The Story for the Feast of the Nativity
Dec 24/25, 2021

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

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Something to Do

Do Not Be Afraid: The Christmas Story

Watch (or rewatch) last year’s Christmas pageant, Do Not Be Afraid and be amazed once again by what you can accomplish with willing spirits and the wonder of Zoom!

Message from the Angels: a thrilling tale of the coming Messiah

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Something to Wonder

I wonder…

It can be hard to really listen to this story. On the one hand, we feel like we just know it by rote and, on the other hand, we actually know it mostly through the lens of Christmas pageants, carols, and traditions (notice, for instance, the absence of the donkey in the Biblical text).

Take some time to read it again, slowly and carefully. Then ask yourself some I wonder questions:

I wonder…

• … which part of this story I like best
• … which part I like the least
• … which character I am the most like
• … what part of the story I would like more of
• …what God wants me to hear in this story today

Good news of great joy

This is the joy we have been waiting for throughout Advent – the joy of the incarnation, God’s coming to us in the person of a baby.

How would you explain the significance of this point of Christian faith to someone who had never heard of it before? What does it mean to you?

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Something to Learn

Feast of the Nativity – origins

We are all familiar with the claim that Christmas is essentially a repurposed pagan celebration but the real story is rather more complicated. This long but easily skimmable article by Andrew McGowan, Dean and President of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, offers the bigger picture.

How December 25 Became Christmas

We are also all familiar with the nativity story – but that’s more complicated, too! Early Christians had a host of traditions about the birth of Jesus that differ from ours in various ways, partly because they drew on apocryphal texts (accounts of Jesus’ life that, for various reasons, did not end up in the Bible). Learn about some of those stories in this article by Tony Burke, associate professor in the Department of the Humanities at York University.

Christmas Stories in Christian Apocrypha

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Dec 19, 2021

Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 

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Something to Do

…the child leaped in her womb

Episode 2 of Ascension’s nativity radio play tells the story of the visit between Mary and Elizabeth by imagining the conversation between the two unborn miracles the women carried in their bodies. Listen to that conversation here.

Mary set out and went with haste… to Elizabeth

Mary was not just paying a social visit. She was in trouble – unmarried and pregnant – and needed a place where she would be safe and understood.

Make a gift to an organization that offers women safety and support when they need it. Some possibilities include:

• Cornerstone Housing for Women
• The Well/La Source Day Program for Women
• Minwaashin Lodge – an Indigenous women’s support centre in Ottawa
• PWRDF programs for empowering women

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Something to Wonder

When women are the main characters

There are very few stories in our scriptures in which women talk to each other. (The Bible probably would not pass the Bechdel test, although I haven’t done the work to actually find out.) In this week’s story, though, we have two women in conversation about their own lives and the work of God in the world.

How does the general absence of women’s voices and agency impact you? How does this story impact you? How might that be different if you were someone with a gender identity other than the one you have? Is there someone you can ask?

Blessed are you among women!

Last Sunday, we thought about joy in relation to the peace of God which passes all understanding, anchoring us even when repentance is demanded of us.

This Sunday, we will be thinking of joy as something that is shared and that grows in the sharing. I imagine Mary approached Elizabeth with a certain amount of nervousness. Imagine, then, the joy that must have burst forth when she was greeted with joy – joy releasing and magnifying joy until she could do nothing except raise her voice in song.

When have you experienced the effects of shared joy in your life?

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Something to Learn

The Science of Joy

Four weeks ago, we shared an excerpt from The Book of Joy by his holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (if you missed it, click here and scroll down)

This week, take a look at these articles by science writers reporting on the work of psychologists and cognitive scientists to learn about joy from a slightly different angle.

Behing the Joy of Sharing Joy in Psychology Today

Where to Find Joy According to Science from the Grotto Network

How to be Happy: A Cheat Sheet from New York Magazine

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the Third Sunday of Advent
Dec 12, 2021
prepared by Karen McBride

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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Something to Do

Let your gentleness be known to everyone 

In this week’s reading, “gentleness” was part of Paul’s pastoral advice to the young church in Philippi. There are, in fact, many passages in the Bible that talk about the importance of gentle approaches, such as: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (Proverbs 15:1) and “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24) 

What would it look like if we “let our gentleness be known to everyone?” What would the tone and volume of our voices be, for example? Would our words be soft and understanding, or sharp and impatient? The stresses of this season – and of our pandemic circumstances more generally – impact us all to one degree or another. As an Advent practice, let’s take Paul’s timeless advice to heart and find ways every day to let our gentleness be known, to strangers as well as those close to us.

Stand near a friend or family member

How does it feel when you’re close enough to someone you love that they’re in your “personal space?” Happy? Reassuring? Affirming? Now imagine how much nearer to you God is… How does that make you feel?

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Something to Wonder

Do we “rejoice always”? What would happen if we did?

Although none of us is John the Baptist, we share in his ministry of proclamation and preparation. Is that a ministry you want? Why or why not?This week, our readings call us to “sing praises,” “shout aloud,” “sing for joy,” and “rejoice in the Lord always.” What would happen to our hearts if every time we looked around, we noticed something – a big thing or a small thing – for which we were grateful? Would we get used to seeing evidence of God’s grace in our lives and feel closer to God as a result? Might we then trust God more deeply?

What does it mean to be guarded by the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding?

In uncertain situations, most people will feel “safer” if they are in the company of loved ones, behind solid doors, or, perhaps in extreme circumstances, guarded by trusted authorities. How much more protected – at peace – do you feel in God’s loving embrace, in the knowledge that “even the hairs of your head are all counted” by God. “So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:30)

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Something to Learn

“The Saint who baptized Christ: Episodes from St. John the Baptist’s life in the masterpieces of the Uffizi Galleries”

A Virtual Exhibition Exploring John the Baptist as a Person and a Prophet

John the Baptist is an important person in Advent, the one who calls us to prepare our hearts for Jesus’ arrival. This virtual exhibition will walk you through the Uffizi Galleries’ stunning array of artwork depicting the John’s life and ministry. As the exhibit’s commentary notes, Western art has dedicated more space and time to John the Baptist over the centuries than any other saint. From medieval iconography to famous Renaissance paintings, to 20^th century canvases, this virtual tour highlights not only the milestones of John the Baptist’s life, but also his prophetic mission. 

When you access the virtual tour, remember to scroll down through the informative and thoughtful written commentary in the left-hand column on the screen; you can advance the tour by clicking on the arrow on the right-hand side of the image. 

Sometimes technology is a wonderful advantage; this is one of those times!

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the Second Sunday of Advent
Dec 5, 2021

Luke 1:68-79

‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
   for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them. 
He has raised up a mighty saviour for us
   in the house of his servant David, 
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 
   that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
   and has remembered his holy covenant, 
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
   to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
   before him all our days. 
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
   by the forgiveness of their sins. 
By the tender mercy of our God,
   the dawn from on high will break upon us, 
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

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Something to Do

Read the story of John the Baptist’s birth

Jesus is not the only miracle baby in the Gospels. This song, prophesying John’s role in the Good News, is the first thing to come out of his father’s mouth from the day of his conception to his birth.

Read the story of Zechariah (John’s father), his encounter with the angel Gabriel, and Elizabeth (John’s mother) astonishing pregnancy.

Find it here: Luke 1:5-25, 57-80

The dawn from on high will break upon us

These days, the sun rises on Ottawa just before 7:30 am. Take the time to watch dawn break sometime this week and give thanks for the gift of another day.

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Something to Wonder

…to prepare his ways

Although none of us is John the Baptist, we share in his ministry of proclamation and preparation. Is that a ministry you want? Why or why not?

In what ways do you or could you prepare the way of the Lord in the world?

How does it feel when you see a beautiful dawn break?

Many people experience the presence of God in the sight of a sunrise. Do you?
How would you describe the experience of watching a sunrise? A sunset?
What emotions does it stir up for you? What memories?

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Something to Learn

Advent Refresher

This video, Advent in 2 minutes, gives a pretty good overview of the purpose and focus of Advent.
One correction: some churches (like ours) use blue rather than purple in order to emphasize the distinction from Lent.

Or read this article from christianity.com for a bit more history: What is Advent

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the First Sunday of Advent
Nov 28, 2021

Luke 21:25-36

Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   

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Something to Do

Stand up and raise your heads

There’s no way around it, really – this is a scary passage. But then again, the world can be a pretty scary place, too. The season of Advent calls us to look straight at the scariness unit we can see right past it to a better world waiting for us.

Use your body to declare your readiness to work for that world. When you hear something dreadful, stand up and raise your head and refuse to let the fear and the worry have the final say.

You know that the kingdom of God is near

so start counting. Advent calendars and candles and such do, of course, mark the time until Christmas but, on a deeper level than the calendar, they remind us that we are waiting not for Christmas day but for Christmas’ completion, when earth and heaven will be joined together, once and for all, in the presence of God.

Advent Wreaths
You don’t need anything fancy to serve as an Advent wreath – you don’t even need a wreath! You just need 4 candles (5, if you want to light on on Christmas Eve). The candles can be purple or blue (traditional liturgical colours for Advent) or red or white or anything else. In my household, we use tea lights in purple holders and just change them out as needed. We light the candle and sing the same song my husband learned as a child, adding a verse each week until Christmas. You can hear the song (not sung by us, you should be glad to know) here.

If singing is not your thing, you can use the prayers we will use on Sundays, adapted for home use and offered with some reflections for consideration or conversation. Download it: formatted for printing as a booklet or formatted for use on your screen. It is also available in hardcopy at the church and is included in this year’s Advent kits.

And if all of that is just too much, simply light the candles as the weeks go by and claim a little brightness as the nights grow longer.

Advent Calendar
If you didn’t sign up for an Advent kit to make your own scratch art calendar or receive the Sanctified Art devotional, consider one or more of these resources:

• check out these free offerings from Praying in Colour and fill in rather than scratch off a calendar.
• sign up for a daily Advent devotional email from PWRDF (the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund): Threads of Hope
• Advent Word offers you a word each day to contemplate and invites you to capture your thoughts with a photograph to be shared (or not) via social media

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Something to Wonder

Where is the joy?

This Advent, we are spending time with the idea of joy:

“true joy is not the same thing as happiness or excitement.  Those emotions depend on what’s going on around us.  Joy depends on what’s going on inside us.  It’s an orientation of the heart that does not deny the suffering of the world around us or of our own experiences but that holds that sorrow in relationship with the love of God, the love of community, and the love of creation.”   (from the 2021 Candle Lighting Prayers and Reflections)

What does “joy” mean to you?

Be on guard so your hearts are not weighed down

There is much to weigh down our hearts – problems big and small that make it difficult for us to be alert to the nearness of the kingdom of God. Take some time to acknowledge those burdens. Consider which problems feel the heaviest and why it’s those ones. End your contemplation in prayer, asking God for strength and stamina and, yes, even joy in the face of those problems.

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Something to Learn

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

by His Holiness the Dalai lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams

Over the course of one week, these two spiritual leaders shared a conversation on the meaning and cultivation of joy. Read an excerpt.

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.