Sunday, December 2, 2012

Advent ~ The First Sunday ~ HOPE



There is a tradition in many Christian churches of  lighting a special candle on the four Sundays before Christmas.  There is a divine blessing assigned to each week, blessings such as hope, joy, love, faith, and peace.  The candles are usually arranged in a wreath symbolic of the endless circle of eternity and God's love for us.  I love this idea and have decided to make it a part of my Sunday postings.  I have come up with some of my own themes to teach the above values.  I will address each theme, then share scriptures, ending with ideas you might like to use in your own homes during Advent.*
 
The first theme for me is HOPE; hope that Jesus will come and that he will do all that He has promised to do.  The mission of our Savior was foreordained from before the world was created.  God revealed His plan to His children through holy prophets from the time of Adam.  Those promises gave people hope during all those millennia before His birth and they can give us hope in His grace and hope that as He has come once, He will come again.
 
Scriptures:
And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;  And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. (Abraham 3: 24 - 27)
 
And I shall put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise they head, and thou shalt bruise his heal. (Genesis 3: 15)
 
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. (Isaiah 7: 14)
 
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. (Isaiah 9: 6-7)
 
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord; . . . But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. (Isaiah 11: 1-4)
 
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice on the earth. (Jeremiah 23: 5)
 
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thous be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler of Israel; whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5: 2)
 
Teaching and Activity Ideas:
  • Set up the empty stable in the place you wish to display it.  You will add the figures each week until the scene is completed.
 
Light the first candle and join me in a journey toward Bethlehem and a more spiritual Christmas in our homes.
 
* The word advent means to arrive; in this specific case - with a capitol A - it refers to the arrival or birth of Jesus Christ. 

Text © 2012 Gebara Education
 
Picture of first candle of Advent from www.stteresa-avila.org
Picture of Isaiah available in the Gospel Art Picture Book, www.store.lds.org
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