BROAD STREET UMC / STATESVILLE, NC / 2008
(Small picture is First Sunday, set up in the chapel ... large picture at the beginning of the blog is the Fourth Sunday set up in our sanctuary)
FOCUS FOR THE MONTH: “ISAIAH HAS FORETOLD IT”
(sermons based on the words of Isaiah)
(Worship visual moves from bare branches the first Sunday to a table filled with greenery by Christmas Eve. We used magnolia leaves, cedar, green holly and variegated holly, rosemary, pines, etc)
1.) First Sunday of Advent … The dry, bare branches were on the altar table at the front of the sanctuary (only a few sprigs of greenery). No candles were to be seen. Startling when a congregation expects an Advent wreath.
2.) Second Sunday of Advent ... Add more greenery. No berries or color.
3.) Third Sunday of Advent ... Add even more greenery. Also incude some variegated holly if possible. Even a few berries.
4.) Fourth Sunday of Advent (see large picture at the beginning of blog). Add much more greenery, berries, variegated holly, etc.
5.) Christmas Eve ... Make the visual lush with greenery. Remove all Advent candles and replace with a centered large white pillar candle as the Christ candle.
(Calls to Worship and the movement of the Advent candles into place)
1.) Each Sunday, we began by dimming the lights and, in silence the candle(s) were "walked" midway down the aisle. We have 4 aisles, so by the 4th Sunday, all aisles were used in this.
a.) First Sunday, one person carrying the candle walked down an aisle
b.) Second Sunday, 2 people carrying candles ... Third, 3 people... Fourth, 4 people
2.) The candle bearer(s) walked midway and stopped, at which time the Call to Worship began. When that was finished, the person carrying the candle (or persons) would continue down the aisle and put the candle in place while “Wait for the Lord” was sung. (the cues were for the Call to Worship to begin when the candle bearer(s) stopped midway … and the candle bearer(s) to begin walking again when “Wait for the Lord” began)
3.) To make things run smoothly, the person who walked the candle down the first Sunday became the person who took the candles from the others' hands and put them into place the following Sundays. It just seemed to work better than several people trying to put them into place in a small area.
4.) Our choir always proceeds, so it was natural to use them for many of the spoken parts from the back of the sanctuary. All Calls to Worship were spoken from the back of the sanctuary. Also, “Wait for the Lord” was sung from the back. (you may e-mail me for the Calls to Worship used by Broad Street UMC in 2008)
5.) On Sunday #1, we included a small child as one of the voices in our Call to Worship. Sunday #2, the voices were all youth. It’s good to include ALL voices within your church.
6.) The Taize' song "Wait for the Lord" was sung each Sunday, which signaled the people with the candles to begin to move toward the altar once again. Also notice that Sunday #1, only 1 voice sang the song. Sunday #2, two voices sang. Sunday #3, the choir sang. Sunday #4, the choir and congregation sang. Just as we added candles each Sunday, we also added voices.
FOCUS FOR THE MONTH: “ISAIAH HAS FORETOLD IT”
(sermons based on the words of Isaiah)
(Worship visual moves from bare branches the first Sunday to a table filled with greenery by Christmas Eve. We used magnolia leaves, cedar, green holly and variegated holly, rosemary, pines, etc)
1.) First Sunday of Advent … The dry, bare branches were on the altar table at the front of the sanctuary (only a few sprigs of greenery). No candles were to be seen. Startling when a congregation expects an Advent wreath.
2.) Second Sunday of Advent ... Add more greenery. No berries or color.
3.) Third Sunday of Advent ... Add even more greenery. Also incude some variegated holly if possible. Even a few berries.
4.) Fourth Sunday of Advent (see large picture at the beginning of blog). Add much more greenery, berries, variegated holly, etc.
5.) Christmas Eve ... Make the visual lush with greenery. Remove all Advent candles and replace with a centered large white pillar candle as the Christ candle.
(Calls to Worship and the movement of the Advent candles into place)
1.) Each Sunday, we began by dimming the lights and, in silence the candle(s) were "walked" midway down the aisle. We have 4 aisles, so by the 4th Sunday, all aisles were used in this.
a.) First Sunday, one person carrying the candle walked down an aisle
b.) Second Sunday, 2 people carrying candles ... Third, 3 people... Fourth, 4 people
2.) The candle bearer(s) walked midway and stopped, at which time the Call to Worship began. When that was finished, the person carrying the candle (or persons) would continue down the aisle and put the candle in place while “Wait for the Lord” was sung. (the cues were for the Call to Worship to begin when the candle bearer(s) stopped midway … and the candle bearer(s) to begin walking again when “Wait for the Lord” began)
3.) To make things run smoothly, the person who walked the candle down the first Sunday became the person who took the candles from the others' hands and put them into place the following Sundays. It just seemed to work better than several people trying to put them into place in a small area.
4.) Our choir always proceeds, so it was natural to use them for many of the spoken parts from the back of the sanctuary. All Calls to Worship were spoken from the back of the sanctuary. Also, “Wait for the Lord” was sung from the back. (you may e-mail me for the Calls to Worship used by Broad Street UMC in 2008)
5.) On Sunday #1, we included a small child as one of the voices in our Call to Worship. Sunday #2, the voices were all youth. It’s good to include ALL voices within your church.
6.) The Taize' song "Wait for the Lord" was sung each Sunday, which signaled the people with the candles to begin to move toward the altar once again. Also notice that Sunday #1, only 1 voice sang the song. Sunday #2, two voices sang. Sunday #3, the choir sang. Sunday #4, the choir and congregation sang. Just as we added candles each Sunday, we also added voices.
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