Advent and Christmas 2009

Advent Conspiracy points out that Christmas "can still change the world." It challenges Christians to "Worship Fully, Spend Less, Love More, and Give All." A recommendation from Mustard Seed Associates: click on the Advent Conspiracy website to find out more.

CAFOD offers an interactive web-based Advent calendar for children (registration required for download).  You can also sign up for weekly email reflections on Scripture passages.

Coming from the Reformed tradition, the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Seminary (US) has an advent resources page that focuses on materials for preparing Advent sermons and worship.

Christian Aid offers a series of prayers for the lighting of Advent candles. Taken from the agency's "O Broken Town of Bethlehem" Christmas appeal, they link the lectionary readings with both the situation in Bethlehem today and Christians' work for hope and justice throughout the world.

Christian Peace Witness, an ad hoc partnership of peace-focused Christian organisations in the US, has a page of Advent resources representing a variety of religious traditions and focused on peacemaking and peacekeeping.

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has commissioned a series of reflections entitled A World in Waiting: Advent Hope in an Economic Crisis.  The daily reflections, intended primarily for personal use, "look at the [global financial] crisis in relation to the roots of our Christian beliefs and values, aiming to turn anger and disappointment into a positive force for change." Linking current situations to Scriptural precepts (and offering examples of organisations that are taking forward a positive agenda for the areas in question), they are both challenging and encouraging.

CMS' Advent mission resource is called "Share the Light." The resource contains materials for an Advent carol service, including stories of church leaders from around the world who are helping others to know and share in the life of Jesus.  It suggests the giving of gift candles to people in your community as a way of sharing the light of Christ.

Mustard Seed Associates offers morning and evening prayers for Advent that are suitable for daily household use as well as video Advent meditations and a list of things to read and websites to visit.

USPG's Advent resource is entitled "When God Is a Child" It is "is based upon Brian Wren and Joan Collier Fogg’s evocative song celebrating the birth of Jesus – the Christmas child who brings hope, peace, joy and love [and]
The series of brief reflections and prayers written by Clare Amos can be used to accompany the lighting of Advent candles or combined as the basis for a complete Advent service.

The World Council of Churches is offering "Telling Peace: Stories of Peace and Worship Resources for Advent." The liturgical resources for each of the Sundays in Advent and the stories of peace have been prepared by churches in Asia.

Eastertide and Pentecost 2009

Always worth using are the Taizé prayers for each day . For Pentecost, you could try using the material in a language other than English. Switch the language of the prayers by going to the language bar on the upper left of the website.

On the 31st of May -- Pentecost Sunday -- the Global Day of Prayer will be observed by Christians around the world. A "prayer for the world" will be used by all participating countries: find translations of that prayer in multiple languages here . 

Lent 2009

Most of these resources are designed for individual use, though many can also be used by small groups. Resources that would be particularly effective for small groups are marked with an asterisk.

From the UK

CAFOD

is offering its supporters the chance to commit to 20 minutes of "stillness and silence" a day, and supporting them with daily emails of Scripture quotes for meditation, chosen by Delia Smith. Click here to sign up.

CAFOD and Christian Aid have also published a joint Lent book, Life in Abundance, in which "Six of our finest spiritual writers reflect on Scripture readings from the common lectionary for each day of Lent 2009. They invite us to discover the God of compassion through prayer, contemplation and action for change."

Christian Aid

offers a variety of Lent resources:

• Journey to Jerusalem takes participants on a virtual pilgrimage through the Holy Land, with a chance to reflect on the current situation and to "consider the practical challenges of faith in a world of poverty and violence"
• "Count Your Blessings" asks participants to look each day at the blessings we take for granted -- things like water, a cookbook, or garden tools  -- and to give thanks through prayer, action and financial gifts
• If you're giving up a treat for Lent, the "Give It Up for Christian Aid" calendar lets you mark off the days as you go, and send a donation to Christian Aid at the end!

CMS

has prepared "Love to Pieces: Five Lessons for Lent from the Jigsaw Kids." "Inspired by stories of transformation from street children in the Philippines, this six-part series explores discipleship themes of security, boundaries, community, creativity and significance." The material includes stories and activities for children and adults and even 13 Filipino recipes for Lent lunches.*

Live Simply

draws attention to resources produced by three of its network members. Pax Christi has reissued Gerald Hughes, SJ's, "Show me your face: daily readings and reflections for Lent" -- available from info@paxchristi.org.uk. Mission Together has a Lenten challenge calendar for children. And you can download the  "Recereate the Face of the Earth - Build the Kingdom of God: An Action Pack," which focuses each week on a different area of Catholic social teaching, directly from the website.

Methodist Relief and Development Fund

asks "What does the Bible say about changing the world?" Its study pack, available free, is designed to help participants become "world-changers." The six-part course includes in-depth studies on Bible characters, group discussion questions, profiles of people who are transforming the world today, and ideas for individual and group action. You can also listen to a series of related programmes on Premier Christian Radio, either on the air or online at the MRDF website.

Tearfund

is asking Christians to undertake a "Carbon Fast"  They say: "'Love does no harm to its neighbour' (Romans 13:10)
Climate change can mean our neighbours go hungry because of drought, or lose their homes because of floods. Faced with that reality, there are many things we can do, acting as part of the global church's response, to change the way our lives impact poor communities. Fast and pray with Tearfund this Lent to cut your carbon use and help protect poor people from climate change." Visit the Carbon Fast website to download daily actions, sign up for daily emails, see "Carbon Fast" films, share stories and more.

USPG

has a panoply of resources, all around the theme Lent 2009 - The Daily Mission:  mission is what God is doing in the world today. There is a Lent Bible Study Course for small groups that centres on five verses from Luke containing the word ‘today.'* Individuals can use a book of reflections on 45 passages from the Gospel according to Luke. There are course leaders' notes, prayers, photo exhibitions for hire, and suggestions for churches who want to raise funds for USPG's appeals.

From Other Countries

Creighton University Online Ministries (USA)

offers an online resource called Praying Lent 2009 which comes from the Jesuit spiritual tradition. "Each day, we share the Opening Prayer text for that day's liturgy.  We also offer a link to the readings of the day, a brief meditation, a link to the Daily Reflection for that day and Intercessions from the Liturgy of the Hours.  Each daily prayer concludes with a spontaneous prayer we composed, as an example of the type of prayer each of us might pray, in our own words, for that day." Also on this website: a downloadable Lent audio retreat and conversations about Lenten topics.

Trocaire  and CILent 2009 (Eire)

The "Let's Live Lent" parish liturgy resource focuses on people who have been forced to leave their homes because of war. There are prayers, reflections and liturgical suggestions for each Sunday in Lent -- they could be used by home groups, too!* CILent 2009 is the Catholic Church in Ireland's online Lenten resource. Each day offers a theme, a Scripture reading, a reflection, a short story, a prayer, a "Prophet of the Day," a "To-do-action", a spotlight on a charity and a picture of the day with text.

The Church of Scotland has some excellent Lent prayers.

Advent and Christmas 2008        

CAFOD

has put together a beautiful  livesimply Advent service, which incorporates the livesimply community challenges. The full order of service is on two sides of A4 and can be downloaded from the worship section of the CAFOD website.

Christian Aid

is holding a "Hope" Christmas appeal, which focuses on rebuilding after the Tsunami. Worship resources and Christmas "prayer box" ornaments are available to download or to order.

CMS 

is offering an advent mission resource called "Share the Light." Their website notes: "Share the Light challenges church members to commit to praying for someone they know for a year. Once they’ve selected someone, they give that person or family a beautiful presentation candle, explaining how they will be praying for them over the next twelve months. Candle recipients are also invited to a special candlelit Advent carol service at your church. CMS provides free worship and activity resources for a “Share the Light” service as well high-quality, low-cost the candles." More information and a downloadable pack is available at the weblink above. 

The Mennonite Central Committee

has a series of Advent resources that focus on the people who lived in Bethlehem at the time of the Nativity and the people who live in Bethlehem today. The material would be particularly suitable for a children's church. There are five powerpoints, and colouring sheets for the children. To view and download the materials, click here.

USPG

is offering a "Christ, Be Our Light" resource pack for Advent. Based around Bernadette Farrell's "Christ, Be Our Light," it offers for each week of Advent a suggested passage, short meditation, and prayer. The sections for each week could also be combined into a single Advent service.

Time for Creation

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and its constituent members are encouraging congregations to take "Time for Creation" between 1 September and 4 October. If you want to plan a service with a "green" theme then or at any other time, you can't do better than to look at the CTBI resources for Creation Time. Prayers, sermon notes, activities for children and young people. . . . Just an extraordinary collection.

Some Resources for Harvest 2008                             

CAFOD

will hold its Harvest Fast Day on 3 October 2008. The day focuses on training HIV activists, who volunteer their own time to stand alongside families struggling to cope with the impact of HIV and AIDS. Resources available for download at the Harvest Fast Day section of the CAFOD website, or in hard copy from your local CAFOD office.

Christian Aid

offers harvest appeal resources with the theme "We will harvest the desert." The material focuses on the story of Ally Ouedraogo and his community: they are using simple farming and water harvesting techniques to reclaim desert land on the edge of the Sahel in Burkina Faso. Materials include a poster with Ally's story on it, a worship sheet,  powerpoint and reflective video. All are available for download from the Harvest Appeal section of the Christian Aid website; posters can be ordered in hard copy from the Christian Aid office, oxford@christian-aid.org, 01865 246818.

Harvest Help -- Self Help Africa (one charity, in the process of changing names)

This year's resource is called "Hands of Hope," and includes children's activities, an African recipe, youth group suggestions, prayer ideas, posters, sermon notes, and more. To receive a copy, call 01743 277170. A downloadable powerpoint with studies of specific Self Help Africa projects will be available from their website shortly.

Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF)

offers a pack called "Reclaim Harvest!" which "features MRDF's work in Ethiopia, where deforestation and soil erosion have made farming almost impossible, but MRDF support has provided training, seeds and tools that enable communities to manage natural resources sustainably." The free pack includes worship materials, all-age activities and ideas for Harvest celebration events. It can be ordered online or by calling 020 7467 5132, or the materials can be downloaded from the Harvest pack website. An accompanying CD-ROM may be ordered for £5, or its material downloaded from the website.

Tearfund

has a harvest pack called "Step up to the plate," which shares the agency's vision for helping families in the poorest areas access good food. The pack includes: "free recipes from Rick Stein, Delia Smith and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a short film by multi-award-winning company Pretzel, a 32pp booklet which includes a special report on Tearfund's partners' intervention since 2005's Sahel crisis, activities for children and youth groups, as well as fundraising and harvest service ideas, a poster for advertising, giving envelopes and more." Individual elements can be downloaded, or the whole pack ordered, at the Step up to the Plate webpage.

USPG

has a harvest pack which focuses on "how the San Pablo church, in Villa Felicidad, Uruguay, is reaching out to an impoverished community - by offering a recipe for life that includes a nutritious mixture of faith, pastoral care and practical support." Background information, all-age resources, a powerpoint about San Pablo, children's activities, sermon notes, suggestions of hymns and prayers and material for use during communion can all be downloaded from the USPG harvest website.

And if you're thinking of holding a harvest supper, what about making it a fiesta? USPG is asking its supporters to help raise funds for Latin American projects by holding a Latin American party. Materials available on the fiesta website include recipes, suggestions and instructions on entertainment (make a pinata, anyone?), Latin American prayers and short stories for worship, posters, etc. There's also information on how to order a DVD and traveling photo exhibition of pictures from the Uruguayan Church. 

Like many people, we've been following the news from Zimbabwe with mounting anxiety since the election. Despite the bans on reporting, there is evidence of growing violence and of electoral corruption.  The Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe recently noted that "Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the 'wrong' political party . . . has been unleashed throughout the country, particularly in the countryside and in some high-density urban areas. People are being abducted, tortured, humiliated by being asked to repeat slogans of the political party they are alleged not to support, ordered to attend mass meetings where they are told they voted for the 'wrong' candidate and should never repeat it in the run-off election for President, and, in some cases, people are murdered."

The Zimbabwean church leaders made their comments as part of a strong appeal for justice and peace. They have been joined by other church leaders in Africa including Rubin Phillip, Bishop of Natal, and other civil and religious activists, who brought the court interdict that prohibited arms for Zimbabwe from being released for transport to that country, and Thabo Makgoba, the Archbishop of Cape Town, who has written an open letter calling on the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe. In the UK, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury have also issued a joint statement on the situation.

The very name of the Jubilee campaigns indicates their Biblical origins, and many have Christian groups as founders or core members -- so worship materials in this area abound.

Prayer

Online Resources

God grant me your Spirit . . . .
That I may rest and work in the vision of a new future
Where all are linked by the bonds of humanity,
Not enslaved by the chains of debt.

Extract from "Grant me your spirit," a World Debt Day prayer by Linda Jones of CAFOD

Prayer on debt issues is appropriate at any time -- but especially on or around World Debt Day, celebrated in the UK on 16 May, the anniversary of the Birmingham G8 chain. "Grant me your spirit," a prayer for World Debt Day, can be found in full on the JDC worship resources page.

The JDC worship resources page also contains "Jubilee Worship," a compendium which includes

• materials for preparation (announcements, bulletin notes and thoughts for creating worship)
• an introduction to set the theological context
• facts and stories about the impact of debt
• an exploration of Jubilee
• a reading from Leviticus 25 with a litany to follow
• a Jubilee sermon (by Bono)
• prayers

Another JDC worship resource is a prayer pilgrimage called "Praying in Public Places: A Pilgrimage for Our Time ," put together by JDC Board member Merryn Hellier. "Praying in Public" invites Christians to walk to local places such as hospitals or surgeries, schools and banks to reflect on and pray about debt and the impact that it has on people's access to essential services. A very powerful service -- and act of witness.

Some of the materials on the JDC's worship resources page originally come from Jubilee USA, which published in 2005 its "Jubilee Congregations Handbook." This resource offered at the time everything a [US] church needed to engage with the campaign -- background information, stories about the impact of debt and debt relief, pages explaining the links between debt and other global issues, worship material (including a Roman Catholic liturgy for debt), Bible studies and more. The fact that it was written before the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative means that some of its background information is now outdated. But the liturgical material and Bible studies remain very helpful.

CAFOD offers a variety of prayers on debt relief .

Preaching

Online Resources

The Jubilee Congregations Handbook contains several suggested sermons, as well as theological reflections designed to inspire sermons. A sermon contributed by by David Golding is also on the JDC worship resources page.

Another invaluable resource is the linked lectionary entitled "Development Matters ," compiled quarterly by Dr. Elizabeth Perry and available on the Diocese of Bath and Wells' website. This resource takes the main lectionary readings for each week and links them with global-justice issues, providing facts, illustrations and quotes that preachers can use in their sermons. There are many illustrations concerning debt, and because the resource is created afresh each quarter, the examples are up to date.

Father we confess that we have been blind to how our lives impact others, and especially the poorest communities. Father, we confess that we have taken the earth for granted, using fossil fuels without a second thought and failing to recognise our part in the problem of Climate Change. Father, we turn back to you and ask you to help us to live simpler lives and to be much more careful in all the resources we use - because it is your earth.
Lord we trust that you are in charge and you can help us to change and live in a way that allows the earth to sustain life for all. Amen

The churches' calendar offes a rich variety of opportunites to bring our concern for climate change into worship. Covenant services, Rogation Sundays, Lent, Environment Day (around 5th June), Harvest Festival and One World Week are all appropriate occasions. More recently the European Christian Environmental Network -- and as of 2008 Churches Together in Britain and Ireland -- have promoted 'Creation Time' (1 September to 4 October) - as a special season to focus on creation.