RESOURCES

Wednesday, 12/24/2025

Opening Prayer
God we ask you now for patience as we watch for the return of your Son. We face uncertainty and weighty expectations both self-imposed as well as from those around us. Give us strength to walk each day in steadfast hope of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Our Father in Heaven, we confess that following You is hard and often we are afraid. This fear keeps us from following your commands. We repent of our unbelief. We turn to you for forgiveness and ask that by the power of your Spirit we may live as salt and light to the world.

Scripture Reading - Luke 2:1-20
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Confession of Faith and Response (optional)
Q: What hope does everlasting life hold for us?
A: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:1–4, New City Catechism, Q52)

Closing Prayer
You have humbled Yourself that we may live as members of the family of God. Give us the wisdom to know our family story and to love and look forward to Jesus’s return. Amen.

Advent 2025 - waiting faithfully

Through this Advent series we will consider waiting in the midst of unknowns. It often feels hardest to wait when it’s unclear just how much time will pass. “How Long O LORD?” is the famous question from Habakkuk who cries out to God in the midst of his wait for the LORD to make good on His promises. And through the prophet we learn to wait on the LORD. As we work through the short book of Scripture we will look at four aspects of waiting: prayer, faith, integrity, and worship.

The story of Scripture makes clear that while there is darkness in the world that God’s light will not only break through but overcome. This was the hope of people waiting for the first Advent (from the word adventus—which means arrival) when the Son of God took on humanity to deliver God’s people. This first arrival of the incarnate Son of God—Jesus of Nazareth—brought with him the beginning of a new Kingdom. Through the history of the church this first arrival has been celebrated on Christmas Day. But we know that this is not the end of the story.

Scripture calls us  to prepare for Jesus’s return through repentance and faith. We are to turn away from the false hopes and desires that twist our hearts and destroy our relationships. Instead, we are to turn toward Jesus, who frees us so that we may serve one another in grace and truth. Just as John the Baptist was born to prepare the way for Jesus’ first coming, so we are given to each other in the community of Mosaic Silver Spring to encourage each other and challenge the world around us to prepare for his coming again—the second advent of Jesus.

How to Use This Guide

This guide may be used by individuals, families, or small groups. The intent is to provide you with a means to think, pray, and prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

We are inundated with things to think about the holidays. But as people of God, we make time to listen to the words of promise, hope, and redemption through His Word to us. Here’s how this Advent Guide may help:

Pray
There are opening and closing prayers. Think about what you’re reading and the themes each week and feel free to integrate that into your own prayers as you go. Invite children, as they participate, to pray in their own words.

Read and Reflect
Use the passages to get a sense of the whole story of Scripture. Read aloud and discuss if doing it in a group or family. If not, meditate on the passages. Each week the staff will provide a reflection sheet with summaries of each passage to aid your reflection.

Confess—both sin and faith
In this Advent guide we build in confessions of sin so that you may reflect on your own struggle to live in obedience to God as well as confessions of faith that are shared by the visible church across time and culture.

Wreath and Candles
If you would like, purchase five candles and light them during the season of Advent as you do the readings and prayers. This will not make your time more acceptable to God, but can help mark the development each week with visible progression to Christmas Day. If using candles, during the first week light 1. During the second week, light 2. And repeat this pattern. Light the 5th candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.