Third Week in Advent - Joy
Joy
Third Week in Advent
Call to Worship
Nehemiah 8:10-1 (NIV)
Reader 1: Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.
Reader 2: This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Reader 1: Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.
Reader 2: All the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
Opening Prayer
God, you set our days, and we know that in the midst of trouble, you invite us to rejoice. You invite us, broken people in a broken world, to fight against injustice and stand for what is right, not out of sorrow, but out of joy. For even your Son went to the cross for the joy that was set before him! Help us to leave behind shallow pleasure and embrace the kind of rich joy that comes from a life well lived. Amen.
Scripture Reading
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Luke 1:46-55 (NIV)
Reflection
The verses we just read are lyrics to a song, shared by Mary and inspired by one in the Old Testament. The song is about rejoicing because God shows up and sets things right. God has brought justice, or making things fair and right for everyone, after people weren’t treated fairly.
If you had a magic wand and could fix something wrong in the world, what would it be?
What are some ways you have seen people being treated unfairly? What can you do today to make a difference in the lives of the people you just mentioned?
Break it down for kids
What makes you happy?
God wants us to be happy, but God wants everyone else to be happy too. When everyone is treated the same, and everyone gets the same chances we get, then God is happy too. As someone who loves God, there is no greater joy than when God helps the world be a better place for everyone. This is what Mary is so happy about when she’s singing this song. She wasn’t always treated the same as other people in her community, but God chose her to be the mother of Jesus, and this made her super happy. She is given a chance she never expected to have! Do you believe God wants you to be happy? Do you know God wants to give you a chance to do something special too?
Candle Lighting
Light candles #1-3.
Today we light the candles for hope, faith, and joy. We look to the future; we trust God today, and we celebrate the good things God is doing in this world. We recognize more work needs to be done, but we refuse to become discouraged, for our joy will be our strength.
Carol
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
let earth receive her King;
let ev'ry heart prepare him room,
and heav'n and nature sing,
and heav'n and nature sing,
and heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Closing Prayer
Give us joy, but not the kind that would distract us or make us lazy and selfish. Give us joy—rich, unshakable joy—to inspire us to never grow weary in doing good. Amen.
