Topical Resources: Advent and Christmas
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Resources for Advent and Christmas Leading Worship The Word Is Very Near You : Feasts and Festivals: Reflections on the Lectionary Readings by John Pridmore This title provides commentary and inspiration for preachers by John Pridmore,well-known from his weekly columns in the Church times. Shine On, Star of Bethlehem : A Worship Resource for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany by Geoffrey Duncan Writers from around the world have joined together to produce this replete anthology which offers a wide range of worship resources, from simple prayers to complete service outlines, for the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Christ’s coming into the world is supremely good news and joyful prayers, songs, poems, and readings will enrich our seasonal celebrations. Yet the incarnation profoundly challenges the unjust systems and attitudes that condemn millions to lives of hunger, poverty, disease, and homelessness. Their voices are heard in this anthology too. Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany services by F. Belton Joyner Biblically based sermons, suggested scriptures, children’s times, hymns, and prayers, as well as litanies for lighting the candles in the Advent wreath. Advent services by David George Rogne Ready to use worship and preaching resources for the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Feasting on the Word : a thematic resource for preaching and worship / Advent companion : by Jessica Miller Kelley Provides an all-in-one companion for Advent, offering resources for sermon preparation, along with ready-to-use liturgies. A complete order of service drawing from a Gospel and an Old Testament text is provided for each of the four Sundays in Advent, plus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In addition, hymn suggestions, midweek services, and children’s sermon suggestions make this an invaluable resource for the Advent season. Candles & conifers : resources for All Saints’ and Advent by Ruth Burgess A collection of seasonal resources – prayers, liturgies, poems, reflections, sermons, meditations, stories, and responses, written by Iona Community members, associates, friends, and others. It offers resources for groups and individuals covering the weeks from All Saint’s Day to Christmas Eve. Cloth for the cradle : worship resources and readings for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany by Wild Goose Worship Group A wealth of different types of worship resources: litanies, meditations, monologues, poems, prayers, readings, scripts, and symbolic actions. It’s prime purpose is to allow the adult world to re-discover the stories of Christ’s birth as speaking from and to adult experience, rather than merely gaze from a distance of children re-enacting the Nativity. A dangerous report : challenging sermons for Advent and Easter by J. Harold Ellens This volume is tightly packed with surprising insights one simply does not normally hear from the pulpit, but yet are so obviously implied in the biblical narratives of Christmas and Easter. Dr Ellens has a unique way of cracking open familiar biblical sentences and stories and spilling out an entirely fresh cornucopia of life-changing insights about the radical nature of the good news about God’s grace. Ideas and metaphors from the Bible that we have heard or read so often that they have become routine and cliché suddenly flower with refreshing new meanings and intimations. Dr Ellens’ carefully and cogently expressed biblical interpretation and sermon oratory incarnate God’s truth and bring to lively new vitality a vivid experience of God as the driving force of Divine Spirit in our personal lives and in history. Preaching has seldom been this engaging, powerful, and spiritually empowering. Messy Nativity by Jane Leadbetter How to run your very own Messy Nativity Advent project Messy Christmas by Lucy Moore and Jane Leadbetter Three complete sessions for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, together with a wealth of creative activities and crafts to extend the range of excitingly messy activities for your Messy Church. Season of light and hope : prayers and liturgies for Advent and Christmas by Blair Gilmer Meeks Season of Light and Hope includes original, scripture-based prayers, liturgies, and other worship aids to enrich worship from the First Sunday of Advent through the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord (usually the second Sunday in January.) Following the same pattern as the author’s previous book, Season of Ash and Fire: Prayers and Liturgies for Lent and Easter, this book contains corporate prayers and liturgies for each Sunday in the Advent and Christmas seasons, and prayers and liturgies for other worship celebrations related to Christmas. Advent & Christmas : Complete Worship Outlines for Advent and Christmas by Jennifer Youngman A collection of creative, experiential, multi-sensory worship ideas for Advent and Christmas. Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany : liturgies and prayers for public worship by Brian A. Wren A collection of theologically sound, carefully crafted, and creative worship resources suitable for use in a variety of worship traditions and in congregations of all sizes. Preaching and worshiping in Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany : includes years A, B, and C. by Cynthia Gadsden This helpful one-volume commentary resource provides brief preaching commentaries and prayers for worship for the first Sunday in Advent through Epiphany of the Lord (Years A, B, and C). This book includes: lectionary readings for each Sunday and Holy Day in the season; three sermon briefs for each Sunday in Advent and the Sunday after Christmas; sermon briefs for Christmas, Christmas Eve, and the Day of Epiphany; creative prayers for each Sunday and Holy Day in the season; scripture index; and calendar of First Sundays in Advent, 2005-2015. Advent stories and activities : meeting Jesus through the Jesse tree by Anne E. Neuberger This creative resource offers 24 ancient stories and symbols to mark the days before Christmas. It gives clear directions for creating seven different types of Jesse Trees to accommodate a variety of class and home settings, time constraints, and abilities. Devotional Resources Family fun for Christmas : 30 advent and Christmas activities for families to share by Jane Butcher Family Fun for Christmas will help you to share the meaning of Advent and Christmas with your children in thirty ‘family moments’, to explore faith in the home, and to have lots of fun together in the process! The activities are structured to take the family through the season of Advent to Christmas Day and on into the New Year. Good news of great joy : daily readings for Advent from around the world by Neil Paynter & Peter Millar Reflections for Advent from members, associates and friends of the Iona Community around the world Names for the Messiah : an Advent study by Walter Brueggemann In Isaiah 9:6, a divine utterance is given to us using four royal titles–Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Names for the Messiah ponders each title and how the people understood it then, how Jesus did or did not fulfil the title, and how Christians interpret Jesus as representative of that title. Christians have claimed from the beginning that Jesus was the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. In this study, best-selling author Walter Brueggemann tackles the questions: “What were these expectations?” and “Did Jesus fulfil them?” The uncluttered heart : making room for God during Advent and Christmas by Beth A. Richardson It’s a time when we prepare our lives — hearts, minds and spirits — for the coming of the Christ child. We sweep out the corners of our hearts, cleaning up the clutter, to make space for God’s hope, peace, joy, love and presence. The Uncluttered Heart offers four weeks of guided reflection through the weeks of Advent on through Epiphany. Keep Watch With Me : An Advent Reader for Peacemakers by Claire Brown Keep Watch With Me: An Advent Reader for Peacemakers is a collaborative daily devotional featuring diverse contributors: black, white, LGBTQ, Latinx, Palestinian, incarcerated, Native American, Australian, Americans, Irish, South African, clergy, laity, activists, authors, organisers, and more. The season of Advent, as the church prepares for the birth of Christ, is a penitential season of reckoning with our need and the needs of the world. Keep Watch With Me offers stories, reflections, prayers, and spiritual practices to sustain and challenge the faith of those who work for justice and peace, and long for the coming of God with us. Haphazard by Starlight : A Poem a Day from Advent to Epiphany by Janet Morley Unlike Lent, Advent is celebrated when the year is becoming darker and colder, moving into the death and dormancy of winter. Before we can greet the coming of the light, we need to engage with some themes that are challenging and occasionally fearful. Unto Us a Child Is Born : Isaiah, Advent, and Our Jewish Neighbors by Tyler D. Mayfield Book Annotation Walking backwards to Christmas by Stephen Cottrell This unique Advent devotional starts at the end of the story, with Jesus’ presentation to Anna and Simeon at the Temple, and moves backwards through Herod’s slaughter of the innocents, the wise men’s visit, Jesus’ birth in a stable, Mary’s pregnancy, and finally to the much-earlier hopes and dreams of Isaiah and Moses. Advent in Narnia : reflections for the season by Heidi Haverkamp Collects twenty-eight Advent devotions featuring scriptural passages, questions for reflection, and excerpts from C.S. Lewis’s “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Faithful : Christmas through the eyes of Joseph by Adam Hamilton Examines the role of Joseph, earthly father of Jesus Christ, in the Nativity story and beyond, exploring the lessons that his story has for Christians in humility and drawing strength from complete obedience to God Advent for everyone : a journey with the apostles by N. T. Wright Join Tom Wright on a journey with the Apostles, exploring the New Testament themes of thankfulness, patience, humility, and joy. Within each of these themes, Wright offers a week of daily readings and meditations, beginning with the Sunday reading in the Revised Common Lectionary and ending with stimulating questions for personal reflection or group discussion. Names for Jesus : Reflections for Advent and Christmas by Mark G. Boyer There are multiple names given to Jesus in the Bible. Fifty of them are presented in this book, Names for Jesus. In the ancient world, a name had a meaning; in this book’s entries one can discover the meaning of a name for Jesus, which often indicates one of his functions as understood by a biblical author. Often, both religious and spiritual people look for some reading material that will guide them through the Advent and Christmas seasons. Here is an ecumenical approach; this book is general enough for any Christian. Each of the entries consists of five parts: 1) the name; 2) a short quotation from Scripture, which contains the name given in the title; 3) a reflection exploring the meaning of the name; 4) a journal/meditation section to help the reader make connections between the reflection and his or her own life; and 5) a short prayer. Anyone can finish the spiritual journey of Advent and Christmas enriched for having spent time with Names for Jesus. Mandalas, Candles, and Prayer : A Simply Centered Advent by Sharon Seyfarth Garner Slow down, simplify, and add a burst of colour to your Advent. The spiritual practice of colouring mandalas (circular designs), lighting candles, and praying regularly can help us stay centred on God during this busy time of year. Based on the 4 candles of the Advent wreath, this colouring book for adults weaves together the popular practice of colouring with 4 simple methods of contemplative prayer. This is more than just a colouring book for adults–it is also a visual prayer journal. Each chapter includes a short vignette, an explanation of the weekly theme and prayer method, a simple candle-lighting liturgy, 7 mandalas for each week of contemplative colouring, and a closing prayer of illumination. Let the candles light the way and calm your spirit. Colour and pray. And you will experience the most meaningful gift of all–a peace that passes all understanding as you journey prayerfully toward the manger. O’er All the Weary World : Stories for Advent and Christmas by Sarah M. Foulger O’er All the Weary World is a lively collection of short stories for the Christmas season. These thought-provoking and resonant stories recount moments of enlightenment, incarnation, decision, and revelation–moments to which all human beings, by the grace of God, have access. With one exception, the stories are related to traditional Scripture lessons found in the common lectionery during the season of Advent. Each story may be used for contemplative reading, family storytelling, adult study groups, and in the worship setting. The Meaning Is In The Waiting by Paula Gooder Paula Gooder provides a profoundly biblical guide to the season of Advent – exploring its central theme of waiting in the company of the biblical characters who feature prominently in the lectionary readings for the season. Expecting the unexpected : an Advent devotional guide by Blair Gilmer Meeks HAVE AN UNEXPECTED ADVENT Engage your members with an Advent devotional resource different from any other they have seen. Expecting the Unexpected offers far more than a typical re-telling of the Nativity story. Instead, this daily devotional guide presents snapshots from throughout Jesus’ life in which he persistently does the unexpected. His arrival came at an unexpected time for Mary & Joseph, and it began a lifetime pattern in which Jesus confounded his family, perplexed the religious leaders of his day, and baffled his own disciples. His followers did not expect his death & resurrection…and, his second coming will occur at an unexpected time. For each day of Advent, this book offers reflections on: ___ Instances when Jesus did the unexpected ___ Instances when we personally encounter the unexpected in our own lives These daily devotions are presented in five chapters, for the 4 weeks of Advent, plus the week after Christmas. Keeping Advent & Christmas : Discovering the Rhythms and Riches of the Christian Seasons by Leigh Hatts Keeping Advent and Christmas is a day-by-day guide to keeping and understanding the Christian seasons of Advent and Christmas, from ‘Stir Up Sunday’, through the traditions of Christmas and on to the festival of Candlemas on February 2. Songs for the waiting : devotions inspired by the hymns of Advent by Magrey R DeVega Despite the presence of many beautiful Advent songs in many of our hymnals, most of us would prefer to skip right to singing our favorite Christmas carols. But in our rush to get to the joy of Christmas, we forget what Advent is all about-watching and waiting for the coming of a promised king. It is not about shopping, partying, gift wrapping, and vacationing. It is about resting, trusting, praying, and seeking. Through the words of moving Advent hymns and the powerful words of Scripture, Songs for the Waiting will help readers reclaim a sense of the beautiful anticipation and preparation that is central to Advent. Song titles include: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; Prepare the Way of the Lord; I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light; Hail to the Lord’s Anointed; People, Look East; Come, Thou Almighty King; Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus; Toda la Tierra; Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming; To a Maid Engaged to Joseph; and Silent Night. (Publisher) Faces by the wayside : persons who encountered Jesus on the road : a month of daily meditations for Advent, Lent, and other seasons of the soul by J. Barrie Shepherd “If I could only have been there . . .” Did you ever wish you could have been among those who actually encountered Jesus in person; mingled, perhaps, with those throngs beside the lake; feasted among the five thousand in a Galilean meadow; crowded along the village street as the carpenter from Nazareth passed by? This month of daily meditations seeks to accomplish just that; to place readers in the ways that Jesus walked; to assist those who pray or meditate their way across this thirty-day selection to experience the many moments of Jesus’s ministry as narrated in the gospels, through the eyes and minds, the hearts and emotions of folk-ordinary folk for the most part- whose lives were touched and transformed as Jesus walked their way. For Lent, or Advent, or for any season of spiritual renewal, Faces by the Wayside can set you once again in the presence of the Master Inside the Christmas Story : Reflections for Advent by Anthony Bash If you are troubled by the loss of ‘Christ’ in ‘Christmas’; and by the noise, pressure and materialism of secular Advent with its emphasis on material and commercial rather than spiritual preparation for Christmas, this book will help you to read and think about Advent and Christmas in a new way. Co-authored by a New Testament specialist and a practising clinical psychologist, it explores the familiar narratives from the Christmas story with freshness and vigour, and draws out their implications for day-to-day living. The Christmas story is full of themes that we often avoid in churches – asylum seekers and refugees; death; loss and suffering; old age; childlessness – but they can give a new depth and meaning to our Christmas celebrations. Christmas will not seem the same. Blue Christmas : Devotions of Light in a Season of Darkness by Todd Outcalt The Advent and Christmas season is often associated with joy, love, generosity, and unity. But for many people, this time of year magnifies loneliness, anxiety, grief, and despair. While others are enjoying celebrations with their friends and families, those who are hurting often feel even more lost, abandoned, and alone than ever. “Not all Christmases are white; some are blue,” Todd Outcalt writes. Blue Christmas is a devotional book for the 28 days of Advent and Christmas Day. Each devotion includes a scripture selection, meditation, prayer, and suggested Advent action. The book also features additional prayers, a “Blue Christmas” worship service, and reflection questions. In these honest devotions, readers will find their fears and realities named and brought into the light of God’s love. They will be led to sit with their experiences, acknowledge their losses, and remember Jesus’ promise “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Blue Christmas reminds us that all of our Christmases, even the darkest ones, can be filled with honesty and hope if we are first willing to sit in silence and bring our deepest fears to God. All earth is waiting : devotions for the season by Katie Z. Dawson The good news of Jesus Christ is good news for all the world – even plants, animals, and the earth itself. All Earth is Waiting invites you to explore the familiar Advent themes of hope, preparation, joy and peace with the reconciliation of the heavens and the earth in mind. In days to come : from Advent to Epiphany by George Hovaness Donigian Lingering in the seasons of Advent and Christmas can deepen our sense of awe and wonder. In Days to Come takes us from Advent through the twelve days of Christmas and on to Epiphany. Prepare the way : cultivating a heart for God in Advent by Pamela C Hawkins During Advent, even as we repeatedly ear the words “prepare the way”, we often get sidetracked. We allow Advent to slip away before we have prepared our hearts to welcome the Christ child into our lives once again. Simply wait : cultivating stillness in the season of Advent by Pamela C. Hawkins Pam Hawkins invites you to be still this Advent. She offers four words for your reflection: Anticipation, Hope, Patience, Obedience. Daily meditation on scripture, prayer, and space for journaling will lead to your own encounter with Advent’s message – whether individually or in a small group. A guide for groups is included. Waiting on the Word : A Poem a Day for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany by Malcolm Guite For every day from Advent Sunday to Christmas Day and beyond, the bestselling poet Malcolm Guite chooses a favourite poem from across the Christian spiritual and English literary traditions and offers incisive seasonal reflections on it. Watching and Waiting : A Guide to the Celebration of Advent by Kenneth W. Stevenson Churches are constantly looking for ways to enrich their seasonal celebrations. Of all the seasons, Advent is the least understood, the least studied. This work draws on biblical, historical and liturgical evidence to show how the churches have understood and kept Advent down the centuries. It also acts as a theological resource for clergy. Advent for everyone : a journey with the apostles by N. T. Wright Join Tom Wright on a journey with the Apostles, exploring the New Testament themes of thankfulness, patience, humility, and joy. Within each of these themes, Wright offers a week of daily readings and meditations, beginning with the Sunday reading in the Revised Common Lectionary and ending with stimulating questions for personal reflection or group discussion. Hear my cry : a daily prayer book for Advent by Ruth Burgess Used as a prayer journal, this prayer book takes its inspiration from the Advent antiphons – a group of prayers that reflect on the character and activities of God. It includes a Bible verse, an Advent cry and suggestions for prayer. Advent readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock & Jan Sutch Pickard The residents of the Iona Community, on the Isle of Iona, Scotland, wrote this book of readings for Advent to share with folk, a sharing of a way of life. They hoped that this little book would encourage others in their Advent journey. Daysprings : meditations for the weekdays of Advent, Lent, and Easter by Sam Anthony Portaro Book Annotation Hope was heard singing : resources for Advent by Sally Foster-Fulton Advent is close, expectation is holding its breath. The angels hover high above. Come, begin your journey – Hope Was Heard Singing can be used as part of a daily discipline for Advent, or as a book to dip into. It is a collection for personal reflection, and a rich resource, from an original voice, for congregations and small groups searching for material relevant to the 21st century. Children’s Story Books Behind the scenes Christmas by Su Box Recounts the Bible stories that relate to the birth of Jesus, along with questions and answers that explain people, places, and concepts noted in the stories Goodnight, manger by Laura Sassi Mama, Papa, and all the animals in the manger try to lull baby Jesus to sleep, but between the itchy hay, the angels singing, and three kings bearing gifts, it is too noisy, until Mama figures out a way they can all help Manger by Lee Bennett Hopkins A collection of poems inspired by the legend that animals receive the power of speech for one hour on Christmas Eve imagines the many responses that would come from a diverse group of animals who ultimately join together to celebrate the Nativity miracle. This is the stable by Cynthia Cotten Celebrate the miraculous night of the birth of Christ in the manger as the shepherds, wise men, angels, and animals flock to Bethlehem to witness his arrival. Behind the scenes Christmas by Su Box Recounts the Bible stories that relate to the birth of Jesus, along with questions and answers that explain people, places, and concepts noted in the stories The Nativity by Julie Vivas Illustrates the story of the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the wise men and shepherds at the manger. Wombat divine by Mem Fox The Wombat loves everything about Christmas and has always wanted to play a part in the Nativity play, but when he tries out, all the parts go fast, and he wonders if there will be one left for him. Through the animals’ eyes : a story of the first Christmas by Christopher Wormell The story of Jesus’ birth is retold and highlighted with colorful wood-block illustrations often showing animals, whose significance is explained in a glossary Mouse tales–things hoped for : Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany by Ruth L. Boling A congregation of mice works together to prepare their church and their hearts for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, and welcomes a new family into the fold Tari’s First Christmas by Mary Diestel-Fedd “I’ve heard of Christmas carols and trees And yummy dinners with families, And even though they sound like fun, I don’t know why these things are done.” Among all the usual traditions of Christmas down under, Tari, a young kangaroo, learns the true meaning of Christmas. Mary’s song by Lee Bennett Hopkins In the stillness of a Bethlehem stable, after the shepherds and animals leave, Mary sings a lullaby to her newborn son, enjoying the wonder and awe of his birth and pondering what his life will bring. Room for a little one : a Christmas tale by Martin Waddell In the stable next to the inn, Kind Ox, Old Dog, Stray Cat, and Small Mouse are happy to have shelter from the cold night’s air and happily welcome Old Donkey and his passengers, Mary and Joseph, when they ask to join them, in a beautiful retelling of the miraculous birth of Jesus in the manger. Billabong Bill’s bushfire Christmas by Kelly Gardiner & Jobi Murphy Billabong Bill has nowhere to go for Christmas lunch – how sad! But when a fire breaks out the whole community comes together to put it out and to celebrate Christmas in true Aussie style. Camden Theological Library Centre for Ministry 16 Masons Drive North Parramata NSW 2151 61 2 8838 8940 http://www.library.nsw.uca.org.au/ |
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