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Looking for a Christmas Pageant that meets your congregation’s ‘Intentionality‘ need?
In collaboration with Peace UCC, Duluth, Zwingli UCC/The Berne Church, Berne, and Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA), Laporte, this year’s Christmas pageant turned out to be replete with Minnesota references, so here is: Prepare: The Northwoods Get Ready.
This pageant is based on reflections from three Minnesota congregations, from elders and children, parents and youth – all responding to questions of how characters in the biblical story (Luke 2:1-20) – and/or characters imagined into the story – might have – or did – think outside the box to prepare for Christ’s birth – even in the middle of dangerous, terrifying, uncontrollable circumstances and times. You are invited to settle in: prepare to engage a familiar story with a few twists and turns, a little bit of time-warping, and a decidedly fresh and entirely Northwoods cast of characters – all of them getting ready for the birth of God.
Spoiler-alert: Get ready to meet: Sheep Dog Wayne, aka, ‘The Great One’; Shepherds who incite a party/Love protest; a Flamboyance of Angels (who may or may not resemble both the Aurora Borealis and/or a PRIDE parade); Baby-Shower-Throwers who look a lot like your own Church Basement Women and Men; and your own local Night Patrol Officer Frank – among a few others.
Contact ED Emily Meyer for access: ministrylab@unitedseminary.edu.
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Prepare: The Northwoods Get Ready – The Pageant – is set in a full worship liturgy appropriate for the Second or Third Sunday of Advent. The liturgy includes a confessional Advent Wreath Lighting, hymn suggestions (UCC- & ELCA-hymnal friendly), and prayers, and centers the pageant as the sermon.
Contact ED Emily Meyer for access to the Prepare Liturgy: ministrylab@unitedseminary.edu.
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COMING SOON!!!
This year’s Illustrate-Your-Own Christmas Eve sermon is on its way. It’ll be formatted so congregation members can illustrate a single verse or phrase of the rhyming-meter telling of the Christmas story (and sermonic reflections appropriate for this particular Christmas). Share it in a Children’s Story Time format (projecting images if you’ve got the tech) for a family-friendly Christmas Eve or First Sunday after Christmas sermon.
AND/OR
We’re also creating a Readings and Carols formatted service for the First Sunday after Christmas that will include a brief sermonic/homily reflection after each reading. Sing some Christmas favorites that may not have made their way into your Advent or Christmas Eve services, enjoy another rhyming-meter reflection, interspersed with essential readings at the conclusion of the Christmas Season.
Contact ED Emily Meyer for further information on either or both and to gain access when they are ready: ministrylab@unitedseminary.edu.