Worship Tools
Worship Outline 1
Additional Scriptures
Psalm 126; John 1:6–8, 19–28; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
Worship Setting
For the Advent candle lighting and focus, create an arrangement of five candles. This can be in a wreath, mixed with greenery, or other decorations as space allows. Traditional colors for the candles are three purple, one pink (Joy), and one white (Christ); or choose your own colors. Each Sunday the previous candles are lit before the service starts, and one additional candle is lit during the lighting of the Advent Candle. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Day. For a hybrid service, encourage those watching from home to create their own Advent setting.
Carol of the Season
“Lovely Child, Holy Child” CCS 428
Plan to spend some time teaching or reviewing this song.
Prelude
Welcome
Invitation to Worship
Leader: O come, all ye who are faithful, and rejoice in this day.
People: Let us lift up our hearts and let the cup of our joy spill forth songs into the world.
Leader: For God so loved the world
People: that today the miracle of the gift of the Only Begotten enters into our lives yet again.
Leader: Rejoice!
People: For God loves us!
Leader: Rejoice!
People: For the Christ is in our midst!
Leader: Rejoice!
People: For the Love of God flows through creation!
Leader: Rejoice! For unto us a child is born.
People: Unto us a son is given.
Leader: And the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful.
People: Counselor.
Leader: The mighty God.
People: The everlasting Father.
Leader: The Prince of Peace.
All: Let us rejoice, for this is a day of joy.
—John Horner, “Congregational Call to Rejoice” in Prayers and Readings for Worship, Vol. 2,
(Herald Publishing House, Peter Judd, ed., 1996, ISBN 9780830907199), 10, adapted.
Opening Hymn
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” CCS 394
OR “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah” repeat several times CCS 86
Opening Prayer
Response
Song Seeking Justice and Peace
“Canticle of the Turning” CCS 404
OR “Blessed Be the God of Israel” CCS 396
Prayer for Peace
Light the peace candle
Poem
Read “Peace Among Earth’s People,” CCS 448
Prayer
God of Peace,
Grant us this vision of peace for this Advent season. Amen.
Advent Candle Lighting and Focus Moment
Joy
Presider Note: Depending on your context, you may choose to pass out an index card and pen for people to write their responses and then share them aloud from their cards OR you can ask people to share them in real time without writing anything down.
We proclaim Jesus Christ, and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. This Advent, we reflect on the kinds of conditions that exist when our communities become places where JOY is a signal of God’s new creation dawning. Imagine joy as a tangible practice where you live:
When God’s joy is dawning,
I feel…
I smell…
I taste…
I touch…
I hear…
We light the advent candle of JOY and pray to tend the signals of God’s joy dawning among us. May the flickering flame spark courage to notice, nurture, and name the new creation around and within us.
Light candle.
Amen
Disciples’ Generous Response
Statement
Generosity lives in the heart, not in the pocketbook. …Generosity is our joyful response to God’s generosity toward us. Its governing spirit is not formulas but thankfulness. Rich or poor, we yearn to give to the One who has given all to us. Whether our tithe is two mites or two million, it is given with a joyful heart saddened only by regret that we cannot give more.
—Danny Belrose, Wave Offerings
(Herald Publishing House, 2005, ISBN 9780830912117), 23.
Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes
Ministry of Music or Community Hymn
“Joseph, Kind Joseph” CCS 414
OR “like a child” CCS 403
Sermon
Based on Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
Hymn of Challenge
“Go, Tell It on the Mountain” CCS 409
OR “No Obvious Angels” CCS 418
Closing Prayer
Sung Response
“Wait for the Lord” CCS 399
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
Translations into Spanish and French for this hymn can be found online.
Sending Forth
Go! Go and witness of my love and my concern for all people. Do this and you will know the joy which comes from devoting yourselves to the work of the kingdom. To this end will my Spirit be with you. Amen.
—Doctrine and Covenants 156:11b, adapted
Postlude
Worship Outline 2
Additional Scriptures
Psalm 126; John 1:6-8, 19-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Worship Setting
For the Advent candle lighting and focus, create an arrangement of five candles. This can be in a wreath, mixed with greenery, or other decorations as space allows. Traditional colors for the candles are three purple, one pink (Joy), and one white (Christ); or choose your own colors. Each Sunday the previous candles are lit before the service starts, and one additional candle is lit during the lighting of the Advent Candle. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Day. For a hybrid service, encourage those watching from home to create their own Advent setting.
Carol of the Season
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” CCS 423
Prelude
Welcome
Welcome in the name of the one who is Peace. We gather together on this third Sunday of Advent as one of many worshipping communities from around the world. Our hearts beat as one to the rhythm of shalom. May we continue this journey of Advent together, not only assured of the peace that comes from our walk with the Divine, but expectant that what is being birthed within us will become a blessing to others. Welcome!
Call to Worship: 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Song of Peace and Justice
“Canticle of the Turning” CCS 404
OR “Come, Join in Mary’s Prophet Song” CCS 308
Invocation
Response
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Ministry of Music OR Community Song of Anticipation
“Blessed Be the God of Israel” CCS 396
OR “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” CCS 400
Message
Based on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Advent Candle Lighting and Focus Moment
Joy
Presider Note: Depending on your context, you may choose to pass out an index card and pen for people to write their responses and then share them aloud from their cards OR you can ask people to share them in real time without writing anything down.
We proclaim Jesus Christ, and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. This Advent, we reflect on the kinds of conditions that exist when our communities become places where JOY is a signal of God’s new creation dawning. Imagine joy as a tangible practice where you live:
When God’s joy is dawning,
I feel…
I smell…
I taste…
I touch…
I hear…
We light the advent candle of JOY and pray to tend the signals of God’s joy dawning among us. May the flickering flame spark courage to notice, nurture, and name the new creation around and within us.
Light candle.
Amen
Song of Advent Contemplation
“I Wonder as I Wander” CCS 435
OR “Star-Child” CCS 420
OR “How Far Is It to Bethlehem?” CCS 417
Prayer for Peace
Light the peace candle
Prayer
Yahweh, Shalom,
Many in our world experience daily stress, distress and even devastation. Many things often seem out of our control. If we are to be honest, we sometimes find ourselves crying out, “God, where are you in all of this?” Still our minds so that we may hear the beating of our hearts.
Pause.
In the rhythm of our collective heartbeats allow us to hear you whisper, “I am here. The peace you seek lies within each of you.” You, Lord, are shalom. Help us to acknowledge your presence within us. Lead us to speak words and act in ways that bring comfort, provide relief, ignite hope, and facilitate peace so that our lives may mirror the Prince of Peace, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Disciples’ Generous Response
Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Statement
Ask participants to consider times of peace they have experienced through being a generous disciple. Then in one or two words have them share popcorn-style the peace they would offer to share.
When we understand God’s love and grace are given freely to us, we respond out of gratitude and are liberated to share freely in return. May generosity during this Advent season bring us a little closer to the Peace of Jesus Christ.
Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes
Song of Sending Forth
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” CCS 415
OR “No Obvious Angels” CCS 418
OR “Tomorrow Christ Is Coming” CCS 406
Sending Forth: Doctrine and Covenants 158:11a
Postlude
Sacred Space: Small-Group Worship Outline
Gathering
Welcome
For the Advent season it is traditional to have Advent candles (four white candles, one for each week of Advent) or an Advent wreath (an evergreen ring with four candles and one white candle in the center). One candle is lit each week with the center candle lit on Christmas. The lighting of the Advent candle takes place at the beginning of the spiritual practice.
Advent is a season of waiting in expectation for the coming of light into a darkened world in the form of the infant Jesus. Advent is spent anticipating and spiritually preparing for the arrival of the Christ-child. Scriptures, symbols, and hymns help make Advent a time of expectation for Christ’s birth, rather than a frenzy of holiday tasks.
The Advent season begins four Sundays before Christmas and is observed each Sunday until Christmas. An Advent wreath with four candles and one Christ candle in the center often is used to observe the weeks of Advent. One candle is lit each week until all are burning brightly on Christmas.
Prayer for Peace
Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.
Great Shepherd,
You faithfully lead and guide us each day, yet we still feel like voices crying out in the wilderness. You have blessed us with an abundance of love, yet we struggle to feel that abundance. God, as we look about the world today, we recognize that there are many who do not feel your love. Who do not feel the love of their friends and families who may be around to support them? Who struggle with loss and division and join our voices calling out for a sign of your love? God, grant us peace. Grant us peace that settles our weary hearts so that we can love again. Grant us peace that allows us to love unconditionally, so that others may recognize your light in our lives. By sharing the light of your love in our lives we believe that we can become peacemakers for those around us. Bless us with your love during this season of Advent. Amen.
—Tiffany and Caleb Brian
Spiritual Practice
Holding in the Light—Joy
Light the third candle of Advent and say:
Today we light the third candle of Advent. This candle symbolizes Christ bringing joy to the world. May the lighting of this candle remind us of the profound joy and gladness the birth of Jesus generated in our world.
Place a lit candle in the center of the group. Spend a few moments in silence to become quiet inside and out.
- Ask each person to share a person or a circumstance in need of God’s healing love (Write down each one).
- Invite people into a period of prayer in which these specific people and needs are placed in God’s loving, healing care.
- Read aloud:
As we focus on the candle’s light, imagine the person(s) prayed for being surrounded by God’s light.
I will read each name, and we will spend a moment after each one to engage in silent prayer.
We trust God to know the needs of each person or circumstance, and we compassionately hold them in the restorative, healing light of God.
Offer a brief prayer of thanks to close your prayer experience.
Sharing Around the Table
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 NRSVue
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
For I the Lord love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
—Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 NRSVue
The prophet exclaims to the exiled people of Judah: “God sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.” This is a time of rejoicing! A time when all shall be set right and restored. Isaiah declares it “the year of the Lord’s favor,” referencing the jubilee year, a Hebrew custom in which all debts are wiped away, slaves are freed, and land is returned to its original owners. But in the context of jubilee, liberty means more than freedom. True liberty means changing the social order so that none are oppressed. Here, the prophet speaks of mission, turning our attention to those who are named as the recipients of the good news. These are the liberating words that Jesus used as his mission statement, proclaiming to be one who will bring God’s transformation to a broken world. To be missional is to live as a people of liberation, justice, and peace. But when Christians are known to the world as those who judge, fight, and exclude, we fail to be missional, regardless of how much money we give or how many missionaries we send.
Zion’s restoration is depicted as a joyful occasion, a wedding, where she is clothed with new garments and the earth is covered with new life. Isaiah challenges readers to rethink salvation, not as the means of getting into heaven, but as a quality of life here and now that reflects God’s desire for community. Salvation here is imagined as a rebuilt city and an abundant garden. They will start over. They will take the rubble left behind and make it new, not with the sword but with the garden spade. And they will flourish.
The ancient church called this third Sunday of Advent Gaudete, a Latin word that means “rejoice.” One might think that every Sunday approaching Christmas should be one of rejoicing, but Advent season shares similar themes with Lent: both focus on preparation and repentance, and both have a “time out” Sunday for joy. Indeed, this is a time of rejoicing. However, as we light the third Advent candle that represents peace, let us not forget those who feel oppressed, brokenhearted, captive, or imprisoned in some way. Those who wonder when God’s transformation will take place in their lives. We need not look far to see the injustice of poverty, abuse, hunger, and war. As disciples, let us not allow our Christmas distractions to speak louder than Isaiah’s call for God’s transformation.
Questions
- Where is God’s transformation revealed in the world today? What is God doing in people’s lives?
- In what ways does Isaiah challenge the way you view salvation?
- During this time of Christmas parties, shopping, decorations, and carols, what activities can we participate in to bring “good news” to the oppressed, brokenhearted, captive, or imprisoned?
Sending
Generosity Statement
Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.
—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9
The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing small-group ministries as part of your generous response.
This offering prayer for Advent is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:
God who is faithful, Be present with us as we plan our spending. May we use our resources to build healthy, happy relationships with you, others, and the Earth. May we remember the teachings of Jesus that challenge us to make lifestyle choices that are counter to our culture of accumulation and excess. Amen.
Invitation to Next Meeting
Closing Hymn
CCS 400, “Come thou Long Expected Jesus”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
We come together in this time of Advent waiting to share in the Lord’s Supper “as a visible witness of loving Christian fellowship and shared remembrance of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection” (Doctrine and Covenants 164:4a).
Choose one scripture to read from this selection: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39.
Invitation to Communion
All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.
This Advent season, our experience of being together as we share in Communion is an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community.
In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings 519, “In the Singing.”
Thoughts for Children
You will need:
- Large poster board with a Christmas-tree cutout
- Small hearts cut from construction paper
- Writing supplies
- Tape or glue
Say: Today is the third Sunday in Advent. Advent is a time of waiting and preparing. Just like people awaited Jesus’s birth, the coming of the Messiah, we await God’s preferred future. Waiting, however, doesn’t mean we don’t do anything. In fact, while we wait, it is important to prepare for what is to come and help bring it into the world.
Each week of Advent, we are going to practice waiting. We will sit together, quieting our minds and bodies as we wait. While we wait, we also will prepare by focusing on one word and seeing where that word takes our thoughts and feelings. When our time of waiting begins, we will use our breathing to help us focus on the word. When we breathe in, we will say the word in our heads. When we breathe out, we will say “prepare me” in our heads. You will continue to do this until our time of waiting is done, letting your thoughts and feelings help you better understand the word.
Our word for today is joy.
Invite participants into a time of waiting. For this time, try for four minutes. If participants become too restless, close sooner. After the time of waiting, give all participants a paper heart and something to write with. Invite them to write or draw what their time of waiting was like on the heart. After they have had time to write or draw, invite them to attach their heart to the posterboard tree, using tape or glue.
Sermon Helps
Exploring the Scripture
This passage is filled with powerful images of wrongs made right, brokenness healed, and liberating joy. The words are poetic and compelling. The dialogue dances between an unknown human “ambassador” with some measure of transformative authority in the community and Yahweh—the Lord God.
Language of Spirit moving, oil, and anointing recall powerful sacramental symbols echoing sacred text in the Old Testament, which lives deep in the hearts of Yahweh’s people. This is the community that receives God’s good news of deliverance, a community-wide restoration of radical newness.
Themes of salvation and mission weave through the text. Isaiah poignantly paints the picture of those who are suffering and marginalized, defining mission as actions characteristic of God’s people. God’s purpose is restorative justice that brings salvation through healing and wholeness to our world now, in the real world. It is about community, not individuals. It is a way of living that seeks the lost and binds the wounded with loving acts of a just peace, fearlessly challenging cultural trends that bring harm and injustice.
In the warm embrace of God’s everlasting covenant, our actions of faithful response cause righteousness, healing, wholeness, and liberation to spring up so all can see the light of God’s community signaling God’s coming reign of peace with justice.
In the season of Advent, as we prepare for the birth of Jesus, the opening verses of Isaiah 61 carry a clarion connection of great significance with the mission of Jesus announced in Luke 4:18–21. The birth of Jesus heralds the new covenant and the reversal of conventional wisdom as described throughout Isaiah 61:1–11.
Our challenge is to interpret responsibly the timeless truths found in this text as people of God living mission through acts of salvation in our time and place.
Central Ideas
- The good news of God’s vision and mission brings systemic transformation to a broken world of injustice and suffering.
- God’s call to mission challenges us to see our world with a clarity that often unsettles the status quo.
- The good news of deliverance is the essence of restoration as healing and redeeming agent, restoring healthy, righteous relationships with God, self, other, our Earth, and all creation.
Questions for the Speaker
- What are some specific injustices that cause suffering today in your neighborhood, city, or country?
- How might God’s promises cause an awe-inspiring transformation in your congregation or among ecumenical partners of faith?
- How is God inviting me/us to change to allow God’s Spirit to work change in me/us and be a signal of peace in our world?
- What does it mean to be the people of God at this time and in this place?
Lessons
Adult Lesson
Focus Scripture Passage
Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
Lesson Focus
How do we promote Christ’s mission?
Objectives
The learners will…
- identify the promise made to the nation of Israel following the Exile.
- identify the call to Zion in this passage.
- explore the concept of Jubilee.
- determine the relevance of this message today.
- discuss Jesus’ role in this promise.
Supplies
- Bible
- Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, Herald House, 2018
- Of Water and Spirit: Preparing for Baptism and Confirmation in Community of Christ, Herald House, 2014. ISBN 9780830915712
- Community of Christ Sings (CCS)
Note to Teacher
In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: Old Testament, pp. 23–24, available through Herald House.
Gather
Note to teacher: Review Isaiah 61:1–4, Luke 4:18–19, the Community of Christ mission statement found in Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, pp. 20–21, and Chapter 11 “Christ’s Mission, Our Mission” in Of Water and Spirit.
- Sing together “Blessed Be the God of Israel,” CCS 396.
- Ask the class to share how each one is preparing for Jesus’ birth.
Engage
In today’s scripture text from the author known as Third Isaiah, the author reassures the nation that they are not forgotten. Isaiah challenges them with the work that lies ahead of them as the nation that will birth the message of God’s love to the world.
Read Isaiah 61:1–4.
- What task is Israel given as part of her rebuilding of Zion?
Read Isaiah 61:8–11.
- What words here bring ideas of justice, hope, and reassurance as you listen?
- How does the Isaiah message connect to the birth of Jesus?
Read Luke 4:18–19.
- What similarities do you see between the Isaiah challenge and Jesus’ declaration?
Respond
Review the Community of Christ Mission Statement: We proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.
- What challenges does this statement bring to your congregation?
- How do you see Isaiah’s words of justice and mercy being played out in your community?
These scripture texts herald a form of “Jubilee,” a time of forgiveness of debt and restoration of people to community.
- How did Jesus arrival become a “Jubilee” of sorts?
- How can we work toward Jubilee today?
Send
Read together “Star-Child,” CCS 420.
- Give the class a few moments to reflect.
- With these words in mind, what needs to be part of our Advent preparation and anticipation?
Bless
Offer a prayer of hope for a world in need as the promises of Isaiah and the mission of Jesus come together in the birth of Jesus.
Youth Lesson
Focus Scripture Passage
Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
Lesson Focus
We are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Objectives
The learners will…
- discover the meaning and importance of Advent.
- reflect on Christ’s mission.
- apply a scripture passage to a modern context.
- prepare to share the good news.
Supplies
- Glass jar (big enough to hold a candle)
- Candle
- Mod Podge
- Words and pictures from various sources (magazines, newspapers, internet, and others as desired)
- Foam brushes
- Chart paper
- Writing utensils in various colors
- Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, Herald House, 2018
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Small poster paper (larger than a piece of copy paper)
- Bible
- Community of Christ Sings (CCS)
Note to Teacher
In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: Old Testament, pp. 23–24, available through Herald House.
Gather
Today is the third Sunday in the Advent season. During Advent, we prepare our hearts for Jesus’ arrival. Each Sunday in Advent, we focus on a different theme. During Advent, people often light candles in a wreath to represent each week’s theme. There are five candles in an Advent wreath even though there are only four Sundays in Advent. The four candles around the outside represent joy, hope, love, and peace and the fifth candle sits in the middle to represent Jesus.
Note: This activity is part of a series and is optional. During Advent, the class will be creating a modern-day representation of an Advent wreath. Each week, they will work together to decorate a glass candle holder with words and pictures from various sources that answer the week’s reflection question. Once a variety of words and pictures have been chosen by class members, use Mod Podge to attach them to a glass jar and place a candle inside. By the end of Advent, you will have four different glass jars representing joy, hope, love, and peace.
This week, we focus on peace Invite students to find words and pictures that respond to the following question: Where in the world would you like to see more peace?
Engage
Invite students to participate in the spiritual practice Dwelling in the Word. Lead them through the exercise as follows
Say: I will read today’s scripture passage aloud. As you listen, allow words, images, or phrases to come to your mind. Try not to focus on them. Simply allow them to rest in you.
After a moment of silence, I will read the excerpt a second time. As you hear the excerpt again, listen for how God’s Spirit calls you or captures your attention.
Read Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11.
Pause and then say: As I read the passage again, consider the question, “How does God’s Spirit call to you or capture your attention?”
Read the excerpt a second time.
Invite group members to share responses to these questions:
- What words, phrases, or images came into your mind?
- What do you think God is saying to you?
- Where else have you heard this passage or something like it?
- How did this passage inform Christ’s mission? How can it inform our mission?
Sometimes when we read passages of scripture, they seem distant and irrelevant. Invite students to help you connect this scripture to the world they know. Use chart paper to create five charts to hang around the room. Write “Who are the (chart 1: oppressed, chart 2: brokenhearted, chart 3: captives, chart 4: prisoners, chart 5: mourners)?” Give each student a different color writing utensil and ask them to move around the room, stopping at each chart to answer the question based on the world we live in today. For example, on chart 3, I might say the captives are those who work for slave wages in other countries. On chart 5, I might say the mourners are those whose loved ones are addicted to opioids. Once everyone has written an answer on each chart, invite the group back together. Go through each chart and discuss what the good news or Christ’s message would be for each of the individuals or groups written on the charts.
Respond
Remind students that Jesus referenced today’s scripture passage when he was revealing to people his purpose. In Community of Christ, we know this event as the foundation of what we call Christ’s Mission. We are called to take on Christ’s Mission as our mission. To do this, we strive to apply the five Mission Initiatives in our daily lives.
Group students into five groups. Assign each group one of the Mission Initiatives and provide them with Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, as a reference. Ask each group to develop a poster advertisement for the initiative they were assigned. Rather than just explaining what the initiative is, groups should show how that initiative is used to share the good news and participate in Christ’s mission.
After the posters are complete, ask the groups to present their advertisement to the class. Find a location in the building to display the completed posters as a reminder and challenge to participate in Christ’s mission daily.
Send
Invite students to reflect on how they can bring peace and good news to the world as you lead them through a reflection on St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer.
Say: As I read through a portion of St. Francis’s peace prayer, I will pause to allow you to think of situations in your life that fit the description offered in the prayer and again to allow you to think of what you can bring to those situations. For example, when the prayer says, “where there is hatred” I will pause to allow you to think about where there is hatred in your life. The prayer then says, “let me sow love.” At that time, I will pause to allow you to think about how you can sow love in those situations. This will continue for each line of the prayer.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, (pause to allow students to think of a situation where there is hatred in their lives)
let me sow love; (pause to allow students to think of how they can sow love)
where there is injury (pause), pardon; (pause)
where there is doubt (pause), faith; (pause)
where there is despair (pause), hope; (pause)
where there is darkness (pause), light; (pause)
where there is sadness (pause), joy. (pause)
Bless
Read or sing together “Lord Make Us Instruments” CCS 364.
Children’s Lesson
Lesson Focus
The Good News of Deliverance
Objectives
The learners will…
- recognize baptism as a way to prepare for following Christ.
- consider how their community makes a difference in their lives.
- thank those who are a part of their congregational life.
Supplies
- Puzzle that can be finished by students in a short time
- Bible or Lectionary Story Bible, Year B, by Ralph Milton, illustrated by Margaret Kyle (Wood Lake Publishing, 2008, ISBN 9781551455648)
- Board or chart paper to make a list
- Activity Sheet “Serving Together” (following the Bless section)
- A stack of notecards (could be recycled holiday cards) with the front design cut apart so that writing can be done on the back)
- Markers or crayons
- Community of Christ Sings (CCS)
Note to Teacher
In preparation for this lesson, read “Exploring the Scripture” for Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11 in Sermon & Class Helps, Year B: Old Testament, pp. 23–24, available through Herald House.
Gather
Provide a puzzle for students to work on together as they arrive. Encourage each student to have an opportunity to add to the picture being created. After the puzzle is completed, gather students together. Ask how working together helped them (less time, some saw where pieces went faster, fun to work together). Talk about community and being part of a larger group.
Going Deeper: Have students reflect on the Enduring Principle Blessings of Community from Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, pp. 31–32. Focus on words such as vulnerable, compassion, solidarity, community.
Blessings of Community
- The gospel of Jesus Christ is expressed best in community life where people become vulnerable to God’s grace and each other.
- True community includes compassion for and solidarity with the poor, marginalized, and oppressed.
- True community upholds the worth of persons while providing a healthy alternative to self-centeredness, isolation, and conformity.
- Sacred community provides nurture and growth opportunities for all people, especially those who cannot fully care for themselves.
- We value our connections and share a strong sense of trust in and belonging with one another—even if we never have met.
- Some disciples are called and ordained to particular priesthood responsibilities and ministries for the sake of the community, the congregation, and the world.
- We are called to create communities of Christ’s peace in our families and congregations and across villages, tribes, nations, and throughout creation.
Engage
There are two stories that complement each other, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. John the Baptist often referred to Isaiah and his call to “get ready for the Chosen One.” When John is asked if he is the Chosen One, he clearly lets the listeners know that he is not. But John will know the Chosen One when he comes.
Read “Isaiah Becomes a Prophet,” p. 126 and “Who Is God’s Chosen One?” pp. 24–25 in the Lectionary Story Bible, Year B.
- Why do you think the leaders were mad at John the Baptist?
- How did John the Baptist think baptizing people with water would prepare them for the Chosen One?
- Isaiah has often said that being a prophet is hard work. What news do you think would make it hard to be a prophet? How do you think people respond when he gives good news?
In Isaiah’s story, he didn’t think he should be with God in his vision. He had done and said bad things. But the angel helped cleanse him with the burning coal.
Baptism is a promise between an individual and God. It is a personal decision. Through baptism a person is promising to try to live each day as a disciple of Christ. Following the example of Jesus, people in Community of Christ are baptized by immersion. Emerging from the water symbolizes washing away the old and starting new with Christ. (Of Water and Spirit: Preparing for Baptism and Confirmation in Community of Christ, from Herald House, is available to help people prepare for baptism.)
- Have those who have been baptized share how their pre-baptismal class helped prepare them for what would happen in the waters of baptism.
- Discuss how Isaiah’s experience was like baptism by immersion.
Respond
While baptism is a personal experience, baptism is not done alone. “Baptism is a public act announcing you are choosing to follow Jesus Christ with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. It is a decision that marks a significant point in recognizing God’s initiative in your life, turning toward God, and entering a covenant relationship to the community of disciples and God” (Sharing in Community of Christ, 4th Edition, p. 44)
- Discuss where the students were baptized or where they have seen baptisms.
- Why do they think baptism is a community time?
Being part of a community means both having responsibility and having others help and care for you. Distribute the “Serving Together” activity sheet. Discuss who can help. Ask students for other ideas to add to the list based on their personal activities. Decide if it is a way they can serve or if they can work with others to complete the activity.
As a group, make a list of those who help in the congregation. List the name of the person and what they do. Include those who pray, teach, play music, watch the children, etc. Help them think of others whose service may be less obvious: those who prepare the worship bulletins, fix things that break, run the sound system, pay the bills, listen and talk to them, greet people who arrive, etc.
Send
Community of Christ believes God’s vision for creation is revealed in the life of Jesus Christ and is expressed in shalom. Sharing the peace of Jesus Christ means living as Jesus did. This means telling and inviting others, being generous and compassionate, bringing justice and wholeness to others, and living a life of healthy relationships in community. Jesus came to restore people to right relationships with God, others, creation, and themselves. This restoration is part of God’s vision for creation. This is why we proclaim Jesus Christ!
—Of Water and Spirit, p. 31
In addition to proclaiming Jesus Christ, Community of Christ’s mission is to promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.
Have each student choose one or two of the people listed on the board. If possible, have all names chosen. Using the notecards, have them write a thank-you note to each person they have selected. They can sign with their name or the name of the class. When they are dismissed, have them deliver their cards to the people they have chosen.
Bless
Read or sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” CCS 307.
Share in a prayer thanking God for those who are part of their community family.
Serving Together
Being in a community means that we work together. Below are some of the responsibilities you might have at home, school, church, or in the community. Which ones can you do yourself? Which ones can you do with help? Check the boxes that fit. If you check the “I can do this with help,” write in the name of someone who can help you.
| Responsibility | I can do this by myself. | I can do this with help. |
| Walk the dog | ||
| Eat healthy foods | ||
| Set the table | ||
| Donate clothes and toys | ||
| Study my homework | ||
| Make my bed | ||
| Read the scriptures | ||
| Brush my teeth | ||
| Rake leaves | ||
| Pick up trash | ||
| Watch a small child | ||
| Visit an older member of congregation | ||
| Play on a sports team | ||
| Receive the offering during worship |
