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Advent Candles 2020: hope, peace, joy, love

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Hope: Sunday, November 29, 2020
Today we light the candle of hope. As the flame begins to burn on this first candle of Advent, we are reminded how far we’ve come. From our ancestors of the faith who walked in the wilderness for 40 years, to the year that we have all experienced together. Hope does not come from instant gratification. Instead, it comes from a longing inside of us that knows things can be different. And yet, this year we have learned how to wait and hope at the same time.

As we light the candle of hope, we acknowledge a longing inside of all of us. We acknowledge the tension between waiting and hoping. We acknowledge the stubborn hope that holds us in one with each other as we begin our journey through Advent.

Prayer: Holy God, we thank you for the gift of hope that we find in Christ Jesus. Remind us of your presence as we live another week of hoping and longing. Amen.

 

Peace: Sunday, December 6, 2020
Today we light the candle of peace, along with the candle of hope. Lighting this second candle reminds us of the complexity of what it means to feel peace this year. With a year full of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear, the peace candle invites us into a safe and secure space where we can just be.

As we light the candle of peace, we acknowledge the times this year when peace has felt too far away. We acknowledge the times when our peace has felt insecure. We acknowledge our shared desire for your safe presence of peace as we continue in our Advent journey.

Prayer: Holy God, we thank you for the gift of peace that is found in Christ Jesus. Remind us of the safety and security of your peace as we enter into another week. Amen.

 

Joy: Sunday, December 13, 2020
Today we light the candle of hope, the candle of peace, and the pink candle- the candle of joy. This candle is also known as the Mary candle. Mary demonstrates for us the grace, humility, and determination of the woman who carried the Incarnate Joy of the world- Christ Jesus. Mary reminds us that we, too, carry this same Joy in our lives as we live in a world that lifts up the powerful over the lowly, the prideful over the humble, and the strong over the weak.

As we light this candle of joy, we acknowledge how hard it is to feel joy this year. We acknowledge Mary as a teacher of how to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. We acknowledge our shared Incarnate Joy of Christ within us as we continue our journey of Advent.

Prayer: Holy God, we thank you for the gift of joy that is found in Christ Jesus. Remind us of this Incarnate Joy within us as we enter into another week ahead. Amen.

 

Love: Sunday, December 20, 2020
Today we light the candle of love, along with the candle of hope, the candle of peace, and the candle of joy. On this last Sunday in Advent, we invite the fruit of love to enter our hearts. Love has looked different this year. It has been in the manufactured silence of shared screens. It has been in the wearing of masks for our neighbors. It has been in the abrupt adaptability of our daily lives.

This candle reminds us that love has no bounds in the midst of a time of strict boundaries. The active, intentional lighting of the candle of love allows us to acknowledge how love has changed us this year. How love has comforted us this year. How love has invited us into a warm candle-lit Advent Wreath through our screens as we prepare for Christmas.

Prayer: Holy God, we thank you for this gift of love that is found in Christ Jesus. Remind us of this love in our lives as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. Amen.

 

Christ: Friday, December 25, 2020
Today we light the candle of hope, the candle of peace, the candle of joy, the candle of love, and the Christ candle. We have one thing to say today: Christ has finally come. Hope, peace, joy, and love have finally come. The darkness of Advent has passed, and the light of Christmas invites us into the warm glow of the completed Advent Wreath.

As we light this candle, we sit in the knowing and affirming that Christ is here. Christ is now.

Prayer: Holy God, we thank you for the birth of your Son, Christ Jesus, who demonstrates for us the gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love. Grant us attentive and inviting spirits to these gifts as we enter the Christmas season. Amen.

 

Submitted by Meredith Menius, Ardmore United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, NC

POP: spark hope

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God of promise,
We come to you this day, at the start of a new season, waiting.
Your children, O Lord, are waiting to be seen.
We remember those among us who are feeling forgotten or alone or misunderstood. Grant them assurance that they are whole, and wholly yours, just the way they are.
May your Spirit spark in them hope, and inspire us to do our part in making it so.
Your children, O Lord, are waiting to be home.
Whether they have fled their old ones for a better life, been pushed out of them by others because of who they are, or whether they have slipped through systemic cracks to end up on the street, grant belonging and rest to unwilling wanderers.
May your Spirit spark in them hope, and inspire us to do our part in making it so.
Your children, O Lord, are waiting for justice.
We acknowledge those among us who have been victims of systems set up to make them fail.
May your Spirit spark in them hope, and inspire us to do our part in making it so.
Your children, O Lord, are waiting for healing.
Hold close those who are hurting in body or mind, whatever the reason. Grant them strength, courage, and the help they need.
May your Spirit spark in them hope, and inspire us to do our part in making it so.
Your children, O Lord, are waiting for peace.
Our country and world are fractured, and doing the hard word of making it better can feel insurmountable.
May your Spirit spark in us hope, and inspire us to do our part in making it so.
Faithful God, whatever our own uncertainties, breathe hope into our lungs and courage into our hearts. Not the easy or comfortable kind, but grant us, O God, hope in the unexpected promise of a world-changing child born from the humblest of beginnings. Grant us comfort in the words that that child would teach us to pray together: Our Father, who art in heaven. . .
Submitted by Rev. Allison Wehrung, Presbytery of St. Andrew (Oxford, MS)

Advent Candles: God-With-Us

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Week 1
(Ezekiel 34)

One: Immanuel, God-with-us
One: Incarnate, taking-on-flesh
All: Right here, right now.
One: Light in the shadows,
One: Flickering yet strong,
All: Leading us in the way.
One: We light a candle of hope,
that we might better see our Good Shepherd,
our with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
~candle is lit~

Sing: O Come O Come Emmanuel, verse 1 and “Wisdom”

 

Week 2
(Isaiah 42.1-9, 56.1-8)

One: Immanuel, God-with-us
One: Incarnate, taking-on-flesh
All: Right here, right now.
One: Light in the shadows,
One: Flickering yet strong,
All: Leading us in the way.
One: We light a candle of peace,
that we might better see the good reason we are called
by our with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
~candle is lit~

Sing: O Come O Come Emmanuel verse 1 and “Desire of Nations”

 

Week 3
(Jeremiah 31.1-25)

One: Immanuel, God-with-us
One: Incarnate, taking-on-flesh
All: Right here, right now.
One: Light in the shadows,
One: Flickering yet strong,
All: Leading us in the way.
One: We light a candle of joy,
that we might better see the way to good relationship
with our with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
~candle is lit~

Sing: O Come O Come Emmanuel verse 1 and “Key of David”

 

Week 4
(Matthew 1.18-25)

One: Immanuel, God-with-us
One: Incarnate, taking-on-flesh
All: Right here, right now.
One: Light in the shadows,
One: Flickering yet strong,
All: Leading us in the way.
One: We light a candle of love,
that we might better see the good news
of our with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
~candle is lit~

Sing: O Come O Come Emmanuel, verse 1 and “Dayspring”

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, St. John’s Church of Scotland, Gourock

** “with-us God who sits down in our mids to share our humanity” is from an affirmation in the Iona Abbey Worship Book.

(we will be using this with two voices alternating the “one” lines, but it could be done with one leader and the congregation responding.)

Advent Wreath Prayers (Any Year)

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Week 1: Hope Candle

Reader: The first candle on the Advent wreath reminds us to think of hope. We hope for many things. We hope to finish what we start. We hope that the sermon is short. We hope for long lives for people we love. We hope that God will save us from hard times and painful lessons. Hope is the shape of our work and our words, while we wait for a future that only God knows.

Light the candle

All: Holy and gracious God, your mercy and constancy are the headwaters of our hope. Our desires for Your promised future flow out of Your past and present faithfulness. We thank you, O God. Our hope is in you. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Week 2: Peace Candle

Reader: The first candle on the Advent wreath was the candle for hope. The second candle reminds us to pray and work for peace. We are also called, through the Holy Spirit, to look for the signs of God’s peace in the world. Peace is not merely the absence of fighting or war. Peace is the restoration of relationships within creation and between peoples and nations to their true order, which bring glory to their Creator.

Light the candle

All: Holy and life-giving God, your Son, our Savior, carries the title “Prince of Peace”. You have called us to imitate Him in thought, word, and deed. Let us seek to be peacemakers in our homes, in the community, and in the world. We thank you, God, for Your peace, which passes all understanding. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Week 3: Joy Candle

Reader: The first candle on the Advent wreath is for hope and the second is for peace. The third candle we light is for joy. Advent is a season of waiting. Even as we wait for the fulfillment of all God’s good plans, we find joy in the work of God all around us. The Spirit calls us to joy in our vocations- paid and unpaid work, relationships, and service. We find joy in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. We cherish the joy of Mary and Joseph, of Elizabeth and Zechariah, of the shepherds and the angels, and of the whole creation.

Light the candle

All: Holy and compassionate God, your faithfulness in all things produces the harvest of our joy. We rejoice in You, always. Even in our seasons of doubt and darkness, we can find joy in the presence of Christ in our neighbors and the witness of the Holy Spirit in creation. Stir up our holy joy, that we may share it with all whom we encounter for the sake of Your gospel. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Week 4: Love Candle

Reader: We have lit candles for hope, peace, and joy. The fourth candle on the Advent wreath is for love. In this season of waiting, we are called to remember that God has always so loved the world. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, it was not a new development. Jesus’ birth was in keeping with the Divine self-revelation that has existed since the before the beginning of time. God’s love is for all people, in all places, in all times. God’s love does not end and there is nothing, human or spiritual, that can separate us from that love, poured out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Light the candle.

All: Holy and loving God, Your love is the greatest gift of our lives. It brings us into this world and it meets us in the life of the world to come. May Your love so shape our lives that our daily actions reveal Your light to the world. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Christmas Eve: Christ Candle

Reader: The Advent candles burned brightly, drawing our hearts and minds to hope, peace, joy, and love. Now, at last, on Christmas Eve, we light our Christ Candle. This candle is the center of our celebration, just as Christ has a place at the very center of our lives. Jesus Christ is the anchor of our hope, the bringer of true peace, the source of all joy, and the witness of love between family members, neighbors, friends, and those who were formerly enemies. On this day, and all days, we celebrate the gift of God coming into the world, as one of us, to learn and grow and suffer as one of us. In the same way, even as he lived as a full human being, Jesus was the Christ, God’s anointed, who had the fullness of God within himself- the power to bring life out of death. We celebrate Christ’s birth. We give thanks for Christ’s life and resurrection. We rejoice in Christ’s presence in the world today. We anticipate the promise of Christ’s future, when all will be made new.

Light the Candle

All: God of all glory, this day and all days belong to you. You alone are worthy of our full praise, devotion, and thanksgiving. We, who have so much, dare to ask for one more thing. We humbly ask that you fill our hearts with Christmas grace- the power to restore, to welcome, to celebrate, and to see Christ’s power brought forth in this world. Pour this Christmas grace into our heart and give it substance in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. In Christ’s own name, we pray. Amen. 

Submitted by Rev Julia Seymour, Big Timber Lutheran Church, MT

Transfiguration Affirmation

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Our hope is God, our holy Parent,
who makes all things and from whom all blessings flow.
God’s faithfulness is the anchor of our hope.

Our trust is in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
More than a teacher,
His life, death, and resurrection giving meaning to our existence.
Christ’s faithfulness tethers us to holy mystery.

Our trust is in the Holy Spirit.
Blowing over and through creation, unexpected and untamed,
The Spirit stirs forgiveness, fruitfulness, and creates families.
The Spirit’s faithfulness ties together past, present, and future.

Holy Trinity, One God, we believe you transfigure our faith. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Julia Seymour, Lutheran Church of Hope, Anchorage, AK