12/10/2017
Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2; 8-13
Sarah Neff
“The peace between God and man and the salvation which comes to us men is not something general, but the specific thing itself: that concrete thing which is indicated by the name of Jesus Christ and not by any other name. For He who bears this name is Himself the peace and salvation. The peace and salvation can be known, therefore, only in Him, and proclaimed only in His name.” –Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, Vol. 4
As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.
-Denise Levertov, “The Avowal”
Scripture
This Sunday’s Songs
Come Light Our Hearts by McCracken
Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Wesley/Mendelssohn
O Little Town of Bethlehem by Brooks/Redner
Once in Royal David’s City by Alexander/Gauntlett
Away in a Manger by McFarland/Murray
While Shepherds Watched by Tate/Kirbye
We Three Kings by Hopkins
Go, Tell it on the Mountain by Traditional
Love Came Down at Christmas by Rossetti
O Come All Ye Faithful by Wade/Reading
Further Reading for Advent
Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany edited by Sarah Arthur
Cardiphonia Resources for Advent compiled by Bruce Benedict
God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Oak Church Advent Resources compiled by Chris Breslin
Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit the Story of God by Bobby Gross
Mary Had a Baby: An Advent Bible Study Based on African American Spirituals by Cheryl Kirk-Duggan & Marilyn Thornton
Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Silence and Other Surprising Invitations of Advent by Enuma Okoro
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas by Ann Voskamp
Advent Calendar (poem) by Rowan Williams
God With Us edited by Gregory Wolfe
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