Advent Candle Lighting prayer

We light the first Advent Candle listening for the turning of the season,
joining our voices to the cry ‘Keep awake’.
We remember the events that have shaped our living this year
and pray for Christmas hope,
for an end to suffering and despair
and for your light to shine in the darkest places.

We light the second Advent candle listening for your call in the wilderness,
joining our voices to the cry ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’.
We hold in our hearts a deep longing for justice for all peoples
and pray for the birth of Christmas peace in our lives and our world:

for peace that is deep and lasting, speaking into the deepest heart of grief.

We light the third Advent candle listening for the voices of the prophets,
joining our voices to the psalmist’s shouts of joy.
We remember times of sadness, anger, fear and loneliness
and pray for the gift of Christmas j
oy, the joy of the Holy Spirit
that bubbles up, refreshing our souls, setting us free.

We light the fourth Advent candle listening for the whisper of angel wings
joining our voices to Mary’s cry ‘Here I am’.
We pray for the embrace of love: the love that came in the form of a baby
love grounded in the reality of a harsh and brutal life, fighting for survival,
making all the difference.

Come, Lord Jesus,
Bring hope in the darkness,
the birth of peace,
the gift of joy,
the embrace of love.
Amen.

Saide Cameron, offered for worship, Blue Christmas 13/12

Blue Christmas Reflection – Creating a space to listen

We come tonight seeking sanctuary, a place to be safe,
to listen to the beating of our own hearts,
to take a breath and listen to the turning of the season.
What is the lesson of the fig tree for us tonight?
Where do we find hope?

We come tonight fragile as the grass, withered by life’s challenges,
fading like the flowers of the field, longing for peace,
longing to hear the voice of the messenger.
How do we hear the voice of the one crying out in the wilderness?
Where do we find peace?

We come tonight weary of a world shadowed in darkness,
burdened by destruction and devastation,
to remember that there is one who is coming.
How will we make the time to experience the joy of new possibilities?
Where do we find joy?

We come tonight resting in the pregnant pause, a time of in-between,
a time of waiting and listening, a time of mystery and angel wings
a time to simply be, to feel the embrace of God’s love.
How do we make space for love to flourish in our lives?
Where do we find love?

We come tonight because the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation to all, in the form of a fragile vulnerable baby,
a child who was laid in a manger, because there was no place for him
and yet who was born into the loving arms of a mother and father.

A baby heralded by angels, worshipped by shepherds and wise ones.
A man of peace and justice, a storyteller, liberator and lover of hospitality.
A king whose crown was made of thorns and his throne a lonely cross.

In this man we discover that our broken hearts are held and treasured.
In this man, once a treasured baby, we find one who weeps with us.
In this man we find hope, peace, joy and love. Amen

Saide Cameron, offered for worship, Blue Christmas 13/12

Advent & Christmas Artwork by Ann Soo & Mel Drury

  1. Sanctuary by Mel
  2. Christmas Lilly by Ann
  3. Advent seedling by Ann
  4. Rainbow wings by Ann
  5. Contemplation by Mel
  6. Crown by Ann
  7. Guiding Light by Mel
  8. Holy Family by Ann

These images are available as Christmas Cards.