Sacred Space: A Resource for Small-group Ministry Year C Christmas Day Scripture: Luke 2:1 20 NRSV Gathering Welcome Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. Dear Maker of all life, Source of all goodness and healing, We have called you many names, and even by those words we cannot capture your mystery; Spirit, Source, Forgiver, Creator, Sustainer, Almighty, Lord God, Abba, Father, Mother. We seek your name because you have named us your own, and in that we have our life and being. We thank you with humility for calling us, by placing in us a longing to be at one with your love, so that in each moment our restlessness summons us home. Grant us the peace in our hearts that creates the space to allow us to step into the active moments of service, not as people who are healed, but as the wounded healers who trust in your grace. Give us wisdom and discernment to see the God-radiance in all persons, to recognize it readily and to reflect it to them, lest they wait alone, having forgotten who they really are. May this Advent season be one in which the longing you placed in our hearts for oneness draws us closer to the One you sent to be with us, Emmanuel. Amen. Spiritual Practice Hymn Meditation Materials: Advent wreath or ring for four candles and one white candle in the center. Note: Light all four Advent candles before the welcome. Light the center candle for Christmas and say:
Today we light the Christmas candle. This candle represents the coming of Christ into the world. May the lighting of this candle remind us that no matter the darkness and despair in the world, brokenness will not have the last word. The hope, joy, love, and peace of Christ will prevail. Read the following: Hymns are a blending of poetry, devotion, and scripture. They capture us with imagery and phrases. When we sing hymns they can stick in our memory and refresh our souls again and again. Reflecting on hymns can bring new insight into our life, ministry, and discipleship. It can be a fresh, new way to commune with God. One way to meditate on a hymn is to read it instead of singing it. As the hymn is read we focus on the words and their meaning. Our hymn meditation focus today is Community of Christ Sings, 415 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. We will read this hymn aloud together one time. Then we will read it through once silently. After the silent reading and meditation, we will share some of our reflections. I invite you to consider these questions as we engage in our hymn meditation: What might the message of this song be for us today? What is God stirring within us? How will we respond? Read the hymn aloud together. Read the hymn silently. Continue a period of silence to include time for meditation. Close the silence by saying aloud, Amen. Read the questions above once more and invite group members to share as they feel led. Close the sharing with a brief prayer of gratitude for all that has been shared and for the blessings of this day. Sharing Around the Table Luke 2:1 20 NRSV In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you
will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Today on this Christmas Day, we celebrate the long-awaited birth of Jesus, who has arrived after a season of waiting. The infant Jesus is born after his parents are burdened with required travel and rejected in their hour of need. Mary gives birth in a stable, not an inn, surrounded by animals, not midwives and attendants. This upset of expectation and the humble situation of Jesus birth reminds us that God reveals God s self in unexpected places at the margins of society. Angels appear to the shepherds and are the first to celebrate Jesus arrival. They are not part of life in the city of Bethlehem, instead living on its outskirts. They go into the city to meet the infant Jesus and praise God. In this story of Jesus birth, angels appear first to those with low social status. They offer the good news and the hope of liberation from oppressive social and political structures. The waiting of Advent is over. The arrival of the Christ-child ushers in a season of profound hope for those who need that message most. Questions 1. The shepherds celebrated the birth of Jesus because it brought them hope for liberation. What kinds of hope can we take from this story? 2. On this Christmas Day, how can we follow the example of the shepherds and respond to Jesus birth by praising God? What might that look like? Sending Generosity Statement Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint (Doctrine and Covenants 163:9). The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing small-group ministries as part of your generous response. God of love and light, In this season of hope, love, and joy, may the peace of your Son, Jesus, be made real in the world. May our hearts, minds, hands, and resources be useful in the cause of
bringing your light where there is darkness and your love where there is despair, anger, fear, and suffering. May our offerings be used toward your purposes, we pray. Amen. Invitation to Next Meeting Closing Hymn CCS 415, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Closing Prayer Optional Additions Depending on Group Sacrament of the Lord s Supper Thoughts for Children
Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. Dear Maker of all life, Source of all goodness and healing, We have called you many names, and even by those words we cannot capture your mystery; Spirit, Source, Forgiver, Creator, Sustainer, Almighty, Lord God, Abba, Father, Mother. We seek your name because you have named us your own, and in that we have our life and being. We thank you with humility for calling us, by placing in us a longing to be at one with your love, so that in each moment our restlessness summons us home. Grant us the peace in our hearts that creates the space to allow us to step into the active moments of service, not as people who are healed, but as the wounded healers who trust in your grace. Give us wisdom and discernment to see the God-radiance in all persons, to recognize it readily and to reflect it to them, lest they wait alone, having forgotten who they really are. May this Advent season be one in which the longing you placed in our hearts for oneness draws us closer to the One you sent to be with us, Emmanuel. Amen.
Spiritual Practice Hymn Meditation Materials: Advent wreath or ring for four candles and one white candle in the center. Note: Light all four Advent candles before the welcome. Light the center candle for Christmas and say: Today we light the Christmas candle. This candle represents the coming of Christ into the world. May the lighting of this candle remind us that no matter the darkness and despair in the world, brokenness will not have the last word. The hope, joy, love, and peace of Christ will prevail. Read the following: Hymns are a blending of poetry, devotion, and scripture. They capture us with imagery and phrases. When we sing hymns they can stick in our memory and refresh our souls again and again. Reflecting on hymns can bring new insight into our life, ministry, and discipleship. It can be a fresh, new way to commune with God. One way to meditate on a hymn is to read it instead of singing it. As the hymn is read we focus on the words and their meaning. Our hymn meditation focus today is Community of Christ Sings, 415 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. We will read this hymn aloud together one time. Then we will read it through once silently. After the silent reading and meditation, we will share some of our reflections. I invite you to consider these questions as we engage in our hymn meditation: What might the message of this song be for us today? What is God stirring within us? How will we respond? Read the hymn aloud together. Read the hymn silently. Continue a period of silence to include time for meditation. Close the silence by saying aloud, Amen. Read the questions above once more and invite group members to share as they feel led. Close the sharing with a brief prayer of gratitude for all that has been shared and for the blessings of this day.
Sharing Around the Table Luke 2:1 20 NRSV In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Today on this Christmas Day, we celebrate the long-awaited birth of Jesus, who has arrived after a season of waiting. The infant Jesus is born after his parents are burdened with required travel and rejected in their hour of need. Mary gives birth in a stable, not an inn, surrounded by animals, not midwives and attendants. This upset of expectation and the humble situation of Jesus birth reminds us that God reveals God s self in unexpected places at the margins of society. Angels appear to the shepherds and are the first to celebrate Jesus arrival. They are not part of life in the city of Bethlehem, instead living on its outskirts. They go into the city to meet the infant Jesus and praise God. In this story of Jesus birth, angels appear first to those with low social status. They offer the good news and the hope of liberation from oppressive social and political structures. The waiting of Advent is over. The arrival of the Christ-child ushers in a season of profound hope for those who need that message most.
Questions 1. The shepherds celebrated the birth of Jesus because it brought them hope for liberation. What kinds of hope can we take from this story? 2. On this Christmas Day, how can we follow the example of the shepherds and respond to Jesus birth by praising God? What might that look like?
Generosity Statement Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint (Doctrine and Covenants 163:9). The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing small-group ministries as part of your generous response. God of love and light, In this season of hope, love, and joy, may the peace of your Son, Jesus, be made real in the world. May our hearts, minds, hands, and resources be useful in the cause of bringing your light where there is darkness and your love where there is despair, anger, fear, and suffering. May our offerings be used toward your purposes, we pray. Amen.
Communion Statement Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, was born today. He leads the walk in the way of truth and shows us how to love and serve one another. In the birth of Jesus we recognize God s great love. In the sacramental act of sharing Communion we remember the gift of Jesus Christ to our world. All committed followers of Christ are invited to partake, but no one should feel pressured to receive the emblems. On this Christmas Day, our experience of being together as we share in Communion is an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink from it all, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father s kingdom. Matthew 26:26 29 NRSV In preparation let s sing from Community of Christ Sings 527, Bread of the World.
Thoughts for Children Materials: baby doll wrapped in strips of cloth, or a picture of the Nativity, printed or digitally shown on a phone or tablet or projected on a screen. Say: What is special about today? That s right! It is Christmas Day! I want to tell you a story about when Jesus was born. First, have you ever asked someone to repeat what they just did, and they respond by saying, Nothing, or I will tell you later? Have you ever felt like everyone else knew about some exciting event before you did? How did that make you feel? Sometimes we are the last to know about things, and that can make us feel bad! The shepherds often were the last ones to know what was going on in their communities. The shepherds were away from home for weeks at a time, and frequently they missed hearing big news that everyone else already knew. They worked hard outdoors for days and days with animals. It was kind of like being on a campout for several weeks in a row. Because of this, they were pretty stinky when they went back to town! This made it hard to spend time with people and hear the news, as well. When God sent Jesus to Earth, God could have chosen any circumstances. God could have had Jesus born to a royal family with a beautiful, warm palace. Instead, God chose for Jesus to be born to a very young, poor couple. Mary and Joseph were his earthly parents. On top of that, Jesus was born in a humble stable for animals. He didn t have fine clothes and blankets. Instead, Jesus was wrapped in strips of fabric, like this baby. (Show the baby doll if you have one, or a picture of the Nativity.) God sent Jesus to Earth in the most humble of circumstances. But guess who were the first ones to hear the news? The shepherds! As they were keeping watch in their fields that night, angels came to them! An angel told them to not be afraid, that a Savior had just been born! The angels sang, praising God. When the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. When God announced the birth of Jesus, God first told those who usually are the last to hear news! Why do you think God sent Jesus in such a humble way, instead of having him born into much more comfortable circumstances? By sending him through humble means, and sharing the news first with lowly shepherds, God was sending a message that this Savior was for everyone. Not just the rich, or the royal. Always remember, God s greatest gift was for everyone, especially the poor, forgotten, and left behind.