Interprovincial Board of Communication introduces A New Family Resource – Loving Hearts United: A Moravian Guide for Family Living
Loving Hearts United – A Moravian Guide for Family Living will arrive in December 2009 as a new offering from the Interprovincial Board of Communication. This new book resulted from both the Northern and Southern Province synods of 2006 when they passed a resolution calling for the creation of a family devotional. Loving Hearts United is the result of that mandate and is a collaborative work between the two Provinces.
This Moravian Guide is designed to assist families in the spiritual development of children, to encourage ritual, and to enable each family member to be more aware of God’s presence in all aspects of daily life. Interspersed throughout the book are “sidebars” that provide more information about Moravian history, customs, and practices. The Appendices contain additional information to help your family carry out the weekly options. The activities designed for each week further reflect the heart of Moravian theology.
Each Loving Hearts United book includes 52 weeks of activities as well as a CD of music containing 29 tracks designed to work together with the activities in the book, for the family to enjoy in the car, during the day, or before bedtime.
To use Loving Hearts United, your family will need a Bible and a Moravian Daily Texts. Each day calls for reading the Watchword for the Week from the Moravian Daily Texts. Although not required for use with this Guide, a Moravian Book of Worship is recommended strongly and will greatly enhance your family’s use of this guide.
At various weeks, you are invited to create three resources to use throughout the year — a worship center, a family journal, and a special “formation container.”
The book is created around six formational elements of a family’s day: Greeting the Day, Mealtime, Gathering, Serving, On the Road, and Closing the Day. Each week includes these elements and can be found on two facing pages throughout the book. The 52-week section of the book contains activities that can be used any time during a year. A special section with Liturgical and Seasonal weeks is included.
It is suggested that the book stay open throughout the week and, as your family views the six options, select one for each day of the week that best suits your family and the time available. Choose a simple one for busy days and use one that is more involved during the weekend. Select a different option for your family’s use each day from the six listed or repeat the same one for more than one day or for the entire week.
The material is not dated, so your family may begin using this book at any time during the year. With the variety of options available, Loving Hearts United should serve your family well for many years to come. Your family may want to write comments on the weekly pages or note the date when a particular option was used, to allow you to track your use of the various weekly elements.
Loving Hearts United is centered on the use of six elements of a family’s day for intentional spiritual formation. These elements along with sample activities from the Advent section are:
Greeting the Day – Begin the day with God and each other. These sessions focus on the scriptures of the Moravian Daily Texts, the Watchword of the Week, prayers to lead your family into the day, and activities to provide connection with each other before beginning work, school, other activities, or simply going about your day.
SUPPLIES: small, blank greeting cards, crayons, pencils, washable markers
This is a time of year when too much money is often spent on presents. During your morning gathering time during the week prior to Christmas, have small, blank greeting cards scattered around the table with crayons, pencils, and washable markers. Each family member should choose another family member and create a written or drawn gift that does not cost any money. For example, someone might write: “I will give you the gift of my undivided attention by sitting down with you without the TV, computer, or radio distracting me.” Other suggestions include: doing someone’s chores for a week, giving them a heart-felt compliment each day of the week, or any other thing that would be a great gift for that particular person. Be creative and sincere. The youngest children will need some assistance with this. When everyone in the family has made a card for each family member, the cards can be exchanged and opened in the presence of all.
Mealtime – Share gratitude, fellowship, and enjoy God’s good gifts in a meal together. These sessions provide time to share table blessings, stories, everyday meals, special meals, and hospitality with each other.
This year have your family plan ahead for Christmas. Start now with your family in exploring and collecting for a special gift in honor of the animals in the manger scene. Children love to give to special projects during the year through the Heifer project. This is also a wonderful way to give alternative gifts during Christmas. Why not think as a family of friends or relatives who would be very glad to receive a card honoring them with a gift to Heifer. For more information, see their website at www.heifer.org.
Gathering – Connect with one another as a family community of faith. Gathering time sessions include activities to help facilitate family community, faith discussions, worship, devotions, and the simple enjoyment of time spent together.
On the first Sunday of Advent, make the hanging of the Moravian star an Advent ritual with your family. Share part of either the Advent or Advent 2 Liturgies (pages 49 or 54) from the Moravian Book of Worship as part of your family’s devotion before you hang the star. When it is dark, gather again as a family and turn on the star.
Serving - Use your family’s gifts to put Christ’s call into action. Service activities provide a family the opportunity to develop the family’s gifts in doing mission, giving to others in and outside the family, and serving Christ as a family.
As you begin your Christmas shopping, consider helping someone make a gift to a charity. This works well for teenagers or others who usually receive gift cards from you. Here’s how it works. Purchase a gift card for the recipient (as usual) and then give an equal amount of cash that they can designate for a charity of their choice. Do research online about potential charity organizations with this person. Consider the needs of your local church congregation and areas where the Moravian Board of World Mission is at work. Then assist the person in making the cash gift contribution. Pray together for the mission of the organization and ask God’s blessing to go with your gift.
On the Road – Capture moments together as a family while traveling or in motion. As your family moves through the week, use “travel time” as a time to learn, listen, care for each other, and think about and celebrate God’s creation.
Just for the fun of it, go online, and see how your family would get from your home to Bethlehem (the one in Palestine). What route and modes of transportation would you take? How many days would you travel? How much would flight fares cost and in what cities would you make connections? What dangers might you encounter along the way? Use a map showing Palestine in New Testament times and use your imagination to answer the same questions about the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem. Using Google Earth, make virtual journeys to Bethlehem from your hometown and then from Nazareth. Visit “Bethlehem” by attending a candle tea, putz tour, or live nativity where the Christmas story is shared in your area.
Closing the Day – Take time for benediction and resting in God. Family members preparing for the night can reflect on the day and their life together through praying, giving thanks, listening to each other’s stories or concerns, and acknowledging God’s constant kindness and care.
Advent Time
A child once defined the benediction as “It’s been nice to be together, have a nice day kind of thing.” Benediction means to give a “good word,” to one another. Giving good words to each other is at the heart of family life, particularly as we take our rest. Here is an ancient Celtic Christian benediction which you can use for Advent through Christmas at bedtime:
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you
Deep peace of the Prince of peace to you. Amen
Each book with a CD included is available for $19.95. You may also purchase the book and CD along with a paperback Moravian Daily Texts for $24.95. For more information on the book or how to order, please contact the Interprovincial Board of Communication (Regular shipping and handling rates apply to all orders).
Order Online now or by calling 1.800.732.0591
