Spillbeans

Powerpoint backgrounds for Advent 2

John the baptist doesn't like the images and his ghost is preventing the blog from accepting them. perhaps the Blog needs baptism of repentance. Either way the images aren't here. If you'd like them email Peter directly and he'll zot them off to you.

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PowerPoint Backgrounds for Advent 2 Sunday 4th December

Imagery from verse 3 of the gospel reading from Mark 1 for this Sunday: "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

An Advent Song

Here is a pdf of a new song written by Karen Harbison and Jonathan Fleming for this Advent season.
Download 1000adventlights-1.pdf

Preparing to prepare

There are already lots of good ideas here for creating worship during advent. what will you get up to - and how will you preach the texts which are always a bit scary at this time of year?
Let us know and we can inspire each other in all our preparing for the Christ child.

Advent Lamp Suggestion 2

As promised, here is a second suggestion for how to create an eye-catching "Through the Seasons" emphasis on the keywords for each service in advent and Christmas Day. Instead of a single lamp, this used 5 HOLMÖ lamps (£6.99 from Ikea). The lettering was created by cutting out coloured "gel" as used in stage lighting and glueing this to the interior of the paper shades. Very effective, particularly for covering a large area or using around the worship space. These will be used in Lanark Greyfriars, and thanks to Bryan Kerr for the picture of his handiwork!

Advent Lamp Suggestion 1

In Issue 2 of Spill the Beans, one of the Advent-Christmas "Through the Season" ideas involves decorating Ikea lamps. Here is what we'll be using in Blantyre. It is a RUTBO lamp (£31.99) with letters cut out of regular paper attached to the metal cross bars that helpfully split this lamp into a section for each of the four Sundays of advent plus Christmas Day. Thus each week a new key word can be added.
 
The final effect looks pretty good. But hold on... because there may be another suggestion on the way...

Powerpoint Backgrounds for Advent 1 Sunday 27 November 2011

I'm ahead of myself with service preparations, and rather than forget next week to post these up, here are some images that we'll be using for PowerPoint backgrounds on the first Sunday in Advent (the first Sunday in Issue 2 of Spill the Beans). The theme is "Promisers of the Light". My daughter's hands modelling in this one!
PeterJ

The end of the year

Tonight, our local radio station is hosting a Hogmanay party. The shindig is being recorded for broadcasting on 31st December. In the church, this is not as strange as it seems. This Sunday sees us reach the end of the Liturgical year. We will say goodbye to Matthew's gospel, as we begin a year with Mark. Matthew certainly goes out with a bang - it's that sheep and goats reading in Matthew 25 and the "as you did it for the least of these..." This reading seems to have featured quite a bit this year - or is that just me? But I feel I want one more shot at preaching it, having one more go at capturing the essence of infectious Christian living - or contagious compassion- as we've pegged it in Spill the Beans.
We'd love to know what you're doing in worship this Sunday - are you celebrating Christ the King? Separating sheep from goats? Passing a cup of cold water? Share with us in the comments and we can resource each other.

PowerPoint Backgrounds for Sunday 20 November 2011

This is one of those weeks where there are so many possible images that come to mind that could be used. Here are two possibilities depending on where you are going with the service, both picking up images from the gospel reading from Matthew. One specifically for this week, the other that I've used for a service about the lamb of God, but that would work with the sheep/goats imagery. Such choice, you are spoiled!

PowerPoint Backgrounds for Sunday 13 November 2011

Here are some images for this Sunday, Remembrance Sunday.