Candle Lighting 

 Today we relight the candle of HOPE. Now we light the candle for the second Sunday in Advent. This is the candle of PEACE. As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, we remember that Jesus is our hope and our peace.

Reading: Luke 1:68-79

Devotional - The Promise of a Child

Old Zechariah was promised something that seemed too good to be true: The Angel Gabriel told him his old, barren wife would give birth to a son. Zechariah thought it too good to be true. People like them don't have babies. So Zechariah asked the angel for a sign, something to prove the promise true. The angel gave him a sign: Zechariah didn't speak again until his son was born. When he finally spoke again, he sang a song of prophecy. He used language from his Bible (the Old Testament) to praise God for keeping his promises and delivering his people. He also said his son, John, would tell people to do what Zechariah didn't do: Take God at his word.

Shedding Some Light...

When we sing the songs of Advent, in many ways we are singing the song of Zechariah. We sing songs founded on the images and promises of hope and expectation. We sing of promises fulfilled (God has visited and redeemed his people); we sing, longing for promises to be fulfilled. For the past two thousand years, God's people have waited for Jesus' return. Every year we remember his birth and the advent of the good news of his work. As we remember, we also hunger and long for him to visit his people once again and complete the work of redemption in our lives and in his created world.

Adults' Prayer: Dear Father, help us to be rooted in the salvation history of your people. Help us to find hope and rest in your mighty works in history. During this season especially, quicken our spirits to meditate on the birth of Jesus Christ in history, the continued gift and work of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus' promised return. Amen.

Children's Prayer: God, don't let the celebration of Christmas and all that it brings cause us to stop

longing for your return to earth to make everything right-forever.

Jesus Storybook Bible Reference p. 200

Advent Hymn: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear