Advent at St. Mary's
Sunday Advent Adult Forum “Angels: Bridging Heaven & Earth”
9 am | Sundays in Advent beginning Dec. 1 | Barrett Room
On Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Dec. 22, from 9:10 am to 10 am in the Barrett Room, the Rev. Torrence Harman will lead us in an Advent study of angels. We will locate these special messengers of God in Old and New Testament scripture, look at how we earthly beings have viewed them over the centuries and ponder their presence in contemporary life. These sessions shape and build the conversation over the four Advent Sundays leading up to the Nativity. Hope you will join us for as many of them as your schedule permits.
Children’s Formation
| Sundays in Advent | St. Luke Room
Children will be led through the season of waiting and anticipation, preparing to enter the mystery of Christmas, through a series of Advent stories that build upon one another each week. They’ll learn about prophets, the Holy Family, the Light of Christ and much more.
Men’s Bible Study
9 am | Thursdays in Advent beginning Dec. 5 | Barrett Room
Father Andrew will lead a Men's Bible Study on Thursday mornings at 9 am, focusing on the Sunday Gospel Lessons for Advent.
Women’s Bible Study “The Foreshadowing of Jesus in the Old Testament”
10:30 am | Fridays in Advent beginning Dec. 6 | Barrett Room
Join us this Advent for a brand-new, lay-led Women’s Bible Study focusing on the foreshadowing of Jesus in the Old Testament. This is a three-week study led by parishioner Patricia Murphy that occurs at 10:30 am on Fridays during Advent: Join us Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 at the Church. Come for fellowship, learning and to celebrate the season.
Morning Prayer
8:30 am | Weekdays | Church
Start your day with words from sacred scripture, time for silence and prayer during this holy season on weekdays at 8:30 am in the Church.
Advent Lessons & Carols
3 pm | Dec. 15 | Church
The choir presents a calm center for your holiday preparations with a service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday afternoon, December 15, at 3 pm.
Based on the medieval vigil service in preparation for the holiest night of the Christian year, Lessons and Carols follows the story of the fall of Adam, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus, as told in short Bible readings interspersed with carols and hymns. Sung in Anglican churches all over the world since the 1880's, the service is a lovely part of the Advent season.
Music for this Lessons and Carols includes Audivi media nocte by Tallis, Adam Lay Ybounden by Ord, Down in yon forest (arr. by John Rutter), the rousing 14th Century carol Resonemus laudibus, Sumsion’s Magnificat, and the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Longest Night Service
6:30 pm | Dec. 19 | Boone United Methodist Church Sanctuary
All are invited to join Boone UMC this year for the Longest Night Service, Thursday, December 19, at 6:30 pm. in their sanctuary. This service is a time to join together to create sacred space for those who have experienced loss in many forms. We join together to fellowship and bring peace during one of the longest nights of the year. The service will also be livestreamed on the Boone UMC YouTube channel.
A Service of Hope & Light
6 pm | Dec. 21 | Watauga Medical Center Auditorium
In this Longest Night service of Hope & Light, we acknowledge that there are many for whom the holiday season is not a joyful time. During this worship service, we are invited to be our true selves and allow our true feelings to be expressed, trusting in the light and hope revealed in Christ. This service is offered in partnership with other area churches.