Ways to Use Seasonsfusion
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Ways to use SeasonsFUSION By Donald Schmidt church in Hanapepe, Hawaii, had to combine wor- So, where to begin? ship and Church school when their church build- The page About this Season of Creation, Pentecost 2 (p. 3) A ing was destroyed by a hurricane. When the new provides an introduction to the themes, mood and move- building was built, they found they had enjoyed the fusion ment of the season. Consider copying/reproducing this page so much they kept doing it. and distributing it to congregational members through the SeasonsFUSION seeks to capture a similar sense, and bulletin, church paper, or e-mail list. In addition, articles provide resources that support congregational life as we on pp. 4-5 introduce the Seasons’ art posters, and provide worship, live, learn and grow as disciples. information to enrich the theme/direction of the season. These resources can stretch some of our understandings Other articles, which enhance the weekly resources include: of worship, learning and serving, and seek quite literally to fuse them together. The resources are designed for time • Celebrating the Season of Creation by Norm Habel together, as well as apart, that is holistic, designed for all ................page 6 ages, and invites us into creativity. They are also designed • Forest by Theodore Hiebert ................page 7 to be used along with your own ideas; SeasonsFUSION • Land by Lee Levitt-Olsen ...................page 8 will work best when a planning team is able to look at the • Wilderness/Outback by Norm Habel ..page 9 materials and decide (and adapt) what will work best in • River by Sue Brittion ............................page 10 your situation. • Scripture from My Heart to Yours by Sarah Agnew Who is FUSION designed for? ................page 11 • Congregations who are looking for resources that Here are the resources you will find included integrate or fuse worship, learning, and service, for each week: and support the many ways they practice Chris- ❑❑ A Planning Page – this weekly calendar page tianity. notes liturgical and ecumenical observances for • Smaller congregationsUnproofed where age range and num- the week, as well as including the lectionary read- bers make age-level faith formation programs dif- ings at a glance. ficult to maintain and sustain. ❑❑ Biblical Background – a brief commentary on the • Small but vital congregations committed to faith readings for the day, and the theme direction formation and living their lives together in ways ❑❑ Reflecting on the Word – reflective and thought- that embody and nourish faith. provoking questions. You may find this useful • Congregations that look to lay worship/preaching for adult studies, youth discussion, lay worship teams and need some study helps. teams, young adults preparing alternative wor- • Congregations who want to experiment with re- ship, sermon seeds for clergy, and so on. shaping their lives together as a worshipping and ❑❑ Focus for Worship, Learning, and Serving that learning community. considers what is going on in the lives of those • Congregations who are looking for support for who will gather on this day, and how the theme growing faith and discipleship at home. might intersect and connect with their lives. • Congregations that…well, you fill in the blank! ❑❑ Worship Outline – 3 pages of worship resources designed with all ages in mind, providing a wide variety of different experiences each week. ❑❑ Poetry and Prose – Articles, stories, poetry, as well as saints and interfaith days. Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2011 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFUSION Season of Creation • Pentecost 2 2011 1 Season of Creation, Pentecost 2 ❑❑ Bible Story used in church, growing faith and • Station directions formatted for printing and discipleship at home. This story works across all display ages, and is also available in MP3 on the Season of • Extra Resources folder that will include extra Creation, Pentecost 2 Data CD. resource sheets, patterns, and so on ❑❑ Faith Stations – These can be used in a variety of • text files: worship outlines, articles, song lyrics ways. You might choose one, two or more to set for copying into bulletins and newsletters up in or around the worship space, so people re- ❑❑ Living the Seasons At Home. This 8-page booklet main within the worship space, which is especially provides a weekly engagement of the focus passage suitable for congregations where there are fewer from the lectionary you will probably hear at church children and young people. Some will want to of- on Sunday. Each week provides an opening conversa- fer them for children, youth, and others who leave tion that connects the theme with your life including worship for 20 minutes, usually during the sermon a brief introduction to the focus passage and a sum- time. They can also be used in mid-week settings, mary of the reading. Finally, suggestions are offered or in the worship service itself. These activities are to help you practice the Christian character lifted up designed to affirm and foster the way we live, learn by the theme and focus passage. and grow as disciples. ❑❑ Resource sheet – designed for use at one of the You can also access these things at www.seasonsonline.ca Stations. ■❑ Spirit Sightings – weekly stories and questions ❑❑ Activity sheet to be used by the very young in for connecting SeasonsFUSION with events in church time, posted to the church website for the world. downloading, mailed or taken to families when ■❑ Lectionary bookmarks. Go to Library and click visiting. on “Overview” ■❑ Looking ahead – a guide to the upcoming sea- One way to use SeasonsFUSION might look like this: a sons. Go to Library and click on “Overview” planning team (probably looking at several weeks at a time) ■❑ Resources for Reformation and All Saints’ Days decides which resources to use. As you explore the weekly ■❑ A virtual resource booklet with craft ideas, re- scriptures you will note themes that apply to your church, cipes, patterns, and more. and then plan to use or adapt some of the worship resources to suit your needs. Recruiting a wide variety of laity to help Lastly, an evaluation form provides an excellent lead each week’s worship is key to making this resource feel opportunity to let us know what is working, what you like it “belongs” to the wholeUnproofed congregation. would like more of, and what is not helpful. In a new Next, decide which faith stations you wish to have. resource such as this hearing your thoughts and ideas is This will depend on your interests as well as the ages and crucial, so please take a moment to fill out the form each numbers of people likely to participate. season. Those who have left worship in the middle will be So, are you feeling a little overwhelmed by the wealth invited to rejoin the congregation for the end of worship of material before you? Don’t be. While SeasonsFUSION time; this helps tie the events together and provide a may seem like a lot to digest at first you will soon find ways cohesive sense of worshiping and learning together. to tailor the resources to fit the needs, hopes, and dreams of your congregation. Some additional resources that help support these materials: Like any church resource this material will work best ❑❑ Music Booklet with sheet music and pages with lyrics when you work as a church to make it truly your own. May only for copying. God be with you in this exciting journey! ❑❑ Data CD with: An editor of church resources for almost 20 years, Donald Schmidt was served • images for projection on the Seasons editorial team for several years. He currently works as a writer and pastor in Seattle, Washington. • “media” presentation (PowerPoint®) • Bible stories in MP3 format 2 Seasons of the Spirit™ SeasonsFUSION Season of Creation • Pentecost 2 2011 Copyright © Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2011 About this Season of Creation, Pentecost 2 Let the EnergyUnproofed Flow (Laissez circuler L’Energie) by Isabelle Mougeot. Copyright © Isabelle Mougeot/SODRAC 2009. Used by permission. he energy of God’s awesome, creative love flows Aqua, the blue-green colour of the planet Earth, gives through the two seasons of this unit of material. way to the green of the Season after Pentecost, which began T During the four weeks of September, we cele- on June 19, 2011. This is a season of discovery and growth in brate the Season of Creation. New to Seasons of the Spirit, relationship with the Creator and each other. In this second this season has been observedUnproofed by many for the past eleven half of the Season after Pentecost we will accompany years. While Season of Creation has its own set of lectionary the Hebrew people in their long journey through the readings, the readings are designed to provide a three-year wilderness toward a new land and new life. The season cycle that broadly corresponds to the pattern or plan of the ends with a focus on readings from the gospel of Matthew, Revised Common Lectionary, with each year centred on one and the encouragement of Jesus to live in such a way as to of the synoptic gospels: Matthew (Year A), Mark (Year B), reflect God’s vision and reign where all members of Earth’s and Luke (Year C). community live in harmonious relationship with God and The readings for the Season of Creation invite us to join in right relationship with one another. with all members of Earth’s community to “Celebrate Earth The season and church year concludes with Reign of as a sacred planet filled with God’s vibrant presence” (from Christ Sunday/Christ the King Sunday. Season of Creation charter). The Sundays of the first year in May the energy of God’s creative love flow in and the Season of Creation focus on the Forests, Land, Wilderness/ through us.