“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 18: 3
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Do you remember standing on tiptoe to be able to see the freshly baked cookies cooling on the counter? Perhaps you have stood on tiptoe to watch a magical window display of a tiny train chugging its way through a miniature snow-covered village. Or maybe you have stood on tiptoe to peer into a box of endearing, fluffy puppies.
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We stand on tiptoe in anticipation and excitement. We stand on tiptoe with the hope of seeing something wonderful, something that brings joy, something that brings fulfillment of expectation.
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Advent is a season of anticipation, a season of longing. It is a time when we find ourselves cautiously watchful. We seek to fill that spot in our hearts that somehow reaches out to the mystery of the divine. In the timelessness of eternity we long once again for the coming of the Messiah. Our hearts ache for a Christmas peace that will envelope the globe, a peace that will shatter prejudice and hatred and banish war.
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Our society and traditions will surely call us to all manner of celebratory activities and frenetic preparations for the holiday season – shopping for gifts, decorating the house, attending parties and concerts. But let’s remember, every day, to stand under the stars, to peer into the darkness, to be present to the holy mystery of the promise of Advent.
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Stand on tiptoe! You might hear a heavenly choir or feel the brush of an angel’s wings.
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O God of promise, in this season of waiting, help us rediscover in ourselves the simple joy and enthusiasm of a child as we once again await the coming of the promised Messiah. Amen.
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Betty Schroeder
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Home Worship & Advent Wreath Reading*
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Welcome Wholeness
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Read: Psalm 89:1-4
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Light: We offer the following reading as you light the four candles on your Advent wreath. If you do not have an Advent wreath, we invite you to light a candle, reminding you how God expresses great love for us by sending Jesus to the world.
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This is the fourth Sunday in Advent, and today we light the candle of Love, along with Hope, Joy and Peace. May we remember again God‘s gift of Jesus to the world and know that God’s love for all people is the reason for this gift.
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(Light the first, second, third and fourth Advent Candles)
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Reflect: The essence of Christmas is love, God’s incredible love for us, expressed when God sent Christ into the world to offer of the gift of wholeness and everlasting life. Whenever and wherever we receive God’s sacrificial love, whenever and wherever we pass it on to others, whenever and wherever God’s love is accepted and shared, Christmas comes once again. What greater love is there? Through Christ, God restores our sense of wholeness and offers us new life.
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Pray: Dear God, thank you for the gift of love. May I share this gift with others and learn how to love unconditionally. Help me during the Christmas season to practice love in action with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. Amen.
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Respond: As we get ready to celebrate again the birth of Jesus, we sometimes get very busy. Today, take a ten-minute break. Sit quietly. If it helps you to concentrate, look at your Advent wreath. Pray, asking God’s help to bring wholeness and peace to your heart.
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* Adapted from UMC Discipleship Ministries 2017 Advent Home Worship
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