2927 Dixwell Avenue
P. O. Box 185065
Hamden, CT 06518
203-248-4338
ADVENT 2025
at Grace and St John's
Our observance of Advent begins with the First Sunday in Advent on November 30, and continues for almost four weeks, leading up to Christmas on Thursday, December 25. Our Sunday worship changes to reflect the season's emphasis on waiting, longing, and hope, and we add an enrichment class after church on Sundays, and quiet services of evening prayer with meditative scripture study on Wednesday evenings.
On three Sundays after church, at Grace and St John's, there will be a series of sessions based on the PBS Frontline documentaries (made in 1998) on the life of Jesus and the early church: "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians." A segment of the video will be shown each week, followed by questions and conversation.
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This documentary series is visually rich, with beautiful photography of the Holy Land and archaeological sites from the ancient Mediterranean world. Top scholars (including several from Yale Divinity School) explain in easy-to-follow terms how modern historical and archaeological research can provide new insights into Jesus's world, his life and mission, and the community of followers who carried his movement into their world.
This series will be held on Sundays, December 7, 14, and 21, after coffee hour. The first and third installments will be led by Rev. Bob, the middle one by Gretchen Pritchard. Expect to learn something new!
For the past four years, Pastor Josh Sullivan and members of Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church have gathered on the Wednesdays of Advent at 7:00 pm for a contemplative take on Evening Prayer, and invited the members of Grace and St John's to join them.
The simple service includes reading a Psalm together, singing, listening to an extended passage from Scripture (a process traditionally called Lectio Divina, “divine reading”), then sitting in silence and darkness, and closing with prayer for the world.
As the partnership between our two churches grows, this year these three Wednesdays (December 3, 10, and 17) of Evening Prayer and Lectio Divina are being held in the St Peter’s Chapel at Grace and St John’s. All are invited to join us in prayer, in contemplation, in lament and in hope as we share our own uncertainties and anticipate what God has in store for those who wait.
Image: "For Those in Darkness [Light is Dawning]" by Lauren Wright Pittman (1988 - )