Advent Liturgy - Help!

[Deke]

Sorry! I've been struggling to put something together while organising 3 funerals, a wedding, full time job and family life. No one mentioned this in formation.

The theme has been Waiting with Mary and although I've put together readings and music/hymns around this I've been a little too traditional I think. Readings are Luke - Annunciation; Isaiah 61 - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; an Advent reading from Cloth for the Cradle which will lead in to O Come O Come Emmanuel and either the Psalm for Advent 3 - Luke Magnificat or an Advent Psalm from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim. We'll have a "symbolic action" based around the manger which I've adapted from the Wild Goose book. This is to be interspersed (?) with Hymns such as The Angel Gabriel - I know, too safe, and some others which I'll finalise tonight over an inspirational glass of red. I was struggling until yesterday when I attended a course at Sarum College and one of the sessions covered Lectio Divina. We were told a story of a traveller in Africa who had hired porters to take his bags through to the next stop on his journey. He made good progress but after some hours travelling the porters stopped and refused to go on. No amount of pleading or money would make them move. "Why not just a few miles more? " he asked. They replied "We have to wait until our souls catch up with us". I thought that summed up exactly what I wanted to put over on Sunday and I'll be using that story.

Thanks everyone for your help, I'm still open to suggestions!

[Deke]

Again, thanks for all your suggestions especially Thomas. I did try "pm", twice, but they never left my outbox even though both messages are noted as sent. I'm doing something wrong, I guess.