Read an Excerpt

Not a Silent Night Leader Guide

Mary Looks Back To Bethlehem

Abingdon Press

Beginning with the End

Session Goals

As a result of conversations and activities connected with this session, group members should:

• be introduced to an exploration of Christmas through the lens of Mary, Jesus' mother;

• reflect on Advent as the church's response to the amnesia that is the loss of the meaning of Christmas;

• explore traditions concerning the end of Mary's life and imagine the mission in which she might have been engaged;

• encounter the hope of Christmas embodied in the resurrection from the dead;

• be introduced to and commit to one or more Advent practices that embody hope.

Biblical Foundation

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he [Jesus] had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. (Acts 1:8-14)

Special Preparation

• Set up an Advent wreath centered with a white pillar candle (see "To the Leader" under the Special Preparation header for more instructions).

• Make copies of the reproducible handout, "Using an Advent Wreath at Home" to distribute at the first class session.

• Collect ads for Christmas season shopping from the newspaper, or download from the Internet.

• If possible, locate and download some images of Mary from the Internet. Either make prints to show or get equipment to project them for the group.

• On a large sheet of paper, print the headings "Dormition" and "Assumption."

• This chapter includes the reflections of a mother who lost her son in a tragic accident. If your group includes parents who have lost a child of any age, be sensitive to how they may experience the discussion. Allow for a space that invites their own reflections if they so choose without putting them on the spot.

• Remember that there are more activities than most groups will have time to complete. As leader, you'll want to go over the session in advance and select or adapt the activities you think will work best for your group in the time allotted.

Getting Started

Opening Activity

As participants arrive, welcome them to the study. If group members are not familiar with one another, make nametags available. Provide Bibles for those who did not bring one.

Invite group members to introduce themselves. Ask each to respond to this open-ended prompt: "It's only a few weeks until Christmas, and I'm feeling ..."

When everyone has had the chance to respond, talk together about what everyone's responses reveal. Who is feeling positive? Who is anticipating a special Christmas? Who is feeling the stress of not enough time to get ready, of tasks unfinished? How many are uneasy about the money they are spending on gifts? Who is feeling rushed, depressed, even a little angry?

Write the term "Black Friday" on a board or paper. To what does the phrase refer? Invite participants to share their experiences—positive or negative—either on Black Friday or since that time.

Distribute the copies of ads. Ask:

• What do the ads communicate about the coming holiday?

• Imagine you have been transported from another planet to this community. How would you describe the approaching holiday? What might you say is its purpose? What "good news of great joy" do you see?

Ask a volunteer to summarize the account of what happened to Jdimytai Damour. Adam Hamilton tells us that this story is the symbol of something bigger—a kind of amnesia. What does he mean?

Invite the group to silently read the paragraph in which Hamilton describes Advent. On a large sheet of paper or on the board, print the following phrase: "Advent is ..." and ask participants to call out words or phrases that come to mind about the season of Advent. Jot these down.

Depending on when you are beginning this study (prior to the beginning of Advent or the first week of Advent), light either the first candle on the Advent wreath or the Christ candle that is in the center of the wreath.

Opening Prayer

Say, "Come, Lord Jesus." Allow for a time of silence. Then pray:

Come, Lord Jesus. We look forward to the time when you will come again at Christmas. We wait in hope for that day when you will come again in glory. By your Spirit, help us to prepare in ways that honor that hope. It is in your name we pray. Amen.

Learning Together

Video Study and Discussion

Briefly introduce Adam Hamilton, the author of the study. Hamilton is senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, where he preaches to more than eight thousand people per week. Hamilton is known for helping those striving to be Christians see the implications of the gospel for daily life. If participants have smartphones, they can learn more about Hamilton and other books he has authored at www.adamhamilton.org.

In this study, Hamilton invites us to look at Christmas and its meaning through the lens of the life of Mary. But, as he points out, the study will start not by looking at the beginning of the story, but at its end. Each successive week, the group will travel back in Mary's life—from the Crucifixion and Resurrection, to Jesus' life and ministry, to his discovery at the Temple when he was twelve, to the appearance of the angel Gabriel, until finally, on Christmas Day, they will read about and consider the birth of the Christ Child.

Session 1 begins at the end of Mary's life, imagining, based on Scripture and tradition, what Mary did in the years after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

Before the video, introduce the subject of Advent, asking participants whether as children they celebrated Advent or knew what Advent was. Discuss the meaning of Advent as they understand it now.

After viewing the video, ask participants to share their responses to the story of the Walmart employee, Jdimytai Damour. Discuss:

• What examples have you seen of people mistreating each other while Christmas shopping?

• What do these incidents tell us about our culture, and what can we do about it?

This study takes an unusual look at Christmas: through the lens of Mary. Discuss:

• What can we observe from Mary's perspective that we may not have thought about before?

• How do you feel about the use of church tradition (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) to fill in parts of her life that aren't covered by Scripture? What are advantages and disadvantages of doing so?

Bible and Book Study and Discussion

Explore Early Church Traditions about Mary

Hamilton notes that we know very little about the end of Mary's life and so are left with traditions that evolved in the early church. Form two groups. Ask one group to read the material in the text under the heading "Mary's Final Years," describing Catholic traditions; and ask the other group to read about Orthodox traditions.

After allowing a few minutes for groups to read, ask each one to report what the traditions tell us. Write what they say on the large sheet of paper you prepared in advance. Invite participants to tell what they think about the various views of Mary's death and to offer opinions on what her burial location communicates about Mary. Then discuss:

• Hamilton observes that Protestants tend to be more cautious about traditions such as these. What does he say about the focus of such stories? What do you think?

• The author also notes that Christmas and Easter are a package deal. What does he mean?

Read Gospel Accounts of the Resurrection

Form small groups of four participants and assign one of the following passages to each of the four participants in all the groups: Matthew 27:55; 28:1-10; Mark 15:40; 16:1-8; Luke 23:55; 24:1-12; John 19:25-26, 20:1-10. Ask participants to scan their assigned Gospel account to see which women were reported to have been witnesses at the Crucifixion and at the empty tomb. Discuss:

• Based on the four Gospel accounts, we cannot be sure that Mary was present on the first Easter morning. The same can be said about her presence at the Crucifixion. What do you think?

• What do you think of Pope John Paul II's suggestion about Jesus appearing to his mother before appearing to anyone else?

Discuss Experiences of Grief and Resurrection Hope

In "The Hope of Resurrection," invite the group to read silently the quotation from the woman who experienced the death of a son, as well as the paragraph where Hamilton describes the experience of being present at his grandfather's death. Discuss:

• Hamilton suggests that the hope Mary experienced in the Resurrection transformed the grief, separation, and loss she carried with her following Jesus' death. How do you respond?

Invite group members who are willing to do so to talk about their own losses of loved ones and how the hope of resurrection has played a part in how they experienced grief.

Ask the group to read silently the references that are included in the text from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:54. Discuss:

• What are the encouragements the author notes in these passages, and how are they part of the promise and hope of Christmas?

Encounter the Early Church's Mission

This week's Bible text includes the Matthew verses we call the Great Commission and notes that Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts, tells the story a little differently. Ask the group to read silently Acts 1:1-7. Invite a volunteer to read aloud this session's biblical foundation, Acts 1:8-14. Discuss:

• What were Jesus' followers doing to prepare for the promised coming of the Holy Spirit? What did they do afterward to launch the church?

• Hamilton poses the question: What do you think Mary was up to from the time that Jesus ascended to heaven until her own death? How would you imagine she responded to her son's call to be a part of God's mission?

• What are we doing, as individuals and as a church, to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas?

• Hamilton suggests that if our Christmas does not include serving the poor in some way, we are missing out on part of our mission. How are we working or could we work to bring hope to the world by focusing on the commission we have been given?

Wrapping Up

Hamilton invites us to return to the tragic account of Jdimytai Damour's death in the Walmart stampede, noting that of the two thousand people in the crowd, only a handful stopped to try to create a barricade around his body. Invite the group to reflect on his questions:

• Why do you think so few people stopped?

• Would you have stopped?

Encourage the group members to think about ways they might offer hope, encouragement, and joy to others at this season and how they might embody the mission of Christmas. Ask them to suggest specific ways to do so in the coming week, and list these on a large sheet of paper. You might suggest the following as well:

1. Make a family Advent wreath and light one candle in the coming week, praying for hope and consolation. Distribute the reproducible handout "Using an Advent Wreath at Home."

2. Consider inviting a person who is alone this season to come for a family meal.

3. Although it is late in the shopping season to do so, sit down as a family and consider whetherconsumption is consuming your time, energy, and resources. How might you take one small step to observe the season more simply?

7. Invite an older relative or church member for coffee and cookies, and ask that person to share reminiscences of childhood Christmases. What is the same in today's Christmas? What is different?

Closing Activity

If you have downloaded images of Mary to print or project, display them now, inviting the group to reflect on what the images communicate about Mary. Light the candle again and allow for a time of silence. Invite participants to respond to the following: "In Advent, my hope for myself is ... my hope for others is ... my hope for the world is ..."

Encourage participants to read Chapter 2 before the next session.

Closing Prayer

Come, Lord Jesus. By your Spirit, guide us to spaces where we can experience silence. Give us resurrection hope—the assurance that we will see you and that we will see those we love again. Give us the hope that things will not always be as they are now. Stir us up to embrace your mission for the world, that in your good time everything will be set right. In your name we pray. Amen.

The Piercing of Mary's Soul

Session Goals

As a result of conversations and activities connected with this session, group members should:

• continue an exploration of Christmas through the lens of Mary, Jesus' mother;

• experience and imagine, through walking the Stations of the Cross, what might have been in Mary's heart and mind as she witnessed Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death;

• note the significance of things that were said about Jesus before his birth and immediately after, and connect those with accounts of his crucifixion and death;

• explore the meaning of the cross and sacrifice;

• expand their understanding of sin;

• give thanks for the costly gift of Jesus' life, given freely for our sins;

• be introduced to and commit to further ways to prepare for Christmas in Advent.

Biblical Foundation

The child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too." (Luke 2:33-35)

Special Preparation

• If possible, locate and download an image of Michelangelo's Pietà from the Internet. Make a print of the image, mount it on construction paper or posterboard, and display it for the Stations of the Cross activity.

• To set up the Stations of the Cross, make the following signs: The Home of the High Priest, The Palace of Pontius Pilate, The Palace Guard, and Golgotha. Post the signs in that order at intervals around your learning space. At each station, place a battery-operated candle (optional). If you like, recruit participants in advance to read aloud the book text associated with each station: Station 1: paragraphs 1 and 2 under the heading "The Day Mary's Soul Was Pierced"; Station 2: paragraph 3; Station 3: paragraphs 4 and 5; Station 4: paragraphs 6,7,8.

• Remember that there are more activities than most groups will have time to complete. As leader, you'll want to go over the session in advance and select or adapt the activities you think will work best for your group in the time allotted.

Getting Started

Opening Activity

Welcome participants and introduce any newcomers. Provide Bibles for those who did not bring one.

Gather together. Remind participants that for this Advent study, the author invites us to view Christmas through the lens of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the first session, the group began at the end, encountering in traditions of the church and in a passage from Acts what the end of Mary's life might have been like. In today's session, through scriptural accounts, they will examine the narratives of the Crucifixion and imagine that event through Mary's eyes.

Invite participants to imagine they are the parents of a son who has been convicted of a capital crime, but who is innocent. Ask volunteers to describe how they believe such a mother or father would feel as a witness to these events:

• being present to see their son on trial for his life;

• hearing him convicted, then sentenced;

• observing his execution.

It is probable that Mary experienced very similar emotions to those the group imagined. In this session the group will be introduced to the events of Jesus' trial and death from a different perspective than they have perhaps ever experienced—the intimate personal perspective of a mother.

Opening Prayer

Light one candle (or the appropriate number of candles for this week) on the Advent wreath with the words, "Come, Lord Jesus." Allow for a time of silence. Then pray:

Come, Lord Jesus. We give thanks for the gift of your life, freely given for us. Guide us to prepare for the celebration of your birth in ways that honor that gift. In your name we pray. Amen.

Learning Together

Video Study and Discussion

Session 2 imagines what Mary was thinking and feeling as she watched the Crucifixion from the foot of the cross and suggests some things we can learn about Christmas by doing so.

Before viewing the video, tell participants that in this session, we take the unusual approach of discussing the Crucifixion in a program about Advent and Christmas. Ask the class to speculate on why we're doing this and what might be learned.

After the video, ask participants again to consider the effect of looking through Mary's eyes. Discuss:

• What unique insights can we gain by viewing the crucifixion of Jesus and the hours leading up to it from Mary's perspective, as opposed to, say, Peter's or another disciple's?

• Hamilton speculates that while watching the crucifixion of Jesus, Mary may have been thinking of Christmas. What do you think of that observation? What other thoughts and feelings may have been going through Mary's mind?

• Think about Michelangelo's Pietà. How do you respond to the image of Jesus on his grieving mother's lap? What do you appreciate about this pietà?

Bible and Book Study and Discussion

Ask a volunteer to read aloud the biblical foundation for the session, Luke 2:33-35. Call attention to the session title and to the last phrase in the passage that refers to the piercing of Mary's soul. Invite the group to consider the events of Jesus' crucifixion and how those events must surely have pierced Mary's soul, just as Simeon prophesied.

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Excerpted from Not a Silent Night Leader Guide by Adam Hamilton. Copyright © 2014 Abingdon Press. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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