Hope Church Prayer Book seeks to promote a worship culture from Monday to Saturday by conveying worship resources from Sundays. Worship is not a thought, but an action; not a concept, but a practice. And the more we practice, the more in shape we get - in the shape of Jesus. So sing out loud or read a responsive prayer before dinner. Each month’s prayer book will now be available on Hope’s website under the resources tab!
In this month’s issue we focus on the Advent Wreath liturgies we practiced during the four Sundays of Advent. The fact that God came to Earth is just too big to digest in a single service, so we spread it over the entire season in hopes that the light of God with us will gradually dawn in our hearts. We encourage you to take the pauses, make aloud the declarations, and light the candles.
First Sunday
Lead by Hope Youth
This is the first Sunday of Advent – a season of increased gratitude and increased longing: we are grateful for Jesus’ first coming, yet we long for His second, where He will finally set all things right. Sometimes when we wait, we just feel like nothing else matters until what we’re waiting for happens. Kinda like how it gets harder to focus at school because we know Christmas Break is right around the corner. But ours is a waiting that makes everything matter now, because we are sure He’s coming back to finish what He started. How are we sure He’ll come back? Because He came the first time!
As we’ve been talking about wisdom – how to live most harmoniously with the realities God has created – we realize more and more that Jesus IS wisdom from God. Wisdom tells us to look out for the poor and oppressed, to invest our time and money for their good, not just our own. And God invested His very own Son to see that we – the poor – might be made rich in Him!
Is there an area of your life that you’ve held back because you think things are scarce and there’s not enough time, money, or energy to go around? Take a moment to ask God how You can pour yourself out for others.
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[light candle and declare]: Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us
After you light the candle, say:
“Now let’s make this Advent declaration together: Christ has come! Christ will come again!
Second Sunday
Lead by Hope Kids K-1
This is our second week of Advent – a season of more gratitude and more longing. We’re letting ourselves be filled up with thankfulness that Jesus came the first time. And we’re letting ourselves get filled up with longing for when He comes back.
As we’ve been talking about wisdom – how to live most harmoniously with the realities God has created – we realize more and more that Jesus IS wisdom from God. When God’s wisdom tells us to spend our words wisely for the benefit of those who hear, we see Him spend His most precious Word on us: Jesus the Word made flesh. In mankind’s long argument with God, Jesus was the perfect thing for God to say to us; ending all strife between God and man forever.
Are there areas in your life where you’ve spoken rashly, where you felt good after you said it, but maybe the person you said it to felt bad? Take a moment to name those things before God and pray for His perfect Word, Jesus, to be spoken first to you, then through you.
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[light candle and declare]: Jesus is the Word made flesh
After you light the candle, say:
“Now let’s make this Advent declaration together: Christ has come! Christ will come again!
Third Sunday
Lead by Hope Kids 2-3
This is the third Sunday of Advent – a season of increased gratitude and increased longing. We’re grateful that Christ came, and we’re longing for Him to come again. And in the meantime we spend ourselves, our resources, and our words on behalf of others as we build the world back to its intended place under God’s rule. This is wise living.
As we’ve been talking about wisdom – how to live most harmoniously with the realities God has created – we realize more and more that Jesus IS wisdom from God. Wisdom tells us to be humble, not seeing ourselves better or worse than we actually are. Jesus did this perfectly! He was fully God and fully man, yet He had a humility that no one could argue with.
Is there an area of your life where you’ve seen yourself as better than you actually are? Or worse than you actually are? Take a moment to name those areas and pray that for every one thought of yourself, you’d think ten of Jesus.
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[light candle and declare]: Jesus is the Prince of Peace
After you light the candle, say:
“Now let’s make this Advent declaration together: Christ has come! Christ will come again!
Fourth Sunday
Lead by Hope Kids 4-5
This is the fourth week in Advent – a season of increased gratitude and longing. We’re thankful that Jesus came, yet we’re longing for Him to come again and make everything fair and just again. And we wait with hope and purpose, because He who came will come again, and He’s made us His agents of hope in the meantime.
As we’ve been talking about wisdom – how to live most harmoniously with the realities God has created – we realize more and more that Jesus IS wisdom from God. We look at leaders throughout history who have come to power and used it for themselves, rather than to serve the people with it. But then we see Jesus having more power than any leader before Him, only to give it all for the sake of those He loved.
Is there an area in your life where you’ve been given influence and you’ve mainly used it for yourself? Do those you work with, play with, go to school with feel more or less powerful after they’ve been with you? Take a moment to name those places and pray for the increase of His government over you to know no end.
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light candle and declare: Jesus is the Mighty God.
After you light the candle, say:
“Now let’s make this Advent declaration together: Christ has come! Christ will come again!
