The Candles of Advent Christmas Morning HOPE PEACE

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be a candle, or a mirror

2. In the cross of shafting shadow See a mother and her child, See

3. So from Bethlehem in hist’ry to this present place and time God has

4. For the ruin of the manger, this prefig’ring of the cross, offers Christ

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns: Let all their songs employ. While fields

PRAYER Lord God, as we light this candle to remind us of your hope,

He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The

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The Candles of Advent Christmas Morning: HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE Joy to the world! The Lord is come: Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be a candle, or a mirror that reflects it” 1. At the census in the city, At the crossing place of life, Where the homeless and abandoned Share the scars of human strife; Mid the rubble and the ruins Shedding God’s prophetic light See, a star is softly shining Through the horror of the night. Lighting of first candle

2. In the cross of shafting shadow See a mother and her child, See the witness of his features Freshly born, so not yet filed. In a world of cold statistics Yet another mouth to feed, For the parents’ love holds tension With a calling, crying need. Lighting of second candle

3. So from Bethlehem in hist’ry to this present place and time God has entered human anguish, sung in tune to human rhyme; yes, the baby that we welcome, yes, the Christ of Palestine, are as one, we seal remembrance In a feast of bread and wine. Lighting of third candle

4. For the ruin of the manger, this prefig’ring of the cross, offers Christ as our relation In our chaos and our loss, puts the Christ into the present, places God in human hands, test our loving and our living Here in this and every land. Lighting of fourth candle

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns: Let all their songs employ. While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy Repeat, repeat the sounding joy. The lighting of the central candle.

PRAYER Lord God, as we light this candle to remind us of your hope, peace, joy and love help us to witness to the light of the World, your son Jesus who came as a baby at Bethlehem and will come again in glory. Grant that we may be candles and mirrors of your light to a dark and waiting world. Amen. Our Father…. Lighting of central candle

He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, And wonders, wonders of his love.