Neighborhood Nativity

 One of the most innovative things we have done during the pandemic is re-imagining our Christmas live nativity. In years past one event or another on a Sunday evening in Advent has concluded with an an outdoor live nativity scene. We cast it this year as a stand-alone event off campus. We adapted our perennial children's Christmas Eve service to provide a script, recording children we might normally use in a live setting. We recorded the same sequence of songs in that service with a solo child singer, in lieu of congregational songs. Instead of a single locale, we created 5 locations among our in-town church families. We recruited those same families, or in a couple of cases some non-family members to portray characters from the nativity story. We created a CD of the narration, songs, and some other brief liturgical elements. We created scenes at the five homes, including costumes and props. Folks picked up a CD from the church facility and then drove around town on a prescribed route to view the scenes while listening to the narration and songs in their cars. We had about 100 cars over the 2-hour course of the event. The response was quite favorable. Below are some shots.

The first stop was "the innkeeper and Mary and Joseph."

 Next up was the angels...

Next up were the shepherds in afield. We hired live animals for this stop.

The magi were next. We purchased inflatable camel costumes for this trio of boys and simply told them to have a good time.

The last stop was a complete scene. We asked a large family in our congregation to take this on, figuring they would have the personnel to cast a fairly complete scene. They did! We had planned to let them borrow our scale-model creche scene, but the kids wanted to create their own, including animals, fake and living!

There are years I seek to provide a certain level of authenticity to the live nativity scene, and ask persons to remain in character. Since our congregation had been apart for 9 months at this point, we let those strictures fall, and encouraged everyone to wave and smile and chat with one another from a distance, the better to enjoy the experience. It was a wonderful event. We liked being in the community, and even when we are able to be back together, we may re-cast this yet again and make it bigger and better.

Visuals for Advent 2020

 Here is a hodge-podge of images from our visuals during Advent 2020. I made the iron frame back in summer to hold fabric. In Advent it held a wreath and globes that represented candles and/or stars. Early on the frame was bare, but I added black fabric as a base to keep things from showing through between the sides. This first shot shows what the wreath with lights looked like (before the black fabric).

This is the "candle" side. Youth made these globes a couple of years ago for a youth Sunday. I was really delighted I had held onto them. Each one lights. It doesn't quite show but there is a fairy light curtain behind the blue fabric. There is also a glittery toile type fabric in front of the sheer blue piece. The lights glistened through with a  pretty cool effect. For Epiphany I changed the blue sheer fabric to gold lame'. It was very dramatic.

Our big group project was this outdoor Advent wreath. We were slow getting all four panels finished so their installation was staggered. But the final effect was good. The hassle was getting the battery-operated strands turned off and on. The central candle in each panel was on a solar control.

These candles we paired with this large star. A guy into metal-working in our congregation made it. It went up the few days between Advent 4 and Christmas Eve. It's lit from below. About 6 feet across.

I saw a picture from another church that did this and promptly stole it. The green boards are a bit too narrow (I forgot about the fickle nature of lumber measurements). But this was about 3/4 through the season. We took in a huge amount of food for our local ministry partner.

Advent 2019

This is from Advent 2019. I had this on Facebook but never got it here. Our alternative worship space is set for a dinner at the moment, but this is the visual installation for Advent-Christmas, a representation of "immanence" with stars coming near to the earth. This is three hues of toile fabric, with small lights interwoven. A group of youth made the stars several years ago.

 

Paper Lace Advent 2017

We have been collaborating with Sanctifiedart.org for a couple of years. One of the principals in that collective grew up in our congregation. We used some of their material for our Advent observance this year: devotional booklet, liturgical resources and the like. We also were interested in using the paper lace banner design they provided. The original was designed as a pair of vertically hung 9x3 panels. I had the idea of enlarging them (greatly) and flying them down the length of the nave. I was hopeful (!) that our pulley system could support the whole work when installed.

We got to work converting the print design using computer display projected on the wall of our fellowship hall. Once the design was drawn in, a team of persons cut out the negative portions and seamed the ends. That was a two-night process.

Finally, the moment of truth: flying the two banners. It went remarkably smoothly, taking only about an hour, but many trips up and down a ladder to get things just so. The effect is quite dramatic, with a definite "swoop" from the nave toward the chancel and cross. During the day even with lights on, the effect is subtle at best.

It's best realized at night, with most of the nave lights off. But in that scenario, one can certainly discern a dapple effect of "light breaking through."

We placed an interpretive piece at the doors of the sanctuary for work-week visitors, and include the same information weekly in our worship guides.

We extend our hearty thanks to Hannah Garrity for the original art, and Lisle Gwynn Garrity for helping us bring the enlarged vision to life, along with our dedicated team of sketchers and cutters.

 

I regularly give thanks for the many artists in our congregation, both living and deceased. I am especially grateful for the visionaries among them who worked (very hard, I'm sure) to get approval to install the pulley system that we utilize. I never take it for granted, and marvel every time we use it at how adaptable it is.

Advent wreath at FirstLight

We did a different form of advent wreath again this year. Similar to 2014 we asked families to study the readings for a given Sunday and then find and/or make things from around their home to visually convey elements of the text. It was well-received last year, but I was prepared to do something different in 2015. However, I heard from several folks that they really liked this element of advent worship, and asked that we do it again.

Things were a little tricky this year because we have begun following the narrative lectionary instead of the revised common lectionary. There are fewer readings to work with and the readings presented didn't cover familiar, traditional advents themes.  I provided this year's families with the appointed reading for each week, but supplemented it with complimentary readings for the same date from the RCL. Where the NL had an Old Testament reading, I provided a psalm, gospel and epistle reading. When the NL switched to a gospel reading, I provided readings from the OT, psalm and epistle. Most families didn't need all that, but they had it as a reference. Each family brought a candle from home which remained throughout the season. They took a few moments to describe what they brought for their installation (and the relevant Bible verse(s), lit their candle and said a short prayer. Here are some pictures.

 

Legos are always a popular route for expressing the Bible story!

 

This kid made his own "grass withers" and "highway for our God" visuals!

 

A trumpet and some finger cymbals for the "restoration of true worship"

Yes, a leaf-blower, because, "prepare ye the way of the Lord."

Advent II visuals, 2014

 

The Martin family created our Advent visual this week. They focused on the Isaiah passage and explored themes of making straight, comfort and sheep. They included their own nativity set from home as part of their installation. Here are some pictures.

Advent Wreath and Visuals 2014

Spring-boarding off something I saw in a workshop setting this fall, our Advent wreath at FirstLight this year is a "found art" installation. Families have been given the readings for a specific Sunday, and have been asked to read together and mark concepts and images that could be conveyed visually using items found around their homes. One item specifically each week is a candle. The display changes weekly, though each candle will stay. Here are some images from the first week. Key words the Lindsey family used are: star, leaves, potter, clay, word of God, and mountains. Here are some pics. We're off to a good start!

Music for Worship 16 December 2007

Gaudete Sunday (Advent III) affords us the opportunity to shift from a purely Advent focus in our liturgy and music, to music and liturgy with a more Christmas-y tone. Like many congregations we strive to maintain the solemnity of Advent for the first two Sundays, but begin to lean toward Christmas by the third Sunday of the season. Thus it is that we will begin utilizing Christmas songs this week in worship.

FirstLight will begin with a prelude of live instrumental music provided by our Youth Handbell Ensemble. They will perform a joyful setting of “Go tell it on the mountain,” with Melissa Corbett on flute. We will also sing that carol, plus “Good Christian friends rejoice” and “Jesus, name above all names” as our opening song set. Many folks don’t realize that Nadia Hearn wrote two stanzas to this familiar praise chorus. The second especially has lyrics that suit the Advent season. We will repeat our usage of the Korean prayer song “Come now O Prince of peace,” and the Iona Community canticle “Glory and gratitude and praise.” For our closing song we will be singing the modern carol “To a maid engaged to Joseph.” The prophets will sing a beautiful new setting of “Come thou long-expected Jesus” by Taylor Davis at the offering. A new melody paired with this old text by Charles Wesley make this an incredibly captivating anthem.

The youth ringers will also perform their “Go tell it…” arrangement at 11 AM. The Tune Weavers, our resident men’s quartet, will sing Mark Lowry’s “Mary did you know” at the offering. The organ postlude will be from JSB’s Orgelbuchlein, “Lord Christ, thou only Son of God.” Service music will include the Taize song “Prepare the way of the Lord,” the Korean “Come now…” and “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The musical highlight of the service will be the presentation of Conrad Susa’s “A Christmas Garland. A Christmas carol medley, the works features several familiar carols in exciting new arrangements and harmonies. For those who might be curious, yes, the “We three kings” setting is in an odd meter: 7/8! Congregational hymns will include "Angels from the realms of glory" (Regent Square), "To a maid engaged to Joseph" (Annunciation) and "Lo, how a rose e'er blooming" (Es ist ein ros').

Why a Pink Candle?

Most folks quickly spot the odd candle in the Advent Wreath. Three violet candles and a white one (for Christmas Eve and Day), and that strange pink one. What is that all about?

In the earliest stages of developing the liturgical calendar, Advent was a somewhat longer season of 40 days duration, prior to Christmas. In this fact and in its penitential tone Advent was very much like Lent. To break up the solemnity of the season, and to remind the people of the joy to come, a mid-season liturgical respite as it were, was included. On this day the readings, in both Lent and Advent, have a slightly more hopeful and anticipatory tone to them. Other liturgical elements reflected this quality of joy.

Advent was ultimately shortened to 4 weeks, but for many traditions, the “mid-season stretch” was maintained on the third Sunday. In many liturgies the opening word of worship on this Sunday was “Gaudete,” Latin for “rejoice.” The whole Introit statement is based on Philippians 4.4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” In many traditions even today, this passage from Philippians is the appointed Epistle reading for the Third Sunday of Advent.

In keeping with the shift in tone from sobriety to this joy-filled day, other aspects of worship were also skewed slightly. In places that the organ was silent during Advent it might be used on this day. In churches where the liturgical color for Advent was violet, it might be relieved by shifting to rose or pink on this day. Thus, the change in color for the third candle of the Advent wreath. (Impress your friends at work when talking about your church’s Advent observance: use “rose” to describe the color; you’ll be ever-so liturgically correct!)

As with many other aspects of liturgical tradition, there are plenty of misunderstandings of the rose candle for Advent III. While oftentimes charming, they are usually misguided attempts to re-interpret the tradition in a “non-Catholic” way. There is no need for this. And the deeper significance of the tradition is shrouded. Who ought not embrace the notion of a bit of joy during the observance of the season of Advent? No one, of course!

Note this also: many folks take great care to "interpret" the candles of the Advent wreath. We give them lots of names or have them "stand for" many different ideals or virtues. Keep in mind that the wreath and its candles are nothing more (and nothing less) than a means of keeping time through the season. It may be just a little quaint, and not really necessary, to name the candles. In the ages before folks were ruled by calendars and clocks, the candles helped the people in the pews know where they were in liturgical time. Many Protestants these days call them the candles of "hope, joy, love and peace." Nice enough, but not accurate historically, and not needful at all. In fact, this year in our congregation the candles are really nameless! The candles are be lit by various characters in our faith history (Isaiah, John the Baptist, the angel who spoke to Joseph, and the angel who spoke to the shepherds). So for our use we might call the candles by the name of the person lighting them each week. But even that is not needed. They are time keepers. Nothing else is really needed.

Armed with this little bit of history, you can joyfully appreciate the use of the rose candle in the Advent wreath, and celebrate with liturgical Christians everywhere the fact that Advent is hastening on.

Music for the Season

Here are the worship music plans, in broad strokes, for the next few weeks:

December 16
Chancel Choir presents “A Christmas garland” by Conrad Susa. Accompanied by organ, piano and harp. Tune Weavers will sing “Mary did you know” at the offering. Youth Handbells will perform “Go tell it on the mountain" at both services as the prelude. The Prophets of Praise will be singing a setting of “Come thou long-expected Jesus."

December 23
Chancel choir will sing “My soul magnifies the Lord” by Aaron Garber. Tune Weavers will sing “Rise up shepherd and follow.”

December 24
400PM Primary Choir will sing “Huron Carol;” Aerie singers will sing “Mary had a baby.”
730 PM Chancel Choir will sing Rutter’s “Nativity Carol.”

December 30
One service at 10 AM this day. Ginny Soll preaching, Carla Sperry guest musician. Susan Banzhoff, vocal soloist.

January 6
Adult Handbells will ring “From a distant home” at 11 AM and the choir will sing Brubeck’s “God’s love made visible.”

Check the calendar link on this page for up-to-date rehearsal plans; there are plenty of alterations in the next few weeks!

Rehearsals resume a normal schedule beginning January 7.

Vesting The Lord's House (Advent 2007)

Our church was a bee hive of activity today as we vested the narthex and sanctuary for the season of our Lord's nativity. Small Moravian stars were hung throughout the nave earlier this week, but today the largest star was hung at the crossing. It's quite dramatic, and it was pretty dramatic watching it being swung into place! Several dedicated women placed the Advent candle stand and wreath, the crismon tree, and various wreaths, flowers and other items in the narthex and sanctuary. Finally, with two performances coming up in the next week, Lucy D. was busy organizing handbells (she even polished a few smudged bells). It was an exciting day to see the transformation, but also to see and be part of the expression of devotion these many persons made today. We all will be blessed, and our Lord honored, by their efforts.

I know more than one of the folks I snapped today was bemused I was taking their picture. One asked, "What do you plan to do with that photograph?" I'm not sure she believed me when I told her I was going to post that one and several others on the web (for all, gasp, to see)! Yet, here they are!

Preparing for Advent

Those who know better may appreciate the pun. If Advent is a season of preparation (it is), it may seem kind of redundant to prepare for it. Yet, it seems a good idea this year.

Worship planners at BMPCNC are organizing the worship for Advent-Christmas-Epiphany around a theme. In conjunction with the lectionary readings for the Sundays of the season, we are using a theme, generated from a general sense of the readings, to help guide our worship plans.

Our theme for this season will be: Fear Not: Words of Peace in Troubling Times. Reading through the various lections for the Advent season espeically, one is struck by how fraught with trouble were the times before and during the era of Jesus' birth. Isaiah wrote to a people trapped in exile. Mary, an unwed mother, was due to birth the Messiah. Roman hegemony stood on the neck of the people of Palestine. Those were indeed troubling times. And yet it was the moment which God appointed as the right time for the birth of the Savior. Isaiah proclaims a marvelous word of hopefulness to the people in exile. The angels appear to Mary and to Joseph to reassure them that God is in control.

We also live in fearful times. The war on terrorism drags on. Poverty, issues of the environment and financial instability are very much on people's minds. These are troubling times for us. From a global level all the way down to a very personal level, each of us no doubt can identify troubling aspects of our lives. And during the Advent season, we hear again a word of grace, "Fear not." What a wonderful word of hope to which to cling!

In practical terms our utilization of this theme will help your worship leaders more than anything. It will provide a framework within which we can develop preaching plans, rehearse musical offerings and orient our visual and dramtic arts for the season. We believe this theme truly captures a sense of our current life situation, while at the same time offers a profound word of hope for each of us. Our desire is that our use of this theme will provide a unique cohesiveness to our worship, which will in turn deepen your faith as we journey through the Nativity Cycle of worship this winter.