Advent Candle Prayers for Adults and for Families

Advent is a time of waiting and watching.  It is a time of remembering that we await the day when God's reign is made real throughout the whole creation praying Come, Lord Jesus.  It is a time to focus on what really matters as the nights lengthen.   Richard Rohr reminds us that it is not a desperate moment but a journey of divine hope:

“Come, Lord Jesus” is a leap into the kind of freedom and surrender that is rightly called the virtue of hope. The theological virtue of hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because our Satisfaction is now at another level, and our Source is beyond ourselves. We are able to trust that he will come again, just as Jesus has come into our past, into our private dilemmas and into our suffering world. Our Christian past then becomes our Christian prologue, and “Come, Lord Jesus” is not a cry of desperation but an assured shout of cosmic hope."

The practice of an Advent wreath helps us see the light of Christ grow in our hearts and minds as we strive toward 'his kingdom come.' Below you may find links to the Advent Wreath prayer sheets for families with young children that I gathered, edited and have utilized over and over again in several ministry settings.  There is also a version for teens and or adults.  These are intended to create both silence and conversation around the journey of Advent.  I hope you can use these to deepen your discipleship journey this Advent.

For Families: This version is loosely based on the Godly Play Advent Lesson.  It follows the lesson pattern rather than other classic schemes.  It connects well with Godly Play work, however anyone should find it complimentary to lifelong formation at home.

We believe that it is always a good idea to have a Holy Family/Nativity/Creche set to go with your wreath.  An easy way to add the journey of the Holy Family to your Advent practice is this 'journey game'. 

The adult or teen candle prayers are here.  This is drawn from a variety of sources, primarily Episcopal. It is deeply connected to a journey through Advent themes, however it doesn't follow any other Advent candle pattern (they do vary!). 

You might also want to invest in the new Daily Prayers for All Seasons from Church Publishing.  While not specific to an Advent wreath, the season of Advent prayers has an inspiring daily order of prayers suitable to the season.   It is available both in hard copy and digital versions.  (I love having the Kindle version at my fingertips.)

Another daily prayer option is the Common Prayer: Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.   This work from 'emergent church' authors is a lifegiving approach to daily prayer throughout the year.  Featuring regular reflections on people who offered their life as a witness to Christian service. 

Quote from: Rohr, Richard (2012-09-30). Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent (Kindle Locations 118-123). Franciscan Media. Kindle Edition. 

Stars in their Courses: Advent - Christmas - Epiphany Calendar Activity Paper Chain

Prepare the way for the birth of Christ and the arrival of the Wise Ones at Epiphany.  This family calendar activity includes a month and more of daily activities that connect the practice of the Christian faith with the life at work beyond our doors.  The link is here.

• You will need additional paper and pens.
• Young, non-reading children, will need the help of older children and parents.
• Some activities assume internet/smartphone access. 

 To find other free and printable, interactive faithful Advent - Epiphany resources visit the blissfulirreverent!

Join the New Beginnings Prayer Network

This November 15-16-17 is our annual  

New Beginnings retreat for 6th, 7th and 8th grade youth.  

We would love your prayer support during this event.  If you can remember to hold the event in your prayers regularly between now and the event; and make a special effort to pray during the event..that is all we ask. 

All who desire to hold the teens, peer leaders and adult leaders in prayer are invited to join us.

If you want to join the prayer network...

would you please add your name to the comments section below, offering your initials, a one or two word prayer and where you are from [for example: jag, health & generosity, walla walla]. 

Here are a few BCP prayer suggestions and digital links to the prayers.

• For Young Persons (BCP 829)
• For the right use of God's gifts (BCP 827)
• For guidance, confidence, protection, or dedication (BCP 832)

Perhaps you could try the d365 daily devotion site as a prayer guide.  This cooperative project of the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches is available year round and soon as a downloadable app!

Or you could try the 3-minute-retreat, since we are praying for the New Beginnings retreat.

Whatever prayer method or mode you choose, your support will be known. 

Blessings to you and your community!

Double-Decker Overnight called New Beginnings!

If the first thing that comes to mind when you read the word 'retreat' is monastic, then you might not know what to make of a 'teen retreat weekend.' 

Maybe we could call New Beginnings an 'experience' or an 'adventure'. 

Perhaps we could call it a double-decker overnight with a hearty filling of love and topped with pop rocks! Hmm. 

For now however, we know it is a retreat for young people.  This adventure we call New Beginnings isn't monastic (although it has contemplative parts) and it isn't solitary (NB is all about Christian community); however it is a retreat for middle school or junior high (6-7-8th graders) youth.

It is an offering of two evenings and the surrounding hours to learning and growing as a young teen in Christ's church. A peer-led 'experience', New Beginnings offers young people the blessings of a broad and connected church that no single congregation can offer. Through games, prayer, talks and skits the New Beginnings retreat will play and pray with topics like growth and family and how those complications connect to Christ's call to live with unbounded love.  Furthermore NB encourages young people to return from the retreat with the will to serve God with the local church community.  

We invite you to offer this unusual gift to the middle school or junior high youth in your life.  PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE (or print and mail) with a personal invite to the families of middle school youth in your life.  It is a Christian weekend with prayer, sacramental worship, biblical teaching and more. 

New Beginnings is coming up quickly...November 15-17 at the Cathedral in Spokane. Pre-registration is crucial and can be done online at spokanediocese.org/youth.   If you have any questions please contact Jane Gober via email janeg AT stpaulsww.org  .

W2: JAG is part of the leadership team for this event and she will need to be in Spokane independently of our young people.  Therefore Walla Walla friends...we need to find an adult(s) who can help with transportation of young people for New Beginnings.  Perhaps one person could deliver and another retrieve?  Any safe-church-current adult is welcome to stay with us at the Cathedral for the weekend and help in the background (or the deep deep background).