United Church of Christ Advent Readings 2017
In worship we celebrate Epiphany on the Sun earlier Jan 6th . Usually this Sunday is in the early days of January merely in 2017 it was on Dec. 31st , the Sunday right afterward Christmas, and that won't occur over again until 2028. Continue reading Epiphany
During Advent, Christmas and Epiphany our sanctuary has its Appearance candles displayed in front of the altar platform, on a tabular array festooned with greens on a white cloth. Each calendar week a child is chosen to light the new candle as we all pray together.
Many years ago our government minister John Knight made the wood represent the 4 big candles: 3 (penitential) purple and one (joy) pink. On each Sunday a new candle is lit. A split up white candle stands alone as the Christ Candle for Christmas Eve.
1st candle is Promise , recalling God's promise: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope." Now may the God of promise fill yous with all joy and peace in assertive, that y'all may abound in hope by the ability of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 12-13
2d candle is PEACE , proclaiming the prophecy to exist fulfilled: "For unto u.s.a. a child is born, unto u.s.a. a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his proper noun shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Begetter, The Prince of Peace ." Isaiah 9:half dozen
3rd candle is JOY , breaking into our penitential time with the proclamation, "But the angel said to them, "Do not be agape; for behold, I bring you expert news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David in that location has been built-in for yous a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2: x-12
fourth candle of Dear , in the assurance that " … God and then loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish only have everlasting life." John 3:16
CHRIST candle, lit at our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, is white to symbolize the purity of the Savior, who John the Baptist proclaimed, proverb, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"John 1:29
When we come together this 1st Sun of Advent and sing " O Come up, O Come, Emmanuel " we will be participating in a sacred Advent ritual more than than a k years old. It takes us back to monastic life in the 8th- or 9th-century. For the week leading upwardly to Christmas, they would sing a sequence of Latin "O antiphons" (an antiphon is a brusque dirge like a refrain based on scripture). The purpose of these O antiphons was to concentrate the listen on the coming Christmas with a sequence of scriptures. Each day was a different O antiphon, climaxing with this one. Click here for a lovely rendition of the Latin original.
Nonetheless at that place's more to this particular antiphon than only its avant-garde age. Go on reading Upcoming Worship Dec 3, 2017
Advent has another week to get, the week of deepest darkness that comes before the glorious Christmas dawn. The more than we immerse in the spirit of Advent–making time for our spiritual life doing things like reading, praying, getting out in nature, serving people in need–the more than joyous our Christmas can exist. Yet joyous outbursts are part of Advent, too–we felt it last week on Pageant Sunday and we will feel it Christmas Eve in the first one-half of the 6:00 PM service.
Nosotros will begin this Sunday in joy, too, celebrating Christ's nascency past hearing some of the nascency story and singing "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," and "Information technology Came Upon a Midnight Clear." The choir will sing "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and a trio of Betsy Alexander, Bridget Peters and Marcia Tomlinson volition sing "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree." John Atwood will be playing special music involving chimes and a major Bach Prelude and Fugue that is traditionally associated with Christmas. The sermon will reflect on the "Universal, Unconditional, Unstoppable Dear" that nosotros witness in the Christmas story, and that we keep to meet at work in our lives and in the globe today.
Nonetheless like Christmas Eve, we will terminate the service quieting into the silent dark of Advent withal left ahead, singing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and the ancient plainsong benediction ane final time. John's postlude volition be the Ukrainian Bell Carol.
Hither is a Simon Preston recording of the Bach Prelude and Fugue in C Major that John volition be playing:
This Sun will be a glorious mix of high and depression church art, all of it beautiful and moving. The children'south pageant will once over again act out the story equally our Various Musical Traditions Squad sings the Gaither song, "Come and See What'due south Happenin' in the Barn!" We are hoping to have 14 children participate, which is very heady! The aforementioned team volition besides sing the archetype bluegrass Christmas song, "Cute Star of Bethlehem" which has been recorded by anybody from Ralph Stanley to Emmylou Harris and over 4 hundred others.
Organist John Atwood will play the haunting Appalachian carol, "I Wonder As I Wander," to complete the low church art. He will as well play two pieces from the bizarre loftier church art department, both past Johann Pachelbel, One of them volition be a chorale prelude on the tune that the choir will sing as an Intoit, "From Sky unto Earth I Come."
Our congregational hymns will include "O Little Boondocks of Bethlehem," "Joy to the World" (the children will sing it with the choir at the end of the Pageant and the congregation will join in at the end) and "Come up G Long Expected Jesus," equally well as the Benediction hymn ready to the ancient plainchant Advent melody.
We will lite the candle of Joy and read responsively from Psalm 126 and hear Luke 1:39-45 and John 15:nine-11. The sermon title will be taken from the John passage, "So That My Joy May Be in You." We volition reflect on what information technology means to take Christ's joy in u.s. in very applied terms–it is the peak experience, the highest meaning and pleasance in life, and Christ is very articulate that he wants us to experience information technology to the fullest. Why allow anything stand in our way?
To hear two of the pieces of music that will exist in the service, Continue reading Upcoming Service Notes, Dec 11, 2016, Pageant, Joy, tertiary Sunday of Appearance
We light the candle of peace on the Second Sunday of Appearance, and nosotros immerse in the vision of Christ as the Prince of Peace coming to earth. Segmentation, conflict, feet, terror, violence–all seem to be on the increment in our nation and in the globe, and so the Dominicus of Peace has rarely been and then welcome. Nosotros will immerse in its hope and joy and love this Sunday.
The prophets Isaiah and John the Baptist take middle stage (Isaiah's peaceable kingdom vision, 11:ane-10 and John'due south foretelling of Christ in Matthew 3:ane-12), with a supporting office by John the Baptist'due south father, Zechariah with his beautiful Benedictus about the tender mercy of God and the dawn from on high that is coming "to give lite to those who sit down in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our anxiety into the manner of peace." (Luke i:68-79)
For a list and a sampling of the beautiful music, Keep reading Upcoming Service Notes for December 4, 2016, Second Sun of Advent
A Door That Can Be Opened Only from the Exterior
Rev. Thomas Cary Kinder
The Congregational Church building of the United Church building of Christ,
Bradford, Vermont
November 27, 2016 Commencement Sunday of Advent, Sunday of Hope
Isaiah sixty:one-20, Romans thirteen:11-14, Matthew 25:36-44
Atul Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the author of the extraordinary book, Beingness Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. The book shows how at that place can be a disharmonize between what modern medicine says to do and what really matters to a person whose life is nearing the cease.
Ane of the reasons is that our perspective changes when nosotros sense that our time is short. Modern medicine frequently asks the dying to endure isolation or debilitation for the sake of condom or prolonging life by weeks or months, whereas an end-of-life perspective tends to value most the continuation of connection, choosing to focus on dearest and home, family and friends with the precious time it has. Nearing expiry tin can open up united states of america to the spiritual realm more widely. Information technology can spur usa to share our remaining gifts for the good of a world nosotros want to bless before we go. Information technology tin can modify the way we want to live the last stage of our life.
Of grade, the prospect of death tin can also paralyze united states with fear or negativity, but if we take the courage to open up to its truth it can make usa wise. It tin can brand u.s. more than Christ-like and full of light. The world tin wait non more terrifying but more beautiful.
Paul guides us in that positive direction. He writes, "The dark is far gone, the solar day is near. Let the states so lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." He urges united states to wake upwards and come across that our time is short no matter what historic period we are, and to make our focus the spiritual life, non the life driven past our selfish desires.
Jesus says, "About that day and hour no one knows…. Therefore yous…must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
Appearance reminds u.s.a. that something is coming, something bigger than nosotros are, something beyond our command, something that will change our perspective and reorder our priorities of what matters. Go on reading Sermon, November 27, 2016
God Is in the Manger is a book of readings for Appearance and Christmas past the 20th Century pastor and theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a leader of the Christian resistance to the Nazis from the fourth dimension Hitler gained power until he was executed by them shortly before the cease of the war.
Click here for more data on God Is in the Manger from a local bookstore.
Here are some favorite Advent and Christmas and Hanukkah books for children (but nosotros know some adults who read these every year)! They are all beautiful and securely moving. Nosotros have provided Amazon links because of the information that Amazon provides, but we urge you to support a locally owned bookstore.
Click on the title for information:
Favor Johnson: A Christmas Story, by Willem Lange, Illustrated by Bert Dodson
A Christmas Similar Helen'due south by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, illustrated by Mary Azarian
The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
The Story of Holly & Ivy, past Rumer Godden, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, illustrated by P.J. Lynch
The Christmas Menorahs: How a Boondocks Fought Detest by Janice Cohn, Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree past Gloria Houston, pictures by Barbara Cooney
The Night Tree by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Ted Rand
The Gift past Aliana Brodmann, Illustrated past Anthony Carnabuci
Lucy'due south Christmas, by Donald Hall, Illustrated by Michael McCurdy
Here are ii more musical Appearance/Christmas resources. The first is the 2014 service of Lessons and Carols from the Chapel of Male monarch'south Higher, Cambridge, in England. For a real treat that volition enrich the experience greatly you can read the program handed out that evening by clicking here.
The second resources is another John Eliot Gardiner functioning of a masterpiece of J. Southward. Bach, the Christmas Oratorio. This is a long piece–it is actually half-dozen cantatas put together to form the Oratorio. Information technology is well worth listening to in entirety, but you could spread it out over six days of Christmas equally it was originally performed. Below are links that give information and translations.
Click here for a practiced introduction to the Oratorio. Click hither for background details on Bach's Christmas Oratorio Parts I through Six. Below are very useful translations of each Role. (Click on the English-3l.)
Part One: English-3I
Office Two: English language-3I
Office 3: English-3I
Part Four: English-3I
Part Five: English-3I
Part Six: English language-3I
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Source: http://bradforducc.org/category/advent-resources/
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