|
Home
Board Calendar Sunday Messages News Links Contact Us |
|
|
Home
Board Calendar Sunday Messages News Links Contact Us |
|
Sunday Message for December 10, 2006
Candle Light Ceremony – Love
This is the second Sunday of Advent! We continue on
our journey to Christmas with only two more Sundays after today to prepare
our hearts to feel more of that same Christ that Jesus lived and taught.
Today we light our second candle. Each day is like a step on our journey.
Like wise men we get closer to inner peace. Our candle today is for peace.
With more light we build peace inside ourselves.
Advent is a journey of faith and courage. It is a time to prepare for spiritual
rebirth. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we also celebrate the birth of
our awareness of the Christ Spirit within. So let this Advent season be your
personal journey to a rebirth of the spirit of hope, peace, love, and joy.
LIGHT THE CANDLE OF LOVE - ADVENT
(Isaiah 9:2) “The people who walked in darkness have
seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them
light has shined.”
We are on a four-week journey to Christmas. The four candles here are for each
Sunday before we celebrate the birth of Christ through Jesus, an event symbolic
of spiritual new-birth in each of us. In these four Sundays, we will complete
our trip to Christmas… and as we light each Candle, let us light up ourselves.
(Isaiah 9:6)
“For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
We are now going to sing one verse of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” as
we light the first candle for Hope and the second candle which stands for Peace.
If you would now close your eyes, just become still, and go within. Allow yourself
to just contemplate these scriptural verses and if God guides you to do so,
say your own prayer silently.
(1 Samuel 25:6) ”Peace
be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.”
(Isaiah 26:3-4)
“Those of steadfast mind you keep in
peace - in peace because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for
in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.”
(Matthew 5:8-9)
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children
of God.”
(John 14:26-27)
“Jesus said, The Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all
that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do
not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
(Romans 8:5-6)
“For those who live according to the
flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according
to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind
on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
(Romans 14:17-19)
“For the kingdom of God is not food
and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who
thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then
pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”
(Ephesians 2:13-18) “But now in Christ Jesus you who once
were far off have been brought near. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has
made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the
hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances,
that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus
making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body, thus putting
to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you
who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of
us have access in one Spirit to the Father.”
(Colossians 3:15-16) “Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all
wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs to God.”
(2 Thessalonians 3:16)
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give
you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.” AMEN
Our first two candles are lighted. On this, the second Sunday before Christmas
we light two candles as has been done for almost 2000 years.
TWELVE POWERS CANDLE LIGHTING
At Christmas time, we have a tradition of lighting
twelve candles in honor of the twelve disciples of Jesus. We celebrate
the Divine qualities that they represent as the twelve attributes of being
from which all other Divine ideas spring. Those are:
Faith
Imagination
Judgment
Life
Love
Order
Power
Renunciation
Strength
Understanding
Will
Zeal
PETER – FAITH
So I would like to start this Candle Lighting Ceremony
by inviting Peter to come forward. Peter is the disciple whose faith, once
developed, made him a greatly inspired leader. Through the Christ faith
within, we are steadfast. With faith in God, we have the courage to trust
in right and good outcomes.
PETER: I
light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty of FAITH. I bring the gift of faith. From our
innermost being, we give to the world our gift of faith. This is the faith
that knows God is the true essence of everything. Our faith is unshakable.
We know God is the power at work in every situation. Our faith acknowledges
all people everywhere. You are the Christ, the son and daughter of the living
God. You are God’s dearly beloved. This candle represents our gift of
faith in the presence and power of God active in the universe.
ANDREW – STRENGTH
Next I would like to invite Andrew to come forward.
Andrew had a great strength of character and was Jesus’ first real
friend. He was also a fisherman, and a brother to Peter. Through Christ
strength within, we are strong. We have the fortitude to overcome all challenges.
ANDREW: I
am the disciple Andrew and I light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty
of STRENGTH. I bring the gift of strength.
From our innermost being, we give to the world our gift of strength. Christ
is our strength. In the midst of confusion we trust in God. We acknowledge
our patience and steadfastness in Truth. We hold in prayer for all people,
everywhere, that they have the inner resources and strength to do what is theirs
to do. God is our refuge and our strength. With God all things are possible.
We hold the High Watch for others. This candle represents the spiritual strength
we bring to our world.
JAMES – WISDOM
I would like to invite James to come forward. James
was a fisherman, and fished with his father, Zebedee, and his brother John. These
two brothers, James and John, were called “the sons of thunder.” James
was one of the three disciples who were part of the inner circle. He
went with Jesus, as did John and Peter, to the Garden of Gethsemane on
the night before the crucifixion.
JAMES: I am the disciple James, son of Zebedee and I light
this candle in honor of the Christ faculty of WISDOM. I bring the gift of Divine
wisdom. From our innermost being we give to the world the gift of wisdom. Divine
wisdom is being established in all people everywhere. May each person develop
the ability to make wise decisions; to remember and retain needed information;
to put things into proper perspective; to weigh options and to make right choices.
This gift comes from our hearts and minds and flows freely into God’s
great world. This candle represents our gift of Divine Wisdom for all.
JOHN – LOVE
I would like to invite John to come forward. John
was a fisherman by trade and known as the beloved disciple. He was devoted
to Jesus and stayed with Jesus’ mother, Mary, at the foot of the
cross during the crucifixion. Through the Christ love within us, we are
filled with peace and harmony. We attract good into our lives.
JOHN: I
am the disciple John and I light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty
of LOVE. I bring the gift of God’s
unconditional Love. From our innermost being, we give to the world the gift
of our Love. As God’s creation, we are important and are needed to fill
our own particular niche in life. No one else can express God’s love. We
acknowledge God’s love in action through us. We bless others through
us. We bless others through our gift of love. This candle represents
the spiritual Love we send forth into our world.
PHILIP – POWER
I would like to invite Phillip to come forward. Philip
was among the first to join Jesus. He was able to affect great healings
through the power of the spoken word. Through the power of our indwelling
Christ our words are empowered to shape our world. We speak only
words of faith, optimism, wisdom, and love.
PHILLIP: I am the disciple Phillip and I light this candle
in honor of the Christ faculty of POWER. I bring the gift of Divine
Power. From our innermost being, we give the world the gift of power. The powerful
affirmation of the Truth of God is our gift to the world this Christmas season. Through
the power of the Christ within we bless the world. We release this power in
positive ways, uplifting, creating, liberating and enlightening as we speak. We
affirm only good; we affirm only love; we affirm only peace. This candle represents
the one power and presence of God on earth.
BARTHOLOMEW – IMAGINATION
I would like to invite Bartholomew to come forward.
Bartholomew was recognized by Jesus as a man of imagination and vision. He
immediately acknowledged the spiritual truth about Jesus and saw in him
the Christ spirit. Through the imaging power of the indwelling Christ,
we see the good in every person, situation, and event.
BARTHOLOMEW: I
am the disciple Bartholomew and I light this candle in honor of the Christ
faculty of IMAGINATION. I bring the gift of God’s
creative imagination. From our innermost being, we give the world the gift
of imagination. We imagine a world full of love. We imagine a world
of peace. We imagine everyone well fed. We imagine every home prospered. We
imagine everyone reaching his or her full potential. We imagine all people
realizing that they are God’s beloved and living in accordance with this
truth. This candle represents our ability to imagine heaven on earth.
THOMAS – UNDERSTANDING
I would like to invite Thomas to come forward. Thomas
was another of the fisherman. Often called the
“doubter,” because of his insistence on proof, his doubt deepened
his faith as he came to understand that spiritual principles are more certain
than observable facts. Through the light of the indwelling Christ, we understand
that the divine plan is unfolding despite appearances to the contrary, through
the working of spiritual law.
THOMAS: I am the disciple Thomas and I light this candle in
honor of the Christ faculty of UNDERSTANDING. I bring the gift of
understanding. From our innermost being, we give the world the gift of understanding. We
recognize there are many troubled situations in our world and to these situations
we give understanding. The foundation of our world is God and we give
strength to that foundation by our understanding.
We acknowledge the good - active in our lives. We give thanks that the perfect,
full expression of the Christ is present within all people. We affirm Divine
Understanding for all. This candle represents our understanding that God is
the source of truth and guidance in all situations.
MATTHEW – WILL
I would like to invite Matthew to come forward. Matthew,
a well-educated and wealthy tax collector for the Romans, left all his
worldly attributes of success behind without a moment’s hesitation
to join Jesus. The indwelling Christ guides our will. We let God’s
perfect will be done in all that we think, say, and do.
MATTHEW: I
am the disciple Matthew and I light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty
of WILL. I bring the gift of Divine Will.
From our innermost being, we give to the world the gift of our will.
We let go of all small ego concerns. We relax our hold on earthly demands. We
let go of tension and stress. We know that God is in charge of this world
and we give to the world our willingness to let God’s perfect will be
done. We acknowledge that God’s will for all people is good and only
good. This candle represents our will. We turn our will over to God and
let God’s will be done.
JAMES – ORDER
I would like to invite James to come forward. James,
thought to have been a cousin of Jesus, became the first Bishop of Jerusalem
and was highly respected for his knowledge of the law. The indwelling Christ
establishes order in our lives as we recognize that all things work together
for good.
JAMES: I
am the disciple James, son of Alphaeus and I light this candle in honor of
the Christ faculty of ORDER. I
bring the gift of order. From our innermost being, we give the world the gift
of order. We realize there is no need or situation that the divine order
of God cannot harmonize, adjust and make right. Our trust in God establishes
Divine Order. We are in tune with the Infinite. Our gift of order establishes
itself in proper timing and perfect peace. All confusion and disorder
are dissolved. The presence of God is active in the world in an orderly,
peaceful and loving way. This candle represents our dedication to Divine Order
in our world.
SIMON – ZEAL
I would like to invite Simon to come forward. Simon
had a great enthusiasm for transforming the world. The indwelling Christ
tempers our zeal with judgment. We develop extraordinary ability
in spiritual wisdom, love and power and do God’s will with enthusiasm.
SIMON: I
am the disciple Simon and I light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty
of ZEAL. I bring the gift of zeal. From
our innermost being, we give to the world the gift of our zeal. Our joy,
enthusiasm and zeal bring a sparkle into the world. The indomitable Spirit
of God uplifts and sustains us. Whatever the need, the Spirit of God
lifts us up and all is fulfilled. We celebrate the joy and enthusiasm
that bubbles up and bursts forth into the world, bringing the everlasting gift
of God’s good. This candle represents the joy we send forth through the
power of our spiritual zeal.
THADDEUS – RENUNCIATION
I would like to invite Thaddeus to come forward. Thaddeus,
brother of James, urged the world to renounce all which would separate
them from the goodness of God. Through the power of the indwelling Christ,
we let go of all that we no longer have a use for and release the energies
of thoughts and feelings which are not worthy of the Christ within. We
make room for God to fill our lives. We are free from the baggage of the
past and error thinking which has weighed us down. We are free as we move
into a field of unlimited possibility.
THADDEUS: I
am the disciple Thaddeus and I light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty
of RENUNCIATION. I bring the gift of
renunciation. From our innermost being, we give to the world the gift of our
renunciation. Our world is cleansed as we release all that no longer
serves us through the power of our indwelling Christ. With one clean sweep,
the power of Christ frees us from mistaken ideas and makes room for higher
concepts of Truth. Hurts of the past, misunderstandings and sorrows are washed
away. We release all unforgiving thoughts and feelings. We let go of the past.
We establish a new, fresh beginning. This candle represents our gift of renunciation
to the world as we release all that no longer serves us.
JUDAS – LIFE
I would like to invite Judas to come forward. Judas
had hoped that Jesus would become a mighty king. He placed his whole
attention on the establishment of a new political structure, and betrayed
Jesus because he believed that Jesus would not allow himself to be killed. Following
the betrayal, and the death of Judas, the disciples elected a new disciple
to replace Judas; whose name was Matthias. The indwelling Christ guides
and governs the wellsprings of life within us. As the manipulative,
self-absorbed Judas life in us departs, our life energy renews itself and,
like the Phoenix, emerges as a faculty through which the Life Force can
express a higher purpose.
JUDAS: I
am the disciple Judas and I light this candle in honor of the Christ faculty
of LIFE. I bring the gift of vibrant
and healthy life. From our innermost being, we give the world the gift of life.
We acknowledge that every phrase of life has its divine purpose. We rejoice
each day in the new ideas, discoveries, revelations and involvement of the
day. We bring the awareness of spiritual life to every part of life. We
bless the people, the animals, the plants and all living things. We give
thoughts of pure vibrant health and revitalizing life to every area of our
own life and to every area of the lives of others. This candle represents the
gift of life in our world.
LET MY LITTLE LIGHT SHINE
The small candles that were given to you, are to remind
you that you have been entrusted with a gift of God, the Christ within,
and that as Jesus became the light of the world by letting His light shine,
so that same Christ light, quickened and glowing in each of us, is to become
the light of our world, and is even to reach beyond our own world into
the life of others.
The candles were given to you unlighted, because you alone can bring forth
the light that is within you, even though others may call it
forth by the inspiration that they give you. You are to light them from the
light of the universal Christ, for it is in the light of the Christ that we
find the light within us and learn how to bring it into expression. You are
to place your candle in the salt, there to let it shine and add its brightness
to “the light of the world.” So this simple ceremony becomes a
prayer of the hand and the heart as well as of the lips so that the Truth which
it symbolizes may be speedily manifest for you.
Before you light your candle please remove the special blessing that has been
lovingly selected with the prayer that it may reach the person for whom the
Spirit intends it. Then return to your seat with your prayer for this coming
year.
Dear God, Your peace is my peace. In the depths of
my soul lives a sense of peace that nothing can disturb. You are my inner
source of comfort and strength that calms me as I prepare for Christmas
and anticipate the coming year. You are my assurance of security and serenity.
Your presence within me is my source of happiness, fulfillment, and prosperity.
You are my foundation of wholeness – physical, mental, emotional,
and spiritual.
As I begin this second week of Advent, I affirm peace in every heart and mind
and I let peace begin within me. As a center of peace, I have a positive effect
on the people and situations around me through my positive thoughts, words,
and actions and my affirmative prayers. I am thankful for the peace I find
in your presence, God. Your presence of peace within assures me of the peace
that is possible in every circumstance. Thank You for peace in my heart. Thank
You for peace among my family, among community members, among nations, and
among all humanity. Thank You, God, for peace. AMEN
May this Christmas season be a wonderful journey of rebirth for you. May you
take time to prepare your heart and mind in prayer and listen to the still
small voice within. Trust in your faith, knowing that it provides strength,
peace, and confidence to meet whatever comes your way.
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 9:6; 1 Samuel
25:6; Isaiah 26:3-4; Matthew 5:8-9; John 14:26-27; Romans 8:5-6;
Romans 14:17-19; Ephesians 2:13-18; Colossians 3:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 3:16
| Top of page |
Last updated December 8, 2006
