Description
Bring the comfort of God’s presence into your congregation’s Advent worship with “Comfort, Comfort: An Advent Candle Liturgy,” written by the Rev. Dr. Laura Strauss.
Grounded in the hymn “Comfort, Comfort Now My People” (Glory to God #87), this liturgy acknowledges that Advent does not arrive in a world free from weariness, grief or uncertainty. Instead, week by week, it invites worshipers to receive hope, peace, joy and love as gifts of God’s grace — culminating on Christmas Eve with the lighting of the Christ candle and the proclamation that Emmanuel is with us.
Designed for use with an Advent wreath, the resource includes responsive readings, prayers, Scripture and candle-lighting instructions for each of the four Sundays of Advent and Christmas Eve. Drawing especially from the prophet Isaiah, the liturgy makes space for the realities people carry into worship while continually pointing toward the comfort and promise of Christ.
Why choose “Comfort, Comfort”?
- Honest about the season: This liturgy does not ask worshipers to manufacture holiday cheer. It makes room for weariness, longing and struggle while proclaiming the enduring presence of God.
- Follows the traditional Advent themes: Each week centers one of the Advent candles — Hope, Peace, Joy and Love — before culminating with the Christ candle on Christmas Eve.
- Rooted in Scripture and song: The recurring words of “Comfort, Comfort Now My People” provide a thread throughout the season, accompanied by readings from Isaiah that deepen each week’s theme.
- Created for congregational participation: With parts for multiple readers, prayers and clear candle-lighting directions, the liturgy can easily be incorporated into weekly worship and shared among children, youth, families, elders or other members of the congregation.
- Offers comfort without easy answers: Throughout the resource, hope, peace, joy and love are presented not as feelings worshipers must summon for themselves, but as gifts received through Christ. On Christmas Eve, the liturgy brings this message to its culmination: “Christ has come. Emmanuel is with us.”
Use “Comfort, Comfort” throughout Advent to create a consistent rhythm of watching, waiting and receiving. Whether the candles are lit by families, individuals, ministry teams or different generations within the congregation, this liturgy can help your community name the realities of the world while turning together toward the light of Christ.
About the author
The Rev. Dr. Laura Strauss is the pastor of Sunset Hills United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. She loves exploring the places where faith meets the beautiful, complicated realities of ordinary life. You can often find her hiking with her husband and son, or curled in a chair with a good book.
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