As with any tradition that has been passed down throughout the two millennia history of the Church, Advent has many shapes and forms in how it is observed and celebrated around the world. Various traditions focus on different themes and emphasize certain aspects of the Advent season, but each tradition is built around the same idea: the anticipation of the coming Lord, both in his birth ages past and in his second coming.
Our team created this simple Advent Guide for church leaders. Whether you are looking for a resource to incorporate in your church services this Advent season or seeking a simple way to observe the season personally or with your family, this Advent guide features weekly themes, prayers, and relevant Scripture readings for the four weeks of Advent. We pray this Advent Guide is a blessing to you, your family, and your congregation!
Week one: hope
This week centers on the longing of God’s people for the coming Messiah. They longed for the fulfillment of God’s promises, deliverance from exile, and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. As you go through this week, how can you identify with the prophets of Israel? How do the prophecies of the coming Messiah give you hope? Which parts of them are inspiring or encouraging for you?
PRAYER: Almighty God, we, like Israel in exile, long for your coming. Daily, we feel the searing pain of this broken world, but we know this isn’t the end. We watch for your light on the horizon. We listen for your voice on the wind. Give us hope when we grow weary. Grant us strength when we grow weak, for you are our hope now and forevermore. Amen.
Sunday: Isaiah 9:1-7
Monday: Isaiah 52:7-10
Tuesday: Jeremiah 33:12-16
Wednesday: Isaiah 42:1-9
Thursday: Micah 5:1-4
Friday: Isaiah 40:1-5
Saturday: Isaiah 40:6-11
Week two: peace
The second week of Advent’s readings focus on the immediate prophecies surrounding Jesus’ birth. These accounts tell of God’s divine interjection into the lives of ordinary men and women, changing the course of their journey forever. Where has God intervened in your own story? What do we learn about Jesus through these prophecies? As each account anticipates the coming Christ, what do you anticipate in the promises of the Kingdom of God?
PRAYER: Most Merciful God, so often we expect great things to happen with fireworks and parades, but we know that you are the God of the still, small whisper. You came into the world innocent and vulnerable and changed everything. Give us eyes to see the subtle miracles of our every day. Give us willing hearts to adapt and change at your quiet prompting, that we may walk in your way and delight in your will. Amen.
Monday: Luke 1:57-79
Tuesday: Matthew 3:1-12
Wednesday: Luke 1:26-38
Thursday: Luke 1:39-45
Friday: Luke 1:46-56
Saturday: Matthew 1:18-25
Week three: joy
The readings for the third week of Advent are filled with the joy of Jesus’ birth. Light enters the world and goes mostly unnoticed, but those who see the brilliance of the baby Messiah cannot help but worship. What strikes you about these moments of praise? How has God used some seemingly insignificant moments to change everything in your journey? Where do you see God’s light shining this Advent?
PRAYER: O Holy Trinity, where you are light shines brightly, joy flows freely, and love runs deep into the cracks of broken hearts. Free us from the burden of our worries, the weight of our fears, and oppression of our shame, that we might worship with free and full hearts. Help us sing praise with abandon as children to our Father, for you are worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. Amen.
Sunday: Luke 2:1-7
Monday: Luke 2:8-20
Tuesday: Matthew 2:1-12
Wednesday: Luke 2:21-35
Thursday: Matthew 2:13-23
Friday: Luke 2:41-52
Saturday: John 1:1-18
Week four: love
The readings for the fourth week of Advent explore Jesus’ identity, his work among us, and his second coming – all of which are rooted in God’s love for the world. Jesus came as a herald for and first fruits of the Kingdom of God, bringing life, light, and love. The ripples of his ministry have grown into waves that have touched every corner of the world. Now we long for the culmination and fulfillment of his work in his second coming. Where do you experience the tension of living in the now-but-not-yet of the Kingdom of God? During this Advent season and into Christmas, how can you celebrate the love of God? How can you be an agent of that love in your family, neighborhood, or workplace?
PRAYER: Almighty God, in a lowly manger you came into the world and changed everything forever. Your healing touch and unfailing love brought sight to the blind, strength to the lame, and freedom to the oppressed. Now we wait expectantly for the day when there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying or pain; the day when you make all things new. So we pray, come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.
Sunday: Luke 4:14-20
Monday: John 3:16-21
Tuesday: Romans 8:18-30
Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Thursday: Matthew 24:37-44
Friday: John 14:15-21
Saturday: Revelation 21:1-5
