O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, By Michael DeBusk
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

8
First Sunday of Advent
Leader: Today we light the candle of hope. It
symbolizes Israel’s expectation for the coming Messiah,
foretold for generations by her prophets. It further Angels from the realms of glory,
symbolizes the hope we as believers have that Christ will Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
come again.
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
[Leader lights the first purple candle.]
Read: Isaiah 40:1-8; Matthew 3:1-12 Refrain
[Leader leads the family in prayer.]
Sing: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Second Sunday of Advent
Leader: Today we light the candle of hope. Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
[Leader lights the first purple candle.] God with us is now residing;
Leader: Today we also light the candle of peace. Yonder shines the infant light:
This candle symbolizes the perfect rule of Christ, not only
that rule over His creation that we anticipate in His Refrain
Second Coming, but the peace that He brings in
reconciling us to God through the blood of His sacrifice for Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
sin. We celebrate the peace He alone offers us through
Seek the great Desire of nations;
our trust in Him for salvation. Ye have seen His natal star.
[Leader lights the second purple candle.]
Read: Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6-7; John 16:33 Refrain
[Leader leads the family in prayer.]
Sing: “Silent Night” Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
Third Sunday of Advent In His temple shall appear.
Leader: Today we light the candle of hope and the
candle of peace. Refrain
[Leader lights the first and second purple candle.]
Leader: We also light the candle of joy. This candle Though an Infant now we view Him,
symbolizes the joy with which the announcement of He shall fill His Father’s throne,
Christ’s birth was received. It also symbolizes the joy of Gather all the nations to Him;
Every knee shall then bow down:
the committed Christian life. We praise the Lord that He is
the source of true joy; a joy for which so many people Refrain
2 7

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
6 3
long.
[Leader lights the pink candle.]
Read: Luke 2:8-20, 25-38
[Leader leads the family in prayer.]
Sing: “Joy to the World”
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Leader: Today we light the candle of hope, the
candle of peace, and the candle of joy.
[Leader lights the first three candles.]
Leader: We also light the candle of love. This
candle symbolizes the love that God has for fallen human
beings in that He sent his Son to die for us. It further
symbolizes the response of love that we express through
God’s gift of faith for Him, each other, and our neighbors.
[Leader lights the fourth candle.]
Read: Matthew 1:18-24; Luke 1:26-38
[Leader leads the family in prayer.]
Sing: “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
Christmas Day
Leader: Today we light the candle of hope, the
candle of peace, the candle of joy, and the candle of love.
[Leader lights the four candles.]
Leader: Today we celebrate the incarnation—the
God of the universe taking on human flesh as a helpless
baby in a manger. The candle that we light today
commemorates that earth-shattering event. It is white,
representing the purity of Christ’s life and sacrifice. May it
remind us that Christ is the very center of all that we are.
[Leader lights the center candle.]
Read: Luke 2:1-7; John 1:1-18
[Leader leads the family in prayer.]
Sing: “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Refrain
4 5
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!