Book Resource List – Creative Worship for Advent
•Visuals for Worship
By Elizabeth Steele Halstead Publisher: Faith Alive Christian Resources
ISBN: 1-59255-230-7
The original purchaser has permission to use the artwork in the book and CD without charge or further permission with this line, “Linoleum block prints by Elizabeth Steele Halstead. Reprinted by permission from Visuals for Worship, © 2006, Faith Alive Resources.”
• Just In Time (series)! – Advent Services by David G. Rogne
Publisher: Abingdon Press ISBN -13: 978-0-687-46581-1
Ready-to-use worship and preaching resources for the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Includes biblically-based sermons, suggested Scriptures, hymns, and prayers as well as litanies for lighting the Advent wreath.
• Cloth For The Cradle by The Wild Goose Worship Group
Publisher: Wild Goose Publications (The Iona Community)
ISBN 1-901557-01-4
Contains a wealth of different types of worship resources: litanies, meditations, monologues, poems prayers, readings, scripts and symbolic actions.
• Teaching & Celebrating the Christian Seasons by Delia Halverson
Publisher: Chalice Press
ISBN-13:978-0-827236-41-7 ISBN-10: 0-827236-41-7
A spiritually enriching resource that helps pastors, worship leaders, and Christian
educators understand and incorporate into the life of the church the symbols, and
practices of the church year. Contains ideas on Advent and Christmas as well as the other seasons of the church year.
• Season of Light and Hope by Blair Gilmer Meeks
Publisher: Abingdon Press ISBN 0-687-34234-1
A treasury of scripture-based prayers, liturgies and other worship aids to enrich worship from the First Sunday of Advent through the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Contains corporation prayers and liturgies for each Sunday in the Advent and Christmas seasons, and prayers and liturgies for other worship celebrations related to Christmas. Also contains Service for Healing and Hope.
(Note: there is a book for Lent/Easter/Pentecost as well called “Season of Ash and Fire”)
• Preaching and Worshiping in Advent, Christmas and Epiphany
Editor: Cynthia Gasden Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN 0-687-35223-1 Includes Years/Cycles A, B and C
One-volume lectionary resource providing brief preaching commentaries and prayers for worship for the Sundays of Advent through Epiphany for all three cycles of the lectionary. Three commentaries are provided for each Sunday in Advent, one or more for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, three for the Sundays after Christmas and one or more for Epiphany in all cycles. Prayers for worship are included for each Sunday or special day. These may include calls to prayer, pastoral prayers, responsive prayers or benedictions.
• Lectionary Worship Aids Series VIII / Cycle A – Cradled in God’s Heart
by Rev. Thom M. Shuman Publisher: CSS Publishing Company
ISBN-10: 0-7880-2456-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-7880-24566
Thom Shuman provides a wide range of responsive and pastoral prayers that are sure to help busy pastors and worship planners strike the perfect chord in developing their own services. Shuman’s poetic prayers are filled with vivid imagery that reminds us of God’s all-encompassing love and forgiveness. He helps link the Holy with the mundane realities of modern existence.
• Kneeling in Bethlehem by Ann Weems
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press ISBN 0-664-21323-5
Reflections on the mystery of the Christmas season through 26 new poems as well as pieces from previous writings. Ann Weems leads the reader to think about the season’s events in a creative and powerful way. She writes out of the conviction that “each of us awaits expectantly the birth of Christ in this place, this time. We will not give Christmas away to commercialism or to the past. For Christians, the Advent is now and here.”
• Crossings by Susan Palo Cherwien
Publisher: MorningStar Music Publishers ISBN 0-944529-35-6
Primarily poetic meditations that are appropriate for use in worship services. Susan Palo Cherwien provides a fresh perspective on many of the most treasured traditions of the church. Many of her poems are quite suitable for Calls to Worships or even as closings to a worship service. One in particular, for Advent, is called “Three Parts to the Season”. Would consider using this as either a Call to Worship (in 3 part voices) or as a closing to a service.
• Lost But Making Excellent Time (Transforming the Rat Race into a Pilgrimage)
by Dr. Jody Seymour (Sr. Pastor of Davidson UMC in Davidson, NC)
Publisher: Resource Publications (div. of Wipf and Stock Publishers)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60608-286-7 ISBN-10: 1-60608-286-8
Jody Seymour uses prose and poetry to reclaim the ancient cycle of the Christian year as a new way to slow down and discover who we really are. Includes Advent, Christmas and Epiphany writings.
* Finding God Between the Lines (New Insights from Familiar Passages and Places)
by Dr. Jody Seymour (Sr. Pastor of Davidson UMC in Davidson, NC)
Publisher: Judson Press ISBN 0-8170-1269-9
Using poetry, short narrative, vignettes, and Scripture selections, Seymour portrays everyday scenes that offer new meaning within the subtleties of well-know Christian themes. There is a portion of this book called “The Christian Year” which contains works on Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
Website Resources / Creative Worship for Advent
Website: http://www.faithandworship.com/Advent_themes_and_resources.htm
This is a website of prayers, liturgies and worship resources by John Birch, a UMC lay pastor living in Wales. Excellent resource! Permission is given for any church to use prayers, liturgies and worship resources.
Website: www.lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com
This is a blog that has weekly lectionary liturgies posted for use by anyone. Written by Thom M. Shuman (who also wrote “Cradled in God’s Heart” … resource book above). Rev. Shuman is a Presbyterian minister, living in Cincinnati, OH. He usually posts the lectionary liturgies on Mondays or Tuesdays. During the Advent season they will most certainly be focused on Advent in combination with the lectionary Scriptures.
Website: www.prayersfortoday.blogspot.com
This is a blog by Thom M. Shuman that contains prayer/poems often based on the lectionary Scriptures.
Website: www.occasionalsightings.blogspot.com
This is a blog by Thom M. Shuman that takes a look at God at work in the world and in our lives through God-sightings along the everyday of our lives. Often, during Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter, these “occasional sightings” of God are written with these in mind. “Occasional sightings” is the perfect name for these writings.
Other Sources for Worship Arts / Visuals
(Use your imagination / be good stewards of your resources and money)
• FABRICS – become a great collector of fabrics! The best are softer fabrics that can be draped well (such as chiffons which come in a great # of colors). Always be on the lookout, thinking ahead to any of the seasons of the church year. Brocades are good for Epiphany. Always have on hand burlap (have found different shades at Walmart but watch out, some burlap smells!). Natural linens are good to have on hand as well (for Cloth for the Cradle during Advent). Many craft stores such as Hobby Lobby sells “short ends” of fabrics at a lower price/yd
• ADVENT GREENERY – Free! Always be on the lookout for varying shades of evergreens. Dried branches from a nearby wooded area can be gathered if you choose to walk through Advent beginning with dried branches and ending with a lush table of greenery. Magnolia leaves, pine, cedars, rosemary, holly (both green and variegated). Think in terms of varying shades of greens and textures of greenery. Always bring a small bag of fresh greenery with you on Sunday in case some needs to be replaced.
• CANDLEHOLDERS – Pier One is a great place for different looks in glass candleholders. If you are persistent in checking, you might find them at ½ price! Also, 4”x4” blocks of wood can be cut to achieve the exact heights for what you need. 3” pillar candles rest perfectly on these blocks. They can be stained, painted or covered with fabrics.
• CANDLES - Website: www.njcandle.com A great source of UNSCENTED pillar candles in many colors. The candles are solid colors, not a shell of color over white. At times, there are good sales. It might be a good thought to plan ahead for other seasons of the church year and combine a case order (such as blue or purple/pink for Advent, white for Christmas Eve, Christmas, purple for Lent, orange, red and yellow for Pentecost, etc.). Candles burn with differing amounts of efficiency. Cheaper candles tend to burn quickly, unevenly and can end up collapsing in a puddle of wax! Also, if using colored candles, the cheaper ones might only have a wax shell of color and the interior might prove to be white. During times such as Advent, the more expensive candles are the best route to go. Remember that many people have a sensitivity to candles with a fragrance. Make an effort to find unscented candles.
• POTTERY … borrow from others! OR begin to build a worship team closet with items that can be reused in different worship settings. Always look ahead! Seagrove, NC is a great place to look for just the right pottery.
• LANDSCAPING STONE … Investing in landscaping stone from Lowe’s or Home Depot can bring just the right natural look to a centering worship visual. They are inexpensive and can be used in many ways throughout the church year.
• TAIZE’ songs – Taize songs are quiet and focused and can be used effectively as a means to bring a congregation to this point and in participation during the lighting of the Advent candles. Also can be used as Calls to Worship. “Wait for the Lord” is a particularly good Taize’ song to use during Advent. Introduce your congregation to this quiet, contemplative music. It is a means to draw one closer to God in prayer.
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