This Advent Go Deeper and Do Good

December 4, 2024 Scott Wall

Bobbi Salkeld

Here are our Commons liturgies (new this year) for the four Sundays of Advent. We’re sharing them with you so you can incorporate them into your personal preparation for Christmas.

Every year, we rehearse the four themes of Advent by lighting a new candle in the Advent wreath. You can totally do this at home with four ordinary candles and a little greenery from outside. Watch the glow of Advent grow brighter and brighter as we get closer to Christmas.

Advent 1 Darkness & Hope

In our Advent waiting, we pay attention to the dark.

We imagine an angel first appearing to Mary in the dark.
We see the dark womb where Christ grew in a place of nourishment.
We attend to our own vulnerabilities so often in the cover of the night.

In our waiting, we wonder – what new darkness will God illuminate with hope?

Into the darkness of what keeps us up at night, God arrives.

As we light the first candle of Advent,
we see in this one small light hope in the dark.

[Light the first Advent candle.]

Come, Advent God,
and bring us your bright hope.
Amen.

Advent 2 Wilderness & Peace

In our Advent preparation, we pay attention to the wilderness.

We hear the prophet Isaiah speak to people exiled and far from home,
“In the wilderness prepare the way for God;
make a highway for justice and peace.” (Isaiah 40)

We hear John the Baptist, from the wilderness, echo the prophet,
“Prepare the way of God,
make straight the path of God’s coming.” (Mark 1)

Into the wilderness of feeling lost and afraid, God arrives.

As we light the second candle of Advent,
we perceive in this second flame God arriving with peace.

[Light the second candle.]

Come, Advent God,
and bring us your deep peace.
Amen.

Advent 3 Anticipation & Joy

In Advent anticipation, we rejoice in the particular ways Jesus comes into our lives.

The poetry of the Psalms remind us that joy is characteristic of God’s arrival. This is joy that is embodied and unbounded.

The psalmist writes:
When the Divine restored us to wholeness,
It’s like we woke up from a dream.
Our mouths were filled with laughter.
Tongues sang songs of joy. (Psalm 126)

Into the places of delight in all that is ordinary and extraordinary in our lives, God arrives.

As we light the third candle,
we notice Advent’s brightening joy.

[Light the third candle.]

Come, Advent God,
and bring us imaginative joy.
Amen.

Advent 4 Incarnation & Love

In our Advent longing, we are attuned to incarnation.

The story of scriptures paint pictures of God’s dwelling places.

God dwells in early creation. God dwells in tents, tabernacles, and temples. God dwells on sacred mountains and in the highest heavens.

And then, as if none of that were near enough, God steps in to fill lungs with divine breath and synapses with divine thought. The Apostle Paul describes the incarnation like this: “Mystery is revealed in Jesus.”

Into our unfinished stories and our longing for more, God comes.

As we light the fourth candle,
we behold the brilliance of God’s love.

[Light the fourth candle.]

Come, Advent God,
and astonish us with your love.
Amen.

The Part About Doing Good
By Yelena Pakhomova

Partnering with local organizations in the neighbourhood has been a core value of Commons from the very beginning. This year, we are focusing on practical ways to support our local partners, particularly in the areas of food security and social isolation prevention.

Neighbour Night at Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association

Since 2016, we have been supporting HSCA's food security initiatives, and this year, we're adding something new. On the third Thursday of each month, Commons volunteers can help HSCA bring people in the neighbourhood together for a meal and a creative activity. I love that Neighbour Night is a family-friendly volunteer opportunity that allows people to truly become neighbours.