WAY2GO MAGAZINE

OCT 22

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ADVENT

A TIME OF PREPARATION

Advent is a time of preparation and expectation, a season of waiting. Within Advent, there are two parallel journeys. The first is one in which we join the journey of the people of God over 2,000 years ago waiting for the Messiah. They were hoping for the one who would save Israel, the one bringing hope, peace, joy, love, and freedom. God provided this to them, and to all of us, through a baby born in Bethlehem. The second journey is a personal one, we look individually to our world and our lives. We, too, long for hope, peace, joy, and love to reign. Our journey echoes that of the people waiting for the birth of Christ—come, Lord Jesus, come. One way of marking this journey in our homes and churches is through an Advent Wreath. The traditional Advent Wreath uses the evergreen branches of pine trees to symbolise the faithfulness of God’s love and the candles show the light of Christ. In Aotearoa New Zealand we have adapted several northern hemisphere traditions, and the Advent Wreath can be adapted as well. In this edition of the WAY2GO Magazine we will create a Kiwi version of an Advent Wreath, with ideas for you to use at home and at church.

___ Liz Eichler

Children and Families Team Leader, SUNZ

Advent Wreat

MAKE AN Journey A THROUGH Advent

There are many ideas available for making a traditional Advent Wreath. Here we have provided an idea for one with more of a Kiwi flavour.

You will need five candles—one each of green, blue, yellow, red, and white. Arrange them on something flat, with the white candle in the middle, and decorate with shells, coloured glass stones and other collected things. Take a look at the Aotearoa Advent Circle on http:// childrenandfamiliesnz. blogspot.com/2020/10/ an-aotearoa-adventcircle.html Here is an idea you could use at home, at the start of your church service, or in your children’s ministry.

ADVENT 1 Sunday, 27 November Hope | Tu -manako

Ask someone to read out loud: Today is the first Sunday of Advent— the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus. We light a candle each week to remind us that Jesus brings light into the dark places of the world. We light the candle of HOPE to proclaim that God’s light is coming into the world. (Light the green candle) Read together: Luke 1:5-25 Pray: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for the Hope that we can find in Jesus, today and every day. Amen.

ADVENT 2 Sunday, 4 December Peace | Rangimarie

Ask someone to read out loud: Today is the second Sunday of Advent—the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus. Grass withers, flowers fade, but God’s word lasts forever.

We light this candle as a symbol of our HOPE. (Light the green candle) We long for the day when peace and goodwill is real across the world. We light this candle as a symbol of PEACE. (Light the blue candle) Read together: Luke 1:26-38 Pray: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for the Peace that we can find in Jesus, today and every day. Amen ADVENT 3 Sunday, 11 December Joy | Harikoa

Ask someone to read out loud: This is the third Sunday of Advent—the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus. Tell of a world where the desert sings, rejoices, and blossoms. Where everyone will want to dance and sing for joy. We wait in HOPE and PEACE. (Light the green and blue candles) The God in whom we rejoice, prepares our hearts for the coming of the Lord. We light the candle of JOY. (Light the yellow candle) Read together: Luke 1:39-56 Pray: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for the Joy that we can find in Jesus, today and every day. Amen ADVENT 4 Sunday, 18 December Love | Aroha

Ask someone to read out loud: This is the fourth Sunday of Advent—the time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus. No other word captures what we know of our God better than the word Love. We wait in HOPE, and PEACE, and with JOY. (Light the green, blue, and yellow candles) We light the candle of LOVE to proclaim God’s LOVE shown to us in the child born in Bethlehem.

We await the birth of God’s LOVE this Christmas. (Light the red candle) Read together: Luke 1:57-80 Pray: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for the Love that we can find in Jesus, today and every day. Amen

Christmas Day | Kirihimete Sunday, 25th December 2022 (Light all the coloured candles) Ask someone to read out loud: God, creator, and giver of life, be born in us again as you were long ago. Be born in us again and again in the words and deeds of faithful people. Be born in us as love, as joy, as peace, and as hope for justice. As we light this candle, may your light come to all people. Amen. (Light the white candle) Read together: Luke 2:1-21 Pray: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for the Hope, the Peace, the Joy, and the Love that we can find in Jesus, today and every day. Amen.

Source:These resources have been based on Engage Together: Intergenerational Ideas for Advent 2017.

THE JESSE TREE

his Advent let’s remind ourselves of God at work in our world, though the stories of his people in the Bible and their part in the whakapapa (lineage) of Jesus, God’s Big Story that we can be a part of as well. Jesse Trees are a very old Christmas tradition and first started in Medieval times. They are used to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the Christmas Story. This resource is designed to help families prepare for Christmas and the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The name comes from Jesse who was the father of King David. One prophecy in the Bible, in the book of Isaiah, says: Like a branch that sprouts from a stump, someone from David’s family will someday be king. The Spirit of the Lord will be with him to give him understanding, wisdom, and insight. He will be powerful, and he will know and honour the Lord. His greatest joy will be to obey the Lord. This king won’t judge by appearances or listen to rumours. The poor and the needy will be treated with fairness and with justice. His word will be law everywhere in the land, and criminals will be put to death. —Isaiah 11:1-4 (CEV) T

Another way to count the days to Christmas is through a Jesse Tree. Jesse Trees are an old Christmas Tradition, dating back to medieval times. They are used to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the Christmas Story. The first Jesse Trees were large carvings, tapestries or even stainedglass windows put in churches that helped people who couldn’t read or write learn about the Bible—from creation to the Christmas Story. These days Jesse Trees can be used as a kind of Advent Calendar. Check out our free gift to you this Christmas, a Kiwi Jesse Tree on our Breakthrough website: https://www. sunzbreakthrough.org.nz/ resources/the-jesse-tree

Creation Genesis 1:24-31

Adam & Eve Genesis 3:1-13, 20-24

Noah Genesis 6:5-22, 7:1-10,17-24, 8:6-22

© Scripture Union New Zealand 2020— Free to use but we would appreciate an acknowledgement.

Daniel

Daniel 6:1-28

John the Baptist

Luke 1:5-17, Matthew 3:1-4

Mary

Luke 1:26-38

© Scripture Union New Zealand 2020— Free to use but we would appreciate an acknowledgement.

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