It was wonderful to see so many of your faces as we lit our Advent Candles together on Zoom this past Sunday evening. We hope you will continue to join us each Sunday during Advent at 5pm, the Zoom link will be sent out in the weekly email.
Any candle you have at home can be used during this time, but if you'd still like to pick up an Advent-Wreath Making Kit you can do so this Wed 12/2 between 1-3pm at church.
Below is the Advent Reading as well as a downloadable copy.
HOPE CANDLE
As God’s people were about to head into exile, God delivered hope through a promise.
Someday, this will all be over—a King would come who would make all things new.
Christmas celebrates the hope that God sent Jesus to fulfill that promise and rescue
creation once and for all. Knowing that God has kept God’s promises in the past gives us
hope that God will continue keeping God’s promises in the future.
READ
Isaiah 9: 6-7
ASK
• What is something you hope for?
• How can you stay hopeful even when you don’t get what you want?
• When have you seen God take care of your family?
DO
Light the Hope candle.
PRAY
“Dear God, thank You for reminding us during this time of year that You keep
Your promises—every single time! Thank You for the promise of Jesus. Thank You for
the hope that we have in Him. Please help us to remember what You did for Your
people—and for us—when You sent Jesus to be our Savior. We love You, and we pray
these things in Jesus’ name, amen.”
PEACE CANDLE
The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would be Jesus’
mother. This must have come as quite a surprise. After all, Mary wasn’t married
yet, and she had a different plan for her life. Gabriel reminded her that nothing
is impossible with God. She could have been overwhelmed by this startling news,
but she chose to trust God instead. Just like Mary, we can trust that God has an
ultimate plan for our lives. Discover the peace that comes from believing in
Jesus and God’s plan for us.
READ
Luke 1:26-38
ASK
• Who are we planning on seeing this Christmas?
• How do you feel when your plans don’t happen like you want?
• How can we remember to have peace, even when our plans change?
DO
Light the Hope and Peace candles.
PRAY
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. We can see how Mary trusted
Your plan, and You filled her heart with peace. Thank You for reminding us that You have
a good plan for our lives, too. Help us to find our peace in You, because Your plans are
ALWAYS good. We love You, and we pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.”
JOY CANDLE
After Jesus was born, the first people to find out are some unassuming shepherds in
a field minding their own business. The angel announced Jesus’ birth along with an
angel choir that proclaimed God’s peace for everyone on earth. They rushed to see the
baby for themselves. They were so filled with joy that they spent the rest of the night telling
everyone they could about Jesus. We hope that this Christmas you would come to know
God’s love and believe that Jesus truly is the Savior of the world.
READ
Luke 2:8-20
ASK
• What does it mean to have joy?
• Is there a difference between joy and happiness?
• How can knowing God loves us and sent us Jesus bring us joy?
DO
Light the Hope, Peace and Joy candles.
PRAY
“Dear God, thank You for this reminder that Your joy is for everyone. You love and care about
each and every one of us. You love us so much that You sent Jesus to be our Savior! Thank You
for the joy that comes when we put our faith in You. Please help us to trust You and live Your
way every day. We love You, and we pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.”
LOVE CANDLE
From a human perspective, this whole situation must have seemed crazy to Mary and Joseph.
Not only was Mary expecting the baby who would save the world, but now she and Joseph had
to travel to Bethlehem for the census. When they arrive, there’s no room for them to stay except
for the place where animals are kept. As hectic as this might have seemed, this is exactly how God
wanted Jesus to enter the world. Right from the start, God wanted to have a relationship with us.
Even when we messed that up with our sin, God continued to love and make a way to rescue us.
Jesus is proof that God loves us unconditionally.
READ
Luke 2: 1-7, 1 John 4:9
ASK
• What are we giving others this Christmas?
• How does it make you feel knowing God loves you so much?
• How can we show God’s love to others?
DO
Light the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love candles.
PRAY
“Dear God, thank You for showing Your love by sending Jesus. You kept Your promise to send a Savior,
and You sent Him at just the right time. Help us to always remember how much You love us—so much
that You sent Your own Son to rescue us. And help us remember the true meaning of Christmas as we
celebrate with our family and friends. We love You, and we pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.”
CHRIST CANDLE
READ
John 1:1-5, 14
The “Word” John is talking about is Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He has been with God
from the beginning, giving life and breath to all things. Christmas is the celebration that Jesus became
like us. He lived and died and rose again, so that we could have life that lasts forever with God.
This Christmas let’s celebrate that Jesus came to rescue us and God is always with us.
ASK
• What’s your favorite thing about Christmas? Why?
• How can we focus on Jesus this Christmas?
• How can we stay focused on Jesus throughout the whole year?
DO
Light all five candles with the Christ candle last.
PRAY
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending Jesus to be a light in this
world that can seem so dark. This Christmas, keep us focused on Jesus, the true reason for why
we celebrate. As we remember how much You love us, help us know how we can show Your love to
others this Christmas. We love You. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Such a weird time that we're lighting Advent wreath candles via the Internet! Thank you for making the readings available, Shawna!
-Cindy in CO