The Liturgical calendar begins with the Advent season of preparation. Each year we gain new insights and understandings through our creative exploration of the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. As the season draws to a close we turn our attention to our celebration of the birth of Christ through our series of Christmas services.
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2023
During Advent we created a village, lighting the Advent candles within it for the traditional themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love and partnered them with the additional themes of Darkness, Justice, Protest and Waiting. We carried these themes through the season of Christmas. Read the Advent & Christmas 2023 Olive Branch.
In our Christmas Eve Pageant ‘It’s a village‘ we journeyed with Mary & Joseph to Bethlehem and celebrated that we are all part of a village and many villages.
2022
Across the four Sundays in the season of Advent we paid attention to the traditional themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love and listened to the voices of creation through the Christmas season. Read the Advent & Christmas 2022 Olive Branch.
During the Christmas Eve pageant A Creatures’ Christmas Adventure we listened for the voices of the creatures who were part of the nativity of Jesus. Three of the human characters shared the story to set the scene and then Donkey and a host of other creatures helped Mary and Joseph find their way to Bethlehem for birth of Jesus.
2021
Once again we emerged from two long lockdowns to worship in person and online during Advent and Christmas 2021. We paid attention to the theme of finding our voice and participated in many special celebrations. We also engaged with and responded to artworks from the Emergence exhibition.
During the Christmas Eve pageant Finding your voice we listened to some familiar voices from the story of Jesus birth, and some not-so-familiar voices.
2020
In 2020 we worshipped online for much of the year. As we began the slow return to worshipping in person we created an Advent garden in the worship space. We created and sent home Advent packs and lit the candles in our own home. The Advent & Christmas 2020 Olive Branch celebrates all that we shared and offered.
The Christmas Eve Pageant was offered as Pageant Pandemic – the movie, telling of Mary & Joseph’s journey and all the barriers they faced along the way.
2019
During Advent and Christmas 2019 we created a rainbow Advent tree week by week, offered a litany responding to the prophet Isaiah, sang and prayed and listened.
Our Christmas Eve Pageant ‘Climate of Hope’ offered a message of hope and joy asthree prominent scientists set off an a journey to find solutions .
2018
During Advent and Christmas 2018 there were many opportunities to explore the themes of hope, peace, joy and love over the four Sundays. At the heart of our worship were three images – the star, the rainbow and a collage ‘The Waiting Earth’.
Leading the Way, the Christmas Eve pageant, featured three sheep Harry, Ron and Hermione from the Angel Assistance program – lots of fun!
2017
The seasons of Advent and Christmas were an opportunity to reflect on and listen to the messages of hope, peace, love and joy offered through the readings and how we are called to be messengers. At the Blue Christmas and late Christmas Eve services we lit the Advent candles again and the Christmas Eve pageant offered a wild and witty ‘tweet’ filled message of hope and joy.
2016
- The Advent Sculpture offered four elements: Journey, Village, Gifts and Cradle.
- The liturgy for the Blue Christmas Service, responded to the Advent Sculpture.
- During the 11:30pm Christmas Eve service we celebrated the nativity of the Christ Child told through Bible readings, prayers and songs.