Getting Ready for Christmas and Advent Week 6

PUT JESUS FIRST: WEEK SIX

It’s the third week of Advent! December 9-16: This past week we’ve been focusing on the theme of PEACE, and this week we move to the third theme: JOY.    Joy. It’s not part of our common vocabulary, is it? No one gets up and thinks, “Wow, I’m feeling really joyful today.” It denotes something more substantial than happiness, something deeper and in many ways more subtle.

Part of our problem is that we’ve got the wrong idea about joy. We tend to connect it with happiness and think that joy depends on our circumstances. You can’t have joy by going from one party to another or frantically racing through the shopping mall. In fact, going to the mall this time of year is an excellent way to lose your joy. (Ray Pritchard)
For many of us, Christmas is the time when we do actually think most about joy, if only because the carols we sing keep reminding us of it. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,” “Shepherds, why this jubilee, why your joyous strains prolong?” “Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice,” “Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with th’ angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’”
Our joy comes from the knowledge of God’s love, expressed to us through the most amazing of Christmas presents, the gift of his son. He loved you so much that he sent Jesus. How can you not be joyful?
What to do this week:

 Are all the batteries you’ll be needing recharged? If you’ve bought gifts that require batteries, now’s the time to make sure you have the right sizes. And if your camera or other equipment requires batteries, you’ll need to purchase or recharge them now.  If this is the week that you put up and decorate your tree, go for it! There’s a blessing at the end of this guide.  Make sure that you have boxes or tins for your Christmas baking.
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 What Advent activity did you choose for your family to do? Revisit it this week.  Family activities: o Invite each family member to share one thing that they're trusting God to handle. o Write a note to someone who is experiencing fear and worry. Let them know you're praying that God will give them the courage they need. o Make an inventory of the things that bring you joy. o Make the time and space to share a meal and a fun experience. This is such a busy week! Don't miss the joy of sharing the experience of Advent with each other.

Advent Wreath, Week Three of Advent

Involve your whole family in the prayers and readings of the Advent wreath. On the third Sunday of Advent, we light three candles. Watch the light grow and fill the room with its soft glow. The third candle on our Advent wreath is called the Shepherds’ Candle. It reminds us of what the shepherds did. The third candle of Advent is also the candle of joy. When the angel Gabriel told Mary that a special child would be born to her she was filled with joy. She sang a song that began with the words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior."

Assign different parts to different family members ahead of time. Once the candle has been lit for this third Sunday in Advent, then do this reading together:

Person A:  Such was his intention when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream and said to him:

Person B: “Joseph, Son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child.

Person C: She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

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Person D: All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

All: “The virgin shall be with child and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel.”

Prayer for the week God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Our Father…

Reading for the week O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.