Living Life with Faith: 2011

Friday, December 16, 2011

X is for eXalting...Christmas Day

X is for Exalting...Jesus is born!

Psalm 40:16

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!”

Blessings
Sarah

W is for WISE MEN...Christmas Eve

Adoration of the Magi by Andrea Mantegna

W is for Wise men...

who brought Jesus his first gifts.

Matthew 2:11

When the wise men saw Jesus they bowed down to worship him and gave him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.

Blessings

Sarah

V is for VIRGIN Mary


Red and Black Madonaa by Vanessa Leonowicz

V is for the Virgin Mary...God’s servant.

Luke 1: 26-28

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Blessings

Sarah

U is for UNIVERSE

U is for Universe...

God’s magnificent creation.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

T is for TREES

Christmas Tree by Carol Robinson

T is for Tree...pointing toward heaven.

Matthew 12:33

...for a tree is recognized by its fruit

Blessings

Sarah

S is for SHEPHERDS

S is for Shepherds...

watching over their flock.

Luke 2:15

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Blessings

Sarah

R is for REJOICING

R is for Rejoicing...Jesus is born!

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Blessings

Sarah

Q is for QUIET TIME

Q is for Quiet time...

listening to God’s voice.

Psalm 66:19

..but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

Blessings

Sarah

Advent Wreath Lighting Liturgy for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Reader 1

On the first Sunday of Advent we lit the “prophet” candle on our Advent wreath to remind us of the hope we have in Christ.

Light the first candle – (the prophet candle or candle of hope) – at 9 o’clock on the wreath)

On the Second Sunday of Advent we lit the Bethlehem candle to remind us of the gift of peace.

Light the second candle – (the Bethlehem candle or candle of peace) – at 6 o’clock on the wreath.

On the third Sunday of Advent we lit the shepherds’ candle to remind us that our joy is in God and in his son Jesus Christ.

Light the third candle, the pink one – (the shepherds’ candle or the candle of joy) - at 3 o’clock on the wreath.

Reader 2

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of love. It is sometimes called the angels’ candle to remind us of the angels who heralded the birth of the Savior who loves us.

1 John 4:9-11 says: ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Reader 3

We light this candle today to thank God for the loving sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who came into the world in love, to give his life for all of us.

Light the fourth candle – (the angels’ candle or the candle of love) – at 12 o’clock on the wreath.

Pray together...

O God of Love, Immanuel: thank you for the precious gift of your Son Jesus. Fill our hearts with his compassion and mercy, that we may know the power of His forgiveness in our own lives and show forth His love to the world around us. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

P is for PEACE

P is for Peace...on earth.

Romans 12:18

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Blessings

Sarah

O is for ORNAMENTS

O is for Ornaments...decorating our lives.

Isaiah 49:18

…As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.

Blessings

Sarah

N is for NAME

N is for Name...Jesus!

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Blessings

Sarah

M is for MANGER

M is for Manger...
holding baby Jesus in the stable.

Luke 2:12

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

L is for LAMB

Lamb of God
Vatican Embassy in Sofia Bulgaria

L is for Lamb...of God.

John 1:29

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

Blessings

Sarah

K is for KING

K is for King...Jesus is the King of kings.

Luke 19:38

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessings

Sarah

J is for JOY

J is for Joy...anticipating
the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Luke 2:10

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Blessings

Sarah

Advent Wreath Lighting Liturgy for the Third Sunday of Advent

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Reader 1

On the first Sunday of Advent we lit the prophet candle on our Advent wreath to remind us of the hope we have in Christ.

Light the first candle – (the prophet candle or candle of hope) – at 9 o’clock on the wreath)

On the Second Sunday of Advent we lit the Bethlehem candle to remind us of the gift of peace.

Light the second candle – (the Bethlehem candle or candle of peace) – at 6 o’clock on the wreath.

Reader 2

Today is the third Sunday of Advent when we light the candle of joy reminding us that our joy is in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It is sometimes called the shepherd’s candle in honor of the shepherds to whom the birth was announced.

Reader 3

Luke 2:8-11 ⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Reader 4

We light this third candle today to remind us of the joy that filled the world when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and we thank God for the joy he pours into our hearts whenever he is born in us today.

Light the third candle, the pink one – (the shepherds’ candle or the candle of joy) - at 3 o’clock on the wreath.

Pray together...

O God of Joy, Immanuel: thank you for coming among us tenderly as a child. Send the light of the child Christ into our hearts to make us ready for the day and hour of His coming, that we may know the joy you have promised and bless the world you have made. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Resources Consulted for Celebrating Advent

Below is a list of resources I consulted when creating and compiling Celebrating Advent: A-Z Family Guide in 2007.

A is for Angel: A Christmas Alphabet and Activity Book;p Debbie Trafton O’Neal

Advent: Christmas Wisdom from Henri JM Nouwen

Before & After Christmas: Activities and Ideas – Advent & Epiphany; Debbie Trafton O’Neal

Children’s Ministry Magazine; Group Publishing

Christmas Crafts & Activities; Gospel Light

Great Big Holiday Celebrations; Elizbeth McKinnon

Group’s Blockbuster Movie Illustrations; Group Publishing, 2001

Group’s Blockbuster Movie Illustrations: The Sequel; Group Publishing, 2003

The Jesse Tree: Advent Devotions for Personal Growth; Debra Grant

Movie Clips for Kids; Group Publishing, 2002

One Minute ADVENT tures: Devotions for the Days of Advent; Steve Kern

Setting the Christmas Stage: Readings for the Advent Season; John Indermark

We Light the Candles: Devotions Related to Advent use of the Advent Wreath; Catharine Brant

I is for INN

I is for Inn...where Mary and Joseph were turned away.

Luke 2:7

…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Blessings

Sarah

H is for HEAVENLY HOSTS

H is for Heavenly Hosts...

praising God.

Luke 2:13-14

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Blessings

Sarah

G is for GOD

G is for God...His gift of
eternal life through His son, Jesus Christ.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.

Blessings

Sarah

F is for FAMLIY

F is for Family...gathering together.

Luke 2:1-4

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.