Good day,
There are two more Zoom Bible Studies for Advent…Wednesday, Dec.11 and Wednesday, Dec.18, starting at 7pm. The Zoom link is the same each week but, if you’ve never joined in or if you’ve lost track of the link, just let me know and I’ll email it to you. (susan.montague2@gmail.com) We’ll be looking at Luke 3:7-18. You might like to also read through Zephaniah 3:14-20. When Jesus was preaching, and teaching, and healing, it was scriptures like Zephaniah that he was holding in his heart and mind.
There are also two more evenings of the Zoom book study with Bishop Michael Oulton…same days and times as the bible study above. If you’d like to join in, send Carla at the Synod Office an email. (Carla.MacEwan@dioceseofalgoma.com)
And now, a message from the folks at Emmaus:
Emmaus Anglican Church, 1643 Wellington St E, has trays of Christmas baking for sale. Small (1-1/2 dozen) $15.00, Medium (3 dozen) $30.00, Large (5 dozen) $50.00, gluten free also available. Call and leave a message with Emmaus Church office at 705-759-2545, or call Deborah 705-942-8259. We will get back to you.
A Liturgical Note For You:
Well, next Sunday, Dec.15 is the Third Sunday of Advent. After you’ve finished your worship services for the day, you can then feel free to decorate your worship space in the spirit of Christmas (but not, of course, setting up the creche yet). Up until this point, Christmas decor would not have been appropriate. It is in the last octave of Advent (Dec.17-24) that we turn more to the incarnation of Jesus the Christ in Bethlehem. Speaking of this…
Prayers of the People: The Advent Litany for the Prayers of the People in our BAS (p.119) are a lot different than the other litanies. They are the ancient “O Antiphons” in use since the 700’s. They are called “O Antiphons” since they all begin with “O” (O Wisdom, O Key of David, etc.). They are the refrains that were sung at the beginning and ending of the Magnificat during Evening Prayer, starting on Dec.17, and they are drenched in Scripture – especially the names and saving actions of our God. For this reason, they are integral to our understanding of Advent and, therefore, to our ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ. How would you best use them during the liturgy? Since most of us pray the various cycles of prayer during our Prayers of the People, these cycles would be best inserted at the very beginning like the biddings in the BCP. For example:
Let us pray for the Church of God throughout the world especially…
Let us pray for the members of the Body of Christ in our diocese and in our parish family, holding before God…
And let us pray in joyful expectation to our Saviour and Redeemer saying…(from here you would continue the litany as written in the BAS).
For Your Devotions:
Monday, December 9th is the memorial of the Prophets of the Old Testament. These men and women were called by God and filled with the Holy Spirit to speak the message of God to the people. Many were persecuted and killed because that message wasn’t always welcome. Jeremiah, for example, was kept as a prisoner at the bottom of a well. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews provides more detail (speaking of the heroes and prophets of Israel): “…who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground” (Heb.11:33-38). For us, Christ is the final and complete Word of God…”In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2a). If you’d like to read more about the prophets, check this out… https://catholicexchange.com/crazy-prophets-old-testament
In the hope of Christ,
Susan
Deanery of Algoma 