Welcome to NAVIGATING MYSTERY, An Advent Small Group Study. Know you are one of many groups using this resource. You’ll find everything you to lead this Small Group Study on this page.
You have permanent access to this page for use within your group/congregation or pastoral charge. You are welcome to share the information with group participants who miss a session and want to hear the audio. For all other sharing, please ask permission.
READ THIS FIRST!
- First on this page, you will find the Guides. There are two Guides: Small Group Study Leader Guide and the Guide for Personal Study/Retreat. You can download and print your for your use.
- Then you will find the audio recordings and scripts for the sessions and the resources needed for each one. NEW: POWERPOINT slides prepared by the Rev. Jennifer Irving.
- There are a number of items in Promotional Resources you can use to promote your Small Group Study including an icon/photo for this series and a customizable poster you can use in promoting the study in posters and online.
- And, finally, you’ll find the participant and leader evaluations/feedback.
- You will also find the ALL CREATION SINGS All Ages Resource at the bottom of this page.
The print files are available in PDF version. You can download and save these to your computer.
The Audio Recordings are easier than ever to download and save to your laptop/computer so you can play them without an internet connection. Look for the download icon 
in the top right hand corner of the audio track and follow the download directions. I recommend downloading the audio recording even if you are meeting in a space with internet.
Please, if you have any issues with downloading or opening files email me and I will do whatever I can to help or send you materials another way. Email Janice.
Please note that all sessions and audio scripts are in the guide.
◊ Download and print the complete Small Group Leader Guide:
Navigating Mystery Small Group LEADER Guide
◊ Download and print the complete Guide for Personal Study/Retreat:
Navigating Mystery PERSONAL STUDY/RETREAT Guide
Your three easy-to-download Audio Recordings will be found here soon.
SESSION 1: “The Times”
SESSION 2: “The Wilderness Way”
SESSION 3:”A Gesture of Opening”
You will find a script for each audio recording that you can download, print and share with participants. These scripts are included in the Leader’s Guide.
Suggestions for Advent Songs
I’m most familiar with Voices United hymnbook so when it is found in this book, I give the number.
All Earth is Waiting (Voices United #5)
My Lord, What a Morning (Voices United #707)
There’s a Voice in the Wilderness (Voices United #18)
Be Still & Cool (Paulette Meier chant.)
To a Maid Whose Name Was Mary (Voices United #14)
Open My Eyes, That I May See. (Voices United #371)
Annunciation by Marty Haugen (YouTube video)
Gabriel’s Message: (Salt of Sound video) | Other advent songs on their channel
Sing the World That God Imagines (Amanda Udis-Kessler video) | Here is her channel
Many Psalms of Advent. See Richard Bruxvoort Collegian channel
Resources Referred to in the Sessions.
POWERPOINT SLIDES: prepared by the Rev. Jennifer Irving when she lead this series with her community of faith. You can download from Dropbox. Navigating Mystery slides.
- Poem by Madeleine L’Engle, “This is No Time for a Child to be Born.” Poetry Archives.
- You Tube Video for Handel’s Messiah. Every Valley Shall Be Exalted.
- 5 Senses to Prayer: A Collection of Experiential Prayers by Caroline Bindon. Ebook. 5 Senses to Prayer
- Luke 1:26-38 Bible Gateway. Here is the scripture reading in NRSV
- Luke 1:26-38 Bible Gateway. Here is the reading from The Message.
- The Annunciation in Poetry & Art: “Gabriel’s Annunciation” by Jan Richardson |
- Search ART IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION Vanderbilt University Divinity Library.
- Download & Print Poster for this Small Group Study: Navigating Mystery Poster. (PDF) Fill in Your Date/Time in Details
- Here is a jpeg image of the Study icon to use for your promotion of this study on social media: Download the Navigating Mystery Image
- Email me if you would rather me email you the poster and icon.
- Brief description for bulletins, newsletters or social media. Depending on how you promote this resource, you can draw words from the brief and longer description:
NAVIGATING MYSTERY: ADVENT SMALL GROUP STUDY (a brief description)
Join us for a three week Advent Small Group Study. We ponder a question posed by the writer, Martin Shaw, “What if we re-framed ‘living with uncertainty’ into a practice of ‘navigating mystery?’”
NAVIGATING MYSTERY: ADVENT SMALL GROUP STUDY (a much longer description)
Advent offers evocative scripture stories for navigating mystery. Each session offers an opportunity for praying with scripture before listening to a reflection on the theme and grounding our learning of how to navigate mystery in a simple group spiritual practice.Session 1:
The Times boldly invites us into a mysterious unknown and into a circle of time to help us understand the signs of the time.Session 2:
The Wilderness Way invites a greater awareness of who we are in this world God loves. We live out of an instinct to stay “present in the bare self” and here what we need for navigating mystery is revealed to us.Session 3:
The Gesture of Opening to risk and relinquishment invites courage. Each time we discern Mystery’s announcements, we deepen our awareness of what is being birthed within us and among us.
Group Evaluation: Here is a WORD document that you can use or adapt with your group: Click Evaluation (Navigating Mystery) This is a WORD file you can adapt and add other questions.
Leader Evaluation: I invite you to send me an email offering your feedback on this Resource. Your input is very important in shaping future studies and I value your time and effort to share your experience. Email Janice
Here is the planning guide for the Advent All-Ages event:All Creation Sings
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