sermons
Advent | Bless Us | God Speaks
To Be A People of Blessing | Participatory Liturgy
Ivy Anthony
Dec 03, 2023
Scripture: Luke 1: 26-50
Song: “Wherever Your Heart Is” by The Lone Bellow
Voice: John O’ Donohue
WELCOME
Good morning! I’m Ivy, a pastor here, I use she/her pronouns – it is a delight to have you all in this space together this morning, the first Sunday of Advent.
Advent is the season before Christmas, marked by the four Sundays leading to Christmas. It’s a season where we long and wait for the coming of Jesus – and revisit all that it meant, and consider all that it still means for us and the world today.
And today we are holding a participatory liturgy service to start this season.
I’ll explain this service, and your involvement in it, in just a moment .. …but first a couple Advent -related announcements:
- We have created an Advent devotional guide to companion you through this season.
Our Advent focus this year is the God who speaks – and this guide will help walk you through scripture, reflection questions, and invitations of exploring how that might be true -through our listening, imagination, our encouragement, and blessing. Grab one on your way out – and explore it with a community group or others if you’d like!
- 12/17 – Christmas Choir
- 12/17 – And an after-service Nativity experience with our elementary school kids.
- 12/24 – And on Christmas Eve, we will have special candlelight services in person at 10:00 a.m. and online at 7:00 p.m. (Note the different times for that holiday!)
TODAY
Today, you are about to engage and experience a participatory service.
We offer these types of participatory liturgies about two times a year – and each time I’m excited to see what will unfold with the Spirit of God. So much of what is to come really is a choreography of your story and God’s story intersecting – with familiar prompts of scripture, prayer, and communion – but with a less front–of-the-stage-centered focused “teaching.”
We trust the Spirit of God to be our great teacher today, the one who guides us in communal and creative ways to deeper experiences of God’s love.
We realize that these services take a little more “work”… The word, “liturgy” in Greek roots, means work of the people. And so much of the experience, this morning – as is often true – will rest on your willingness to lean in and engage, participate and create. All of which we will give space for… and all with freedom.
*If you need a little space please take it, there are chairs setup around the edges of the Sanctuary – the prayer team will be available later in the service if you need it as well… but please do participate to the degree you are comfortable, as I trust you’ll find a rich return from that. As always we hope that you will experience the love of God, the gift of community and the joy of living – from exactly where you are at this morning, and know that you are welcome in this place – without exception.
BLESSINGS
The focus of our Advent season this year is the ‘God who speaks.’ And we will get to wonder together how God is speaking still, how we discern God’s new possibilities for us, and how we join God in speaking good into being.
One way God speaks good into being is in the realm of blessings. “The Bible is full of blessings. They are seen as a communication of life from God.” And one way we join God in speaking good into being is by blessing one another.
In this service we are going to explore what it is to “be a people of blessing” – not in a soft/platitude – hashtag#I’m-blessed-sort of -way. But in an empowered – ‘standing in the darkest month of the year, standing in a (dark) world that is breaking over and over again – kind of way’… believing and embodying that there could be something so lovely about rediscovering our power to bless one another. In a way that could heal and renew one another – could rekindle a ‘little bit of fire’ in us – where we remember what and who we care for, who and what we are passionate about and love – and are called to love.
Throughout this service you’ll be invited to explore the power of blessing – through individual reflection, communal response, and movement. I’ll guide you through what these “more communal” moments will look like and how to respond to one another in your groups. You will be companioned by Mary’s story and song found in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1 – as well as Irish poet and priest John O’Donohue.
Let me pray for us, and then lead us into the first portion of our time.
Oh God, the one who blesses us – from the beginning until the end – help us to bless one another, to be a people of blessing. We sit here with you now – maybe eager and maybe slightly anxious – of what this morning might bring. And so I ask you now to remind us of your promise to us, that you are always with us – that by and by you are by our side – that you will never leave us or forsake us. And as we join with you today, may your deep, unending, love for us – be revealed at even greater depths.
Amen
Ivy: Now we will move to our first Movement: Blessing Wherever Our Heart Is –
Let’s get started.
1–
MOVEMENT# 1 | Bless Wherever Your Heart Is
1- Song | Band
1st two stanzas and refrain
🎵I’m getting real good at talkin’ to strangers
Good with the silence, cussing and prayer
It’s a long way to our house, we should get started
I’ve seen the signs of tall tale dangers
Why do you say when the words are not there?
It’s a long way to nowhere, we should get started
We should get started
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is🎵
1- Scripture | Grace
Luke 1:26 -35
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel,
“But I am a virgin – How can this be?”
How can this be?”
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be…
Let it be…
1- Song | Band
🎵🎵🎵
I’m getting real good at talkin’ to strangers
Good with the silence, cussing and prayer
It’s a long way to our house, we should get started
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is🎵
1- Ivy | Words & Invitation to Sharing
I wonder where Mary’s heart was when the angel greeted her?
I wonder if her heart skipped a beat and she lost her breath?
I wonder if she cussed – a million holy cusses – under her breath?
I wonder how much silence she needed to gather herself?
I wonder how much silence she needed to unravel herself?
I wonder how she prayed? What she prayed?
I wonder if she wondered why she should even pray?
I wonder if God was searching for wherever Mary’s heart was? I wonder if in that searching her heart was blessed?
“Cussing, silence & prayer.”
You’ll find three strips of paper that have these words on them in your envelope – please take them out.
I’m going to invite you to write on these strips of paper – and also scan your own heart, as you spend a moment with each of them.
There may be things in your personal life, or in your community, or in the world that light up ONE or all THREE of these words – cussing, silence and prayer – and there may be, even more words that reflect better the state of your heart today – but we are going to take a moment with these three.
1 Let’s start with silence.
- Silence could be holy/connective/generative – altogether good silence.
- Silence could also could also be loneliness – emptiness – numbness…
How does silence resonate with you? Jot some thoughts or reasons ‘why’ down as they come.
2 Next is cussing:
- Cussing could be a reveal health – an outlet – a relief valve for deep feelings
- It could also be a state of unwanted surprise, dead-ends, despair, anger, fear, frustration
How does cussing resonate with you? Jot some thoughts or reasons ‘why’ down as they come.
3 Next is prayer:
- Prayer could be alive, good, it could feel like action – movement.
- Absent, like work, rote, or a longing
How does prayer resonate with you? Jot some thoughts or reasons ‘why’ down as they come.
SHARE & WALL
Now what I’m going to invite you to do now is to share one thing that you wrote down that you are comfortable sharing with the group about “wherever your heart is.” (After you share your name and your pronouns if you’d like).
The group will only say one thing in response to your sharing, and that is
“We bless you, wherever your heart is.”
Take turns – and after you’re all done – you can take your three strips of paper to the wall and place them in an any-shade-of-green envelope.
–2–
MOVEMENT # 2 | Bless Those Throughout Your Life
2- Song | Band
2nd stanza & refrain
🎵You always told me, go where the light is
Nobody showed you, how to get there
It’s a good time for trying to walk through the darkness
We should get started
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is🎵
2- Scripture | Grace
Luke 1: 39 – 45
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth, her cousin. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry,
“Blessed are you among women,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
2- Song | Band
2nd stanza & refrain
🎵You always told me, go where the light is
Nobody showed you, how to get there
It’s a good time for trying to walk through the darkness
We should get started
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is🎵
2- Ivy | Words & Invitation to Reflect & WALL
I wonder if Elizabeth’s blessing changed the atmosphere in that room? In Mary’s heart? Jumping in darkness and light, from overwhelm to movement, clenched heart – to – open.?
I wonder if Elizabeth’s blessing despite the signs of tell-tale danger of Herod the Great, showed Mary how to walk?
I wonder if Elizabeth held some of Mary’s doubt until she could enwomb her own infinite possibilities? I wonder if it shirred up her dignity and belief in who she was meant to be.
The people throughout our lives – they have the capacity to shape, break, and save us.
Likely this is true for you whether you are 15 or 80.
You’ll find in your envelope three square cards.
1-One reads: “Blessed be those who have loved us, into becoming who we were meant to be.”
2-Another reads: “Blessed be those who looked for you and found you, with their kind hands. When desolation surrounded you.”
3-And the last one reads: “Blessed be those who have crossed our lives with dark gifts of hurt and loss. That have helped to school our minds in the art of disappointment.”
- You aren’t going to share out loud in your groups this round – but take a moment to write the names of people throughout your life – who come to mind. And if you can – next to their name write how you knew or know them.
Example: Sally Powell, piano teacher *OR* Holly Potts, 5th grade lunch lady. - And when you are ready you can put these cards on the wall. You’ll find little tabs of red tape that you can stick them up with.
- One exception is the person/people in your life that have hurt you – you can put that card in the envelope that you have, seal it, and put it on the wall if you’d like.
I’ll call us back in a couple of minutes.
As a body we’ll now communally bless all of these people who are represented on the cards and sealed envelopes. I’ll read the blessing – and then we can all say the response that seals that blessing together (it will be on a slide).
1- “Blessed be those who have loved us, into becoming who we were meant to be.”
RESPONSE: May those who love us be blessed.
2-Another reads: “Blessed be those who looked for you and found you, with their kind hands. When desolation surrounded you.”
RESPONSE: May those who search for us be blessed.
3-And the last one reads: “Blessed be those who have crossed our lives with dark gifts of hurt and loss. That have helped to school our minds in the art of disappointment.”
RESPONSE: May God, Bless the space between.
–3–
MOVEMENT #3 | Bless the fire in you
3- Song | Band
2nd stanza
🎵Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you
Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you🎵(repeat as many times as makes sense)
3- Scripture | Grace
Luke 1:51-55
And then Mary praises God, and with a little fire in her belly she sings;
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
3- Song | Band
3rd stanza
🎵Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you
Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you🎵(repeat as many times as makes sense)
3- Ivy | Words & Invitation to Share
Elizabeth’s words flame the embers of knowing in Mary. Something Mary knew deep down, these ancient, yet prophetic words of Isaiah… and she sings them anew for herself and for the world.
It’s the little bit of fire left in her… as she stands in the face of all that is overwhelming.
This little bit of fire – that keeps her in it – that keeps her searching to see the world as God sees it.
And some days this is all we can do, keep trying to see the world as God sees it – even if our reality defies it at every turn. Even if the powerful are still on their thrones, and have their hands full of riches – and even as the poor and powerless are still in the trenches – hungry and suffering. Even if our embers of hope for justice and love are cold. Some days all we have is the mystery and promises of God that feel so ancient – but that reside deep within us… A found little fire left in us – – that in and of itself might be a blessing.
I wonder if Mary’s ancient song is our song too?
- What do you think? Do you have a little fire left in you? And if so – what is it for?
Are there things you care about and for?
Things that keep you up at night that you are passionate about?
- The health of your family system
- Local neighborhood issue
- Hope of the world
- Events of the world
- Your work/vocation
- Share in group
- Take a minute to sit with this question – you should have one last card in your hands.
You can jot your thoughts down – and as you are ready you’ll share one thing you feel comfortable sharing in your group. - The group’s response this time will be: “We bless the fire in you”
DON”T GO TO THE WALL – SAVE IT FOR INTERLUDE
*Ivy words before interlude
Everytime we have said a blessing today – we have used the word, “MAY” – “May you be blessed”…”May those who love you be blessed.” etc. This is because the word “May” is a spring through which the Spirit of God is invoked to come forth with full presence and effect. It is not of our own power. The Spirit of God is the presence and secret energy behind every blessing here and in your days. (xvi)
To be a people of blessing is to move around our days, walk upon this earth – bumping up against people – like all these envelopes on these walls – wherever their hearts are – in grief, in joy, in stress, in numbness – and yet as best we can we are called to notice, pay attention and care for the people around us.
But to live our lives in this manner – we need sustenance. We need to return to and draw from God, the source of all blessing.
So during this next time – you are invited to continue to search for wherever your heart is – and the hearts of those around you.
And here are your options:
- Take your fire paper to the wall, stick it in a green envelope & take some time to read a few green envelopes.
- In the red envelopes are blessings – that you can take for yourself, or move to a green envelope that you think might need one.
- You can take communion – the source of all nourishment.
- You can receive prayer from the Prayer Team.
May you find the sustenance you need along the way.
*INTERLUDE* | Searching
*Song | Band
3rd stanza …….into 4th stanza
🎵Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you
Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you🎵
–4–
MOVEMENT #4 | The Blessing of God
4- Song | Band
4th stanza – on repeat****
🎵Feels so good to know that
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by I am by your side
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is🎵
4- Scripture | Grace
Luke 1:47-50
And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger.
And she said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation – because by and by he’s by their side…
from generation to generation – because by and by he’s by our side.
And Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
4- Song | Band
4th stanza – on repeat****
🎵Feels so good to know that
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by I am by your side🎵
4- Ivy | Words
The span of history – from Abraham – to the immediate descendants of Abraham – to our ancestors, to us, and to every generation in between – and to the next generation, and the generation after that – we are blessed to know that
God looks upon us with favor,
The Might One has done great things for us
God’s mercy is for all of us… for everyone…
By and by God is by our side.
These are the found blessings – things that are just true of God
It feels so good to know – that By and By God’s by our side.
So we are going to invite all the generations in this room to sing this refrain together …..
***Song | Band – Lead this part…
If you feel like you are in the older generation sing with us:
🎵Feels so good to know that
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by I am by your side🎵
If you feel like you are somewhere in the “middle” generation sing with us:
🎵Feels so good to know that
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by I am by your side🎵
If you feel like you are somewhere in the “young” generation sing with us:
🎵Feels so good to know that
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by I am by your side🎵
Then Band leads congregation the whole song from top to bottom:
🎵
I’m getting real good at talkin’ to strangers
Good with the silence, cussing and prayer
It’s a long way to our house, we should get started
I’ve seen the signs of tall tale dangers
What do you say when the words are not there?
It’s a long way to nowhere, we should get started
We should get started
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is
You always told me, go where the light is
Nobody showed you, how to get there
It’s a good time for trying to walk through the darkness
We should get started
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is
Feels so good to know
That there’s a little fire left
There’s a little fire in left in you
Feels so good to know
That by and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
By and by, I am by your side
I’m still searching for wherever your heart is
We should get started, wherever your heart is
I’m still searching for wherеver your heart is
We should gеt started, wherever your heart is🎵
Ivy – Prayer/Benediction
Oh God who blesses, blesses and blesses us – so that we can in turn bless bless bless one another – May we treasure all the words spoken, shared, and those tucked away here today and ponder them in our hearts. And may they shape the blessings we become as we move about our days – searching for your heart Jesus in this world. AMEN