Month: December 2018

Christmas Eve Worship Words

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On Christmas Eve, my Dad and I are leading worship together. Here is the liturgy I wrote for the service, plus a call to worship using words from Isaiah. Dad is working on his sermon about the shepherds, and I am thinking about what I will say to the children about the Advent wreath and lighting the Christ candle. One of the joys of my Christmas will be leading worship with my Dad. 

Call to Worship (Isaiah 9: 2-3, 6-7 from the NRSV)

One: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

ALL: Those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.

One: You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy.

ALL: They rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 

One: For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders.

ALL: He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

One: His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.

ALL: He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Opening Prayer

On this silent and holy night, we gather here to remember the real reason for this season, Jesus our Savior, who was born this night. We pause to remember, give thanks, hear the old story, and sing the familiar songs. In our traditions and rituals, be revealed to us anew tonight, Jesus. Like the shepherds, we are awake and watching for the angels to direct us in the right path. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Giver of All Good Gifts, We thank you tonight for the greatest gift of all, Jesus. And so we give joyfully knowing that all we have is a gift from you and you have entrusted us to use what we have wisely. So take what we have given, multiply it, and use for your good work in the world. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (After Communion)

On this most holy night, we thank you, Gracious God, for welcoming us at your table. May the welcome we received here inspire us to welcome others and to share your love with all we meet. Strengthen us to welcome the Christ Child into our hearts and our homes and our lives this night. May the light which shines brightly tonight live on in our hearts as we seek to be followers of the star. Amen.

An Advent Prayer (for the days when you aren’t feeling it)

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I am not putting my Christmas tree up this year. I hung up lights outside that were shining brightly each night. Recently, they stopped working and while I could climb on a ladder and attempt to fix the problem…I am not. I am not protesting Advent or Christmas. I love both seasons. Instead, I am not doing what other people say I must do simply because other people think I should.

 I am celebrating this season in a way that feels meaningful to me this year. I am lighting my Advent candles and singing along to carols. I am taking time to breathe deeply and slowly down amidst all the hurrying I encounter. I am praying and holding times of silence. I am sitting with others who don’t feel like celebrating in expected ways this year. 

My hope for you is that you mark this season in way that feels authentic for you. I pray that you find peace, joy, and love this season too.

Loving God, You know us and you love us. Be with us this Advent. Draw us near to you as we smile and laugh or as we cry and scream. Wherever we find ourselves this Advent season, you are there. Whether our celebrations are the same as every year or if there is someone or something missing this year, please accept the best of ourselves that we offer to your service. Be gentle with us, Gracious God, and remind us to be gentle with ourselves. In the holy name of the one about to be born to us anew, we pray. Amen. 

The End of Your Life Book Club-Book Review

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The End of Your Life Book Club

Will Schwalbe

Here are a few things you should know about me as you read this review.

1-My Mom and I love to read!

2-My Mom has cancer.

This book was shared with me by a friend who first asked how my Mom is doing as this isn’t a book you recommend to most people who are actively grieving (anticipatory or otherwise). When she heard that my Mom was doing well through her treatments, she encouraged me to read this book.

This is the story of a mother and son making good use of their time waiting in doctor’s offices by discussing books they have read. Their book club is how they share their stories with each other and how they support each other. This is a story of grief, family, hope, kindness, and faith.

From the title and the beginning of the book, the readers know Mary Anne (the mother) is going to die. Even knowing that in advance did not diminish the tears I cried at the end of the book. Each chapter features a book (or books) they read together. This book increased my “to read” list as they shared snippets from books always enough to intrigue the reader and not enough to give it all away.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves to read and loves discussing books with others. This book is great for people who want a glimpse into how others cope with death, dying, and grief. And you should read this book if you enjoy smart, funny, and sad books.

“No one in the family has ever really gotten over Bob’s death. We talk of him daily, recounting stories and imagining what his reactions would be to new books and recent events. He remains for my family the perfect model of how you can be gone but ever present in the lives of people who loved you, in the same way that your favorite books stay with you for your entire life. When I talked with Mom about Bob, I wondered if I would be able to talk about her the same way when she was no longer here” (57).

“Were you sad to leave Cambridge?” I asked her.

She was, she said. Very sad. But she was also looking forward to being back in New York. “The world is very complicated,” she added. “You don’t have to have one emotion at a time” (88).

“I realized then that for all of us, part of the process of Mom’s dying was mourning not just her death but also the death of our dreams of things to come. You don’t really lose the person who has been; you have all those memories” (128).

“I was learning that when you’re with someone who is dying, you may need to celebrate the past, live the present, and mourn the future all at the same time” (130).

“And then something occurred to me. “You know the thing about our book club is that we’ve really been in it all our lives.

Mom agreed but pointed out that she’d been doing the same thing with others too–talking about books with my sister and brother and some of her friends. “I guess we’re all in it together,” she said. And I couldn’t help but smile at the other meaning of the phrase. We’re all in the end-of-our-life book club, whether we acknowledge it or not; each book we read may well be the last, each conversation the final one” (281).

A Tea-Filled Advent

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Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the church year. Over the years I have observed the season in many different ways. I have written Advent Hopeful, Peaceful, Joyful, Loving, and Christmas Eve Benedictions and Words of hope, peace, joy, and love. I have shared Advent Prayer Stations and Advent Candle Lighting Rituals featuring hope, peace, joy , love, and Christmas.

This year I am enjoying a tea of the day calendar.

I found my tea calendar at Uncommon Goods.

And so far, I have enjoyed the first tea. A fun, fruity green tea was a great start to the season.

So however you are observing the season of Advent, my prayer for you is that you will find the hope, peace, joy, and love of this season in your life. Blessings to each of you this Advent!