Faith To Go Podcast: Light in the Darkness
Hosted each week by the Faith Formation team at St. Paul's Cathedral in San Diego, David Tremaine, Maya Little-Sana and Jackie Pippin, the Faith To Go Podcast highlight themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your conversations throughout the week.
Reads: Social Worker Donates Life-Savings
Questions:
What is this article about?
How does this man bring light into the darkness?
In what ways could this have been a difficult journey for him?
Who is someone in your life that testifies to the light in their life?
What is a way that you live your life testifying honoring your light?
Views and Qs: Self Confidence
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
What is this video about?
Why do you think Ashley Grahams show is called fearless?
What is the light that Ashley Graham brings into other people’s lives?
How does Ashley Graham own her truth?
What is a light that you carry with you?
Feast and Faith: Christ is born!
Prayer- Christ is born!
Praises to our Creator God, who became flesh for us most fully in Jesus, the Incarnate Word
To become one of us, human, yet divine.
Christ is born!
My heart sings that the time of waiting is over.
The light has overcome the darkness as
The true gift from God has arrived.
Christ is born!
Praises to our Creator God, who is as close as the love that binds us, one to another,
Filling us with awe and wonder at such miracles.
Christ is born!
Help us to live the joy of Jesus’ birth this and every day,
Knowing that the Spirit of Christ dwells in us
Guiding us to be his witnesses in all that we say and do
Throughout the year.
Christ is born!
Questions
What was John’s job in the Gospel this week?
How did John and Jesus work together?
How were their jobs different or the same?
Do you think either of them had an easier job?
What does it mean that John was a witness to testify to the light?
Who is someone in your life that tries to testify to the light?
Final nugget– Testifying to the light and life of Jesus can sometimes be hard. Finding examples of people in our life that do a good job testifying to the light is important so that we can learn from them and hone in on our own voice and truth.
Stay and Pray: A Devotion for Families at the Close of the Day
Each week we feature a way for your family to reflect and pray together. For families with older children this is an at home liturgy for your family to participate in together. It is a daily devotion for families adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.
Before you begin, take a few moments to decide who will read the scripture reading and who will read the collect and closing. Read the Psalm and Lord's Prayer in unison.
After a moment of silence, begin with the Psalm.
Psalm 147:13-21
(Read in unison)
13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
praise your God, O Zion;
14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
he has blessed your children within you.
15 He has established peace on your borders; *
he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
16 He sends out his command to the earth, *
and his word runs very swiftly.
17 He gives snow like wool; *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
who can stand against his cold?
19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *
he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.
20 He declares his word to Jacob, *
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
21 He has not done so to any other nation; *
to them he has not revealed his judgments.
Hallelujah!
John 1:1-18
(read by assigned person)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
Prayers for Ourselves and For Others (take this time to each offer one person/event that you would like to hold in prayer as well as one thing you are thankful for)
Dear God, tonight I ask your prayers for.......
and I give you thanks for ..........
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
(read in unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
The Collect
(read by assigned person)
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: