One of the things we all love about Advent and Christmas is spending time with loved ones. One favorite tradition is to watch beloved Christmas movies. Each Saturday we will recommend one such movie geared toward families that relates to that week’s Advent theme and includes related Scripture and prayer. We invite you to read aloud these passages and prayers and consider how they may relate to the movie each week. There is also a movie option for grown-ups who want to dive deeper into that week’s theme.
Family Movie: The Muppet Christmas Carol
A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. —Isaiah 9:6
This week we will explore peace through The Muppet Christmas Carol. Along the way we will find that peace isn’t necessarily about being “nice and quiet.” There is an outer peace and an inner peace that only come when we do as Micah 6:8 would remind us – do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.
When we see Scrooge on Christmas morning, what has changed? What are some of the things he does that show us he has changed? One thing we can’t change is the past. But we can change what we do today and throughout our life when we choose to live a life of hope, love, joy, and peace.
Loving God,
We choose to live in hope,
In love,
In joy,
In peace.
God bless us everyone.
Amen.
Dive Deeper into Peace: Film Suggestion for Grown-ups
Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice, available to rent on Amazon.
Emerging from the strong tradition of Freedom Singers, Sweet Honey in the Rock is a group that’s as soulfully rich as it is provocative. Using song to stand in unison, five African-American women sing solely a cappella, along with a sign language translator. Their music evokes stories from the past, encourages introspection in the present, and inspires progress for the future. Since it was founded in 1973, more than twenty different women have contributed to the Grammy Award–winning group’s distinct sound, which embraces semblances of gospel, blues, and hip hop, all with a political tone. The film features a trove of concert and rehearsal footage as it follows the group on their thirtieth anniversary tour, which is also coincidently when founder Bernice Johnson Reagon announces she will retire. Through a variety of interviews with members, historians, and fellow artists, the film explores the roots of Sweet Honey in the Rock’s existence and influence.
Adapted from Worship Design Studio materials by Marcia McFee.
Used With Permission.
Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.