Advent For the Family - December 2, 2012

Advent For the Family

December 2, 2012

It's the first Sunday of Advent.

Begin by lighting the first purple candle on the wreath. You will light this candle by itself for the entire first week of advent. The first purple candle is known as the prophecy candle. The color purple is a sign of penance and also represents the longing we have waiting for the birth of baby Jesus. Say aloud as you light the first candle, "Jesus is the light of the world."

Christmas Carol: Oh Come All Ye Faithful

Oh Come, All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O Come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb:
Very God,
Begotten, not created; Refrain

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God
In the highest; Refrain

See how the shepherds,
Summoned to his cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither
Bend our joyful footsteps; Refrain

Child, for us sinners
Poor and in the manger,
We would embrace thee, with love and awe;
Who would not live thee,
Loving us so dearly? Refrain

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing; Refrain

Bible Reading:

Isaiah 40

Comfort for God's People
¹ Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
³ A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ^[¹^] ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. ^[²^] ⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Activity: Create a prayer chain out of construction paper. Using red and green paper, cut strips 8 inches long for each day of advent. Using a dark marker, write names on each of the strips for people that you would like to pray for during advent. You can also pray for groups of people or missions. Staple the first strip end to end. Looping the next strip through the first ring, staple it's ends together. Repeat until all strips are linked and your prayer chain is complete. Some families like to make the last strip a prayer of thankfulness to Jesus.

Closing Prayer: Close by thanking God for giving us this wonderful season surrounding the birth of Jesus. Thank Him for your family and all the blessings in your life. Ask him to help you keep your focus on HIM for the next 25 days.

End with a GIANT GROUP HUG!