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Scarsdale Congregational ChurchLighting the First Advent CandleWorship & Music, Advent 1999 |
Before the candle is lit, we hear these words:
Today we have set out on a pilgrimage to Christmas. A pilgrimage is a journey people take to discover things about God. The four colored candles of the Advent wreath help us to mark the four Sundays of our Advent journey. The white candle in the center is the Christ candle which we will light on Christmas Eve. The wreath holding the candles is a circle of evergreen, reminding us of God's everlasting love for us.
The first Advent Candle is the Candle of Hope. The Prophet Jeremiah gave hope to the people of his day by sharing his vision of God's realm.
The first candle is lit. Then we hear these words:
It is written in the Book of Jeremiah, "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant...I will put my law within their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, and I will remember their sin no more."