Advent, The Second Sunday
Posted by TulipGirl | Under Advent / Christmas, Theology for Girls Sunday Dec 7, 2008In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Today we light the second candle on our Advent wreath, the Bethleham candle. We remember that what may seem insignificant to us — a small town, a young woman, a poor carpenter — the Lord works in ways that can seem insignificant and yet changes the world. Today’s sermon was from I Samuel 1:21 – 2:10, not a passage traditionally tied to Advent. And yet, the message dovetailed so beautifully with what we are remembering with Advent. (The sermon is now online — please listen.)
We couldn’t decide on which Advent hymn to sing this week, so we’ll be singing two — and both of these echo the message of our sufficiency in God alone, whose plans are glorious though may not appear so at first.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!
How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
I started an advent wreath yesterday in Sunday School. The kids, all ‘orphans’ yesterday, have no church background at all. My wreath consisted of a commercial fake spruce bough candle holder wreath with four glass candles/holders set beside it. I could not find purple candles, so I used 3 dark green (symbolizing life, as does the evergreen boughs) and a pink. I chose to use the pink one for the angels announcement to Mary, which I taught first. The other four will be the continuation of the Christmas story. Definitely not the traditional advent wreath, but effective for what I am teaching. I went over the symbolic meanings of the different parts and colors first (circle=eternity of God, and so forth). Also, I have 5 Sundays to work with, going on the Eastern Church calendar with Jan 7 being Christmas, so we will light the center candle in Sunday School on the first Sunday in January rather than on Christmas Eve. The kids, all 13 of them, loved it and had a blast making their own paper advent wreaths. We will add a bright yellow paper flame to their paper candle each week as well as the verse(s) glued to the back for that week. I don’t know if the kids will be able to use them during the week as reminders – will depend on their ‘mother.’ It is exciting to watch them soak the Christmas story in. :)
My 4 year-old wanted to sing both those songs this week too! And she wanted to go back to O Come, O Come Emmanuel. So everyday this week we have sung all three hymns. It has been a wonderful way to start the days.