Faith Formation at Home
During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we as a faith community are not able to gather for in-person worship and formation. We are, however, still able to gather with each other online, with God in private study and prayer, and, when reasonably safe, in small groups to learn and live our faith. Information on this page includes resources on how to practice your faith at home, information on our current online classes, and guides for study and prayer at home.
During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we as a faith community are not able to gather for in-person worship and formation. We are, however, still able to gather with each other online, with God in private study and prayer, and, when reasonably safe, in small groups to learn and live our faith. Information on this page includes resources on how to practice your faith at home, information on our current online classes, and guides for study and prayer at home.
Advent and Christmas at Home
We invite you to join us in the seasons of Advent and Christmas with at-home prayer, devotions, and activities that prepare us to welcome Emmanuel, God with Us, into our lives.
Maya Angelou and the Freedom Poetry of Advent offers 5 weekly reflections on Maya Angelou's poetry of blessedness and freedom, inviting us to explore our Christian faith's response of hope and grace to the injustice and pain in the world. You can use this as a private devotional or join our online Zoom group on Sunday evenings from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm beginning Sunday, November 29th. The Zoom link will be in This Weekend at St. Michael's.
Naming Jesus invites households (individuals and families) to explore the many names of Jesus. For each of the four weeks of Advent, you have a practice to try, inspired by scripture and based on some of the names people have given to – or discovered for – Jesus over the years. Then you have a few small things you might do together throughout the week to bring a little more meaning and mystery to your Christmas preparations and celebrations, plus a few fun anytime activities to do along the way.
A Mason Jar Advent has tags you can print and cut out and place in a jar. Pull out a tag each day of Advent for a way to remember the reason for the season - to prepare ourselves to be more loving and ready to receive Jesus. We also provide tags for each week of Advent.
Click on the images above for a digital download of the items.
The Advent Wreath is a traditional symbol of the season. Households make a wreath of four or five candles and light a candle each week, saying prayers or sitting in reflective silence as we reflect on the birth of Emmanuel, God with Us. For ideas for making your own Advent Wreath, click here. Prayers for praying with your Advent Wreath are here.
Maya Angelou and the Freedom Poetry of Advent offers 5 weekly reflections on Maya Angelou's poetry of blessedness and freedom, inviting us to explore our Christian faith's response of hope and grace to the injustice and pain in the world. You can use this as a private devotional or join our online Zoom group on Sunday evenings from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm beginning Sunday, November 29th. The Zoom link will be in This Weekend at St. Michael's.
Naming Jesus invites households (individuals and families) to explore the many names of Jesus. For each of the four weeks of Advent, you have a practice to try, inspired by scripture and based on some of the names people have given to – or discovered for – Jesus over the years. Then you have a few small things you might do together throughout the week to bring a little more meaning and mystery to your Christmas preparations and celebrations, plus a few fun anytime activities to do along the way.
A Mason Jar Advent has tags you can print and cut out and place in a jar. Pull out a tag each day of Advent for a way to remember the reason for the season - to prepare ourselves to be more loving and ready to receive Jesus. We also provide tags for each week of Advent.
Click on the images above for a digital download of the items.
The Advent Wreath is a traditional symbol of the season. Households make a wreath of four or five candles and light a candle each week, saying prayers or sitting in reflective silence as we reflect on the birth of Emmanuel, God with Us. For ideas for making your own Advent Wreath, click here. Prayers for praying with your Advent Wreath are here.
Faith at Home - Engaging with the Bible
Forward Movement and Forma, two organizations of The Episcopal Church, offer the Faith @ Home website with weekly and daily reflections on scripture to deepen our faith. Faith @ Home can be accessed here.
Faith Inkubators offers a five-step faith practice that can be incorporated into your household's routine to have prayer time each day. The format is:
Praying with Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) is a contemplative practice of reading scripture, meditation, and prayer. This practice has four steps:
Faith Inkubators offers a five-step faith practice that can be incorporated into your household's routine to have prayer time each day. The format is:
- Share your highs and lows
- Read a Bible verse or story
- Talk about how the Bible reading might relate to your highs and lows
- Pray for one another's highs and lows
- Bless one another
Praying with Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) is a contemplative practice of reading scripture, meditation, and prayer. This practice has four steps:
- Read the scripture four times and after each time offer a word or phrase that reaches out or touches the hearer
- Meditate on the word or phrase for sever minutes in silence
- Pray
- Contemplate
