Advent Candle Lighting Liturgy 2017
Advent Candle Lighting Liturgy 1 Advent 3 December 2017 Song: sing verses 1 and 2 of “Light a Candle in a Darkened Place” by Care Stainsby 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Regardless of the persecution Paul suffered, God is rich in faithfulness and love; which by turn keeps us strengthened as we walk with God and as we follow God’s guidance and leading. As we meditate on God’s faithfulness this season, let us, like Paul, have hearts full of encouragement towards those we serve, lead and shepherd. May we humble ourselves before the Lord, put others first and open our eyes to those who need uplifting and encouragement, and may we open our hearts and arms to embrace all with the love of the Lord. The circumstances on the ground continue to be difficult in this part of the world, and around the world, however; we have a great mission to present ourselves blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since God has called us into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ, then surely, we are also called to fellowship with one another through Christ. Light the 1st candle. Let us pray, “come Lord Jesus, transform us in God’s image in order that we can faithfully reach out to all in need. This Advent, prepare our lives for your amazing grace to be realized in us, so that we can stand for justice and love in this world.” Amen. Written by Michael Arteen who is serving with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church serving as chaplain at Bethlehem Bible College. Candle lighting liturgy provided by the Methodist Liaison office in Jerusalem, through the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, The Methodist Church of Great Britain, and the World Methodist Council of Churches. www.methodist-laision.org ************************************************************ Candle Lighting 2 Advent 10 December 2017 Song: sing verses 1 and 3 of “Light a Candle in a Darkened Place” by Care Stainsby Prophets are needed today in our world, in our churches. They awaken us to realities that we would rather stay hidden. They challenge our comfort and complacency and, as Jesus did, turn our worlds upside down. And because of that, they are…