FIFTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT

Third week of Advent—Joy and Glory
Sunday, December 13, 2009

Engage in a time of Worship:

Gather around your Advent wreath.
Light the first, second, and third (pink one) candles.
Gaze into the light the candles give.
Listen to the joy of your home.

Say:
We bear witness with the faithful of every time and place to the coming again of our Lord,
the light of the world, the savior of humankind,
the prince of peace.
We wait—
with the prophets of Israel who announced God’s promise
and our hope,
with John the Baptist who called us to repent and to prepare.

With the daughters of Zion,
we rejoice and exult in God our Savior,
for God is in our midst, we need not fear,
for God is doing great things, and holy is God's name.

Read Zephaniah 3: 14-20
Feel the joy these words hold. How gracious is our God! For what do you give thanks?

Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, verse 3
(sing or read)

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Jesus we offer our prayers:
We give thanks for the blessings we have received. We live in a land of great abundance; we enjoy the fruits of our and others’ labors; we freely walk the earth. Forgive us for assuming all we have is our due, for forgetting the pain of those oppressed and hungry, for being absorbed in what we want and do not yet have. Teach us to joyously greet each day. Remind us of your gifts and promise. Amen.

The blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be on us all, now and always.

Blow out the candles.