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.
