For December 15th:

JOY:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” Luke 2:8-20 KJV; also read Luke 1:47-56

Today is the third Sunday in Advent and a continuation of the project described on the November 29^th entry. We continue celebrating our anticipation of the coming of our Savior, Jesus by relighting the purple Candle of HOPE and the purple Candle of Peace from the first and second Sundays of Advent. We light them again as we remember that Christ will come again to fulfill all of God’s promises to us and that Christ brings the world everlasting peace.

Light the pink candle in your wreath. This is the Candle of JOY.

Read the scripture verses above. The Candle of Joy reminds us of the joy that Mary felt when the angel Gabriel told her that a special child would be born to her—a child who would save and deliver his people. God wants us all to have joy. The angel who announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born told them: “Do not be afraid, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people…”

We light this candle to remember that Christ brings the promise of a new life. We light it to remember that He is the bringer of true and everlasting joy.

Prayer: Thank you God for the joy we feel in our hearts because of the love of your Son Jesus. Amen.

CUMC Women’s Ministry