In the Den with the Lions

In this worship we begin exploring in the dark.  So much of the time language and culture teachers that all that is good and right an beautiful is full of light and all that is evil and terrible is dark.  And thus that dark is something to fear and avoid.  As we enter Advent with Daniel in the den of lions, we too may feel entombed: the darkening days, the fear of COVID, unknowns in political leadership.  Yet we learn from Daniel's experience that though the dark is fraught and fearful, there is hope.  There are angels.  

Sermon by Pastor Amy begins 25:55

Resources:
Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.

• Joyful is the Dark, Words and Music Brian Wren © 1989, Hope Publishing Co.
• No Wind at the Window, Words by John Bell, © 1992 Iona Community. Music, Irish traditional, arr. Marty Haugen. © 1995 GIA Publications
• Comfort, Comfort O My People, Words by Johannes Olearius, 1671, trans. Catherine Winkleworth, 1863. Music by Louis Bourgeois, 1551.

Other Resources, from Creative Commons: Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-4.0)

• Call to Worship – Advent Welcome, Anna Beth Roeschley, from “Along the Arc,” ©2017 Brethren Mennonite Council
• Offertory Prayer, Joanna Harader, 2017, spaciousfaith.com

Additional Resources

• O Come, O Come Immanuel, words by anonymous ca. 6th-7th C., music Trope melody, 15th C.
• "In the Dark with the Lions," sermon by Amy Marie Epp. Full text here.
• “To Know The Dark” by Wendell Berry, from Terrapin: Poems by Wendell Berry  
• Waiting is not Easy, by Mo Willems

Image by Isabella Juskova on Unsplash