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The Village Shepherd

Janice Scott ... The Village Shepherd

After being ordained in 1994 with the first wave of women priests, Janice became curate in a large city centre parish in Norwich and from there, moved to South Norfolk in 1999 as Rector of a rural benefice of six parishes. After completing her MA in Pastoral Theology with the Cambridge Theological Foundation in 2008 she was appointed Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral. Janice now lives with her husband Ian just outside Norwich. In addition to her diocesan work and writing "The Village Shepherd," she is a freelance writer for Redemptorist Publications in the UK. She has also written and broadcasts "Pause For Thought" on a local radio station and has written several novels, all with a church background.

Second Sunday of Advent - C

Children's Liturgy and Story

Luke 3:1-6

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

As John the Baptist called people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah, so let us prepare ourselves in our worship today for the coming of the Messiah into our hearts and lives.

Invitation to Confession:

 Lord Jesus, we are often unprepared to meet with you.

Lord, have mercy.

 Lord Jesus, help us to repent and turn to you again.

Christ, have mercy.

 Lord Jesus, make us clean.

Lord, have mercy

Reading:

 Luke 3

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

Children's Story

Luke 3:1-6

Janice B. Scott
Roly lay down with his head on his paws and felt lonely. But he wasn't lonely for long, for lots of people came to the entrance to the maze and petted him and patted him and stroked him and spoke to him. Roly perked up, and wondered for the hundredth time what went on in a maze. Still, the family had told him very firmly to stay at the entrance in case he got lost in the maze, or worse, because he was so small, tripped people up by darting between their legs.

Intercession

Luke 3:1-6

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


These responses may be used:

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer

Lord, hear us.

Lord, graciously hear us.

Sermon

Luke 3:1-6

Janice B. Scott
A great and wise man once called one of his workmen to him saying, "Go into the far country and build me a house. The decisions of planning and design and of actual construction will be yours, but remember, I'm going to give this house as a present to a very special friend of mine."

And so the workman departed with a light heart for his task. He could build this house exactly as he wanted. He was to choose the best materials. No expense was to be spared. Only the best would do. But the workman had a mind of his own.

Sermon

Philippians 1:3-11

Janice B. Scott

Now that most of the population of the UK, even in rural areas like this, have access to private transport and society is multi-cultural, there's some discussion in the Church of England as to whether the parish system has had its day. At the moment, anyone living anywhere within the UK is resident in a parish, even though some of those parishes are very small and some have lost their parish church. But the trend now is for people to choose their church according to their worship needs, rather than necessarily attending their local, parish church.

Sermon

Malachi 3:1-4

Janice B. Scott
In our house, things change at Christmas. On Christmas Day we eat at totally different times, we snap open crackers and wear silly hats, we roar with laughter at the awful jokes inside the crackers, all members of the family meet together for one of the few times each year, and we play with puzzles.

This playing with puzzles is an activity which none of us indulge in at other times of the year. But at Christmas all the old puzzles emerge plus some new ones which keep us going for hours because nobody can fathom them out. Then once the first person has succeeded, we all want to learn how to do that puzzle in the hope that we'll remember the solution for next Christmas.

What is The Village Shepherd?

The Village Shepherd offers sermons, bible stories, children's stories and prayers based on the Revised Common Lectionary. These inspirational sermons, stories, and prayers are sure to touch your heart, because they reflect the simple virtues and tranquil serenity that characterize Reverend Scott's English countryside pastorate. The questions "Where is God in this particular situation?" and "Where does the Gospel story cross our own human story?" are always at the heart of these meditations -- but rather than finding overt answers, instead you will be gently led to make your own connections and discover the powerful ways in which God works. Janice Scott has the unique ability to find interesting details in ordinary life that illuminate scripture, while still challenging even the most intellectual reader. And that gift is precisely what also makes her an outstanding communicator with children.

Most weeks include:

  • Sermon based on the Gospel reading
  • Sermon based on the Epistle reading
  • Sermon based on the First reading
  • Children's stories linked with the Gospel readings
  • Children's liturgy and story (a different story than mentioned above)
  • An intercessory prayer
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Thanksgiving
20 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
18 – Children's Sermons / Resources
15 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Advent 1, C
31 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
28 – Children's Sermons / Resources
27 – Worship Resources
22 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Advent 2, C
29 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
25 – Children's Sermons / Resources
27 – Worship Resources
22 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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(No credit card needed.)

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John Jamison
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. (vv. 1-2)

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Quantisha Mason-Doll
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
George Reed
Dean Feldmeyer
Advent Roadwork
by Chris Keating
Luke 3:1-6

He may not be the snazziest dresser, but John the Baptist sure knows how to make an entrance. He was never one to blend into the crowd. Despite his mother’s pleading and his father’s religious pedigree, John wasn’t much of a city kid. He preferred the wilderness to the streets, eschewing citadels of privilege for empty wastelands, preferring itchy camel’s hair to worsted wool suits. With his scraggly beard streaked with remnants of locust, John draws attention wherever he goes.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
We knew it all along, but it takes good messengers if we are to hear it again.

Baruch 5:1-9
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Baruch 5:1-9
Referring to this lesson, the ancient theologian Irenaeus wrote:

... the prophet has pointed out, that as many believers as God has prepared for this purpose, to multiply those left upon earth, should both be under the rule of the saints to minister to this Jerusalem.  (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.1, p.565)

The text is about the fresh start God affords us in Christ.  The coming son is like a bridge to this new reality.  About Christ’s role in this way, the medieval mystic Catherine of Siena once wrote:

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
John E. Sumwalt
Contents
“The Real Messanger” by Frank Ramirez
“The Unforgiving Manure Spreader” by John Sumwalt


The Real Messanger
by Frank Ramirez
Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me…. (Malachi 3:1)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Roly lay down with his head on his paws and felt lonely. But he wasn't lonely for long, for lots of people came to the entrance to the maze and petted him and patted him and stroked him and spoke to him. Roly perked up, and wondered for the hundredth time what went on in a maze. Still, the family had told him very firmly to stay at the entrance in case he got lost in the maze, or worse, because he was so small, tripped people up by darting between their legs.

SermonStudio

Alex A. Gondola, Jr.
Have you ever noticed that many people seem to feel they either have "too much" Christmas or "not enough" Christmas? Television commentator Andy Rooney is one who thinks he has had "too much" Christmas. Andy Rooney, in fact, has proposed a "Christmas Holidays Limitations Act." These are some of the provisions of that Act:

1. Capital punishment would be mandatory for anyone caught selling Christmas ornaments before Thanksgiving.
Cynthia E. Cowen
Every Sunday, a church broadcasts a one-hour service over the waves of 1450 WMIQ, the local radio station. It begins with this announcement, "From the shores of beautiful Crystal Lake, we bring you Our Saviour's morning service."

One Advent season, the pastor had selected an "in the sandals" sermon series. The first biblical character to be heard from was John the Baptist. As John entered clothed in the prophet's clothing, a reader announced: "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight" (Luke 3:4b).
J. Will Ormond
The setting and shape of this sermon are obvious. It was preached at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the founding of that congregation.

The church was officially organized on January 30, 1949. I was the first pastor. I remained pastor until May, 1964.
Robert S. Jarboe
Second Sunday In Advent

For Luke 1:68-79

(Distribute this sheet to the readers.)

Date:
Reader A:
Reader B:

Introit
(As the introit is being sung, Readers A and B come forward and stand by the Advent wreath until the music is finished.)

Litany
Reader A:
Please turn to the Advent litany in your bulletins.
(Pause as they do so.)
If we keep our minds steadfast and trust in God,
we will be kept in perfect peace.

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