We are continuing to observe Extended Advent at St. Gabriel’s, and tomorrow is the start of Extended Advent Week 2. Here is our Advent Family Activity Calendar, our prayers for families, and our traditional prayers for the second week of Extended Advent that begins Sunday, November 14, 2021.
Family Advent Activity Calendar for Nov. 14-20, 2021
Sun. Nov. 14th Today is the 2nd Sun. of Advent. Gather the family around the Advent wreath, light 2 purple candles, and say the prayer for the second week. Give thanks to the Lord!
Mon. Nov. 15th Even though the flowers are dying, and the trees are getting bare, there is still lots of life going on. Go out in the yard and pick up some rocks and dead leaves. What do you see? Bugs? Slugs? Worms? Insect eggs? If you’re squeamish, use a stick!
Tues. Nov. 16th After dinner tonight play a spice guessing game. Have a grownup wrap paper around the outside of spice containers from the kitchen. Pass them around and try to guess what each one is. Smells like the holidays!
Wed. Nov. 17th Take those same spices like cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and nutmegs and have a grownup put them in some apple cider or herbal tea and heat it slowly for about a half hour. Doesn’t it smell good? Serve some to everyone in a mug.
Thu. Nov. 18th There are lots of good apples this time of year. Have a grownup slice an apple horizontally midway between the top and bottom. What do you see at the core? What does it remind you of from the Christmas story?
Fri. Nov. 19th There is a full moon tonight called the Beaver Moon or Frosty Moon. If you set your alarm for 1:04 am tonight you will see a near total eclipse! Then you could go back to bed.
Sat. Nov. 20th There are 100 plants in the Bible. Look these up- which ones would you eat? Ezekiel 4:9; John 12:13, 24; Proverbs 31:16; Matthew 23:23; Matthew 13:31, Genesis 43:11; Isaiah 5:4.
Extended Advent Prayers for Families with Children
2nd Sunday of Extended Advent – The Lord 11/14/21
(Light the 1st and 2nd purple candles)
We are in the time
when our nights are growing longer,
and our days are getting short.
Yes, it can seem cold and dark.
But–when we light the candles
nestled in the green branches,
we see light shining through the darkness
and we remember what God promised us:
Jesus is coming!
Lord, show me how to love everyone.
Help me not to judge
the color of a brother’s skin,
what religion a sister practices,
what country a sibling came from,
or anything else that would separate us.
Keep us together, loving and helping each other.
We are waiting. Amen
WAYS TO HELP Foster Racial Justice:
Read out loud and discuss a Bible passage about racial justice every day this week as a family:
1 John 2:11; 1 Samuel 16:7; Acts 17:26; Exodus 22:21; Galatians 3:28; John 7:24; Leviticus 19:33-34.
Prayers for social and racial justice in BCP on pages 823, 840.
Educate your children about racial justice with books like these:
Let’s Talk About Race by Newberry Honor Book author Julius Lester
We March by Shane W. Evans
Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
I Am Whole: A Multi-Racial Children’s Book Celebrating Diversity, Language, Race and Culture by Shola Oz
Traditional Extended Advent Prayers
Prayers written by Carol A. Doran, DMA, Rev. Elise Feyerherm, PhD, and The Very Rev’d William H. Petersen, PhD, DD
2nd Sunday of Extended Advent–
The Lord 11/14/21
(2 purple candles)
Leader: As our nights grow longer and our days grow short, we look on these earthly signs–light and green branches– and remember God’s promise to our world: Christ, our Light and our Hope, will come. Listen to the words of Ezekiel the prophet:
“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:26-28)
Candle is lit while All sing: O come, o come thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times didst give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Leader: Let us pray.
All: O Lord our God, you gave your law that righteousness might abound: Put it into our hearts to love justice for others as much as we desire it for ourselves, that, as we know you to be our judge, so we may welcome your reign as it is manifested through Jesus Christ our savior; to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for and we remember what God promised us:
Jesus is coming!
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WAYS TO HELP Foster Racial Justice:
Either read and pray over or read out loud and discuss a Bible passage about racial justice every day this week as a family:
John 2:11; 1 Samuel 16:7; Acts 17:26; Exodus 22:21; Galatians 3:28; John 7:24; Leviticus 19:33-34.
Prayers for social and racial justice in BCP on pages 823, 840.
Educate yourself about racial justice with books like these:
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby
Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by LaTasha Morrison
Educate your children about racial justice with books like these:
Let’s Talk About Race by Newberry Honor Book author Julius Lester
We March by Shane W. Evans
Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
I Am Whole: A Multi-Racial Children’s Book Celebrating Diversity, Language, Race and Culture by Shola Oz
