The final candle of the Advent Wreath is the candle of love. As we prayed yesterday at the lighting of the candle:

God of love, your unconditional love for creation was made real when you sent Jesus into the world to lead, heal, teach and to show us all how to love.

Love is the reason for the season. God shares love with us through the birth of God's own son. Jesus is God's love sent into the world.

During this season we can experience love shared in many ways. I felt God's love very profoundly last Saturday when we went Christmas Caroling. Love was shared between the visiting and the visited, the carolers and the 'carolees'. Love was shared between old friends and strangers. In those moments (and many others) God's love was manifest among us.

How have you felt God's love this season? How have you shared God's love? As Christmas Day approaches how do you plan to celebrate God's love incarnate among us?

On the Third Sunday of Advent we light the Candle of Joy. Often this is a pink (or rose) candle, while the other three candles of Advent are purple. Some theologians explain that we have a pink candle because the Third Sunday of Advent anticipates the joy of the Christmas Celebration. The deep purple candles, which we light the other three Sundays of Advent, are the color of repentance, reflection and preparation. On the Third Sunday of Advent we get a glimpse of the joy that will visit us on Christmas.

Yesterday was certainly a joyful day for Faith UMC! We celebrated our Christmas Pageant Sunday with our youth and children leading the service. There were moments of laughter and many smiles. The children brought a lot of joy into our sanctuary and into our hearts and reminded us what Christmas really means. The joy even spilled over from worship into our fellowship time. It was very fitting that our Christmas Pageant took place on the Sunday we lit the Candle of Joy!

What joy are you experiencing in your life right now? What joy do you hope will visit you at Christmas? What 'glad tidings of great joy' are you feeling called to share this Advent / Christmas?

Yesterday, as part of our Advent Candle Lighting tradition, we lit the Candle of Peace. As Christians we are called to pray for peace, to work for peace and to live peaceful lives. But what does "peace" mean in our world today? Is peace simply the absence of war, or is peace something deeper?

The prophet Jeremiah struggled with peace in his day. In Jeremiah 6:14 we read, "They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace."

We sometimes refer to Jesus as "The Prince of Peace." Jesus teaches us that it is not enough to ignore our enemies, we are to love them. Jesus teaches us that our call to peace goes even to turning the other cheek. We are not to meet violence with violence. We are to live as people who seek peace in all we do.

During this Advent season where do you see peace? How do you experience peace? In what ways do you practice peace? Jesus the Christ came into the world as a peaceful baby. What message of peace does the Christ child have for our world today?