Advent Unwrapped: Dreaming of Peace

Be and Be Not Afraid I have to admit that I am attracted to scarcity mindsets. Scarcity, for me, feels like hiding in a cozy, quiet corner at a crowded party that is just too much! Others who trust in abundance might just step outside where endless possibilities could find them, but that’s not me; I crave the small, contained, predictable space of scarcity. This desire has unintentionally shaped my feelings about peace. As a theologian, I understand how peace is a resulting action of our Christian mandate to work towards reconciliation, restoration, and justice. In my heart, though, peace feels like the absence of all the hurts that torment souls: suffering, war, greed, climate change, racism, sexism, homophobia, gun violence, poverty, human rights violations, environmental racism, and displacement. Hurts that seem unmanageable and abundant.  My dream of peace is based on my own privilege; I do not live in war, and I have been blessed with safe places that I can retreat to when overwhelmed by the brokenness of our world. Many of us, though, like Mary and Joseph, who were forced to leave their homes, are made to venture outside to seek peace through abundance. An abundance of mercy, love, kindness, faithful actions, friendship, and justice. It’s the peace that Mary sings about and the peace of Jesus’ ministry. It’s scary to think of peace in terms of abundance because it is not just about me and what’s lacking—it’s about us and what good could be if we, people of good, will work together. This week I take to heart the words of the angels, Fear not, and the words of Tracy Chapman, Be and be not afraid to reach for heaven, as I try to find the courage to leave my comfy, privileged corner to seek an abundance of peace for all.

This Week’s Round-up: New Videos, and more! We are thrilled to premier two more in our series of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted hymns that we have created with members of the Deaf Community within the United Church: Away in a Manger              Silent Night Have you printed your zines yet (or found someone to print it for you)? Keep inspiration in your pocket with our Advent micro-zines.  . Lastly, this Prayer of Grief and Gratitude by Tori Mullin might help with your longest night service planning. Advent Blogs of The Week     Lots has happened this week on social media. Check out the hope themed Advent Blog and Microblog contributions from Rev. Stephen Milton, Sarah Yang, Michael Lee, and a prayer from Catherine Faith MacLean. Shout Outs!   Our partners at The United Church of Canada have amazing resources that are both inspired and timely. Check out the worship resources for the season by Mia McClain, which correspond with the new music Memory, and the sermon seeds by Cheryl Lindsay. Thanks to Tammy-Jo Mortensen, Gathering Worship Music Editor, who is always rounding up helpful lists and charts to introduce us to new music and composers. Check out her list of possible Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany anthems by Canadian Women Composers. To Consider     Starting today, through to December 10, there is a call to hold vigil for The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 – December 12. Visit For the Love of Creation to explore more ways to get involved. You can follow The United Church of Canada’s Young Adult Delegation on social media using #UCCANCOP28 and #FLCCOP28. This Sunday, and for the rest of Advent, many communities of faith will replace the lighting of the peace candle with a moment of silence as we pray together for peace in solidarity with Christian in the Middle East. To Try     My son and I made this super-easy nativity craft this week. We painted this wooden container with lots of brilliant and dark colours mixed with sparkles, and then we looked for things around the house that could tell the story of Christmas and snapped a picture! Waiting with you in hope, Alydia   P.S Remember sharing means caring! If this email has been forwarded to you by a loving friend, family member or neighbour please sign-up for our weekly Advent newsletter. You may also want to follow us on on our Facebook page, where you can share links to resources, ideas and inspirations that have worked for you. Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn   Your generosity enables the United Church to love, serve, and minister in the world. Make an online donation or learn more about your options to support the work of the church.

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Advent Unwrapped: Get Ready! 🍂☕

It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween. Hello Revolutionaries! I am feeling a bit stressed by all of these Halloween decorations because it means that ADVENT is COMING!! After prayer, my little family listens to Feeling Good. It’s our hype song! I hope that it helps you feel “blessed and highly favoured” during this fall season, however you find yourself (too busy or not busy enough). The Advent Unwrapped team are excited to offer you new content this year to help support you and the communities you love unwrap the reason for the season (as we love to say). If you have any awesome original (you created it) advent ideas that really worked for you please consider sharing them with fellow revolutionaries on social media. In case you are new to Advent Unwrapped, here is a quick refresher on what Advent is and why we call ourselves revolutionaries. If you are with us through a United Church Community or are a subscriber to Gathering, make sure to check out the music section of the upcoming Gathering Issue for a new score of last year’s Advent Unwrapped song “The Giver” by Mia McClain, as well as a beautiful new Advent tune “We Wait for God” words by William S. Kervin, and music by Tom Reynolds and Deborah Park. We are thrilled to be partnering with Mia McClain (composer of The Giver), Cheryl Lindsay (United Church of Christ writer and liturgist) the Go Project and Pacific Mountain Region once again. We are also delighted to welcome Catherine Faith McLean who has created a pocket resource for worship leaders, Stephen Milton who has developed a blog series answering all of your advent wonderings and other gifted reflectors and liturgist that we will introduce to you in the upcoming months. Don’t worry this newsletter is not SPAM. I promise, we will work hard to fill these short messages with nourishing, shareable timbits (and a few guilty pleasures) to help deepen your advent celebrations and preparations. This letters timbits: This Advent is a short one. If you feel like you need more time to prepare, why not take a look at the Advent Project. This is a group of liturgical scholars who are encouraging communities to expand the season of Advent by two weeks. What do you think? Have you ever used EngageWorship.org? The accounts are free and they have a lot of handy images, prayers and artwork that can be inserted into your worship service (with full credit ofcourse). Check out their waiting video. Messy Church at Home Messy Christmas here are some ideas that you can do at church or at home from the Messy Church Community. I have been doing a deep dive into the Psalm Settings of Charles Pettee and Folk Psalm, he has a setting of Psalm 85. Lastly don’t forget to check out the Advent Unwrapped Page, the United Church Worship Pages, and if you are a subscriber to Gathering Worship we have just added hundreds of new prayers and resources for the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Season. I can’t wait to wait with you soon! Alydia [Image credit:canva] Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn   Your generosity enables the United Church to love, serve, and minister in the world. Make an online donation or learn more about your options to support the work of the church.

Copyright © 2023 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to the Advent Unwrapped blog or to receive Advent Unwrapped email notices. Our mailing address is: The United Church of Canada 3250 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M8X 2Y4 Canada

Advent Unwrapped: Get Ready! ✨

Hello Revolutionaries, If you are new to Advent Unwrapped, welcome, we are so glad you are here; and if you have been with us for a while, welcome back, we have been through some moments together already! We know that it has been a rough fall (possibly year or two) filled with mixed expectations, mixed comfort levels and mixed feelings. It’s a lot to navigate. We hope to help with a collection of straightforward, invitational, shareable and mindful resources that will help us all engage in "the reason for the season." This year the Advent Unwrapped team includes: revolutionaries from across the continent (Kingston, Jamaica, Washington, DC, to Summerland, BC); the Go Project, The United Church of Christ; the General Council 44 Youth Forum; and of course, you, Advent Unwrapped subscribers, your feedback is what shaped this years resources! Last year you asked us: What is all this talk about revolution and what does it have to do with Advent? This new "What is Advent?" video explains why we often refer to Advent as time to anticipate, prepare and wait for a revolution (that won’t be televised). The coming of Jesus, brings the coming of a new world, a new way of being that is truly revolutionary. I loved sharing the hot chocolate prayer and the body prayers, could you provide us more things to share? Of course! Please continue to share pictures and videos of how you used these resources on social media using the hashtag #AdventUnwrapped. We are adding recipe prayer cards and daily shareable prayers this year. We also have some new at home resources, including a do-it-yourself wellness kit that would make the perfect buy-nothing alternative Christmas present. Thanks for the worship resources, keep them coming. Could you also help with promotion? You got it. We have two new ready to use worship services coming a Blue Christmas Service and a Christmas Day (which is a Sunday this year) Service. There are also other services on the Advent Unwrapped page that may be new to you like our one-rehearsal pageant! On this page we will also include some posters that you can add your churches info to and use to promote these services. We also have a new candle lighting liturgy this year that is inspired by a new advent hymn written specifically for Advent Unwrapped! I will send you a line as soon as it drops. I am running dry on sermon ideas. Please help me prep for the season. For more information about Advent and our Advent resources this year check out this short webinar that has links to the United Church of Christ’s sermon seeds, to get you started. Also about 25 minutes in you will get a sample of the new musical resource we are sharing this year “The Giver." Don’t forget to check out some of our past resources to help you prepare: One hour video discussion on Light and Dark imagery in Advent. One minute read introduction to advent by Michael Jagessar  One minute read reflection of combating antisemitism during Advent by HyeRan Kim-Cragg.  Two minute read of preparing Christmas music for the season by Tammy-Jo Mortensen. Revolutionaries, there is so much more to come. I will be checking in through this email to make sure that you don’t miss any of the goodness and to share resources as they become available.   Thank you for being a part of the Advent Unwrapped Team. Waiting with you, Alydia [Image credit:canva] Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn   Your generosity enables the United Church to love, serve, and minister in the world. Make an online donation or learn more about your options to support the work of the church.

Copyright © 2022 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to the Advent Unwrapped blog or to receive Advent Unwrapped email notices. Our mailing address is: The United Church of Canada 3250 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M8X 2Y4 Canada