Love

Prayer of Preparation: O God, we give you thanks for choosing to enter our world as Emmanuel, God-with-us. As we journey through Advent, let us know you light and presence. We actively wait for you to enter our lives again in a new way that we may know your love is truly written upon our hearts. Amen.

Lighting of the Advent Candle

Voice 1: In Advent, we wait upon the Lord: awaiting signs of hope, peace, joy, and love. We gather this morning in hopeful expectation. We gather to give praise to God for the promise that the Christ child will be born to us again this year.

Voice 2: We gather this morning with anticipation, awaiting God’s light in our lives, awaiting God’s presence that comes to the dark places in our hearts and in our world. Yet, we confess that, at times, it is hard for us to see the blessings that God has for us. Love is a risk, but it is a risk upon which the very heart of our life depends.

Voice 1: Today we light the first candle, remembering God’s promise of a savior that will come to us and shine the light of hope into our lives.

Voice 2: We light a second candle, knowing that the expectation lies upon us to prepare our hearts and minds for Jesus’ coming.

Voice 1: We light the third candle with anticipation, confident of the imminent birth of hope and redemption that will be born again into our world and into our lives.

Call to Worship

We gather in preparation for good news is about to be proclaimed.

We gather in anticipation for a sign that God is breaking through to save the world.

We gather in expectation for a baby to be born, in whose presence we know as God-is-with-us.

We gather to await Love made flesh, the One incarnate for others, the light of God.

Prayer of Confession

O Loving God, our world is torn by violence and death; our peace depends on your coming. We sin against others; our forgiveness depends on your coming. Emmanuel, God with us, our world waits: for your peace, for your mercy, for your grace. Emmanuel, come quickly, we pray. Show us the light of your face, that we may be saved. Amen.