What Are You Waiting For?

Listen to your longing

The last few years have been very difficult. And many of us have found that our faith has come under pressure in ways we’ve never experienced before. We have learned that we need a stronger, more resilient, and more sustaining spiritual practice.

Advent and Christmas are wonderful opportunities to connect more deeply with the God who came in human flesh. They are designed to lead us into a deeper and richer experience of God’s abundant life—if we will just learn the lessons they offer. And if we enter into these seasons intentionally, we can set ourselves up for a richer and more vibrant life in the year ahead.

One of the most important things we can do to maximise the opportunity for growth and health that Advent and Christmas offer is to listen to our longings. When we listen to our hearts, we get in touch with what we really want in our lives. We connect with what would make us feel more fully alive and connected. We discover what really matters to us and what gives our lives a sense of meaning and purpose. And when we’ve taken note of what our longings tell us, we can then turn to the incarnate Christ to find out how to fulfil those longings!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

That’s why I’m so excited to share this new guide with you! What Are You Waiting For? is designed to lead you and your community on a journey of community worship and personal spiritual practice through Advent and Christmas. Each week you will explore one of your primary longings and allow Christ to show the way to fulfilment and abundant life.

Based on the Lectionary readings for Year C (the Gospel of Luke), What Are You Waiting For? will take you deeper into the incarnation story and offer practical ways to plan for a deep and richer life in the year to come.

The WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Liturgical Guide Includes:

● Reflection chapters as a springboard for your sermons for every service of the series based on the Lectionary readings for Year C;

● Purpose-written prayers and liturgies for all four Advent Sundays, Christmas Day, and the Sundays after Christmas;

● A theme-based Table Liturgy that can be used at any service in the series;

● A scripted, purpose-written Nine Lessons and Carols Liturgy;

● Suggestions for use in personal devotions and small groups;

The WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Devotional Guide Includes:

● Copies of the Reflection chapters for each week for quick reference in daily devotional practice. 

● Preparing, Responding, and Integrating practices for every day of the series to ensure that people can easily apply the message of each day to their own lives. 

● Daily reflection questions to enable people to listen more deeply to the message of the Scriptures and apply it to their lives and relationships.

The WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Bundle Includes:

Designed for communities that want to journey together, while also providing a meaningful personal journey for congregation members, the Bundle includes both the Liturgical and the Devotional Guides. It also includes a license to share the Devotional Guide through any or all of the following channels: 

● Printed handouts to distribute to congregation members; 

● Digital copies sent to members via email; 

● Posted on your church's social media channels; 

● Posted on your church's website.

What Are You Waiting For? includes the following chapters:

Advent Sunday: We Long To Be Alive

We tend to take it for granted that certain events or experiences that we call ‘negative’ will leave us feeling deadened. But does life have to work that way?

The Second Sunday of Advent: We Long To Matter

We don’t all need to be important. But we do all need to feel that we are important to someone. We don’t all need to change the world. But we do all need to feel that we have a contribution to make.

The Third Sunday of Advent: We Long For Kindness

We long for kindness. And the beginning of seeing that longing fulfilled is to hear the message of John and recognise that the Christ he proclaimed is a kind Messiah

The Fourth Sunday of Advent: We Long Acceptance

What a wonderful liberation it is when, like Mary, we come to know that we are beloved even when others tell us we’re not worthy of love.

Christmas Day: We Long To Belong

This Christmas, perhaps we can let go of all the conditions and qualifications for belonging that our society teaches us. Perhaps we can welcome one another as we are and learn to understand and appreciate the wonder of each unique person.

The First Sunday of Christmas: We Long For Wisdom

As we face the growing challenges of navigating the world in the 21st Century, we know that we need wisdom more than ever before.

The Second Sunday of Christmas: We Long For Transcendence

We do not need to be exceptional to have a life worth living. We do not need to search for transcendence and go from experience to experience to feel fully live. We are already are transcendent!