The prophet Isaiah knew all about a weary world. He said,
“Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.”
Tonight we celebrate the end of our Advent waiting.
Tonight we join Christians all over this weary world rejoicing and giving thanks for a God who loves us enough to become one of us. That God shares our sorrows and removes our fears with a thrill of hope that sets us free to rejoice.
Tonight we come as people who have walked in darkness, but we have seen the great light. We have lived in a land of deep darkness—and on us the light has shined.
[Light the Christ Candle]
And so we light the Christ candle as a sign to all who are weary that God invites us to a stable where we, like the infant Jesus, can be wrapped in the arms of our loving God and sleep in heavenly peace.
Peacefully Harsh 