“The Mission of Christmas” | A Worship Guide
How to use this Worship Guide
For many, if not most, the Advent season has become a time of perpetual busyness and forward motion. It is arguably the busiest time of the year for individuals and families alike. We cast a fleeting glance at a short reading or devotional thought and then it’s back to rat race of the holidays; so many people, things, and events vie for our attention. If we were to be completely honest with ourselves we might say that we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves if we had the option to slow down.
However, that is exactly the purpose of providing a worship guide for the Advent and Christmastide season. 2020 has been a difficult year and many are weary and worn down; and it is with this in mind that this worship guide has been prayerfully put together. The selections of scripture, songs, liturgies, poetry, and devotional thoughts have been prayerfully selected to encourage you and help all of us keep the Mission of Christmas at the center of everything. The prayer for you is that you are able to be still and reflect, remembering and rejoicing in the coming of the Christ child—the Hope and Salvation of the world—and in the knowledge of his promised return for his own and to make all things new.
In addition, for many, this is a tremendously painful time of year. It can be a reminder of unmet longings, relationships gone awry, and bring with it a profound sense of loneliness. For many, this time of year can be one where we are tempted to go numb and attempt to survive until January. We need help finding Jesus in the midst of our pain.
This Worship Guide has been created to be used by individuals, community groups, couples, small gatherings of friends, and families with children and has been intentionally designed in two parts: Advent and Christmastide. Each day from 29 November 2020 until 5 January 2021 a new post will publish, During Advent, the guide will follow the theme of each week beginning with the lighting of the candle each Sunday. The second part will be Christmastide, beginning on Christmas Day. These twelve days of Christmas will be marked by devotionals (one for each day) written by a member of Hope Church to celebrate the twelve days of Christmas.
May you find the time to be still this advent season and bask in the glorious light of Jesus’ first coming and the wonderful hope that he is coming back for us. And may we, like Simeon, be looking for and able to see Jesus in the midst of the darkness and chaos which surrounds us.
Merry Christmas!
“Christmas is God lighting a candle; and you don’t light a candle in a room that’s already full of sunlight. You light a candle in a room that’s so murky that the candle, when lit, reveals just how bad things really are”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org”