What's Going On? Advent Stories AND Worship Notes - Advent 2025

What’s Going On? Advent Stories

This past Sunday has a name on the liturgical church calendar:  Christ the King Sunday.  We opted to use this transition Sunday to recount the entire biblical story including summaries from creeds, confessions and testimonies – and many songs.

Now we are ready to begin the new year of the church calendar as we enter Advent – the season of anticipating the coming Christ.  Sometimes in Advent we spend time also considering when Christ comes again, however this year we will be firmly focused on the biblical characters who are part of the Christmas narrative.

While we prepared for Advent with God’s Big Story, we will walk through this season hearing stories of biblical characters and stories from our Mountainview community as well.

We begin Advent with our annual Christmas Drama “The Very Best Gift of All”. If you have been around Mountainview for a few Advent seasons you will recognize the event as we again take a play written by Laura and Robert Keeley and bring it to life.  Our actors have memorized lines, prepared staging and are ready to present a humorous tale that manages to slip in some profound thought as we chuckle.  The drama also serves to introduce the rest of the Advent series.

For the other three Sundays before Christmas, we will prepare by spending time reflecting on the backstory of Mary and Joseph, angels and shepherds, and finally Magi or wise men.  Who were these characters and how did God invite them into the centre of his story.

Then for Christmas Eve, we will have yet another variation on lessons and carols called “Lessons inCarols”.   There is a rich tradition of Christmas songs that are interpretive takes on the biblical story.  We will spend time not only singing them from the heart but reflecting on them with our mind and spirit.  In the process we will connect the songs to Scripture so that we see and feel the whole beautiful picture.

For Christmas Day we will round out the characters of Christmas with a celebration of Jesus with an eye to his backstory and what that means for us.

Now, for many of us December is Christmas month and Boxing Day starts a new season.  However, in the official church calendar, December 24 and 25 begin the season of Christmas that runs into the first week of January.  We will at least carry on our series through Sunday December 28 when we consider Anna and Simeon.

Blessings to you all in this season of preparation.  May our hearts be opened through worship to prepare room for Jesus to live more fully in us.

Pastor Erick Schuringa

Worship Notes - Advent 2023

 

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.
He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.

                           -Madeleine L’Engle “First Coming”

 

Advent is the 4- week season of preparation before Christmas.  In this waiting we often turn to reflection and prayer, wondering how we can be a part of making all things new in God’s kingdom as we wait for his return.  There is a tension in the season of Advent: while it is a season of hopefulness, it may have a tone that is more reflective and contemplative at times.  We know that all is not as it should be in our lives, our families, our churches, our world – not when Jesus was born, and not now.  This year you may note this tension in worship a little more, as the preaching themes will be more “Christmas-y” while the opening of worship will remind us of the anticipation and longing of Advent, through lighting the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love and through songs and prayers.

I am so grateful for Tallia’s help in “dressing the church” for the season of Advent – and later for Christmas.  Holly Prins has painted the three images on the stage to visually and imaginatively capture the stories of our Advent series.  We are so thankful for her sharing her gifts with us this year!

I’ve put together a short playlist of mostly Advent songs, from different sources and genres.  It’s not classic Christmas music as I’m sure you can find that anywhere wherever you listen to music.  These are songs about waiting, and God with us, and preparing a way for Jesus.  I am hoping we will sing “In the Fullness of Time” and “Be on the Lookout” in our worship in December, as well as a couple of settings of Mary’s song – “Mary’s Song (Our prince of peace)” by Wendell Kimbrough and the hymn “Canticle of the Turning.” 

Enjoy!

Ruth Ann Schuringa
Worship Director

Advent 2025 - Spotify Playlist
Advent 2025 - YouTube Playlist
 
 
Karin Terpstra