Second Week in Advent - Faith
Faith
Second Week in Advent
Call to Worship
Selections from Psalm 4 (NIV)
Reader 1: Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
Reader 2: How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Reader 1: Trust in the Lord.
Let the light of your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy.
Reader 2: In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Opening Prayer
God, when all falls away, you remain. Help us to trust you in times of trouble, knowing your promises will be fulfilled. You are good, even when all around us turns bad. You are loving, even when we see only hate. You are for us, even when everyone seems against us. We believe. Help our unbelief. Amen.
Scripture Reading
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (NIV)
Reflection
In times of stress, we try and wait for the day when we feel God, and if we could feel God, then we'd have faith in God. In reality, faith comes before feeling. The people during the time of Isaiah were told of a day when God would send a king who would make all things right. But none of the people who first heard these words would live to see the birth of Jesus! They were expected to trust God in their day anyway, and the same is true for us.
Have you ever had to trust God for something that seemed impossible in your lifetime?
What is the hardest thing for you to trust God for?
Break it down for Kids
Sometimes when we feel angry or upset, we want all of our problems to be solved. In those times, we want someone to fix it. But faith is believing in something we can’t see. We trust God is here and able to help, even if we don’t see God or see God doing anything right now.
A long time ago, Isaiah, a messenger of God, told the people around him that God would send a king to make things right. That king was Jesus, and he was to make things right when he died on the cross. Although these people never got to meet Jesus, they still trusted God every day. They believed even though they couldn’t see God doing anything. God wants us to trust him every day just like the people of the Bible did.
Candle Lighting
Light candles #1 and #2.
Today we light the candles for hope and faith. We look forward to the day God will make all things right and wipe away every tear, but we know we cannot wait to trust God. We choose to trust God today, no matter our circumstances.
Carol
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appears.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go.
Refrain
Closing Prayer
Take a few minutes to pray on your own or as a family. If you are doing this with others, you might give space for people to pray as they feel led, with the leader closing the time.
