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Advent & Christmas Greetings from the Worship Staff

 

“We are called to ponder mystery and await the coming Christ, to embody God’s compassion for each fragile human life. God is with us in our longing to bring healing to the earth, while we watch with joy and wonder for the promised Savior’s birth.” (Unexpected and Mysterious, ELW Hymn #258)

 

In this season of Advent waiting, we pray that God stirs up God’s power among us: embodying God’s compassion for each fragile human life, reminding the world of the longed for healing that only God can bring to earth, and we watch with joy and wonder as we draw closer to the promised Savior’s birth in the beauty of the nativity at Christmas.

 

We wish each of you a blessed season filled with hope, wonder, and joy! We pray God’s blessings of great joy and expectation in this New Year!

 

Blessed Advent—Merry Christmas—Happy New Year!

The ELCA Worship Staff

Kevin—-John—-BethAnn

 

And the Word became flesh: Engaging Worship and Culture

 

Today’s post is from Jennifer Baker-Trinity, Organist and Choir Director at Beaver Lutheran in Beaver Springs, PA.

 

In this time in the church year, Christians wonder at this mystery: Christ becoming fully human, taking earthly form in a world full of joy and pain, of suffering and healing. We yearn for Christ’s coming, but do we recognize it birthed now among us? Do we marvel at how Christ’s birth transforms us to be like that bright star, guiding the nations to God’s light and love revealed in Jesus?

While much of the northern climates will be experiencing a snowy winter described in many Northern European Christmas carols, a worship event held in warmer Santa Monica, California offers another context for us to ask the following question:

How do we engage worship and culture?

Said another way,

How does the mystery of Christ’s coming to us shape how we experience God in worship?

This February 19-21, come to St. Paul’s Lutheran in Santa Monica to gather with others around this and related questions. All in attendance will have the opportunity to hear presenters flesh out the Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture, a helpful document that challenges us to see worship through four lenses: transcultural (common to all cultures), contextual (specific to a particular culture), counter-cultural (transforming the prevailing culture) and cross-cultural (shared between cultures) (For a fresh guide at how this statement calls us to worship renewal, see Can We Talk: Engaging Worship and Culture.)

Jesus’ birth calls forth praise from all the nations streaming to his light. Come to discover what in our worship transcends cultures and unites us as one people of God. At the same time, Jesus came and still comes to a particular people in a particular place. Come and reflect upon the aspects of worship that reflect your unique congregation and its particular gifts.

Christmas will come and go, but Christ continually comes among us. We hope you, too, will come to California for these days of renewal!

 

For more information see the Facebook event and watch for registration soon at http://www.elca.org/worship.

 

 

LiturgyGram: Why the Wreath?

adventwreathgram

 

Today’s post is an excerpt from the ELCA Worship FAQ “What is the Advent Wreath and How is it used in worship?” 

 

The Advent wreath has its roots in the pre-Christian practices of northern Europe. People sought the return of the sun in the dark time of the year (at the winter solstice) by lighting candles and fires. As early as the middle Ages, Christians used fire and light to represent Christ’s coming into the world. Using this same symbolism, the Advent wreath developed a few centuries ago in Germany as a sign of the waiting and hopeful expectation of the return in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The wreath, a circle, came to represent the eternal victory over death through Jesus Christ. The evergreens were a sign of the faithfulness of God to God’s people, even in death, and the lighted candles were a reminder of the light of Christ brought into the world.

This symbolism can be just as strong for us today. As is the case with all symbols, they speak most loudly to remind us of God’s promises of life when they are drawn directly out of our daily experience and environment. One should consider using only natural materials from God’s creation when making an Advent wreath. Evergreens come in many varieties and may be treated with a flame retardant substance. Branches of holly, laurel, and other green shrubs, which retain their freshness longer than pine, may also be used. The circular shape, a symbol of eternal life, is most important. Using an alternative shape, such as a log, would diminish the meaning of the symbol, which is no longer a circle. There is no one prescribed color for the candles, although several traditions are current. Four natural colored candles are always appropriate and symbolize the Light for which we wait. Four blue candles matches the blue used for the season, a color representing hope. Some assemblies may have the older tradition of using purple candles, keeping purple as the color for both Advent and Lent. The practice of using a pink candle on the third Sunday in Advent is no longer consistent with the current lectionary. This tradition arose when Advent was regarded as a thoroughly penitential season much like Lent. The third Sunday of Advent was called “Gaudete Sunday”, from the Latin meaning “Rejoice!” It had its roots in the text from Philippians 4:4-6, “rejoice in the Lord always…” These readings are still heard in Year C on Advent III.

 

For more background and further resources see the complete FAQ answer.

 

 

 

 

Fresh Waiting: Music for Advent

 

Today’s blog post is from Clayton Faulkner, Director of Worship, Music and Technology at Faith Lutheran Church in Bellaire, TX. 

If you’ve sung ELW #239-267 and are looking for some new worship music for Advent, try these on. These songs have been in rotation at Faith Lutheran in Bellaire, TX and work especially well for our band-led service.

Sing to the King, words and music by Billy Foote and based on an older hymn by Charles Silvester Horne. This song captures the eschatological themes of Advent well. The arrangement we use at Faith includes an additional original stanza that is left out of Foote’s version: “Souls will be saved from the burden of sin, doubt will not darken his witness within. Hell has no terrors, and death has no sting; love is victorious when Jesus is King.”

Immanuel, or as I like to call it, “From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable” (taken from the first stanza). Words and music by Stuart Townend, who has had some controversy stemming from the new Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) hymnal. The four stanzas of this song give you a great narrative sweep of Christ’s birth, life, death, and return. We exclusively bring this song out every Advent. However, I do feel that the theology in this song needs a little tweaking to fit in our context. In the final stanza I change “hope of heaven or the fear of hell,” to “heav’n joins earth where God will dwell.”

Even So Come, words and music by Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, and Jess Cates. This song has a driving 6/8 pulse that emphasizes the thematic elements of waiting, preparation, and longing. The bridge section lyrics, “God we wait, you’re coming soon” fit well alongside the words of John the Baptizer.