Welcome
Before you begin this week, gather:
- A circle form (this can be a florist wreath form made of foam or metal, or a pre-formed Advent wreath).
- Four purple or blue candles,
- One white pillar candle,
- Greenery (natural or artificial).
- Matches or a lighter.
One: Today we celebrate the beginning of Advent. We wait for the coming of Jesus.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: We begin with a circle to remind us of God’s unending love and presence.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: We bring evergreens to remind us the hope we find knowing Jesus is eternal.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: We gather four candles to mark the four weeks of joy and anticipation as we wait for the babe in the manger and the coming of Christ again.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: The candles remind us that Jesus is the light of the world.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: Four candles are purple as a reminder to prepare for Jesus’ coming.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: One candle is white, in the center of our wreath, a symbol for the purity of Jesus.
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
One: Today we light the first candle and remember to wait for Jesus our Messiah, Savior and …
All: Emmanuel, God with us.
(Place the first purple or blue candle in the candle holder and light the first candle.)
God sightings and prayer offerings
Invite each person to share where they saw or experienced God this week. Invite each person to share something — a person, community, experience, event, etc. – for which they want to offer prayer.
Good and gracious God, we thank you for all the ways you were and are present in our lives and in the world. [Invite each person to say aloud the sighting they named earlier.] We bring our prayers to you, prayers for… [invite each person to say aloud the prayer need they named earlier]. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
Connecting with Scripture: Psalm 80:1-7
Read the Scripture aloud the first time using the New Revised Standard Version or the Common English Bible.
For the second reading of the text, especially if there are children in your family, you may want to use this explanation:
Today is the first day of the new Church Year. Each year, the church tells the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection so that we can learn and know this very important story of faith. This new Church Year always begins four Sundays before Christmas in the season called Advent and continues all the way through the Sunday near Thanksgiving called Christ the King Sunday. Every week we hear a story about God’s great love for us in Jesus Christ and how God continues to be with us through the Holy Spirit. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. During the next four weeks we wait and watch and prepare for the coming of Jesus. Many, many years ago – before Jesus was born – God’s people in ancient Israel forgot to love God by loving their neighbor. They disappointed God and failed to be faithful. The consequences of their behavior were living in a foreign land without a king of their own. The good news was and is, despite their unfaithfulness, God is always faithful and always loving. God did not abandon them and promised to send a new king to save them and bring them back into a better relationship with God. Like us, they waited for the new Savior King. In today’s Scripture, Psalm 80, the people are praying and asking how long it will be before God gives them this new king. They promise to never turn away from God again if only the new king would hurry up and come rescue them.
Connecting through story
Watch this story from Steve Hartman’s “On the Road” about a waiting widow and a town’s remembrance and celebration of a sacrifice for life.
- Why did Mrs. Harris wait all those years even when she did not know exactly what happened to her husband?
- How did she show her love and commitment to the vows she took?
- Why did the town celebrate his life and remember his sacrifice each year?
Connecting with our lives
Engage in dialogue:
- What are God’s people waiting for in today’s Scripture?
- Why are the waiting?
- Why is it hard to wait?
- Why is it important to wait for something that matters?
- What do you do when you are waiting for something important like a visit from a loved one?
- What are we waiting for in the season of Advent?
- Why is Advent a celebration of love?
- Why is it a celebration of sacrifice?
- What will you wait for in this season of Advent and why?
- How will you wait?
- How will you celebrate God’s love and sacrifice in Jesus?
Teaching points that can be incorporated into your discussion:
- Advent comes from the Latin word meaning “to come” or coming. It begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas Day. It marks the beginning of the Church Year.
- Advent is a time of preparation and expectation as we celebrate the coming of Christ — as he came to earth the first time as babe in a manger and as he will come again as the King of Kings.
- Purple has been the traditional color for Advent symbolizing “penitence” or a feeling of sorrow. It is the same color that is used during Lent. In recent years some churches have moved to using blue candles for Advent, which symbolizes hope. Either color is appropriate for this liturgical season.
- One candle is lit each Sunday during Advent until all the candles are lit. As the new candle is lit, the ones from the previous week are re-lit. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
- Some churches use the same color blue or purple candles for all four weeks. Some churches use three purple or blue and one pink. The tradition of using a pink candle is from the ancient Roman Catholic church’s practice of connecting Advent and lent. The pink symbolized “rejoicing” or “joy.”
- The symbolism of the candles varies among Protestant traditions. Sometimes the candles stand for words that help us understand the season of Advent better: wait, prepare, hope, joy or love. Sometimes the candles are aspects of the Nativity that help us hear the familiar story in a new way: prophets, Bethlehem, shepherds and angels. No matter what names we give the candles each year, the purpose is the same: to prepare our hearts, minds and lives for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Create your Advent wreath from the items you assembled in the opening ritual. There are several instructional videos on YouTube that range from using live greenery to artificial materials. You can also purchase a ceramic or metal form that can be used year after year. No matter your choice, you will need a circle with four places for purple or blue candles and a white taller candle in the middle.
Prayer
Close your time together by praying for one another, your neighbor, community and the world. Extinguish the candle.
REBECCA DAVIS is the associate professor of Christian education at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. A teaching elder and certified educator, she served congregations for over 20 years before moving into academic teaching. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, her passion is child advocacy and ministry.
