Advent is the Perfect Time for NOOMA

The NOOMA DVDs Rich, Shells, Noise, and Corner are perfect messages for the Advent season. Check one out today!

Advent Retreat

An Advent Retreat entitled "Waiting for Grace" will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Saturday, December 5 from 9-noon. St. Luke's is located at 8 East Keller Street in Mechanicsburg. The phone number is 717-766-5182. The brochure does not include a price, so I assume that it is free. For more information, email Melissa at roland.stock@juno.com.

Advent Consumerism

Looking to start a discussion about consumerism during Advent this year? The DVD What Would Jesus Buy? addresses our obsession with Christmas gift giving (and our resulting debt) in a fun and entertaining way. The video is a documentary about Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir's cross-country tour to save the souls of Americans from the evils of consumerism. Rev. Billy warns of a coming Shopocalypse (the end of humankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt.) The DVD is 90 minutes long, but you only need to watch a portion of it to start an important discussion about how shopping has become our principle Advent practice. Watch the trailer below.

Free DVD and Study Guides for The National Parks Documentary

On September 27, PBS broadcast The National Parks: America's Best Idea. As a proud outreach partner of this beautiful 12-hour portrait of our national parks, Earth Ministry is offering free downloads of two religious study guides to complement the film: a four-session Christian Education course (And God Saw That It Was Good), and a one-session interfaith course (Awakening the Spirit). By going to Earth Ministry's website, you can order a free DVD containing clips from the film that complement these adult education resources. Click here for more.

Looking for New Church Music?

Bifrost Arts is "a non-profit organization that exists to enrich the church and engage the world with beauty and truth. In Scandinavian mythology, the "bifrost" was the bridge connecting heaven and earth." They tour the country doing HymnSINGS of old Christian hymns set to contemporary arrangements. I saw them this summer in Harrisburg, and they were amazing. They sing old hymns accompanied by guitar, violin, cello, and whatever else people bring to make a joyful noise. They have a new CD of "hymns and spiritual songs" entitled "Come O Spirit!" It is excellent. Listen to two tracks from the album and order your own copy here. You can even download for free the complete folder of song sheets (lyrics, melody, and chords) for the album.

Did You Know

Did you know that less than 50% of lay women and men in PC(USA) churches read the Bible at least once a week? (The Bible August 2006 Survey)

The devotional reading of scripture is one of the central practices of Christian spiritual formation. Lectio Divina is a great method to help guide one in this type of reading. For a simple guide to the practice, click here.

One of My Favorite Authors

For many of us, there are a few writers of whom we read almost everything they write. For me, one of those authors is Stephanie Paulsell. A well respected scholar of Christian Spirituality, Paulsell also writes for ministers and lay readers. Her "Faith Matters" pieces in the Christian Century always stir my spirit. Check out her latest piece, a beautiful meditation on the advent of the fall season, here.

A Recommendation

I enjoy the very human portrayals of the work of ministry and life of the pastor in the essays of Lillian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver that appear in the Christian Century. These two authors have recently written a book together called This Odd and Wondrous Calling: The Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers that looks like a real yet hopeful look into this difficult but joy-filled calling.

A New Video Resource

The Resource Center has a new video resource that can transform the way you teach the parables of Jesus. It's called Modern Parables and it adapts six parables into short films. You can watch all six videos online by clicking here.

Centering Prayer Group in Mechanicsburg

A Centering Prayer group meets every Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Mechanicsburg. I know from experience that they welcome Presbyterians. This group is a great introduction to Centering Prayer for those who want to check it out. It is also a great discipline to keep you focused on your spiritual practice. Check it out next Tuesday! For more information, you can call Melissa Stock at 697-6210.