SermonStudio

Litany

First Sunday Of Advent

(Light the first candle)

Read Romans 13:11-12.

Leader: We light this candle to remind us of Paul's words to "put on the armor of light" which is the Lord Jesus Christ, and "wake from sleep."

This is the time of year we light the candle of hope and love and light in order to put out the darkness of doubt.

All: Sing or read verse 6 of the hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel":

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer

our spirits by thy justice here;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

and death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Leader: "Be strong, and let your heart take courage." (Psalm 27:14)

Prayer: (Unison) God of light and love, work through us to lighten the load of those who sit in darkness waiting for light. Amen.

Church Activity: Place the Nativity scene and Advent wreath on the altar at the worship center. The Wise Men should be placed at a distance from the creche and will come later. Display the words, "Put on the armor of light," above the altar.

Second Sunday Of Advent

(Light the first and then the second candle)

Read Romans 15:12-13.

Leader: We light this candle of joy and peace, believing in the God of hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All: What is that hope?

Leader: Paul wrote, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope."

All: This is the season of hope.

Leader: So get ready!

All: This is our prayer.

Prayer: (Unison) Dear God, in you we hope. Open our hearts and minds to accept, know, and share that hope with others. Amen.

Church Activity: Sit in quiet and comfort and think about hope. Then on a sheet of paper list your blessings. Fold the paper and put it on the altar with thanksgiving and praise. Move the Wise Men a little closer to the manger.

Third Sunday Of Advent

(Light the first, second, and then the third candle)

Read James 5:7-10.

Leader: We light this candle of patience until the coming of the Lord, following the example of the prophets' suffering and patience.

All: We wait for the Lord.

Leader: While we wait, we celebrate the joy of the now. There is an old rabbinic saying that on Judgment Day we will have to give an account of every good thing we might have enjoyed and did not.

All: We wait for the Lord with joy.

Leader: James, the author of our Bible verse, wrote, "Whenever you face trials of any kind, count it all joy ..."

All: We wait for the Lord with joy and patience.

Leader: James also wrote, "Do not grumble against one another." This is the season to see the goodness in everyone and share the joy.

All: With others we wait for the Lord with patience and joy.

Prayer: (Unison) Dear God, let this be our prayer. Amen.

Church Activity: Write a letter to a grandparent, relative, or friend with whom you can share your love and joy.

Fourth Sunday Of Advent

(Light the first, second, third, and then the fourth candle)

Read Romans 1:1-7.

Leader: The time is coming nearer -- the time to welcome Jesus Christ our Lord, descended from David and declared to be Son of God.

All: This is the one for whom we wait.

Leader: Are we ready to be obedient to his grace and peace and love?

All: Yes!

Leader: Then in Paul's words to the Romans, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Prayer: (Unison) Dear God, we thank you for your extraordinary gift of love. Help us share it with others. Amen.

Church Activity: Look at the Nativity scene on the altar and move the Wise Men closer. Write the words, "Advent, Christmas, Epiphany," and any others you wish on paper and record what images come to mind. Write the words as fast as they come and then write other words triggered from what you have written.

Christmas Eve

(Light the first, second, third, and fourth candle)

Read Luke 2:1-20.

(Light the white center candle as the "Christ candle")

Leader: "For God so loved the world, God gave his only son." (John 3:16)

All: That love came down at Christmas.

Leader:

The gift of love begins in the heart,

In the thought of the one who cares,

In the time that it takes to think and plan

For the love that the giver shares.

The gift of love is a simple gift,

No matter how large or how small,

For the giver offering himself

Is the greatest gift of all.

All: What can we give to God that is ours to give, in return for that love?

Leader: Saint Catherine of Siena was once asked this, and she replied that the only thing we can offer God that is of value to God is to give our love to people who are as unworthy of it as we are.

Prayer: (Unison)

The world's at love and peace tonight.

It started long ago,

When one small baby in a stall

Was born so all might know

That God is never far away,

Because of that first Christmas Day. Amen.

Church Activity: Create a Christmas cinquain, expressing in five lines your thoughts, feelings, and images about Christmas, using the following format:

1. The subject of the poem: Christmas

2. Two adjectives describing the subject: i.e., joyous, beautiful

3. Three verbs telling what the subject does: i.e., gives, receives, rejoices

4. A four-word phrase expressing your feeling about the subject: exhilarated by God's love

5. Another word for the subject: i.e., love

Bring the Wise Men a little closer to the manger.

Epiphany

Bring the Wise Men to the manger.

Read Matthew 2:1-12.

Leader: This is the day we celebrate the coming of the Wise Men from far away, bringing their gifts to Jesus.

All: Each person is invited to write a poem or prayer or draw a picture concerning the gift or gifts they would bring. We will place these things beside the manger.

Prayer: (Unison) Dear God, help us to share your great love and Good News with others. Amen.