopt as-pects of Hellenistic culture into their Jewish lives. In turn, these zealots despised ideas that were not purely Jewish. Unfortunately, the Syrian-Greeks who ruled Judea at the time were not satisfied with an integration of the two cultures, but rather preferred an annihilation of the Jewish culture and religion. Led by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Syrian Greeks took over and defiled the Temple in Jerusa-lem. The zealots, known as the Maccabees, fought a guerilla war against Antiochus in 164 BCE, recaptured the Temple, and rededicated it. However, when the Maccabees finally rededicated the Temple they were not in time to observe the festival of Sukkot – which lasts, you guessed it, eight days. Today, Jews light a nine-candled menorah, known as a chanukiah, in observance of these events. (The ninth candle, known as the shamesh or “servant” is used to light the other candles.) Today Chanukah concentrates on the themes of religious freedom; the balance of living as Jews in a domin-ant non-Jewish culture; and even miracles, too.

Rabbi Adam Morris lives in Denver, Colorado, and serves as a consultant to the Seasons of the Spirit editorial team. He also answers questions

posed to “Ask the Rabbi” at www.seasonsonline.ca.