Advent 1 The Candle of Hope
SCRIPTURE: Luke 21: 25-28
‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
STORY: “Sisters to share the load.”
“Sisters” by KiwanukaVoice one:
My name is Josephine. I live in one of the largest slums in the world, in Kibera, Kenya. I have 3 children. To feed them I collect bits of wood in the forest , whatever I can find, and I sell it. Now it’s against the law, and sometimes I’m arrested. But what can I do?
My neighbour died of AIDS. She left 6 children. Little ones left with no one. I took them in…. What would YOU do? I love them. I treat them as my own. But we all go hungry- sometimes for several days we do not eat. We have to pay for water, so we go thirsty too.
Things have gotten a little better lately. Now I’m part of a group of families that care for orphaned children. We get money from Canada. Imagine- people so far away- that care about us! We each get a small loan of money. I use mine to buy charcoal to sell so the children can eat. Also, I’m not so alone. I have sisters to share the load. I think we will get through. I believe that.
Voice two:
When we know that someone cares, we have hope.
PRAYER:
Leader: Holy God,
People: when the doors are shut and all is dark,
when trouble looms, and the world around us crumbles,
lift our hearts with the knowledge of your presence
and draw us close to our neighbours
to kindle hope
in every prison and dead end.
WE LIGHT THE CANDLE OF HOPE:
Leader: We light this candle to welcome Christ’s light of hope into every dark place in the world.
People: Come, Lord Jesus Christ, Hope of the world, open the doors to abundant life.
(light candle)
SUGGESTED SUNG RESPONSE:
More Voices # 33, Jesus came bringing us hope
See the notices in today’s bulletin for ideas on how you might give a GIFT of HOPE this Christmas.
Click here for ADVENT 2