Lighting of the Advent Wreath Year
C December 3, 2006
The Rev. Sheila N. McJilton, St David's Episcopal Church, Wilmington, DE
Advent I
Reader #1: Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for God to send divine love and light into our dark world.
Reader #2: How does this happen?
Reader #1: God’s light comes through Jesus, who became a human being just like you and me, so that he could show us the way back to God’s divine love and light.
Congregation: “Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Reader #3: A reading from the prophet Jeremiah: “The Lord said, ‘I made a wonderful promise to Israel and Judah, and the days are coming when I will keep it. I promised that the time will come when I will appoint a king from the family of David, a king who will be honest and rule with justice. In those days, Judah will be safe; Jerusalem will have peace and will be named ‘The LORD Gives Justice.’” [1]
Reader #1: Today, we wait for the coming of Jesus. We begin in the dark, and on this first Sunday of Advent, we light the first candle.
First candle is lit. While this is being done, the following is read:
Reader #2: Every week in Advent, we will light another candle. Each candle that we light will remind us that the Light of the World will soon come to us in the human form of the baby Jesus.
Congregation: The Kingdom of God is drawing near. May we prepare our hearts with God’s peace, God’s justice, and God’s love. Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath Year C December 10, 2006
Advent II
Reader #1: Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for God to send divine love and light into our dark world.
Reader #2: How does this happen?
Reader #1: God’s light comes through Jesus, who became a human being just like you and me, so that he could show us the way back to God’s divine love and light.
Congregation: “Merciful God, give us grace to heed the warnings of the prophets and forsake our sins, so that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.”
Reader #3: A reading from the prophet Malachi: “I the LORD All-Powerful, will send my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will appear in his temple. The messenger you desire is coming with my promise, and he is on his way.”[2]
Reader #1: We continue to wait for the coming of Jesus. Last Sunday, we began in the dark, then lit one candle. Today, on the second Sunday of Advent, we light two candles.
First and second candles are lit. While this is being done, the following is read:
Reader #2: Every week in Advent, we light another candle. Each candle that we light reminds us that the Light of the World will soon come to us in the human form of the baby Jesus.
Congregation: The Way of the Lord is being prepared in our hearts. May every valley be filled and every mountain and hill be made low. May the crooked paths be made straight and the rough ways smooth. When our Lord comes, may all of us then see the salvation of God. Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath Year C December 17, 2006
Advent III
Reader #1: Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for God to send divine love and light into our dark world.
Reader #2: How does this happen?
Reader #1: God’s light comes through Jesus, who became a human being just like you and me, so that he could show us the way back to God’s divine love and light.
Congregation: “Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us. Let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Reader #3: A reading from the prophet Zephaniah: “Jerusalem, the time is coming, when it will be said to you: ‘Don’t be discouraged or grow weak from fear! The LORD your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.”[3]
Reader #1: We continue to wait for the coming of Jesus. Last Sunday, we began in the dark, and then we lit two candles. Today, on the third Sunday of Advent, we light three candles.
First, second and third candles are lit. While this is being done, the following is read:
Reader #2: Every week in Advent, we light another candle. Each candle that we light reminds us that the Light of the World will soon come to us in the human form of the baby Jesus, the Messiah who will show us the way back to God.
Congregation: The Messiah is on the way to us. As we prepare for his coming, may we repent of our sins. May we remember our baptisms with water. May we be ready to be baptized with God’s Holy Spirit and fire. May we be ready to help our Lord proclaim the good news of God’s love to all people, so that the world will be filled with joy. Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath Year C December 24, 2006
Advent IV
Reader #1: Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. We wait for God to send divine love and light into our dark world.
Reader #2: How does this happen?
Reader #1: God’s light comes through Jesus, who became a human being just like you and me, so that he could show us the way back to God’s divine love and light.
Congregation: Purify us, O God, by your daily visitation, so that when your Son Jesus Christ comes, he will find in us a mansion prepared for himself. We thank you for this time of waiting. We thank you that our time of waiting for Jesus is almost over. May we await the Light of the World with joyful anticipation, through Christ our Lord.
Reader #3: A reading from the prophet Micah: “The Lord will choose one of your people to rule the nation—someone whose family goes back to ancient times. The LORD will abandon Israel only until this ruler is born, and the rest of his family returns to Israel. Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of the LORD his God. His people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness, because he will bring peace.[4]
Reader #1: We continue to wait for the coming of Jesus. Each Sunday during Advent, we have begun in the dark, then we have lit candles. Today, we light all four candles.
All four Advent candles are lit. While this is being done, the following is read:
Reader #2: Each candle that we light reminds us that the Light of the World will soon come to us in the human form of Jesus. Now, at the end of Advent, all four candles burn bright with the hope of God who will come to us. Tonight, when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, we will finally light the center candle that symbolizes the Christ Child.
Congregation: Our time of waiting is almost over. Blessed are we who, with Mary and Elizabeth, believe there will be a fulfillment of God’s promise to us. May we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus. When he comes to us, may we be ready to help him scatter the proud, bring down the powerful, lift up the lowly. May God fill the hungry with good things. May all of God’s people know fullness, justice, peace and love when the Light shines its brightness over our world, when the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. Amen.
[1] Jeremiah 33:14-16, from Contemporary English Version of the Bible (CEV), The American Bible Society, 1995.
[2] Malachi 3:1, from Contemporary English Version of the Bible (CEV), The American Bible Society, 1995.
[3] Zephaniah 3:16-17, from Contemporary English Version of the Bible (CEV), The American Bible Society, 1995.
[4] Micah 5:2-5a, from Contemporary English Version of the Bible (CEV), The American Bible Society, 1995.
