Pics from Last Season (Advent 2011)

Advent 2011, a set on Flickr.

Pics from Advent Design

Lent Plan 2012

Here is our seasonal plan for Lent! Please take a few minutes and read through this thoroughly. Our meetings have always been cared for with great love and attention. We're coming off a highly successful season of Advent, we took a deep breath for several weeks and now we're ready for our most serious season. I really can't wait to bring this to life with you as we set the space for engaging with God and each other.

This is the image I have in my head of pleading for mercy. Nothing can save you but God.

Music: we're working with contemplation and lamentation. Use these words when thinking about song selections. We might be OK with adding frustration and anger but these are more emotional reactions after the fact instead of guidance to recognize and get acquainted with our brokenness

Room: painted black and white with candles (perhaps sconce candles on the wall). Music before and after will change to Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis and similar stuff. Bryce is also talking to Robert about getting some of his visual art on the walls.

Art: Scott is working with audiovisuals with the support of Suzie and Nicole. We getting well acquainted with our own brokenness and waiting to “hear” the voice of God say to us, “I forgive you.” or “I love you.” Think about those feelings when you were a child. When did you feel disapproved of and could not do a thing other than ask for mercy?

General Design Thoughts: We're mostly going with "journey through the brokenness" and asking the question "What does the sensation of brokenness feel like?" Where are we broken? We're trying not to get out of the brokenness; rather, we're letting it sink in. This is getting in touch with our true selves. The image I’m getting in being drowning in the middle of a lake and the only thing you can do is ask for the mercy of God. More evoking that feeling Instead of "setting up the tent" as we did in Advent, actually leading people into that feeling.

Solidarity: Art Directors should check out the PM Chart in Google Docs. For help with that please contact me (Bryce). Here is the link to the PM Chart.

To the Art Directors:
Below are some ideas from a conversation Scott and I had a couple weeks ago. This is what we're going with this Lent. Scott is taking the design role for the season. He has some plans for audiovisual stuff. He'll probably need help executing his ideas, so if you can communicate with him on your weeks that would be great.

Your main focus for this season should be on the visual appeal of the space itself. The host team can assist you with this. I'm thinking specifically candles, tables, prayer corner, etc. might need a fresh eye. How can we mark the space to communicate "lent?" Maybe we need a new candelabra. Maybe we want to find a way to hang candles on the wall. Maybe we want to find a piece of art to hang on the wall. Something fresh and different would be really great.

I'm specifically trying to relieve you both of coming up with a new idea every time your team is up. You shouldn't have to do this through Lent. I'm also trying to relieve your work load in general so please let me know if we're asking too much or if you feel like you're spending more time then you are able for the next few weeks.


From our brainstorming session: 

Kyrie Eleison- Misa de Angelis

An occasion to plead for mercy

A chance to hit the reset button on your conversion. 

We don’t see how separated from God we are. Stepping into that.

Childlike faith – Going back – Starting over – Childlikeness

Disciplining ourselves in childlikeness / working toward that childlikeness

Remember what it was like when you were a kid when you upset your mom or dad.

When there was nothing you could do but ask for mercy. I’m sorry. Evoke that emotion.

Ideas: arrange to meet with a whole bunch of people and ask them to look at the camera and simply speak lovingly to the camera. Lots of people from the congregation. One to sit in silence and look lovingly into the camera. say a few things in their voice like “lord have mercy”. Also, something from God as well (in their voice) “surrender to my love.” People are hearing the voice of love – over and over and over. Voices in variation.

Potentially doing childlike things. 

Crayons – childlikeness (kids getting punished/timeout) the feeling you get when Mom and Dad are mad.

Advent Liturgy

Here is the liturgy we will use for Advent:

EXPRESSION
Centering In
5:00/7:00	Instrumental Start
5/7:06	Opening Song
5/7:08	Welcome
5/7:10	Visualization/Invitation to Participate
5/7:13	Opening Song
5/7:15	Advent Hymn
Talking Together
5/7:19	Occupy _________ (character of the week)
Worshiping God
5/7:39	Song
5/7:43	Reminder to Move Through Installation
5/7:44	By Night We Hasten in Darkness
5/7:48	Song
5/7:52	Song
5/7:56	Song
6/8:00	Talk Back
Growing the Body
6/8:06	Vision (theology, books, box, cells, one highlight [not open to floor])
6/8:09	Solidarity: (check the plan)
6/8:13	Advent Hymn (verse of the week)
6/8:15	Go in Peace

You can find the full schedule by following this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aj_RF-jzgOsddF9ERGFqWUk2NzZPUjE0aF9HYktKcWc

Advent Hymn

Advent Hymn (in G Major)

Bryce Hewlett and Kent Ellingson

G                                          C        G

Journey through the brokenness

          G                       D       D7
From life to life we come

G                           C                  G
Listening to the groans within

Em           D7               G
Wanting more than now

Em                    G

Call from the deep

C                        G

Woo me from sleep

           G                                   D      D7

Bring me from the place I know

Em                    G

Call from the deep

C                        G

Woo me from sleep

    G     D7        G

Into a better world

Words of power spoken now
Speaking truth in love
Shouts within me and without
Love instead of lies

Turned around and tossed about
Pointed toward an unknown shore
Send me off to another
The one who knows me best

Unappreciated gift
Yet hope in my dark night
God within me, angel told
In hope there is light

Grand announcement, humble gift
Led us to a child
Unassuming - hold him close
Your love returns to you

Advent Design 2011

"Drawn Out to Sea"
This is a journey toward the advent/incarnation of Christ following the path of the prophets, John the Baptist, Mary, and Shepherds. Each week the journey will be framed by a story/visualization activity led by Britani. The presence of the sea reminds us of the biblical theme of water which is usually an invitation to journey with God through life.




Week 1: Prophets (Bryce & Suzie)
Date: 11/27/11
Setting: On the sea shore.
Explanation: Listening to the voices call to us, "Leave the ways you've known and come further out to sea." ... Water is almost always an invitation to that first, subtle religious experience, when the desire just laps up against you and your mind and heart are opened for the first time. It’s the first gnawing, inviting sense that there’s something more. It’s the momentary recognition that the inside of things is even bigger than the outside.
Instillation Experience: Stand at the edge of the water and wet your toes. People will take off their shoes and stand in water or stand at the edge of the water in some way. Sand and sea shells might be around the water. A humidifier with ocean water might run as well.
Solidarity: Art Shop (Dec 2nd/3rd) - supporting local art/artists




Week 2: John the Baptist (Rob & Scott/Matt)
Date: 12/4/11
Setting: Leaving the sea shore; a push out to sea.
Explanation: John is the forerunner to Christ and leads us to him. John can be a little pushy and we might feel that push as he puts us in the boat and "pushes" out to sea.
Instillation Experience: Build your boat with John the Baptist. We envision a simple, pre-constructed boat frame relatively 2'x4'x3'. People would get a strip of cardboard to tack onto the frame. Before tacking it up they would be encouraged to write a note on the cardboard which addresses their fears of getting in and "going out to sea."
Solidarity: Charity Gift Market (Joel?)- supporting national and international charities




Week 3: Mary (Andy & Britani/Nicole)
Date: 12/11/11
Setting: In the boat on a dark night at sea.
Explanation: Mary is "in the boat" whether she likes it or not. Not only is she in a place of walking with God, but she literally has God inside of her. She's in it whether she likes it or not. Though she rejoices, she must wonder (even in the Magnificat) what is happening to her. Her place is dark with bit's of light streaming through. Likewise, we experience the "what the hell did I get myself into"  and "I'm in it...so now what" along the journey with Christ. This is the place when when we must let God do the bigger thing in/for us. If we can live through these troubling times we can experience the light of God in the "dark night of the soul."
Instillation Experience: Build a room of darkness with a single beam of light streaming in. We might use one of the closets in the back of the space or we might create a room of our own.
Solidarity: Ten Thousand Villages (an MCC initiative) - supporting the work of international development and relief and fair trade policies




Week 4: Shepherds (Bryce & Suzie)
Date: 12/18/11
Setting: Finding the child
Explanation: The excitement and light brought to the shepherds is perfected in the presence of a humble infant. The direction of advent is God-ward and is simply summed in the presence of the Living Water.
Instillation Experience: A simple pool of water fed by a fountain. This is a simple place to sit and ponder the humble birth of Christ and the pleasure of simply being still and loving him. Despite the distractions and chaos of the holiday season our gift is Christ and to be with him is the fullness of joy. Some description and aids might be available to help people ponder.
Solidarity: Give a Goat - http://giveagoatnow.com/


The master list of information will still be kept on the Google Doc. You can access that doc by clicking on this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Apl6fHuSvFsfdG9iRUpxUklkZnI5SkQ1ZkxzTUdfaVE&authkey=CLeI-skB

Welcome to the PM Seasonal Plan for CoH:MC!

I've talked with many of you about accessing information about the Public Meeting at Marlton and Crescent. From Music Leaders, to Art Directors, to Children't Team to Hosting Team, to Tech Team - we have a lot of people involved with our Public Meetings every week. Lots of you have a hard time navigating your way through google docs and multiple emails so I thought we could house all of the information in a public place that is one click away for google users and non-google users.

This blog will contain info on the seasonal plans as well as the schedule on who is doing what each week. Of course you can call your team leader for clarity on the information. You can also call me if you need help.

I hope this helps you all!

Bryce
PM Coordinator


P.S. The master list of information will still be kept on the Google Doc. You can access that doc by clicking on this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Apl6fHuSvFsfdG9iRUpxUklkZnI5SkQ1ZkxzTUdfaVE&authkey=CLeI-skB