Words matter

Candle Lighting Litany

          Leader (Let a child read)- Someone’s coming? Who’s coming?

          People: Jesus is coming!

          -Light a candle for each Sunday in Advent-

          Leader and People:  Come into our hearts, Lord Jesus.

                                       There’s room in our hearts for you.

The American Psychology Association’s research reports, “family routines and rituals are powerful organizers of family life that offer stability during times of stress and transition.”[i]  The Bible puts it this way, “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.”[ii] Family rituals become touchpoints for children throughout their lives.  They can be opportunities to reconnect, to revisit, and to reset their days with a familiar series of words and actions. 

Advent is about new beginnings, so I offer this way of beginning your family meals or devotion times together as a family.  It is from a family friend of mine.  It was written before I was born by Mrs. Joann Brown, and it is “child forward” rather than “childish” or “child friendly.” It can speak to children of all ages.  All you need are 4 purple candles, or 4 white candles with purple ribbons, or 4 purple votive cups and small tea lights. For added effect, turn off the lights and use the candle light for dinners.  Notice how it gets darker outdoors as we move towards the birth of Jesus, but around your table it gets lighter the closer you get to Jesus’ birth.  I wonder why that is?  Maybe it is because Jesus is the light of the world.

OPTION: On Christmas day, light all four candles, say the litany, then light a fifth white candle. Remember how the nights got darker, but our table got lighter. The fifth candle is the Christ Candle.  It reminds us that Jesus is here!  Read John 1:1-5; it is often called the prologue to John’s gospel. It is about how God’s Words of promise are accomplished in the person Jesus, “the Word.”  Words have power.  In Genesis, God created the world with words and breath. When God made promises to the children of Israel through Isaiah, those promise words became a person when Jesus was born.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life,^[a] and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

 (continue if you wish)

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.^[b]

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own,^[c] and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^[d] full of grace and truth.[iii]

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[i] "A Review of 50 Years of Research on Naturally Occurring Family Routines and Rituals: Cause for Celebration?," Barbara H. Fiese, Thomas J. Tomcho, Michael Douglas, Kimberly Josephs, Scott Poltrock, and Tim Baker; Syracuse University; Journal of Family Psychology, Vol. 16, No. 4. 

[ii] Proverbs 22:6, NRSV.

[iii] John 1:1-14, NRSV.
NOTE: originally written for Children and Family Ministry Team Five Minute Family Devotions, Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, IN, October 23, 2018.