From Generation to Generation...
Like a tapestry woven throughout time, the Christmas story weaves us in—to remember how God has shown up in the past, to continue the work of collective liberation, to behold the presence of God in flesh and bone. Our Advent theme this year is "From Generation to Generation…", reminding us of the ways our lives, histories, actions, and stories are interconnected and woven together. The work of God is always unfolding—in and through us. This Advent, may you remember that you belong—to a story etched into the wrinkles of time, to generations that have come before and will come after, to a love that won’t let you go. (from the introduction to the SA Advent devotional)
Exploring our Advent theme
Daily Devotional - Follow our Advent worship theme through the beautiful work of A Sanctified Art. Their devotional contains readings, poetry, visual art, even recipes for times of Sabbath rest. Login to the Members section to download an e-reader or PDF version, email the HMC office for help, or find a paper copy in the HMC Prayer room.
Advent Calendar - Countdown the season by sharing meaningful practices with your whole household. Find it in the Members section or the Prayer Room.
Music - Click here to enjoy a Spotify playlist compiled by the folk at A Sanctified Art.
Giving
As a congregation, we will collect donations for our annual Advent Giving Project. Click here to find out about supporting HATS this year.
There are many more ways to enter into the generosity of the season. For example, supporting the Christmas giving suggestions of organizations like MCC and MEDA.
Special Events
Join us any Sunday morning at 9:45am and also for any or all of these special events:
November 26, 7pm - Selah's Song - a musical for all ages to start the season with a song of peace
November 27, 11am - Intro to HATS - meet a HATS representative in adult Sunday school and learn about our Advent Giving Project
December 11, 9:45am - Christmas Play - HMC kids & youth work hard every year to tell the story in creative ways
December 24 - Christmas Eve Service - Lessons, carols, and candles. Details to come.
January 1 - New Year's Brunch Potluck - No service today, but come ring the new year in with a dish to share.
Other favourite seasonal resources
Advent-at-Home from Mennonite Church USA is designed for all ages and follows the lectionary.
Praying in Colour Advent Calendars - Click here for 2022 calendar templates and for suggestions on how to use them.
Author Kate Bowler has created a daily Advent devotional called "The Season of Waiting" that is free to download.
There are lots of great picture books for children for this season. Click here for an Advent list, here for some diverse Christmas stories, and here for a mix of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany.
Photo above © A Sanctified Art, used with permission and gratitude.