Six New Things – Week of December 7, 2020
One
Peace and Joy are headliners in this Second (going on Third) Week of Advent:
Allow yourself some peace amidst the stress of planning online Advent and Christmas and spread the season’s joy with beautiful online music resources: The Work of the People’s The Magnificat: A Song of Praise; Engage Worship’s Christmas Carol Videos with both traditional and contemporary settings; and The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians‘ Angels We Have Heard on High, a wonderful rendition free for congregations to use.
Two
Don’t let the fact that Reaching New People this Christmas Is More Important than Ever add to your stress level, take #1’s online peace-induction a step further with other worship elements and full liturgies from Rev. Elsa Cook’s Pandemic Longest Night and Christmas Eve Worship.
Three
Let peace seep into your soul: learn What We Can Learn from Solitude; and let yourself experience intentional quiet with Yogadevotion’s Advent Candlelight Worship and The Many’s Brokenhearted and Brave podcast, Week 2 Advent, Peace.
Four
Let contemplative peace open you up to spreading joy with Unbound’s Starry Black Night: A Womanist Advent Devotional and Shalem Institute’s, Howard Thurman: The Writing of Jesus and the Disinherited. Help new refugees find peace and joy here in Minnesota volunteering virtually with Refugee Services of the Minnesota Council of Churches.
Five
Help folks get creative with finding peace and sharing joy at home with MN Annual Conference UMC’s 11 Creative Ways Your Church Can Observe Christmas in 2020 or Beaming/Sparkhouse’s Little Mole’s Christmas Gift Activity Packet or their suggestions for making Nativity Sets interactive and Washi Tape Wreaths.
Don’t forget to check out and utilize The Ministry Lab’s collaborative effort with the MN Conference UCC – and others – Family Connections Toolkits for Advent and Christmas.
Six
Enjoy an evening (or two or three or four) of peace and joy with the annual Christmas concerts from the Lutherans: The National Lutheran Choir’s The Incarnation: For the Healing of the World; Luther College’s For Everyone Born; St Olaf College’s All Earth Is Hopeful; and Concordia College’s Sun of Justice, Reveal the Dawn. All free and streaming online!
P.S.
Please note: The Ministry Lab will not be checking emails between December 17 and January 4. Next week’s Six New Things will be the final post of this year. Six New Things will resume regular posts again on January 4, 2021.
