Advent Wreath and Crèche Readings: Advent 1

There are two segments to our observance of Advent. The first is "building the crèche" — adding characters each Sunday to the crèche scene. The second is lighting the candles of the Advent Wreath. To do this, we have two households involved each Sunday: a Crèche Household and a Wreath Household.

The hope is that each person in the household will have something to do. A household of a single person means that person does the entire segment. Households with children should help each child do something. (There are several boxes available, so someone shorter can be seen.) Each of the "Wreath Household says" segments offers an opportunity for a different person to have a part. As many different readers as possible should be used. Children, youth, and adults will do better with practice out loud — at home and in the sanctuary. Participants may come between twenty to forty minutes before the service and walk through the part. The sound technicians help participants get used to the microphone. For the 10:00 a.m. service, we try to have the chancel clear of people by fifteen minutes prior to the beginning of the service. Participants should sit on an aisle so they can get to the chancel area quickly. Every person should speak clearly, slowly, and above a normal speaking volume.

Directions

Both households will be called up by one of the pastors, who will say: "Will those who will assist us in our observance of Advent, please come forward."

The Crèche Household should go directly to the crèche and stand behind it. The Wreath Household should go directly to the lectern (where the Scripture is read from at the 10:00 service).

Crèche Household: Take Mary and the angel from behind the table and hold them in front of you so the congregation can see them. Follow the directions of the pastor as she or he speaks about each character and then asks that they be placed in the scene. After they are placed, stand in place as the candle on the wreath is lit.

Wreath Household: Upon arriving at the lectern, make sure each person is where he or she is comfortable and can be seen. Wait for the crèche characters to be placed. When the pastor says: "Now we continue with the lighting of the candle on the wreath," you say the words in the script below:

Script

Wreath Household says: Today we light the first Advent candle, the candle of hope.

Wreath Household says: Let us pray.
Redeemer God, you are the one who gives us hope. As we wait, we know that you will bring justice and peace. As we wait, we find you have made your wisdom known in our lives. Come, Redeemer, come. Amen.

Wreath Household says: The first Advent candle is the candle of hope. We remember the hopeful longing of people waiting for a savior. And we acknowledge our own hope that we, too, might be filled with the light of Christ.

Wreath Household (even more slowly and distinctly) says: May the light of hope burn brightly in our hearts all our days.

Now The Wreath Household moves from the lectern to the wreath and uses the lighter provided to light the blue candle closest to the congregation. A member of the household will put the lighter out by pulling the wick down into the wand and placing the extinguished lighter into the middle of the wreath. (Nothing should be said during this time.)

Both Crèche and Wreath Households: The music will begin playing. As the music begins, both households leave the chancel and return to their places in the sanctuary.

Copyright © 2005 Preston Price. Published by Discipleship Ministries,This script may be reproduced and used in congregational worship — with the inclusion of the above copyright statement.