2025 Advent Worship Liturgies

One of the gifts of celebrating Advent each year is the reminder that the gift of Jesus is given to us and for us again and again. We are always discovering anew the depths of God’s love through the gift of Jesus Christ. Hope, peace, joy, and love make up the path we walk through Advent in anticipation of the coming Christ child.

An Advent wreath invites us to spend time with God as we anticipate the arrival of Christmas. You can use a cherished Advent wreath or make a new one from freshly purchased supplies or found objects. The minimalists among us may prefer to arrange five candles in a circle. The meaning of the wreath comes not from the material or construction but from the intention you hold in your heart as you light each candle. For more on Advent, visit http://www.upperroom.org/resources/advent-101 

First Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Hope 
Read: Isaiah 2:1-5  
Reflect: In the Bible, people who go up mountains come down changed — illuminated, rested, or having received visions. We all experience the need for restoration and illumination. Jesus is our hope for this new and renewed life, and Isaiah prophesied what this hope means for all humankind in God’s loving plan — “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more” (2:4, NRSVUE).
Pray: Lord God, teach us to hope in the infinite and eternal ways of your love. Only in your love will we experience the eradication of weapons and war. Tucked close in your heart, Lord, we have no need for war because we know we have a home safe and sound on the mountain with you. Help us know this hope in our daily lives. Amen. 
Practice: Fear is often the root of bad behavior — fears about money, health, loved ones, or society. Take time each day to reflect on hope. Search your days for moments when fear, rather than hope, informs the way you speak, think, and act. Know that God rushes down from the mountain when you call and lifts you up out of fear into hope. 

Second Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Peace 
Read: Isaiah 11:1-10 
Reflect: Isaiah’s prophecy shows us how God’s hope gives way to peace. Hoping in God can bring peace to circumstances that hardly seem peaceful or to places in our lives where peace seems impossible. 
Pray: Precious Jesus, turn the nightmares of our worries into dreams of peace. Teach us to look to the Holy Spirit to bridge the chasm between what we are trying to escape and the place of peace we dream of dwelling in with you. Amen. 
Practice: Identify the wolf, lamb, lion, calf, cow, and bear in your life. Talk freely to Jesus about your willingness to see the miracle of peace occur. Ground yourself in the reality of your life, and take time to dream about what peace would look like in your community and in the world.

Third Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Joy  
Read: Psalm 146:5-10 
Reflect: One of the joys of being Christ followers is the faith that everything that happens in our lives can be used for our good. This is a challenging statement because painful and unfair things happen to us all. Still, the psalmist tells us that God is our hope. God is leading us to joy, bringing good even out of valleys and shadows.  
Pray: Holy God, whenever and wherever we encounter difficulty, help us remember that those who call on you call on a God of joy. Amen. 
Practice: When you experience or remember painful times this week, recall the lighting of the candle of joy. Take a moment to affirm that your help comes from the God of Jacob, the Lord who reigns forever.   

Fourth Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Love 
Read: Matthew 1:18-25 
Reflect: Love strengthened Mary to carry a child of the Holy Spirit. Love softened Joseph’s heart to embrace a mystery. As they sought God’s will, they opened themselves to love. When we are following God, convicted in the Spirit, we experience the energy of love that gives us stamina, insight, and courage. Our desire to live in God sees us through with love. This is truly our security in life. 
Pray: Spirit of God, imbue us with your love that we might hear your call on our lives. Let your love bring us energy, balance, courage, and insight as we respond to it. Amen. 
Practice: As you move through this final week toward Christmas, take time each day to remember the candle of love. Spend a few moments each day sitting quietly and asking God to help you feel the love that gave us Jesus.  

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day: The Christ Candle 
Read: Luke 2:1-20 
Reflect: Jesus Christ is born today! Hope, peace, joy, and love are gifts from God that draw us to this manger scene. They are also the gifts we take forward with us into a new year.  
Pray: On this holy day, I open my heart to you, Lord Jesus. Help me sense your presence. Grant me hope in chaos, peace in the face of fear, joy each day to move forward, and love to show me the way. Guide my steps, Lord, that I may live as you would have me live. Amen. 
Practice: Read the Nativity story in Luke 2:1-20 each of the twelve days of Christmastide. Note any words that stand out to you. Write them down and use them to compose prayers for the year ahead that will help you discern how God is speaking and calling to you.

— Rev. Jane Herring, Author and ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) pastor