ADVENT
(A Family Worship)
First Sunday of Advent
December 2, 2012
Mother: Let's open by singing "Come Thou Long-expected Jesus." #196
Sing:
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart. A-men.
Father: This is the first Sunday of the Advent season. The word Advent means come to. What are we "coming to"?
Child: We are coming to Christmas, the birthday of Jesus.
Child: We want to remember Jesus. He came to teach us about God and about how we should live.
Child: Who sent Jesus?
Mother: God sent Him. God had promised his people a special gift. This gift was His love as shown in Jesus.
Father: Here's a promise in a book in the Bible written many many years before Jesus was born: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given" (Isaiah 9: 6a)
Child: What are the candles for?
Father: These are the Advent candles, one for each Sunday until Christmas Day and one for Christmas Day.
Child: We will light the first candle to remind us of the promise God made to His people.
Mother: The people of that far gone day were in darkness; the darkness of moral decay and corrupt government. Some of the leaders were dishonest; many people were not living as they should; and many were hungry and poor.
Child: We have the same thing in our world now!
Child: Is there hope for us, too?
Father: The prophet who told us of God's promise also warned us that we will have to change and start living right.
Child: How do we know what to do?
Mother: We are luckier than those people long ago, because we know about Jesus, the life He lived, and the things He taught. He taught us how to live.
All: (Pray) Dear God, we're sorry that we don't always do the right things. Show us how to love one another, be honest with each other, and care for each other. Amen.
Mother: Let us sing "Dear Lord and Father of mankind". #358
Sing:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
Father: This time of Advent is a time to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus. We should try to love each other and be truthful. We could be helpful at home, and find ways to help others who are hurting or need food, shelter, and clothing.
Child: Let's sing "O come O Come Immanuel." #211
Sing:
O come, O come, Immanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Devise an Advent wreath (circular)
to hold four candles (3 purple and 1 pink). A center position in the middle of
the circle may hold a single white candle (the Christ candle) to be lit on
Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning. Do not use Styrofoam for the wreath as it
is very flammable. Green leaves/vines to symbolize eternal life may decorate
the wreath and also purple ribbon to signify royalty. Revise the above
suggested worship to suit your families. Please note that songs/hymns listed
may be spoken instead of sung. Hymn numbers listed are from the United
Methodist Hymnal 1989. The next page is for the Second Sunday of Advent
which is December 9, 2012.
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