What are your plans for Christmas/Christmas Eve services at your place of worship?
I like to do something dramatic - a monologue or something - but I always have a tough time finding something that's - well, not cheezy. And I rarely feel competent and inspired enough to write something of my own.
We've also done lessons and carols, without a specific message, but sometimes this seems to work better than others.
Thoughts? Insights?
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Sermon for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, "Picnic and a Boat Ride," John 6:1-21 (Proper 12B, Ordinary 17B)
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7 comments:
I like "The Secret of the Gifts" by Flucke
The text can be found here
http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/secret-of-the-gifts.htm
Eric
How about bringing in your brother, who is a semi-professional actor to perform a monologue? He's a pretty well trained classical actor, and he works for food.
We have a lot of grandchildren in the congregation on Christmas Eve who don't attend at other times of the year and are *very* restless. Last year I did an abbreviated Lessons and Carols format, and instead of a sermon, I wrote a telling of the Christmas story directed at the children and invited them to sit in the manger with me (we left it up from the Christmas Pageant the Sunday before, a beautiful construction of twigs). But this year I have no idea what to do! We're worshiping with the new church start using our basement, and I have to work out a plan with the other pastor.
I am struggling with this. My practice is to do a monologue of some sort. BUt I am having trouble coming up with a character to use. This year I want to do a modern take on the meaning of Christmas (alternate years I do a character who might have been there in Luke's story).
Mind you, yesterday one of the women in teh congregation expressed interest in doing a dialogue piece. Might take her up on that (although it is harder to prepare).
in years past when i was at blakemore umc with michael williams as the sr. pastor, we had a wonderful tradition.
michael would sit in a rocking chair at the front of the sanctuary and we'd spread quilts out in front of the rocking chair which the children would come up and sit on.
we sang a few christmas carols, had the greeting, a reading, a prayer, and then michael would read a christmas children's story. i projected the pictures from the story on a large screen that was behind michael. this way the congregation "got to see the pictures too".
we then had communion and while people were coming forward we projected images of the nativity from all around the world.
we end with lighting candles while singing silent night.
we've done it at least 5 times and it has been a wonderful experience.
some of the books that we used were:
legend of the poinsettias- ?author
the giveaway- by ray buckley
the christmas moccassins- by ray buckley
all were purchased from cokesbury.
i hope that's helpful
shalom,
jonathon
One of my previous pastors has been known to tell the story of the World War I Christmas Day truce, using the song "Christmas in the Trenches" -- which he sang and accompanied on guitar. Very folksy, very effective. Particularly timely this year because the last surviving soldier from that event recently passed away (I think he was 104 or 109 years old).
Hey, thanks for these great ideas. I might definitely put some of them to use!
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