December Cell 2011

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1 celloutlines | overview

Advent Lives

Introduction

It’s not long now till Christmas! Only about four weeks! How much have you got to do? Have you got presents to buy and wrap, Christmas cards to write, parties to go to, decorations to put up?! Are you starting to feel ‘Christmassy’, to get excited, looking forward to a special day spent with family and friends?

In the Christian calendar the four weeks before Christmas are known as Advent. The word ‘advent’, from Latin, means ‘the coming’. Advent marks the start of the Christmas season and is a time of waiting for the arrival of Christmas, the coming of Jesus to earth when he was born as a baby in Bethlehem. It is a time of spiritual reflection as well as excitement and anticipation. It’s a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus’ birthday and to remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

During Advent many church services include a short Advent ceremony, often using an Advent wreath or candles. An Advent wreath looks something like this:

The circle of greenery symbolises continuous life and the never-ending circle of God’s love. There are four candles, traditionally three purple and one pink, or all red. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of Jesus and one candle is usually lit every Sunday of Advent so that during the last week before Christmas all four candles are lit. Often a fifth candle, called the Christ Candle, which is white, is added to the centre of the wreath (as in the picture) for lighting on Christmas Eve. There are varying suggestions as to what each candle can represent. For the purposes of this month’s cell groups, our candles are going to represent hope, peace, joy and love.

So this month in the cell groups we are going to have our own little ‘Advent Ceremonies’! We are going to take some time out of our busy December schedules to prepare our hearts for celebrating the real reason for Christmas. Each candle that we light together will symbolise our prayers of thanks and worship to Jesus for coming into the world.

We hope that the times you have in your cell groups will be like a little oasis of calm amidst all the hustle and bustle and frenetic activity of this month. A time to be still, to reflect and to worship. A time to remember again together why this time of year is so special!

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1 Leader’s Notes

December is a busy month for everyone, so these cell groups are deliberately short and uncomplicated. As above, the hope is that they will provide a little oasis or sanctuary of calm where you can reflect together on the real reason of Christmas and prepare fully for celebrating the birth of Jesus. Explain that you are going to use these simple cell groups as a time to come together before God, remember again what Christmas is really about, pray and worship.

This year Advent begins on Sunday 27 November. To fit these cell groups into Advent you will need to try to do

Week One in the week of 27 November – 3 December•

Week Two in the week of 4–10 December•

Week Three in the week of 11–17 December •

Week Four in the week of 18–24 December. •

These cell notes have been written as short ‘Advent Ceremonies’ that the whole group can participate in around the Advent wreath with four candles. The ‘Advent Ceremonies’ have been written with six voices, plus the group leader. The idea is that each person in the group becomes a ‘voice’, so you need to allocate parts to your group members accordingly. Feel free to adapt these as you wish. If you have more than six in your group you may wish to write some more parts.

You will also need to have an Advent wreath. The following websites give instructions on how to make one. You may wish to do this before your first cell group, or make it together with your group. If the budget allows, it would be good for everyone to make their own wreath that they could take away and use at home.

http://www.ehow.com/how_3562_make-advent-wreath.html•

http://www.shalfleet.net/advent/adventwreath.htm•

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/advent_wreath.htm•

It would be great to encourage your group members to replicate what they are doing with you in the cell group at home with their families. For this reason the ‘Advent Ceremony’ notes have been provided separately from the leader’s notes. This mean that you can print out the copies of the ceremonies that you can all follow through together during the group, and afterwards the group members can take away with them.

In addition, in the first three weeks there is an extra handout on the topic that you can print and give out to your group members if you feel it is relevant. (In the documents the leader’s notes appear first, then the ceremony, then the handout… all in one document rather than three separate ones!)

There are deliberately not any icebreaker games written into these cell notes. If you feel your group would benefit from or enjoy some Christmassy games, then look back at December 2010 for some fun Christmas activities, quizzes, games etc.

Also, as you may remember from last year, the December 2010 cell notes also include suggestions for some creative ways you can exchange gifts with each other if you wish… as well as an excellent Alternative Advent Calendar, which encourages us to remember those less fortunate than ourselves this Christmas. (The 2010 cell outlines are still available on the ALOVE website.)

celloutlines | overview (continued...)

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1 celloutlines | overview (continued...)

References:

The ‘Advent Ceremonies’ include elements from the following websites:

http://constancewoloschuk.suite101.com

http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-2/ADVENTwreath_05.htm

http://www.creakings.net/jean/staugustine/adventcandles.html

http://www.appleseeds.org/christmas-quotes.htm

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1 These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources

celloutlines | week one

Advent Lives: Hope

You will needPens/paper•

Bibles•

Advent wreath/candles•

Copies of the cell introduction for everyone•

Copies of the Week One Advent Ceremony for everyone•

Copies of the ‘Living a Hope-Full Life’ handout, if relevant, for everyone•

WeLcome

Read the cell introduction together to introduce the season of Advent and the concept of the Advent wreath.

Make your Advent wreath together if you haven’t already done so.

WoRd aNd WoRshIp

Follow the Week One Advent Ceremony together with your group. (This is attached below so you can print out copies for your group without all the leader’s notes.)

additional notes for section 2. Who am I?

Do this exercise first before handing out the ‘Week One Advent Ceremony’ to everyone… simply to make it harder for them to guess the person!

You will need to print out and cut up the following ‘Who am I?’ profiles, and give one to a different group member to read out in turn. After each reading see if the group can guess who the person is. Allow time for discussion about the person if necessary.

person one: I am an old man who was waiting and hoping for many years. Long ago, God revealed to me that I would not die before I had seen the fulfilment of God’s promise to help the nation of Israel out of their suffering. Somehow I sensed I was waiting for the Messiah, but what or who he would look like I didn’t know. So I waited, and hoped, and prayed. One day I felt that I absolutely must go to the Temple… and there I saw him. A baby in the arms of a young girl, with her husband beside her. This was he! At once I took him in my arms – the fulfilment of all of God’s promises to me and to the nation. From this point on I knew I could die in peace! (Read about me in Luke 2.)

aNsWeR: simeon

person two: I too am an old man, waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promise. I’m ashamed to say, though, that I doubted that God could bring about what he said. When an angel, a messenger of God, told me I would have a son, I questioned him instead of praising and thanking him. The angel told me that my son would be like Elijah and bring people back to the Lord, to prepare them for hearing a very special message. The message was that their hopes would all be fulfilled in the Messiah; that God

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1 celloutlines | week one (continued...)

would deliver us; that God wasn’t slow in keeping his promises, and we should just be patient. In my unbelief the Lord struck me dumb – I literally couldn’t say a word until after my miracle baby, that my wife and I had longed for for so many years, was born. I could speak again just in time to name my son! Then I believed! My hopes in God and in the Messiah were fulfilled. (Read about me in Luke 1.)

aNsWeR: Zechariah

person three: I am an old woman who spent many years alone, patiently waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled. My husband died not long after we were married and so, for around 60 years or so, I spent nearly every day at the Temple, praying and fasting, and waiting for God’s promise. When I saw that young couple with their new baby come into the Temple that day, I knew that God was faithful. All my hopes had been realised. God had set his long-awaited plan in action. The Saviour was here! (Read about me in Luke 2.)

aNsWeR: anna

person four: I am one of a group of people who had studied the ancient prophecies of old, and so when we saw the sign we knew exactly what it meant, but could hardly believe that it was happening. We didn’t know what we would find at the end of our journey, but we could only hope that travelling all that way would be worth it when we got there… even though we weren’t sure where we would end up! We expected to find a new King, so we took gifts with us suitable for royalty. We followed the sign and ended up in the small town of Bethlehem, in the home of a young family with a small baby. As we entered somehow we just knew. We knelt before the child as if he were a royal king and gave him our gifts. Here was the fulfilment of the hope of all the prophecies. (Read about us in Matthew 2.)

aNsWeR: The Wise men

additional notes for section 4, prayer and Blessing.

If you feel that your group will find it too difficult to write and pray out their own prayers, you could give each person a line of prayer to read as below, taken from the handout.

other prayers:

Lord, thank you that I can have hope through Jesus. He is my advocate before the throne. Thank you that I can approach the most holy place with confidence. Amen.

Lord, the sacrifice of your Son shows your great love and provision. Help me not to worry or be anxious, because you will provide. Amen.

Lord, in a world that is constantly letting us down, how great it is that your hope will never disappoint us. Help us to cling to this hope today. Amen.

Lord, your promises are amazing, and they are all ‘yes’ in Christ – we praise you for this. Teach me your promises and help me to hold on to them. Amen.

Lord, thank you for the hope that you have given me. Help me to be ready to share this hope with those around me. Prepare me for the harvest that you have. Amen.

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WITNess

Encourage the group each to light their own Advent wreath at home and explain to their family about this season of hope. Maybe they could even follow the ceremony through with their families.

There are five daily Bible readings outlined on the ‘Hope’ handout. Encourage the group to read one each day this week.

For Next Week

For next week ask everyone to bring a Christmas object that reminds them of the Christmas story and/or inspires their faith at Christmas time.

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1

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Week one advent ceremony

Advent Lives: Hope1. Begin with the following Bible readings

Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 53:1-6

Luke 1:26-28

Mark 13:26–37

2. Who am I?

Four people will each read out one of the following profiles and the rest of the group must guess which character of the Christmas story they are describing.

person one: I am an old man who was waiting and hoping for many years. Long ago, God revealed to me that I would not die before I had seen the fulfilment of God’s promise to help the nation of Israel out of their suffering. Somehow I sensed I was waiting for the Messiah, but what or who he would look like I didn’t know. So I waited, and hoped, and prayed. One day I felt that I absolutely must go to the Temple… and there I saw him. A baby in the arms of a young girl, with her husband beside her. This was he! At once I took him in my arms – the fulfilment of all of God’s promises to me and to the nation. From this point on I knew I could die in peace! (Read about me in Luke 2.)

aNsWeR:

person two: I too am an old man, waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promise. I’m ashamed to say, though, that I doubted that God could bring about what he said. When an angel, a messenger of God, told me I would have a son, I questioned him instead of praising and thanking him. The angel told me that my son would be like Elijah and bring people back to the Lord, to prepare them for hearing a very special message. The message was that their hopes would all be fulfilled in the Messiah; that God would deliver us; that God wasn’t slow in keeping his promises, and we should just be patient. In my unbelief the Lord struck me dumb – I literally couldn’t say a word until after my miracle baby, that my wife and I had longed for for so many years, was born. I could speak again just in time to name my son! Then I believed! My hopes in God and in the Messiah were fulfilled. (Read about me in Luke 1.)

aNsWeR:

person three: I am an old woman who spent many years alone, patiently waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled. My husband died not long after we were married and so, for around 60 years or so, I spent nearly every day at the Temple, praying and fasting, and waiting for God’s promise. When I saw that young couple with their new baby come into the Temple that day, I knew that God was faithful. All my hopes had been realised. God had set his long-awaited plan in action. The Saviour was here! (Read about me in Luke 2.)

aNsWeR:

Person four: I am one of a group of people who had studied the ancient prophecies of old, and so when we saw the sign we knew exactly what it meant, but could hardly believe that it was happening.

celloutlines | week one (continued...)

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1 We didn’t know what we would find at the end of our journey, but we could only hope that travelling all that way would be worth it when we got there… even though we weren’t sure where we would end up! We expected to find a new King, so we took gifts with us suitable for royalty. We followed the sign and ended up in the small town of Bethlehem, in the home of a young family with a small baby. As we entered somehow we just knew. We knelt before the child as if he were a royal king and gave him our gifts. Here was the fulfilment of the hope of all the prophecies. (Read about us in Matthew 2.)

aNsWeR:

3. Lighting the candle

Group leader: The Advent candles symbolise the light of God coming into the world through the birth of his son Jesus.

Light the first Advent candle with the words:

The first candle of Advent is the candle of Hope. We light this candle to remind us that our hope is in Jesus and to watch for his return.

Group leader: We use the word ‘hope’ all the time. Usually it means wishing for something, or wanting something that ultimately might or might not happen. But this is the world’s hope. Christian hope is totally different.

Voice one: The hope we have in Jesus is based on the cross and in God’s promises. We know that he will never let us down.

Voice two: The Bible describes hope like an anchor, which is ‘firm and secure’ (Hebrews 6:19). When there is a storm at sea and we feel we are getting blown around everywhere, hope in God’s promises keep us secure.

Voice three: My hope is in knowing that Jesus has forgiven me and that I am accepted by him.

Voice four: My hope is in knowing that what God has promised will definitely be fulfilled.

Voice five: My hope gives me boldness and courage. I know that God will stick with me, no matter what.

Voice six: My hope gives me peace for the future. God will outwork his plans for me, and it will be the best!

Continue to speak out your own ‘My hope is…’ statements if you want to.

4. prayer and Blessing

Group leader: That first Christmas, Jesus was the hope of so many people, even an entire nation. This Christmas let’s take time to remember and celebrate the light of hope we have in Jesus today. Let’s thank God together for the expectancy and hope we have in the coming of Christ.

Allow a few moments of quiet for people to complete the following prayer, either in their minds or to write it out below. Then take it in turns to pray their prayers out loud.


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1 Lord Jesus, we thank you for the hope you give us

Finish by all standing in a circle and each one placing their hands on the person either side. Loudly and confidently read the following blessing over each other:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).


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handout to accompany advent Lives: Week one

Living A Hope-FuLL LiFeDictionary definition of hope: ‘Desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfilment.’

We use the word ‘hope’ all the time. Usually it means wishing for something, or wanting something that ultimately might or might not happen. But this is the world’s hope. Christian hope is totally different. It is one of the most important differences between a Christian and a non-Christian. The main reason is that a Christian’s hope is not just wishing. Let me explain why.

Two reasons why Christian hope is more than wishing:

Reason 1: The cross

When we think of Christian hope we usually think about the future. You might be surprised to know that it all starts at the cross. When the Bible talks about Christian hope, it almost always means ‘salvation’. So if someone says they ‘put their hope in God’ it’s another way of saying ‘I’m a Christian!’ That’s why, when Paul describes a Christian’s armour in 1 Thessalonians, he calls the helmet ‘the hope of salvation’ (v8); or check out 1 Timothy 6:17. Christians have hope because of what Jesus did on the cross.

That means that when the judgment day comes and God sees all our sin, we will have hope because Jesus who died on the cross will be there for us. We’re not wishing that Jesus will save us, but we know that he will because he has already come and died on the cross. Christian hope is knowing that we are saved.

Reason 2: God’s promises

I’ve got a friend whom I meet for coffee most weeks. He promises to meet at a certain time and place. But he can be forgetful. So I sit there waiting, hoping that he turns up. This is the kind of hope the world has – promises that we don’t know will ever be kept.

The world hopes that everything will turn out for the best and problems will be solved, but it has no guarantees that it ever will. Christian hope is the opposite. When God makes a promise he keeps it. He never forgets and he’s never too busy. We can hold on to hope because God is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

The Bible describes hope like an anchor, which is ‘firm and secure’ (Hebrews 6:19).

When there is a storm at sea and we feel we are getting blown around everywhere, hope in God’s promises keep us secure. We’re not going to get dragged out to sea where we can’t cope.

What does christian hope do?

hope stops worry

‘No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ’ (2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV). Let me give you one of the promises I cling to most: ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ (Romans 8:32). If God was willing to give his precious Son to us, he will not begrudge giving us anything else. When we are worried or hurt, he promises to give us whatever we need. Did you notice the word ‘graciously’? This means he

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1 will give us what is best for us, even though we don’t always know what that is.

hope gives boldness

Christian hope also gives us boldness. I play for a football team every week. Outside of playing, the team does a lot of things that as a Christian I don’t like. But I’m under pressure to join in. When I hold on to God’s promises I have boldness and confidence to say, ‘No, I don’t want to do that.’ I can say this because I can trust in God’s promise that he will be with me even if they laugh at me or tease me. Paul says, ‘Since we have such a hope, we are very bold’ (2 Corinthians 3:12). This means we can be bold when we come to God as well as when we stand up for him.

hope loves others

This hope also helps us to love others. I heard man called John Piper (one of my favourite authors) talk about this recently. He was asked why hope was important. In his answer he said, ‘We can be there for others, because we know Jesus will be there for us.’ Loving others usually means that we have to give something up. If we love a brother or sister, or love a friend, maybe we need to give up our time for them, or something that we really want. But Christian hope tells us that we can do this and God will provide for us, even when we don’t know how.

hope shares the gospel

Finally, hope helps us share the gospel. You might have heard the verse, ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have’ (1 Peter 3:15). It doesn’t say, ‘Be ready to explain scientific proof for the Bible, or the Trinity, or the Resurrection’ (although all these things are important). It says, be ready to ‘give the reason for the hope you have’. This is how you can share the gospel with your friends. You can explain the hope you get from the cross, and that hope means that we can be secure because God won’t let us down.

So when you wake up in the morning, you don’t have to just wish for a good day. Think about the hope from the cross and God’s promises. This hope tells you: ‘Don’t worry, be bold, love others and share the gospel.’

Matt Ford

http://www.standrewsfreechurch.co.uk/pdf/hope.pdf


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1 day 1

hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Lord, thank you that I can have hope through Jesus. He is my advocate before the throne. Thank you that I can approach the most holy place with confidence. Amen.

day 2

Romans 8:31-33

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

Lord, the sacrifice of your Son shows your great love and provision. Help me not to worry or be anxious, because you will provide. Amen.

day 3

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Lord, in a world that is constantly letting us down, how great it is that your hope will never disappoint us. Help us to cling to this hope today. Amen.

day 4

2 corinthians 1:18-22

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, but in him it has always been ‘Yes’. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of


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1 ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Lord, your promises are amazing, and they are all ‘Yes’ in Christ, and we praise you for this. Teach me your promises and help me to hold on to them. Amen.

day 5

1 peter 3:13-16

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Lord, thank you for the hope that you have given me. Help me to be ready to share this hope with those around me. Prepare me for the harvest that you have. Amen.

Matt Ford

http://www.standrewsfreechurch.co.uk/pdf/hope.pdf

Quotations from New International Version (UK)


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celloutlines | week two

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Advent Lives: peAce


Bibles•


Copies of the Week Two Advent Ceremony for everyone•

One tea-light candle for everyone•

Somewhere comfortable for everyone to lie down•

Reflective music (try ALOVE’s • Spire CD)

Copies of the ‘Living a Peace-Full Life’ handout if relevant for your group•

WeLcome

Ask everyone to share their special Christmas object and why it reminds them of the Christmas story.

WoRd aNd WoRshIp

Follow the Week Two Advent Ceremony together with your group. (This is attached below so you can print out copies for your group without all the leader’s notes.)

additional notes for section 3 – Time of peace

Section three – Time of Peace – has been included to allow individuals an oasis of peace during this busy festive period! Encourage everyone to find a comfortable place, to lie down and relax. Put on some reflective music and encourage them to contemplate the peace of Jesus and all that means to us, especially at Christmas. Ask them to pray silently and ask the peace of Jesus to ‘invade their hearts and minds’. They could also be bringing to Jesus situations in their own families or communities where they need his peace. If your group would find it helpful you could read out some of the following, or other, Scripture passages during this reflective moment. You could also allow time afterwards for people to share their thoughts and feelings on this topic if this is relevant to your group.

Begin this time by reading out the following words:

Jesus said: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you’ (John 14:27). We light this Advent candle today to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the one promised from the beginning of the world. We thank him for the peace that he brings, the inner peace that tells us that we are united with him and with each other, and ask that he would prepare us for the outer peace that will come when he returns to judge the world.

additional Bible readings.

Matthew 5:9 – ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.’

Matthew 11:28-30 – ‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.

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1 celloutlines | week two (continued...)

Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear and this burden is light.’

John 14:27 – ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’

John 16:33 – ‘I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.’

John 20:19 – ‘On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”’

Philippians 4:6-7 – ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

WITNess

Encourage the group to each light their own Advent wreath at home and explain to their family about this season of peace. Maybe they could even follow the ceremony through with their families.

Challenge your group to take five minutes each morning to sit in silence and allow the peace of Jesus to fill them. Then they should take his peace with them as they go about their daily activities… and try and give some to other people too!

For next week

Ask each person in the group to find a piece of music (any kind) that makes them feel happy and bring it with them to play to the group next week.

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Week Two advent ceremony

Advent Lives: peAce

1. Begin with the following Bible readings

Isaiah 9:6

Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:8-20

Philippians 4:6-7



Light the Advent candles with the words:

The first candle of Advent is the candle of Hope; the second is the candle of Peace.

We light this candle to remind us that Jesus brings peace to all who trust in him.

Voice one: ‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6).

Voice two: But why is Jesus called the Prince of Peace? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of peace in the world today. Every night when we turn on the news, we hear about wars all over the world. Every day when we read a newspaper, we read about other people’s pain and suffering.

Voice three: Even Jesus was born into a time of turmoil. Herod, threatened by the birth of the child people were calling a king, ordered the murder of all male children in and around Bethlehem aged two and under. The people of Israel were in great distress.

Voice four: But we know and believe that when Jesus comes he brings healing and good news to all who suffer. We know and believe that in this time of chaos and despair throughout the world, our God who loves peace will teach us what to do.

Voice five: Let us each light a candle and take a minute to pray that God will bring peace to our lives, our families, our communities and to the world.

(At this point everyone takes a tea-light and lights it from candle two on the Advent wreath. Then place it beside the wreath.)

Voice six: We light these candles for every child of God who has lost their families, their homes and their innocence to war. We light these candles as people who long for Jesus and the peace of God for ourselves, our families and communities and for the whole world. Lord Jesus, show us how we can be peacemakers in our own relationships, our own families and workplaces, and in the world. Help us to be peacemakers in your name.

Now allow a few minutes of quiet for everyone to say their own inward reflective prayers for peace.

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3. Time of peace!

Everyone should find a comfortable place, to lie down and relax. Put on some reflective music. Use this time of quiet to relax and to contemplate the peace of Jesus and all that means to each one of us, especially at Christmas. (The group leader may read out some Scripture verses during this time.)

Group leader: (When everyone is comfortable, begin this time of reflection with the following words): Jesus said, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you’ (John 14:27). We lit the candle of peace today to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the one promised from the beginning of the world. We thank him for the peace that he brings, the inner peace that tells us that we are united with him and with each other, and ask that he would prepare us for the outer peace that will come when he returns to judge the world.

Bible verses for the group leader to read out during the time of reflection.

Matthew 5:9 – ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.’

Matthew 11:28-30 – ‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear and this burden is light.’

John 14:27 – ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’

John 16:33 – ‘I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.’

John 20:19 – ‘On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”’

Philippians 4:6-7 – ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

You could allow time after this reflective period for people to share their thoughts and feelings as they wish.

4. closing prayer

All read this closing prayer together and out loud:

Loving God, thank you for the peace you give us through Jesus. Show us how to be peacemakers in our own relationships, our own families and workplaces, and in the world. Help us to remember the flame of this candle of peace as we go about your business every day. Help us to prepare our hearts to receive your peace. We ask this in the name of the One born in Bethlehem. Amen.

celloutlines | week two (continued...)

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handout to accompany advent Lives: Week Two

Living A peAce-FuLL LiFeMatthew tells us how an angel appeared to Mary and told her that she would give birth to the baby Jesus. A virgin birth. Yet, she was engaged to Joseph, who had a hard time believing that she had not been unfaithful to him. He had planned to break off the engagement quietly so that she would not face stoning by the villagers. However, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to confirm that, in fact, Mary’s pregnancy was given to her by the Lord. Joseph was given peace of mind by God so he could be an earthly father to Jesus and good husband to Mary.

When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant by the Lord, Joseph had a crisis of faith. He became restless and lost a sense of peace. However, upon the words of the angel, Joseph felt a God-given peace about his situation. He was able to focus on the importance of raising God’s son, and he could begin preparing himself for what God had in store for him.

Being at peace and giving out God’s peace is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-24). Have you ever been around someone who seems so at peace with who he or she is and what he or she believes? The peace is contagious. It is a fruit given by the Spirit, because it tends to grow all around you. When you are sound in your faith, when you know God loves you and will provide for you, then you find peace in your life.

Peace of mind is something that we all want. We all want to be able to rest, to not have to worry, to feel free to enjoy life, family, friends, work, church, hobbies, entertainment, etc. We want to be able to enjoy ourselves and not be burdened down with worries that rob us of vigour, life and purpose. Sometimes when we can’t find peace of mind, we get depressed. We often get angry and lash out at God or someone else near to us.

Philippians 4: 6-9 gives us some clues on how to find a place of peace:

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you’ (NIV).

God wants you to have true peace by having you not worry – about anything (act of thinking) •

God wants you to have true peace by praying – about everything (act of doing) •

God wants you to have true peace by meditating on what is holy (act of thinking) •

God wants you to have true peace by putting into practice what you have learned (act of doing) •

Getting to a place of peace is not always easy. There are a lot of things that stand in the way of peace. Today we are faced with message after message that we are not good enough. ‘Be a better athlete!’ ‘Look like this model in 30 days!’ ‘Get rid of acne with this product.’ ‘Wear these jeans and people will love you more.’ ‘If you go out with / look like this guy/girl, you’ll be popular.’ All of these messages take your focus from God and place it on yourself. Suddenly you don’t seem good enough. However, peace comes when you realise, as it states in Romans 8, that God made you and loves you... just as you are.

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1 prayer Focus

In your prayers this week ask God to give you a peace about your life and yourself. Ask him to provide you with this fruit of the Spirit so that you can be a beacon of peace to others around you. Discover the things that get in the way of you loving yourself and allowing God to love you, and ask the Lord to help you accept those things.

Adapted from http://christianteens.about.com/od/fruitofthespirit/a/FruitPeace.htm (Kelli Mahoney) and http://carm.org/christianity/sermons/philippians-46-9-true-peace-your-life (Matt Slick)

celloutlines | week two (continued...)

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celloutlines | week three

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Advent Lives: Joy


Bibles•


Copies of the Week Three Advent Ceremony for everyone•

Copies of the ‘Living a Joy-Full Life’ handout if relevant for your group.•

Some instruments (or saucepans) for creating a ‘joyful noise’!•

WeLcome

Ask each person to play a part of their song they have bought with them and explain why it makes them feel happy.

WoRd & WoRshIp

Follow the Week Three Advent Ceremony together with your group. (This is attached so you can print out copies for your group without all the leader’s notes.)

WITNess

Encourage the group to each light their own Advent wreath at home and explain to their family about this season of joy. Maybe they could even follow the ceremony through with their families.

Challenge each person in your group to make time this week to go out for a prayer walk and ask God to fill them with his joy as they look around at his creation.

For Next Week

For next week ask everyone to think about a character or moment in the Christmas story that encourages or inspires them. Bring their thoughts to share with the group.

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1 celloutlines | week three (continued...)

Week Three advent ceremony

Advent Lives: Joy

1. Begin with the following Bible readings

Matthew 2:1-12

Luke 2:21-40

Philippians 4:4

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18




The first candle of Advent is the candle of Hope; the second is the candle of Peace; the third is the candle of Joy.

We light this candle to remind us that Christ is the bringer of true and everlasting joy.

Voice one: Let us see how God himself is our guide to the joy of Christmas. We read in Luke that Zechariah was visited by Gabriel, one of God’s angels, to explain how he and his wife would be having a baby who would not only be a joy to them, but would also turn the hearts of the people back to God, to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming.

Voice two: A little later in Luke we read how God sent that same angel Gabriel to fill Mary with joy when he came to her and proclaimed: ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will give birth to a son and call his name Jesus’ (Luke 1:35 NIV).

Voice three: To make sure that the Good News of Jesus’ birth was heard in the community to start its trip around the world, God sent an angel into the sky over the hills near Bethlehem to proclaim: ‘I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:10,11).

Voice four: The Good News did, indeed, spread around the world. The wise men came from the far east to find this baby and God himself guided them with one of his lights in heaven: ‘When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy’ (Matthew 2:10). The wise men were on a joyful journey, knowing that they were going to celebrate meeting the King of the Jews. They knew this was the beginning of a new era.

Voice five: In their joy, the wise men presented Jesus with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. If we are truly full of the joy of Jesus at this Christmas time, let us give our gifts of time and talents, skills and energy in service to him.

Voice six: Lord, we pray for joy for each one of us; that the longing for happiness you inscribed on our hearts will be fulfilled by Jesus. Help us turn from all the distractions of the season and focus on you, the source of all hope, peace, love and joy.

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1 celloutlines | week three (continued...)

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3. make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise!

The above quotation is from Psalm 98, in the King James Version. The authors of the Psalms urge us at least seven times to ‘make a joyful noise’ in worship in this translation! (Psalms 66; 81; 85; 98; 100).

Read the whole of Psalm 98, given here in the Contemporary English Version, out loud all together and with as much noise as possible! Shout, clap, bang things, stamp your feet, play your cornet, make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Sing a new song to the Lord! He has worked miracles, and with his own powerful arm, he has won the victory.

The Lord has shown the nations that he has the power to save and to bring justice.

God has been faithful, in his love for Israel, and his saving power is seen everywhere on earth.

Tell everyone on this earth to sing happy songs in praise of the Lord.

Make music for him on harps. Play beautiful melodies!

Sound the trumpets and horns and celebrate with joyful songs for our Lord and King!

Command the ocean to roar with all of its creatures, and the earth to shout with all of its people.

Order the rivers to clap their hands, and all of the hills to sing together.

Let them worship the Lord!

4. closing prayer

All read this closing prayer together and out loud:

Loving God, we thank you for the joy you bring us. This is the joy we pray for each one of us; that the longing for happiness you inscribed on our hearts will be fulfilled by Jesus. Help us turn from all the distractions of the season and focus on you, the source of all hope, peace, love and joy. Help us to prepare our hearts for this gift.

We ask in the name of the One born in Bethlehem. Amen.

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1 handout to accompany advent Lives: Week Three

Living A Joy-FuLL LiFeBefore we can pursue joy we must have some kind of an understanding what this joy is. What does a joyful person look like? How do you distinguish a joyful person from a happy person, or a giddy person, or a foolish person? You can be happy your team won, you can be giddy about a great opportunity, you can act happy yet be under the influence of some substance. So, what is it that makes joy different from these things?

Joy is something that is unaffected by circumstances. It is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. Joy is deep. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope. As Christians, joy is to be one of the characteristic marks of our identity.

Our joy in Christ is a shared joy. It is not something that is isolated and individual, it is a joy we share with millions around the world and makes us part of a tremendous movement of God. It is also a joy that is anchored in God’s work and promise. We are confident of our eternal destiny not because of our goodness but because of his.

Joy comes when we know that whatever happens we are held in the arms of the Father. Joy comes when we come to love him more than anything the world has to offer. Real joy is born of eager expectation – hope, as we discussed in Week One. We are waiting for something good – in fact, something wonderful. Hope is a confident expectation. Hope knows that ‘this same Jesus’ who came the first time will come to us again. Advent joy, Christian joy, is joy built on that hope.

(Adapted from http://www.unionchurch.com/archive/102200.html)

celloutlines | week three (continued...)

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celloutlines | week four

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Advent Lives: LoveYou will need

Pens/paper•

Bibles•


Copies of the Week Four Advent Ceremony for everyone•

Copies of the ‘Advent Virus’ •

Long piece of string/rope or even tinsel… long enough to go round in a circle for each person to •hold on to.

Slips of paper and small pegs (you can get these for hanging up Christmas cards on string)•

WeLcome

Ask each person to share about their favourite moment or character of the Christmas story and explain why it encourages or inspires them in their faith.

WoRd aNd WoRshIp

Follow the Week Four Advent Ceremony together with your group. (This is attached below so you can print out copies for your group without all the leader’s notes.)

additional notes for section 2 – advent Virus

It would be good to give each member a copy of the ‘Advent Virus’. Perhaps you could print it / write it inside a Christmas card for everyone!

Allow some time after you have read it for discussion… how about asking the question ‘Would other people in your life know that you have the Advent Virus? Why or why not?’

additional notes for section 3 – Lighting the candle

Ask everyone to sit in a circle around the wreath and stretch out a piece of string/tinsel around the group for everyone to hold on to.

Make sure there are some slips of paper, pens and pegs close by.

WITNess

Encourage the group to each light their own Advent wreath at home and explain to their family about this season of love. Maybe they could even follow the ceremony through with their families.

Finally give each person a white candle. Explain that this is the Christ candle which they can light on Christmas Eve. As you give it you could say this final Christmas blessing over each person:

‘May the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the wise men, the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas.’

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1 celloutlines | week four (continued...)

Week Four advent ceremony

Advent Lives: Love1. Begin with the following Bible readings

John 3:16

1 Corinthians 13

John 13:34 - 35

2. The advent Virus

Take some time to read the following:

WARNING …… WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner hope, peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The advent Virus: A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences. •An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment. •A loss of interest in judging other people. •A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others. •A loss of interest in conflict. •A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.) •Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. •Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature. •Frequent attacks of smiling. •An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. •An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to •extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can affect and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.(Author Unknown)

? Would other people in your life know that you have the Advent Virus? Why or why not?




The first candle of Advent is the candle of Hope; the second is the candle of Peace; the third is the candle of Joy, the fourth is the candle of Love.

We light this candle to remind us how Jesus, the light of the world, came to show us God’s love.

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1 celloutlines | week four (continued...)

Voice one: Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love. Our wait is nearly over today as we celebrate the fourth week of Advent, and the coming of love into the world.

Voice two: God is love, and at this season we celebrate that love came down to earth in the promised Messiah, Jesus. The Bible tells us that it is because God loved the world so much that Jesus came. The angel tells Joseph that the baby to be born will be called ‘Emmanuel’… ‘God with us’.

Voice three: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). That’s how much God loves the world and each and every one of us.

Voice four: We can see in the shape of the wreath itself the never-ending circle of God’s love, that he is the same forever in his love towards his people. By all holding on to this piece of string/tinsel we remind ourselves that we are part of God’s love and part of each other.

Voice five: This Christmas season we will remember that, just as Christ showed his love by giving his life for us, we show our love by giving ourselves to others, and especially by sharing with others our stories of the light of Christ in our lives.

Voice six: Because God loves us and came into the world to be with us, we must love and care for others. Jesus came to show us how to live that love. We are Jesus’ disciples in the world today. Jesus wants us to love others as he loves us. This candle reminds us that God loves us, and that we must show that love by loving one another.

Take a few minutes to write on slips of paper the names of people you would like to know Jesus’ love. Peg them on to the circle of string.

4. closing prayer

The group leader begins the prayer, and at the appropriate point everyone in the circle takes it in turn to read out the names of the people they have pegged up on their pieces of paper.

Group leader: God, thank you for loving us, and for sending us Jesus to teach us about your love. Help us to remember that your love will never come to an end. Strengthen us to love others as you love us. Today we bring before you our friends and family named on these slips of paper. We pray for…

Go round the circle in turn and read out the names on the slips of paper.

…that they too would know your love, your joy, your peace and your hope this Christmas.

We also thank you for the amazing love you have for each of us, and we thank you for the many gifts that you give us.

All say these final words of prayer together:

Loving God, we thank you for your gift of love shown to us perfectly in Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us to prepare our hearts to receive his love. We ask in the name of the One born in Bethlehem. Amen

December Cell 2011

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Transcript of December Cell 2011