Candle Lighting Liturgy

Reader One: In a world full of conflict, uncertainty, and suffering, joy is an act of resistance. Joy is an act of hope born out of our belief that God can and will restore us. God is, in fact, already restoring us into a future where God’s people “shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations,” and God “will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations” (Isaiah 61:4, 11 NRSV). Today, we wait and work in joy for God’s restoration among us.

Congregation: Faced with the distress and anxieties of the world, we choose joy. May this joy empower us to pay attention to the pain and hurt of others, inspire us to imagine a world where peace reigns, and enliven us to cooperate with God to restore abundant life and flourishing in our neighborhood, our community, and our world.

Reader Two: We light this candle of joy as a sign of God’s restoring work that turns our weeping into rejoicing and our tears into shouts of joy. May we be witnesses of God’s life-giving, peace-making joy to all creation.

Light the third (pink/rose) candle of the Advent wreath.