Category: worship

Christmas things

advent, all age, art, bible, christingle, christmas, church resources, clipart, doodle, hymns, music, Other cool stuff, pictures, poems, worship

Now it’s almost advent, here are some Christmassy things (NB see also my other post on Advent things) that might be useful. Sorry it’s a bit of a jumble of things all together. Please do feel free to use any of the pictures in any way that’s helpful. I’ve marked whether the words can just be used freely or if they need to go on your CCLI return.

Could be any shed, really
This is Mary and Joseph, just after Joseph wakes up from the dream in which the angel tells him they have to leave everything and run to Egypt.
Another family at Holy Innocents
Another mother at Holy Innocents
image
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Flight into Egypt

Some more clipart-y images:

advent wreath
annunciation
angel choir
christingle
euch-angels
euch-nativity
mother and child

people in church doorway
praying
DSC_1392
candle clipart

A simple Christmas carol to the tune of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy:

Little baby, sweetly slumbering,
Cradled and cuddled in Mary’s loving arms.
In the sky are angels gathering,
but for now, here below, all is still and calm.

Little baby, our Emmanuel,
God with us, one of us, born to be our king.
Little baby, while you slumber,
Far above you angels sing.

We know you came to save us all…
But how can God become so small…?
For God so loved all he had made
He sent his Son the world to save……

Little baby…

An easy Christmas song for children to sing
The tune is ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’.

Sing of the time the angel came, the angel came, the angel came,
Sing of the time the angel came to bring the news to Mary.

Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem,
Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, the baby in the stable.

Sing of shepherds from the hills, from the hills, from the hills,
Sing of the shepherds from the hills, who came to worship Jesus.

Sing of the brightly shining star, the shining star, the shining star,
Sing of the brightly shining star, that led the kings to Jesus.

Sing of the love of God on earth, God on earth, God on earth,
Sing of the love of God on earth, that brings us close to heaven.

Star of wonder (Tune: Sing Hosanna) – Christingle song for Epiphany

We give gold for a king, keep us serving,
We give gold for a king today,
As we give, it is Christ we are serving,
We’ll keep serving Jesus every day.

Star of wonder! Lead us onwards,
Show the way to find the world’s true light.
Star of wonder! Lead us onwards,
Shine around us through the night.

We bring incense today, keep us praying,
We bring incense to him today.
For the needs of the world, keep us praying.
Keep us praying to him every day.

Star of wonder…

We bring myrrh to remember his passion,
As he shared in his people’s pain,
In our lives we will show his compassion,
As we live for Jesus every day.

Star of wonder…

The easiest paper nativity scene ever – instructions and template

And a couple of links to things I’ve come up with for Christingle: 

The original ‘Sparkly Christingle Talk’ (the one with the iron powder)

How to make a Christingle: some prayerful reflections

Looking slightly further ahead: 

The Epiphany Game

A Very Simple Epiphany Song (to the tune of Sing Hosanna)

A hymn about light (that might do for Epiphany if you really squint)

Eucharistic hymn

church resources, holy communion, hymns, love, worship

This is your body, for your people giv’n,
We break the bread, and voice the sacred song;
Food of the angels, taste of highest heav’n,
crumbs dropped for all who fear we don’t belong:
We are your body, help us dare to share
all that we have, and offer all we are.

This is your blood, the pain that makes us whole
With love was pressed from this live-giving vine,
The smallest sip can warm the coldest soul,
And fill the human heart with fire divine:
We are your body, help us yearn to share
all that we have, and offer all we are.

We are your body, fed with heavenly food,
Washed through the blood that flows with heavenly love,
And then you send us, by that love renewed,
to find that earth is full of heav’n above.
We are your body, in your grace we share
all that we have, and offer all we are.

(Tune: Finlandia)

I wrote this one last month too, and forgot about it. Again, sorry.

A hymn for when things are hard

church resources, hymns, worship

Lord, in our waiting and watching, we pray
that you would watch with us as night turns to day,
and if morning comes and we still cannot stand,
through every long moment keep holding our hand.

Lord, when our tears do not bring us relief,
You weep at our side in our pain and our grief,
Whenever it seems that we suffer alone,
In life’s hardest moments, Lord, make yourself known.

Lord, in our anger when pain is ignored,
when voices are silenced, experience is scorned,
Sustain us, and raise us to speak and be heard,
and soften hard hearts with the power of your word.

Lord, in our weariness, give us your peace,
the hope that the world’s many troubles will cease,
Then help us to find that in each place of need,
your love is transforming each thought, word and deed.

(Tune: Slane)

I wrote this last month and then forgot about it. Sorry about that. But here it is now.

The crumby dog

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Because it’s that week in the lectionary (16th August) here are the pictures I’ve done for the gospel reading about Jesus’ encounter with the canaanites woman.

This one’s called ‘the one with the crumby dog’ (urban version) and features the woman with the sick child who answered back. You go, mamma bear!
The Crumby dog, complete with actual dog
The crumby dog, b/w version
Crumby dog, in/out version

The Way of the Cross

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Thanks again to my son for recording and editing this version of the (biblical) stations of the cross. The text is directly from Common Worship, but using only the biblical texts and the prayers. You’re very welcome to use it if it’s helpful to you.