Advent Candle-lighting: Week 1

Advent in The United Church of Canada and

The United Church of Christ

Advent Year C, 2021

O Come, Advent: Candle Lighting Ritual

You are invited to play with these liturgies in a way that works within your congregation’s setting: with multiple voices, scripture sentences, using the question at the end to invite testimony.

Each week begins with a video of new lyrics to a traditional Advent hymn. Each week builds on the previous weeks, until all four stanzas and refrain are reprised at Christmas

Week One: Hope

O Come, Advent: Verse 1

O come and be the hope in all our lives

Though chaos and confusion still survive

We know the path of hate all too well

We need our God with us, Emmanuel!

Rejoice, rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to us

And all things shall be well

Candle Lighting Ritual (Luke 21:25-36)

When the world seems scary

When we try to escape and hide

The Holy invites us to confront fear

That we may find Hope

(Light candle of Hope)

Where in the world do we find Hope these days?

Advent in The United Church of Canada and The United Church of Christ: Candle-lighting Ritual for Advent 2021, ©2021 United Church of Canada and United Church of Christ. Permission given to churches to reproduce or adapt in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.

O Come, Advent, lyrics and arrangement by Adrian Marchuk. © 2021 United Church of Canada; tune VENI EMMANUEL, Public Domain.  Permission given churches to reproduce and stream for worship or education purposes. All publishing rights reserved.

Advent 1 text