ADVENT 2025
WEEK 3 – JOY
Reader 1: As we move through Advent, we remember that the coming of Christ brings a joy deeper than any other circumstances – a joy rooted in God’s love made known in Jesus. This week we light the joy candle (light candle) Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:1–2) that if we share in Christ, we will know this joy…
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
Reader 2: Unity is not simply agreement; it is a shared posture of the heart. It grows when we choose to be humble, when we listen, when we make room for one another. During this Advent season, we remember that God did exactly this for us – He reached out to humanity by taking on flesh. That truth invites us into a joyful unity grounded in Christ’s self-giving love.
Reader 1: Paul longs for the church’s joy to be “complete.” Our joy becomes complete when Christ’s love is at the center of our relationships. When we lean into his grace, we discover that joy is not something we hold alone but something that can grows as we walk together.
Reader 2: This Advent, let us practice unity that reflects the heart of Christ—encouraging each other, carrying each other’s burdens, and looking for signs of God’s kingdom breaking into our world. When we do that, we share in the joy that Christ came to bring…joy that binds us together in a living hope.
ALL: Lord Jesus, make our joy complete. Shape our hearts, unite us in Your love, and prepare us to welcome You with gladness. Amen.
HYMN #152 “Angels We Heard on High” (verse 3)
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