Advent Candle Lighting Litanies, 2021

Week 1

Narrator 1: Happy New Year’s!

Narrator 2: It’s not New Years. It’s a month away.

Narrator 1: No it’s really New Years Day on the Christian Calendar. The first week of Advent begins the New Christian year.

Narrator 2: What is Advent? I hear it has something to do with Christmas.

Narrator 1: a lot of people think that. But, actually, Advent has been celebrated long before the Church celebrated Christmas day.

Narrator 2: I have always heard it is a time of preparation in our hearts for the coming of the Christ child into the manger.

Narrator 1: Actually, Advent anticipates the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the age. This is what we really need to prepare for.

Narrator 2: How does the end of time as we know it relate to the end of time?

Narrator 1: When the Lord returns, it will be the first day of eternity in which His people will enjoy eternal life. So it is a new beginning.

Narrator 2: so the real New Year’s is in our future?

Narrator 1: That’s right. the word “advent” can be found in our word “adventure,” This guides us on our Christian journey.

Narrator 2: Tell me more.

Narrator 1: We prepare for the return of the Lord Jesus by reflecting on four Christian themes. These are “hope,” “peace,” “joy,” and “love.” all of these themes point to Christ. This week, we will reflect upon the theme of hope. During this Advent, our Scriptural reading will come from Romans 5:1-8 because all four of these themes can be found there.

Narrator 2: (When the Scripture is read, emphasize the word “hope as it appears in this text) Let us read Romans 5:1-8

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Romans 5:1–8 NKJV

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Narrator 1: Hope is something that hasn’t happened yet, but will. Christian hope is different than worldly hope. Someone might “hope” to win the lottery, but everyone knows how unlikely that would be. the person who starts to plan and spend money in that hope would be foolish indeed.

Narrator 2: So, Christian hope is ordering one’s life in the certainty of Christ’s return.

Narrator 1:That’s right!

Narrator 2: I notice that the word “hope” appears three times in the passage we read.

Narrator 1: Paul tells us that because we have been justified by faith in Christ, we have true hope. We know that we shall see the day that Christ shall appear in glory. This hope sustains us here in our trials and difficulties in this world. We can hope when all seems hopeless because it is not hopeless. We know that Jesus will not disappoint us. He is coming.

Narrator 2: we light the candle of hope this morning in anticipation of the Lord’s return. (Light the first candle (purple).

Narrator 1: Let us pray. Lord, we give you thanks for giving us unquenchable hope. We look forward to the day of your return to earth and the dawn of the eternal kingdom. Help us keep this hope within our hearts, especially when trouble arises all around us. Amen.

Week 2

Narrator 1: We now come to the second Sunday in Advent. we learned last week that Advent is the season in which we prepare for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We also learned that we prepare for the great adventure by reflecting upon the Christian themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.

Narrator 2: This week we will reflect upon the them of peace. (When reading the following text, emphasize the word “peace.) Let us read again from Romans 5:1-8:

Romans 5:1–8 NKJV

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.