A Concord Pastor Comments: Lighting the First Candle on the Advent Wreath

At sundown today we began to celebrate the season of Advent, a season of joyful expectation of Christmas, a season for renewing our hearts as a dwelling place for Christ who was born among us...

If you have an Advent Wreath at home,
   pray for peace this week as you light the first candle each day.

If you don't have an Advent Wreath
   - light any candle and pray for peace.

If you have no candle,
   simply stay right here with candle above and pray for peace...

You may offer this prayer
   each time you light the candle on the wreath this week...

Let us pray for peace...

Let us pray for an end to war,
    to terrorism, violence and bloodshed...
let us pray for the safe return of those who are in harm's way,
    who are far away from home and family and friends...
let us pray for peace at our nation's borders
    and at the borders of nations around the world...
let us pray for those who have died in war
    and for their loved ones who grieve their loss...
let us pray for our enemies...
let us pray for the poor who suffer war's hardships...
let us pray for the peace the world cannot give or make for itself...

Let us pray for peace in the Church...
Let us pray for healing peace in the hearts and minds,
   in the souls of those who have been abused
by the Church and her ministers...
Let us pray for peace among the people of God...

And let us pray for an end to the little (and larger) wars
    we wage in our own lives, families and neighborhoods,
       at work, at school and in the church...
let us pray for peace and safety in the lives of all
   who live in homes with domestic violence...
let us pray for peace and an end to violence
   in our nation plagued by mass shootings...
let us pray for those who have been harmed by our stubbornness...
let us pray for those we make our personal enemies...
let us pray for those who make enemies of us...
let us pray for an end to the wars we fight within ourselves...
let us pray for healing peace in the minds and hearts
   of all who live with anxiety, fear and depression...
let us pray for peace...
let us pray for the peace we cannot give or make for ourselves...
let us pray for the peace that only the Lord can give...

Amen.