American Thanksgiving is only a week away. People are zipping across the country (or at least trying to plough through the record snowfalls to get together) to spend the day with family and friends. This is the holiday that I have most relished adopting since I have lived in the U.S. but I find that in the frenzy of activity it is easy to forget that this is meant to be a celebration of praise and thanksgiving to God for the abundance with which we are blessed.
Last year some of you may remember I decided to mess with Advent and add an extra week, focusing on thankfulness and gratitude. I have decided to do the same this year which means I will begin my personal Advent reflections this Sunday, focusing on gratitude and thankfulness. For me, there is no better place to start than with responsive prayer. I thought that some of you might appreciate this liturgy that we used at our community meal on Tuesday and will use next week, reading at least parts of it each day to focus me on what I am grateful for. We will also use it Thanksgiving Day as part of our celebrations.
You can also check out the array of prayers, litanies and thanksgiving music on our Thanksgiving and Harvest resource post too.
A Thanksgiving Liturgy
God eternal and righteous One,
Who created the heavens and the earth,
we gather to give you thanks.
For breath that fills us with your life,
For love that softens our hearts,
For beauty revealed at every turn.
Christ redeeming and forgiving One,
Who is always faithful and merciful.
We gather to give you thanks,
For renewal, transforming our lives,
For peace calming the chaos of our souls,
For hope restoring our faith.
Spirit sustaining, and compassionate One,
Who calls us into relationship with the living God,
We give you thanks,
For caring when our hearts are aching,
For friends supportive in times of need,
For generosity lavish and overflowing.
God who created the earth and the heavens,
Eternal, Redeeming and Sustaining One,
We gather to give you thanks,
We come with hearts full of gratitude,
For all things good,
We give you thanks for You.
(Pause to express gratitude for your own areas of thanksgiving)
For the universe immense and unknown,
For the earth on which we live,
For humankind made in your image.
Thanks and praise to God our creator.
For the way you entered human history as one of us
For the sacrifice you made for all of us,
For dying that we might live.
Thanks and praise to Christ our redeemer,
For the wonder of your indwelling presence,
For the comfort of your guidance and direction,
For drawing us together as one body.
Thanks and praise to the Holy Spirit our sustainer.
Through your will we are made whole,
Through your love we are renewed.
Through your abiding presence we become one community.
Thanks and praise to God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer through all eternity.
Psalm 105 1-8 (NLT)
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
He always stands by his covenant—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Colossians 3: 15-17 (NLT)
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Luke 22: 17 – 19
Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us pray together now in the words Jesus taught us.
Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen
Gracious and generous God we give you thanks,
For the gift of life for we are made in your image,
We think of all those in whom your divine image is still distorted.
We pray for your mercy and love to rest upon them.
God in your mercy be with them.
Caring and providing God we give you thanks,
For our homes that shelter and protect us,
We think of those without shelter and water and protection today.
We pray for your generous provision to be poured out upon them.
God in your mercy be with them.
Abundant and giving God we give you thanks,
For our food that nourishes and strengthens us,
We think of those without adequate food and nourishment today.
We pray that you will feed them with the bread of life.
God in your mercy be with them.
Loving and compassionate God we give you thanks,
For our friends and family who love and comfort us in times of need,
We think of those who are alone and feel abandoned.
God comfort and surround them that they may sense your presence.
God in your mercy be with them.
(Pause to offer your own prayers)
Gracious and generous God,
We remember all the gifts you have given us,
We remember how lavishly you have provided.
We remember how lovingly you have cared,
We remember especially that greatest gift of all,
Jesus Christ our Saviour,
And we give you thanks.
Amen
Today I intended to make my Come to the Manger Advent wreath. I got as far as cutting out the circle for the wreath and printing out the manger image I plan to paste at the centre. Then I stopped. Suddenly it struck me that what I had in front of me was an image of the circle of God’s love, centred around the coming of Christ into our world. I was so overwhelmed by this image that I have sat meditating on the love of God ever since.
One thing I realize is that there is a big difference between who we invite to the manger (the inner circle in my imagination) and who God welcomes to the manger. God’s love encircles all humanity – past present and future. God welcomes all who come – the foreigners, the despised, the abandoned, those who look different, act differently, worship differently. All are welcomed by our loving God. The circle of God’s love is one of inclusion not of exclusion.
Often we only invite those we feel comfortable with and when others want to join us we exclude them because they don’t fit our understanding of who is acceptable to God. What would happen I wonder, if we, like God were willing to go out into the highways and byways, into the places we feel uncomfortable, and invite in everyone we meet?
As you know I love Celtic crosses and part of my love is the circle that is part of it. It speaks to me of the love of God and the all embracing nature of that love. Not surprisingly, I ended up meditating on one of my Celtic crosses and then rewriting the prayer I posted a few weeks ago.
Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year. I wanted to make sure that the celebration did not pass unnoticed in the midst of my preparations for Thanksgiving and Advent even though I must confess, it is not a celebration that is very much on my radar screen.
I thought that this celebration must date from the Middle Ages, but discovered recently that Pope Pius XI added it in 1925. He intended it as a day to celebrate and remember Christ’s kingship over all creation, as well as to remind us that all humankind must submit to Christ’s rule.
As you can imagine, this celebration, especially in recent years, been a somewhat controversial day among those Christians who consider the language of kingship outdated or oppressive. For many, the images of kings and kingdoms conjure up thoughts of tyrants. But the kingship of Jesus takes on a very different form than does the kingship of earthly rulers. He came as a vulnerable infant and carried that vulnerability into his kingship of servanthood as we hear in this, my favourite “kingship” song.
Jesus comes to us not as a great conquering military leader who oppresses and abuses the conquered. Rather, he comes as a servant king, the Prince of Peace, the One whose reign proclaims peace, justice, liberation, and above all, service. Jesus turned the whole concept of lordship and kingship on its head:
You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:42-45, NAB).
Images of God, as Lord and King seem foreign in a democratic, individualistic society. But our all-powerful God, is also all-loving, and all-merciful. God’s heart aches to once more be in a loving relationship with his creatures. This is what Christ’s kingship is all about. We must submit to Jesus as our Lord and King, but it is a submission that paradoxically brings with it liberation, freedom from sin and a life of wholeness for us, for others and for God’s world.
I love this powerful image of Jesus as King and the kingdom of God as a place of hope that Foy Vance gives us here:
Jesus knew the popular images of kings and lords and redefined them. In God’s resurrection world, in order to be a ruler of all, Jesus must become a servant of all. Jesus demonstrated this servanthood in his life and miracles. Even the Incarnation is an example of this: God the Son, King of all creation, humbled himself to become human, even sharing the ultimate fate of his captive subjects: death.
Interestingly, most references to Jesus as king occur during the Passion story. The symbol of Christ’s kingship is not a crown but a cross. The Son of God became human and died a horrible death on the cross to release his subjects from captivity. The One who is the true king of our world made this ultimate sacrifice out of his deep and abiding love for the world, a world constantly in rebellion against him. Christ’s kingship is not like a king with a jewel-encrusted crown in purple finery on a gold throne wielding an oppressive rod of iron. Rather, he is the crucified God with a crown of thorns hanging half naked on a cross of shame to set us free from our bondage.
No collection for Christ the King Sunday is complete without this inspiring description of Christ the King of Kings by SM Lockridge.
Here is a prayer that I wrote a couple of years ago for Christ the King Sunday:
Let us praise Jesus Christ our king
for the wonderful things he has done.
He sends out his word to heal us.
He satisfies the thirsty with the water of life.
He fills the hungry with the abundance of his kingdom.
Let us praise Jesus, redeemer and renewer of all things.
May we always trust in his goodness and love,
And have faith in his grace and mercy,
May we always believe he cares about justice and righteousness,
And draw our life from his eternal purposes.
Let us praise Jesus Christ our king and saviour,
May we be filled with the hope and promise of his coming,
And give our lives to follow him.
May we be gripped by his kingdom ways,
And walk with assurance and trust into his grace and peace.
Other Resources for Christ the King Sunday
- Prayers for Christ the King Sunday here
- Service of Worship for Christ the King Sunday
- Other resources for Christ the King Sunday
And after all that serious stuff you might like a little light liturgical dancing for Christ the King Sunday:
Collecting rocks – a path to remembrance
Have you ever noticed how often the Israelites collected rocks to build cairns as memorials for significant events in their history? Joseph built one after his encounter with God. The whole nation of Israel built one after they crossed the Jordan. Memorials, reminders, places to come and and remind us of the faithfulness of God in the past and encourage us to hope for God’s continued faithfulness in the future.
I am also a collector of rocks. As a child I loved to gather specimens when we went on long road treks over the summer holidays. And in Australia there are some wonderful rocks to collect – sapphire chips, opals, agates, and even flecks of gold. But in the last few years it is not these precious stones that have caught my attention. Now like the Israelites I gather rocks that mark significant events – and I give them names as memorials to remind me of my encounters with God.
I have a serpentine rock picked up on the beach on the island of Iona where Columba came ashore. I call it my rock of faithfulness because when I hold it in my hand I am reminded of all the faithful followers of Christ, like Columba who have gone before me.
fossilized shell
I have a limestone rock from the South coast of Australia. It has the fossil of a shell in it. This is my rock of endurance. I am reminded that this shell comes from a creature that lived thousands of years ago. It has endured because it was transformed into the limestone rock.
Another rock I picked up on Camano Island north of Seattle. Limpets cling tightly to it reminding me always of the need to cling closely to God.
Malachite from backyard
I even have a rock that I picked up in our backyard – a beautiful specimen of malachite – unexpected because this is not a native rock to the Pacific NW. I call it my rock of unexpected surprises because it reminds me that God often comes to us in unexpected and unanticipated ways.
Probably the rock I have held in my hand most frequently is the one I call my rock of remembrance. It is streaked with veins of dark and light intertwined in an intricate pattern. It is a constant reminder to me that the dark and light sides of life are woven together inextricably. They cannot be separated or the rock would crumble into nothing.
Collecting rocks has become an important part of my prayer life. I love to hold a rock in my hand meditating on the part of my faith journey it reminds me of. I find myself praying in gratitude, in repentance or just in sheer joy at the faithfulness of God.
We are forgetful people.
God understands this far better than we do. God prompted the Israelites repeated to remember their God who rescued them from Egypt and faithfully led them through the wilderness:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the Lord your God!” (Numbers 15:37-41)
I was never more aware of this than when watching the film The Way recently. This powerful and inspirational story stars Martin Sheen who plays Tom, an irascible American doctor coming to France to deal with the tragic loss of his son. He embarks on the historical Camino de Santiago pilgrimage where his son died.
There is a tradition on the camino to bring a stone from home and rub all your fears, hurts and sorrows into the stone which you can place at the base of the Cruz de Ferro. Others pick up a stone along the way or write a wish on paper. They deposit them at the cairn of Cruz de Ferro where a huge mound of rocks with their prayers, and hopes and suffering have accumulated over the centuries. This is a holy spot whose sacredness spoke to me even from a distance.
You may not want to collect rocks as I do. You may never have walked the Camino de Santiago, but I am sure there is something you collect that reminds you of God and of your faith journey. Memorials root our prayers in the faithfulness of God. They provide anchors of stability that lead us onward towards the heart of God. Remembering the acts of God in our past is one important way that we connect to the acts of God in the present and learn to trust in hope for the promises of God in the future.
What is your response?
What are the memorials that mark your life? Gather them together in the place where you pray. Sit quietly looking at them.
Is there an object that stands out for you today? Pick it up. Hold it in your hand. What memories spring to mind? Allow them to flow around you. Listen for the whisper of God’s voice speaking to you through the object. What new things might God say to you today about faithfulness, endurance, remembrance or other aspects of life? Write these down and sit quietly basking in the presence of God.
Are there new insights God is giving you about your current situation? Write these down.
What about the future? Is God speaking to you through your memories about new ways to trust? Write these down too.
Repeat the exercise each day throughout the week. Write down what God says to you
Today I am facilitating the Stop the Madness: Return to Our Senses in Advent Retreat. A day like this always reminds me of the wonder of life and the preciousness of every moment, which was partly the inspiration for this prayer.
I also came across a quote by Elie Wiesel yesterday which resonated in my mind and added further inspiration.
Lord thank you,
For every moment you give
is a moment of grace.
Lord thank you,
For every hour you provide
is an offering of love.
Lord thank you,
For every day that you create
is a gift of life.
May we remember these gifts
are meant to be shared.
For our lives no longer belong to us.
They belong to you
and to all who need us desperately.
Christine Sine https://godspacelight.com/
In the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, Evening Prayer, also know as Vespers, always includes the Magnificat. Each day, the Magnificat is preceded by a short verse or “antiphon” that links the prayer to the feast of the day or the season of the year. In the last seven days of Advent (December 17-24), the antiphons before the Magnificat are very special. Each begins with the exclamation “O” and ends with a plea for the Messiah to come. As Christmas approaches the cry becomes increasingly urgent. In past years, I attended the O Antiphon service at St Marks Cathedral in Seattle. It was a very moving experience, but to be honest, I did not appreciate it as much as I should because I had no idea what the O Antiphons were.
A Journey Toward Home: Soul Travel for Advent to Lent uses one of the O Antiphons as a focus for reflections each week, so I talked about this a little in my post Behind the Scenes and included this youtube video which provides a good introduction to the O Antiphons. Many of us are not familiar with this tradition which is best known in Catholic and Anglican churches, so I thought that a little repetition and a little more detail might be appreciated. You may even like to find an O Antiphon service to attend in the last week of Advent this year.
Most familiar today from the Advent hymn, O come, O come, Emmanuel (in Latin, Veni Emmanuel) which is a lyrical paraphrase of these antiphons, the seven traditional “O Antiphons” are actually more than a thousand years old. They have long been used at the very end of Advent (Dec. 17-23) in the liturgical prayer of the Church, as Antiphons for the “Magnificat” sung or recited during Vespers (the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours). They are referred to as the “O Antiphons” because the title of each one begins with the interjection “O”. Each antiphon is a name of Christ, one of his attributes mentioned in Scripture.
The first letters of the titles are taken backwards form a Latin acrostic of “Ero Cras” which translates to “Tomorrow, I will be there”, mirroring the theme of the antiphons.
Saying the O Antiphons as a family, whether during grace at meals, in front of the manger scene, or in front of the Christmas tree, is a wonderful Advent devotion. Listen to the appropriate chant below and spend some time in silence drinking in its beauty and the wonder of Christ’s presence within it. To make the devotion even more fruitful, read and meditate together on the Scripture texts on which the antiphons are based.
December 17: O Sapientia (Is. 11:2-3; 28:29): “O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High. You fill the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner. O come to teach us the way of truth.”
December 18: O Adonai (Is. 11:4-5; 33:22): “O Adonai and leader of Israel, you appeared to Moses in a burning bush and you gave him the Law on Sinai. O come and save us with your mighty power.”
December 19: O Radix Jesse (Is. 11:1, 10): “O stock of Jesse, you stand as a signal for the nations; kings fall silent before you whom the peoples acclaim. O come to deliver us, and do not delay.”
December 20: O Clavis David (Is. 9:6; 22:22): “O key of David and scepter of Israel, what you open no one else can close again; what you close no one can open. O come to lead the captive from prison; free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
December 21: O Oriens (Is. 9:1): “O Rising Sun, you are the splendor of eternal light and the sun of justice. O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
December 22: O Rex Gentium (Is. 2:4; 9:5): “O King whom all the peoples desire, you are the cornerstone which makes all one. O come and save man whom you made from clay.”
December 23:O Emmanuel (Is. 7:14) : “O Emmanuel, you are our king and judge, the One whom the peoples await and their Savior. O come and save us, Lord, our God.”
- Nadia Bolz Weber provides a good introduction in her article He is Coming The Great O Antiphons.
- And Catholic Culture suggests some helpful activities to incorporate in the celebration of the O Antiphons.
- The Roman Catholic Lectionary website spells out the O Antiphons and provides Biblical readings for each of them.
- Anna Johnson provides a helpful service for the O Antiphons as well.
- Fisheaters has mp3s of the O antiphons
- You may also like to download this O Antiphon companion booklet
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Here in the U.S. Christmas music is already blaring in many of our malls which means that by the time the season really arrives we will be heartily sick of I’m dreaming of a white Christmas and other popular tunes. Just thinking about the array of Christmas music that is available is a daunting task and how to keep it fresh and renewing throughout the season is even more challenging.
I have found that focusing my own music choices on Advent themes rather than the Christmas carols that the secular culture grabs onto really helps me to keep my spiritual focus. I love Advent chants, especially Gregorian chants, and also contemplative music so obviously this is the focus of my suggestions here.
My favourite Celtic style musician is Jeff Johnson. His Selah service meditations on Psalms are beautiful to listen to at this time of the year to help us maintain our peace. His Christmas album A Quiet Knowing Christmas is also one of my constant companions.
This Gregorian Advent chants was my introduction to Advent chants and remains one of my favourites. It is available on Amazon but here is another recording of Advent chants I have also really enjoyed.
Another I highly recommend acquiring is a set of Advent chants recorded by The Benedictines of Mary “Advent at Ephesus” These hit the top of the classic music lists a couple of years ago and it is easy to see why.
And another favourite of mine an hour of contemplative music from Hildegard of Bingen Voice of the Living Light
This collection of Gregorian chants is very restful because of the nature sounds in the background.
And I just came across this amazing set of chants recorded in 1930
If you are looking for more traditional Christmas Music here are some that are hard to beat:
The Three Tenors Christmas Concert in Vienna 1999
Andrea Bocelli Christmas songs
Celtic Woman A Christmas Celebration
And for those that want to check out the vast range of what is out there.
Top 40 Pop has a list of their top 100 Christmas songs .
And a fascinating list of 50 top Christmas Songs from TimeOut London.
A great list of classical Christmas albums. from Ranker.com.
If you are looking for an international Christmas:
Some beautiful songs for peace, from Latin America:.
African Christmas by Ed Jordan is a very powerful song to listen to at this time of the year.
Betelehemu – a Nigerian Christmas song sung by the African Children’s Choir
I was not able to find this song on You-tube, but one Asian carol I would recommend is The Hunger Carol with words by New Zealander Shirley Erena Murray and music by Taiwanese hymnologist I-to Loh
Music and More from MSA
Each year I produce an Advent meditation video with background music by Jeff Johnson. These can be viewed online or purchased by in high resolution by download or DVD.
Advent 2013 – Come Home to God.
Advent 2012 – Alleluia – The Christ Child Comes ,
The entire series of Advent videos from 2007-2012
Advent and Christmas is one of the busiest seasons of the year for Mustard Seed Associates as we publish many other seasonal resources.
A Journey Toward Home: Soul Travel For Advent Through Lent by Kristiin Carroccino and Christine Sine, This is our latest resource – a comprehensive guide to Advent through Epiphany with not only daily reflections from 55 contributors, but also weekly gatherings, recipes and more.
Waiting for the Light by Susan Wade, Ricci Kilmer and Christine Sine. This devotional covers the season of Advent with daily reflections and weekly liturgies.
Return to Our Senses: Reimagining How We Pray by Christine Sine
Prayer Cards
In the last couple of years we have produced several sets of prayer cards which are available for purchase. These have been used extensively for prayer, grief counselling, gifts, and congregational distribution.
In 2013 we also produced a series of podcasts hosted by Christine Sine and Ryan Marsh that you may like to listen to.
First week of Advent with Tara Ward and Chelle Stearns listen here,
Second week of Advent with Aaron Strumpel, Dwight Friesen, and Donna and Jim Mathwig listen here
Third Week of Advent with Karen Ward, Tacey Howe Wispelwey and Mary September listen here
Fourth Week of Advent with Lacey Brown, and Tom Sine listen here.
This is part of a series on Christmas/Advent resources. There is a free download available with all the links or follow these links:
What About Simplifying This Christmas
Getting ready for a Blue Christmas
Getting Ready for Advent/Christmas Worship Resources for the Season
Who Will You Invite to the Manger?
Helping Kids Give Back This Christmas
Advent Activities for Families and Kids
Advent Is Coming What Scriptures Will You Read
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