What's New for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany 2022–23
I had a professor in seminary who always said that we had to train physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the Season of Advent and Christmas, otherwise the multiple demands might overwhelm us entirely. I wish you all the best as we begin to prepare and train for the season! And, of course, we at Gathering are also here to help!
In case you missed it
Check out the recording of the GatheringWorship.ca launch party! Meet some of the faces behind GatheringWorship.ca, get a tour of the website, and celebrate close to 50 years of Gathering!
Mark your calendars
There are lots of events and commemorative days happening in the next few months.
- On November 22, join members of the Then Let Us Sing Development Team for a conversation about anti-racism in worship music and congregational song. To enrol, visit 40 Days of Engagement on Anti-Racism — Live Events and scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Every Thursday in Advent, join Canadian church leaders for ecumenical Advent meditations and conversations on hope, peace, joy, and love. Sign up online using the Ecumenical Advent Sign-Up Form.
Some Holy days to remember:
- December 18 to 26: Hanukkah
- December 26 to January 1: Kwanzaa
A few commemorative days that you may not be aware of (you can refer to page 25 of the ACE issue of Gathering for a fuller list or visit International Days and Weeks | United Nations.
- December 18: International Migrants Day
- January: Tamil Heritage Month
- January 29: National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia
- February 10: Moose Hide Campaign Day for standing up against violence toward women and children
If you have worship resources for these days, or other special days, please share them with us via our Gathering submissions page.
For worship resources and inspiration
Looking for prayers from the print magazine? We aim to have the approximately 150 prayers from each printed issue uploaded to the website before the magazine arrives to you. To find the prayers and other resources that you are looking for:
- 1. Select the Search feature (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).
- 2. For prayers, type in the first line of the prayer. For items with a title, type in the title.
- 3. Add the author’s name.
- 4. Click Search.
The item you searched for will be near the top of the search results list. If you are still having difficulty check out the tutorial videos in our FAQs.
This is the second-last issue for which we will provide a PDF of the Prayers for Worship and the Weekly Services.
Looking for inspiration and fresh insights? This issue, we are delighted to welcome a new column by Teresa Burnett-Cole, a beloved member of the Gathering community. Teresa’s new column is called “Worship Wonderings.” In it, Teresa will share her deep perspectives on liturgy, theology, and worship. You can read Teresa’s new column in this issue, in the PDF for the Exploring section.
Lastly, as you prepare for glitter, tinsel, shepherds, and angels, check out this Spark on costumes for Christmas pageants by Susan Lukey
Good luck as you start training for the marathon that is Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany! I pray that amidst the busyness you will be overwhelmed by moments of beauty, awe, and wonder.
Worshipping with you,
Alydia
