PRAYER IN PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP: Who are we, Lord God, that You should come to us? Yet, You have visited Your people and redeemed us in Your Son. As we prepare to celebrate his birth, make our hearts leap for joy at the sound of Your word, and move us by Your Spirit to bless Your wonderful works. Amen.
LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH OF LOVE
L: In this season of Advent, we celebrate God’s love.
P: Soon we will welcome the beautiful and radical love of God as Jesus Christ comes to live among us.
L: We embrace our identity as beloved children and let this truth guide our decisions and relationships.
P: In our homes and in our church we offer warm hospitality by welcoming those we don’t know, those who are in need, and those who are different from us.
L: We demonstrate our care for creation in real and tangible ways through the products we buy, the food we eat, and the way we live every day.
P: Together, we are a sign of God’s love in the world.
Unison Prayer
God of extravagant generosity, in Jesus we discover the depth of your care and the lengths you will go to save us. Forgive us when we ignore the needy, trample your creation and refuse to share all that we receive from you. Teach us to love our neighbors, caring for each other in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Lord, You have declared that you and your word are the light of the world, and you have entrusted this light to us so that it could illuminate our lives and shine forth into our dark world. But Lord, we have hidden the light you have given us and not let it change our lives. We have allowed it to shine only in the presence of others who possess your light and have not let it shine forth in the darkness around us. Forgive us Lord. Help us to let the light that you have given us shine brightly in the darkness so that others may be drawn to you, through us. AMEN.
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