Advent Wreath Liturgy – PIJP 2024
Introduction
The following liturgy was written for the Palestine Israel Justice Project for churches to use as part of their Advent wreath lighting ritual. Each week has both a place important to Jesus’ life and a theme, drawing parallels between Jesus’ story and the experience of the Palestinians and Israelis today. Please note that the liturgies for Jerusalem and Nazareth address conditions faced by both Israelis and Palestinians.
This liturgy is also designed to fit with the Worship Design Studio series “On the Way to Bethlehem” and can be used as a part of the threshold moment
Week 1: Hope/Rome
Reader 1: As we light this first candle, the candle of hope, we remember that Jesus was born at a time when the Roman Empire had conquered and occupied Israel, oppressing the Jewish people.
Reader 2: Today, when the West Bank and Gaza are occupied and the Palestinian people oppressed by the Israeli army, we long for the coming of Christ.
Reader 1: In the face of the present suffering, we hope in the One who sets all free from bondage, suffering and death.
Reader 2: Let this light shine as our expectation of the time when Christ shall banish the principalities and powers arrayed against justice, life, and love.
Week 2: Peace/Jerusalem
Reader 1: As we light this second candle, the candle of peace, we think of how Jerusalem is divided today and not a place of peace.
Reader 2: Soldiers walk the streets near the scenes of Jesus’ life. Some say that the people have always been fighting each other over this holy city.
Reader 1: Yet we believe that peace is possible, that some day the children of Abraham will lay down their guns forever.
Reader 2: Let this light shine as a beacon of peace.
Week 3: Joy/Nazareth
Reader 1: As we light this third candle, the candle of joy, we journey to Nazareth, remembering the joy of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and the child leaping within her womb.
Reader 2: Today the people of Nazareth are careful when visiting to know where the nearest bomb shelter is in case of rocket attack.
Reader 1: We think of the children, still going to school, still having birthday parties, still finding joy in the small moments.
Reader 2: Let this light shine as a reminder that we can find joy in the simplest things – in spending time with a loved one, in a beautiful sunrise, in the smile of a stranger.
Week 4: Love/Bethlehem
Reader 1: As we light this fourth candle, the candle of love, we come to Bethlehem, where Joseph and Mary found that there was no room in the inn.
Reader 2: The people of Bethlehem today are being told that there is no room for them. The illegal Israeli settlements continue to take Palestinian land.
Reader 1: Yet some Palestinians are refusing to call anyone their enemy and choosing to love their neighbors.
Reader 2: Let this light shine as a testimony to love, both the love for one’s neighbors and the unconditional love of God sent to us in Jesus.
Christmas Eve: Christ/The Manger
Reader 1: As we light the center candle, the Christ candle, we come to the manger where Christ was laid after his birth and visited by simple shepherds.
Reader 2: Today, Palestinian women giving birth face many challenges and hazards.
Reader 1: The difficulty of traveling long distances with no public transportation and bad road conditions to get to a hospital is made worse by the lack of resources and personnel when a woman arrives.
Reader 2: Let this light shine to honor Christ, who embodies our hope for peace, and our joy in God’s love and care for us all.