Happy Advent Sunday! It’s Week Four of Advent. We are nearing the end of Advent since Christmas Eve and the arrival of our Lord Jesus is nearly upon us.
To celebrate, each Advent Sunday we read scripture and Bible verses, bake something to go with it and do our Advent candles. A sweet friend has shared these scriptures and prayers with us and I am sharing them with you.
Here’s a quick overview:
Sunday 4 — Love: Angel’s Candle (purple)
Christmas Eve — Christ’s Candle (white)
Let’s get started!
Sunday 4 — Love:
The Candle of Love
Love is like a candle shining in a dark place. As we look at the light of this candle we celebrate the love we have in Christ.
Advent love is about God’s ultimate gift of His Son, Jesus, for us. It is a profound act of sacrificial love for us all.
Today’s Song is: O Come All Ye Faithful
Today’s Food is: Eggnog Pancakes
Today’s Prayer: Father, all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Lift our minds in watchful hope to hear the voice which announces his glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares us for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Lighting our Candles
We attached the Love candle that we made the first Sunday, using wax that’s meant to attach candles to their holders. It’s pliable and you warm it in your hands before attaching it. It actually works quite well!
Here’s our wreaths with our Hope, Peace, Joy snd Love candles – I think they all look absolutely amazing! And they’re nearly complete!
Here are the Advent Wreaths lit:
Today’s Love Scripture comes from Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His Mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Today we have another Scripture from Luke 2:1-7
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria). And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth and Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.
Today’s Bible Verses:
Micah 5:2-5
Psalms 80:1-7, 89:1 and 89:19
Matthew 1:18-22
Isaiah 7:14 and 12:2-6
Hebrews 10:5-10
John 1:14
Luke 1:39-55
And that’s the 4th and last Sunday of Advent. We especially enjoy this time of year. We take time to recognize we need the hope and salvation Jesus brings to our lives, slow down a bit, re-direct our focus to God and the birth of Jesus, reflect on the past year, let go of things that simply do not matter and remember what is truly important.
We will light our Christ Candle (the last one), on Christmas Eve.
