Fed by the Angels | Beyond the Walls | Nov 30 2025

Advent is here! The nativity story begins with Mary, the mother of Jesus, with themes of hope, renewal, and new beginnings elaborated in early accounts about the Holy Family — narratives that have shaped our Christmas traditions to this day. Yet many of these stories are not found in the New Testament but in the Infancy Gospel of James.

This non-canonical text shaped traditions about Mary’s childhood, her dedication in the Temple, and the belief that she was prepared for her role as the Theotokos — the “God-bearer.” And while Orthodox and Catholic iconography give Mary a prominent place, she rarely receives the same emphasis in Community of Christ or in other Protestant traditions.

This Sunday, we consider the story of Mary’s dedication at the Temple and how she was fed by the angels in preparation for the coming of the Lord.

As we walk the path to Christmas, we invite you to look at Mary’s role with fresh eyes — to more fully grasp who God is, God who encompasses and transcends gender, and how divinity and humanity came to be one in Jesus.

We invite you to share this hour of reflection, prayer, meditation, music, and fellowship with the Beyond the Walls global community on 📅 Sunday, November 30.

This Advent season on Beyond the Walls, we will explore early Christian stories that shaped the nativity story even to our days. From the traditions surrounding Mary’s childhood to the ways communities imagined the Holy Family, we will trace how themes of hope, preparation, and divine presence developed across both canonical and non-canonical texts. Each week invites us to reflect on how these ancient narratives continue to inform the meaning of Christmas today.

📖 Full worship bulletin: https://www.centreplace.ca/bulletin
🎵 All music performed by the Beyond the Walls Choir and @MichaelKarpowicz. Copyrighted music with permission by OneLicense A-739874

🌐 Beyond the Walls is an online worship service with live ministry from around the world. Our global congregation gathers every Sunday at 12:00 pm ET and 6:00 pm ET. We’re an inclusive, non-dogmatic, progressive Christian community that affirms all gender identities and expressions, embraces interfaith and skeptical perspectives, and rejects literal interpretations of scripture.

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