Welcome,
We’re delighted you’ve chosen to dig more deeply into the Scriptures and consider what God has for you through this sermon. You can use these practices to explore on your own, with a partner, or even in a group setting. We hope these companion resources provide you with a space to engage the topic at your own pace.
About The Advent Wreath
Here at VC we join many churches in the tradition of an Advent Wreath. The Advent wreath is a meaningful guide, helping us prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s birth and look forward to Christ’s return. The tradition involves four colored candles, centered around a white candle, all of which are encircled by an evergreen wreath. Its four colored candles represent the powerful themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, with each one marking a week of reflection as we journey toward the nativity of our Lord. The center candle represents Christ Himself, and the wreath embodies God’s everlasting nature.
During our gatherings on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we will light a new candle and reflect on that week’s theme with a testimony by one of our church family members. During our Christmas Eve gathering, we will use the center candle as the catalyst for our candle-lighting ceremony; symbolizing Christ’s heart in each of us.
About The Practices
As a companion to the cooperate practice, we will include some traditional readings, scriptures & prayers on that week’s theme. You can use these tools personally to reflect, contemplate, or simply re-center yourself as we move through this busy season.
THIS WEEK: LOVE
content provided by Christianity.com
“Advent Week 4 - the Candle of Love” by Hope Bolinger
The Candle of Love: No matter what the church tradition, we can assuredly know that virtues such as love, hope, peace, joy, and faith are important in the Christmas story as well as in our daily walk with Christ. With that being said, let’s dive into the symbolism of the love candle. Otherwise known as the Angel candle, this candle can represent purity.
We see the other candles representing a part of the Christmas story in addition to virtues.
Week One - The prophecies about the coming Messiah
Week Two - Bethlehem, Jesus’ birthplace
Week Three - The shepherds who came to see Jesus
Week Four - The angels who proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds
Love plays a vital role in the Christmas story. Because of Joseph’s love for Mary, he didn’t stone her when he found out she was pregnant with what he thought was a child out of wedlock with another man (Matthew 1:18-19). Mary has a natural motherly love for Jesus, and ultimately, we see God’s love for everyone by sending his son for us (John 3:16).
Jesus focused on preaching love throughout his ministry. Two of his greatest commands involve love: Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).
Love is the greatest of all the virtues on the Advent wreath and encompasses Jesus’ entire purpose for being on earth (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Suggested Scriptures: Luke 2:11, Isaiah 7:14, John 1:14, John 3:16, John 1:16, Philippians 2:8-10, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 23:33-34, Luke 24:46-49
Biblical Love: Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about love. Depending on your translation, the word appears 100-300 times throughout Scripture. It makes sense. God is love (1 John 4). They know we are Christians by our love (1 Corinthians 13:1). Love sacrificed Jesus’ son for our sins. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 alone tallies off a number of characteristics of love: it’s patient, kind, it does not envy, etc.
We cannot walk with Christ without it, and we cannot have the Christmas story without it. As Linus states in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
Why Does This Matter? We cannot be Christians without Christ and without love.
Otherwise, our works and our purpose on earth are for nothing. We need Christ and Christ’s love to share the Good News of salvation throughout the earth.
Christ connects all the Advent candles. Through him, we can have hope, peace, joy, and love. Without him, why have any of those things? Christ steps down into darkness to light the world (John 8:12). Because of him, we can be a light unto others, showing them the true meaning of Christmas.
Advent Wreath Prayer Week 4 — Love
Heavenly Father, the whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four-letter word…LOVE. You sent your gift of pure love to us that first Christmas. Love descended from heaven to be born of a virgin. Love lay in the scratchy hay of a manger in a meager barn in Bethlehem. All of your love, God, was robed in the delicate skin of a baby and wrapped in swaddling clothes. This final week of Advent helps us to reflect on the magnitude of love that was made manifest in Jesus.
You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Messiah, and Ruler of All, yet you came not as a lion but as a lamb. You came as an innocent baby whose purpose was to walk this earth in complete love and then to sacrificially give your life as an atonement for the sins of your children. Emmanuel. God with us. Love in the form of a man.
There is no greater gift than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. You willingly gave the gift of your life because of your love. Your righteous blood covered our sin. You redeem and restore us when we confess you as Lord and Savior of our life. In that moment, you give us the gift of your love for all eternity. We receive grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy in that moment.
The greatest gift of all came that first Christmas. It wasn’t wrapped in a beautiful package and set under a decorated tree. The greatest gift came wrapped in the flesh of baby Jesus and laid in the rough wood of a manger. Our perfect gift would later be rewrapped in the scars of our sin and nailed to the rugged wood of a cross on Calvary, all because of love.
Father, this final week of Advent, fill our hearts and minds with the significance of that truth. Thank you, Lord, for loving us enough to send Jesus. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen