And we have finally reached Advent Sunday, the start of the New Church Year. As I begin this post it is Saturday December 1, 2012 so it is sort of neat to start the year on the 1st .
Last week I mentioned that I would soon be coming up against the obstacle of “Church Busyness” around the Advent/Christmas Season so I have really found this week to be a little frustrating in the sending and receiving of emails category. I need to content myself with planning for the Epiphany Team Gathering, working on the Program and on contacting potential Travelling Team Members.
I have finalized my choice for the 2013 Liturgical Dance song. You can listen to it here. It may surprise some people but I hope that Clergy and Coordinators will take a moment to reflect on the reasoning behind the choice. In the Summer of 2011 I attended a couple of Day Camp closings and I noticed that a growing number of “unchurched” parents are dragged to these somewhat unconventional “Services” by eager children who have enjoyed a week of Day Camps. People dressed in t-shirts and jeans, liberally adorned with piercings and tattoos, sit next to more “staid” grandmothers in their best Summer dresses.
I just love seeing church pews filled with this sort of mixture of people. Surely this is just the sort of group who came to hear Jesus. A collection of tax collectors, Pharisees, children, mothers and people off the streets. 21st Century Church should be attracting the same motley crew, or we are failing in our Ministry. It is my desire to cause some of these “non-attenders” to hear and watch our 2013 dance and hopefully to pause and think that maybe the place they are sitting in does have some relevancy for their lives, and maybe they might come with their kids and their partners and find out more about this Jesus guy.
I am also very much hoping that some of our 2012 congregations are including the 2012 Day Camp Liturgical Dance in their Christmas Worship and that others are dusting off and hanging the Paper Quilt, or setting up a Jesse Tree. Dreaming about the positive impact of Day Camps and even more, hearing the stories that some people are kind enough to share with me, is what makes this crazy Ministry of Day Camps so very worthwhile!
Happy New Year!
And from a vast store of Christmas Recipes ……..
Norwegian Sweet Soup
- 6 cups cranberry juice
- 4 cups grape juice
- 1 lb. jar pitted cherries
- 12 oz. pitted prunes
- 2 apples, peeled cored and chopped
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ tsp whole cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 4 thin orange slices
- 4 thin lemon slices
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup grenadine syrup ( optional)
Combine first 10 ingredients in a slow-cooker and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Raise heat to High. Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup cold water. Stir into soup along with grenadine, if using. Simmer for about 20 mins. or until thickened. Serve hot garnished with a blob of plain yoghurt or sour cream. Serves 8.
Sunday Thoughts………
I’m now sitting waiting for some special friends to join me for an Advent Sunday High Tea. The first candle has been lit on theAdvent Wreath and we also lit the first candle at church this morning. We sang O Come ,O Come Emmanuel, one of my favourites, although I must admit is was a bit “different” accompanied by guitar and drums!
The “swoosh” of purple tulle which Pastor Nick had asked me to staple gun along the ceiling of our Worship space was admired and added a little hint of Liturgical colour to our otherwise totally informal Worship space.
Before he preached, Nick showed us this video The website also has an interactive Advent Calendar, which I plan to check out.
Enjoy a Blessed Advent 1!!