ADVENT INTRODUCTION By Rev. Shelly Short The name Advent is a derivative of the Latin term adventus, meaning coming. The Advent season lasts four Sundays. This year s Advent begins on Sunday, December 2 and, as always, ends on December 24. The Advent celebration is both a commemoration of Christ s first coming and an expectation of the second coming of Christ. Israel longed for their Messiah to come, as Christians long for their Savior to return again. The Advent Wreath is a circular, evergreen wreath with five candles: four around the circumference of the wreath and one in the center. There are five Advent readings to coincide with the five candles. There is a reading for each week of Advent (the four Sundays preceding Christmas). Ready-made wreaths with candles can be purchased, or perhaps someone in your congregation would like to create the Advent wreath. The flames of the candles point to the coming of Jesus as the Light of the World. Consider using three purple candles and one rose candle arranged around the wreath. The purple candles represent royalty and are lit on the first, second, and fourth Sundays of Advent. A rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, representing roses to welcome the Christ child s coming. The fifth candle is white, the color associated with angels and the birth of Jesus. This candle is placed in the center of the Advent wreath and is lit on Christmas Eve. 23
ADVENT READINGS By Rev. Dr. James W. Lewis Theme: With Great Joy for All But the angel reassured them. Don t be afraid! he said. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. Luke 2:10, NLT ADVENT READINGS December 2, 2018, Week 1 The Candle of Hope 24 We are surrounded by pervasive spiritual hopelessness, uncertainty, and despair. Yet, in Advent, we are surprised by hope even in the darkest night by God s messenger, proclaiming: I bring you good news. The Shepherds tended their flocks on a hillside in the chill of the Judean night. This was a night like any other night, until they were surprised by an angel who brought God s promise of hope. Suddenly, the Shepherds were surrounded by a dazzling light that struck fear into them. Yet, the angel spoke those words many people yearn to hear today: Do not be afraid. These were the same words spoken to Mary when she was informed that she had found favor with God. Too frequently hope cannot be heard and embraced until our fears are addressed and dispelled. Fears abound in our world today. Fears within and without. Fears of circumstances sure to come; fears of situations possible but highly unlikely; fears brought on by aging bodies, insecure employment, unstable economies, and deteriorating relationships. Fears abound. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield (Psalm 33:20, niv). The people of God yearned in hope for the coming of the Messiah, their Savior and Deliverer. Even in desperate and hopeless times, we struggle to keep hope alive. [We] trust in you; do not let [us] be put to shame, nor let [our] enemies triumph over [us] (Psalm 25:2, niv).
Carol: The Shepherds on that night experienced what hope in God promises in the world today: A peace that attends the promise of hope. As we light the Candle of Hope, help us to remember that for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope (Romans 15:4, niv). From this, we are confident: The hopes and dreams of all the years are met in Jesus Christ. Dear Jesus, we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19a, niv). Amen. COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS, #153, Worship The Lord: Hymnal of the Church of God December 9, 2018, Week 2 The Candle of Love Whenever God speaks, we are called to respond. God is love (1 John 4:16). Let us respond to God s love in this season of Advent. We are reminded of this great truth: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, niv). From Genesis to Revelation, the inexhaustible love of God is revealed toward us and toward all creation. Regardless of our state in life, or the depth and magnitude of human sin, Paul prayed that we may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18 19, niv). Mary, in her song of praise, lifted her voice in response to God s loving favor on her life, saying, My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:46-47, niv). In this season of Advent, we pray that each of us experiences the overflow of God s love: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1, niv). In all areas of life, in all interactions with others, even our enemies, in all decisions we make, may we respond with the same love by which you always love us. 25
Song: As we light the Candle of Love, remind each of us that while faith, hope, and love remain, the greatest of these is love (see 1 Corinthians 13:13). Lord, may we love you with all that we are, and, likewise, may we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Amen. GOD IS LOVE, #102, Worship the Lord: Hymnal of the Church of God December 16, 2018, Week 3 The Candle of Joy The closer to Advent we come, the more we experience the joy like that of a mother after just delivering her newborn baby. The Shepherds keeping watch over their flocks heard good news from Heaven. The good news would cause great joy to erupt for all people (see Luke 2:10). The joy of a new born baby. Not just any baby, but a Savior has been born to [us]; he is the Messiah, the Lord (Luke 2:11, niv). What inexpressible and glorious joy (see 1 Peter 1:8)! Glory to God in the Highest Heaven (Luke 2:14, niv). Many people in the world seek desperately to find this joy in things and stuff things that decay and erode, stuff that diminishes in value. May we put our trust instead on things eternal. Help us to embrace the truth that the joy we seek is only found in a right relationship with the only One who is this world s Good News. As Mary, pregnant with Jesus, greeted Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist, Elizabeth s baby leaped for joy (see Luke 1:44). As we light the Candle of Joy, may we, too, leap for joy at the coming of Jesus the Christ. In today s world, where true joy seems scarce, may we, in this season of Advent, experience great joy in our lives and in our relationships. Joy to the world. Our Savior is come! 26
Carol: Lord, let it be so! Amen. JOY TO THE WORLD! #150, Worship the Lord: Hymnal of the Church of God December 23, 2018, Week 4 The Candle of Peace The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace (Isaiah 59:8, niv). People experience turmoil and chaos within and without. We hear of wars and rumors of wars across the globe, political scandals, persistent racial strife, and uncivil discourse, even among Christians. Lord, we yearn for peace within us, but we desire even more for peace among us. God s peace requires righteousness and justice. There is oppression and injustice in this world. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10, niv). In this season of Advent, we are called to be peacemakers in a world of violence. In this season of Advent, we look for the coming of Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (see Isaiah 9:6). Prince of Peace, we pray you forgive our sins, be a light in the darkness, and heal our lands. The Shepherds keeping their sheep on that cold Judean night heard the angelic chorus sing: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14, niv). As we light the Candle of Peace, may the light of your Spirit inspire us to strive for and pursue peace. With great joy, we desire you to guide us in the path of peace. Amen. Song: REACH OUT AND TOUCH, #533, Worship The Lord: Hymnal of the Church of God 27
Dr. James W. Lewis graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor s degree in mathematics, where he also earned an MBA in finance. He had just begun his career as a CPA with one of the Big Eight accounting firms, Arthur Young & Co., when he felt an inexorable call to serve God through ministry. This call to ministry led him to earn a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Later, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in religion at Duke University and served as the pastor of First Church of God in Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Lewis retired from Anderson University School of Theology, where he served as the Seminary Dean and Professor of Theology and Ethics. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor to South Park Church of God in Houston, Texas. Dr. Lewis enjoys his family and loves Texas. He has two adult daughters, Kimberly and Nicole, and grandchildren. He was happily married for forty-four years to Barbara Lewis, who went to her Heavenly home on March 13, 2017. ADDITIONAL IDEAS Of course, you will want to include traditional ways of highlighting the Christ s Birthday Observance (bulletin boards, a table in the Narthex or lobby, and inclusion in the worship service and bulletins, on your website, and in your media), but here are some additional ideas to help your church make the Observance personal, relational, and meaningful! Remember that any of these projects can be done by individuals, small groups, or the whole congregation, and can be modified for use with all ages. Art Event Have your church share joy by writing, drawing, illustrating, or painting what rejoicing means and how it feels. Encourage creativity. This may be fun to tie in with Project Prayer and your worship services by artistically representing answered prayers and joyful testimonies. 28
Service Projects Lead your congregation in a church wide service project for all ages. This is a great way to shine in your community. If you are in a warmer climate, contact your city and find out what service projects you can do together. What needs to be done? Painting, trash pickup in the park, planting, cleaning? If you are in a cooler climate, consider caroling in your community or taking warm loaves of bread to neighbors of the church. Or plan a menu of service options for your church, and organize groups. Have a large gathering to talk about what you did and to show pictures. Invite some of the people you met to come to your gathering and share what they thought, too! Christmas Baby Shower Select a local women s shelter or program to connect with as a church. Contact the organization and find out its needs. Perhaps you could host a church baby shower for goods and services for the shelter. Go all out and provide refreshments, decorations, and even baby games. Family Service Projects Encourage your families to get involved in the theme by providing ideas for service projects. Possibilities include volunteering on Christmas Day at a local homeless shelter or orphanage. Emphasize to families that this is a great way to talk about how we are not better than others axnd that we can freely share with others what we are given by God. Christmas Brunch or Tea This is a wonderful way to begin the Observance. Plan the brunch or tea for the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. Some churches sell tickets and add the funds to the Christ s Birthday Offering. Have volunteers make seasonal goodies. Use cookie cutters to make finger sandwiches in the shape of snowmen or biscuits in the shape of holly leaves. Invite your church choir to sing Christmas carols while people are gathering and departing. Share the theme with those in attendance, and enlist their prayerful support of the Observance. You may want to provide a meditation journal as a gift for coming, and you may want to read some of the selections aloud for a devotional thought. 29