Practicing the Presence
The Advent season marks the beginning of the Christian year, a time in which the ordinary is jolted with the presence of Emmanuel - God With Us - a presence which births hope, joy, peace, and love in the world. We walk forward with lenses of beauty, noticing how Christ came, how Christ comes to each of us, and how Christ will come again. We practice the presence of Christ in the everyday - an extraordinary presence, in ordinary spaces. Through embodied practice, we rejoice in the birth of Jesus, the expression of God’s unending love.
WEEK BY WEEK
During Advent, we’ll be exploring revised common lectionary passages. The lectionary is a selection of scripture readings which the global Church uses for worship, study, and retelling of the story of God.
Dec. 2: Jolting Presence (Jeremiah 33:14-16 • Psalm 25:1-10 • 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 • Luke 21:25-36)
Dec. 9: Preparing Presence (Malachi 3:1-4 • Luke 1:68-79 • Philippians 1:3-11 • Luke 3:1-6)
Dec. 16: Rejoicing Presence (Zephaniah 3:14-20 • Isaiah 12:2-6 • Philippians 4:4-7 • Luke 3:7-18)
Dec. 23: Awakening Presence (Micah 5:2-5a • Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7 • Hebrews 10:5-10 • Luke 1:39-45, (46-55))
Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Gathering: Forever Presence (Isaiah 9:2-7 • Psalm 96 • Titus 2:11-14 • Luke 2:1-14, (15-20))
PRAYER
In both our individual lives and communal gatherings, the following prayer is meant to help us practice the presence of Christ in the midst of the ordinary routines of everyday life.:
“Christ before me; Christ behind me; Christ to my left; Christ to my right.” - Celtic prayer of St. Patrick
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
-Reread the text(s) for this week. What else do you notice in the story?
-Godself was revealed through Christ’s coming; what is God revealing to you in this season?
-As you practice the presence of Christ, what do you notice stirring within you?
-What is the Spirit prompting you toward in patterning the whole year after Advent - to embody the love of Jesus in the world?
RESOURCES
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Padraig O Tuama
Apps: Pray as You Go; Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne
Websites: Daily Office - Northumbria Community
Music: Oh Light by the Liturgists - http://www.theliturgists.com/oh-light; Josh Garrels The Light Came Down
Trinity's Advent Guide
This guide was created for individuals, couples, families with children, or Trinity Groups. It includes Advent readings and other ideas like the Jesse Tree, Advent calendars, and throwing a birthday party for Jesus.
Illustrated Children’s Ministry Advent Guide
Gift Giving Catalog
As we consider Jesus’ gift and what he calls us to do and be in the world, we’d like to give you an opportunity to give actual life-giving gifts to folks who are showing the love of Jesus to those in need here in Indy and around the world. In the pages that follow you’ll find out more about some of Trinity’s ministry partners. Please consider how you might give to them as they show the Good News of Jesus’ gift in very tangible ways. Click below to download the catalog.