UPPC Advent Devotional 2025
MyhopeisthatthisAdventDevotionalwillmeetyouandyourfamilyinaspecial waythisseason.Eachweek,I’veconnectedEveningPrayerwithourSavorthe SeasonseriesonSundaymornings,whichwillhopefullybringsomecontinuity andconnectiontothisoftenbusyandfragmentedtime.
Theliturgyissimpleandismeanttobeusedandmodifiedasisfittingforlife aroundyourtable.Ifyouhaveyoungchildren,adaptithoweveryou’dlike.Ifyou areonyourown,makeitapersonaldevotionalbetweenyouandGod,butknow thatweareallparticipatinginthesamereadingseachweek,whichwill,hopefully, becomeabridgebetweenourhearts.
Ineachoftheweeks,thereisCandleLighting,aCalltoWorship,aLeader,a Reader,aPrayer,aCollect(asimpleprayerwepraytogether)andaBenediction. Thismightbeanewwaytoprayforyouandyourfamily.Formyfamily,we’ve foundthissimplestructureworksforus.Ourquick,impromptuculturelongsfor sacredtimeandspaceinourhomes,butwedon’tquiteknowhowtogetthere. TheseEveningPrayersaremeanttobeaguidethroughtheawkward,andawayto enterintosacredmoments.
Atourhouse,weshareinEveningPrayerrightbeforeweeatdinner,withfood steamingallaround.Wefindwaystoincludeeveryone,andI’vefoundthateven teenagerswhohavenoconnectiontochurch,findthiswholesomeandlife-giving. Therearenorulesaboutwhoreadswhichpart–sometimestheyoungestisthe leaderandsometimesthenewkidwantstoreadtheCalltoWorship.Letitbefun.
Adventismeanttobeatimetogatherwithfriendsandfamilyasweprepareour heartstoreceiveChristinallhishumanityandglory.Considermakingonenight eachweekaspecialeveningaroundyourtable.Perhaps,inviteadifferentfamily overtoshareinthemealtogether,orconsidertakingextracaretopreparethe dinnersyouknowyourchildrenlove.
Myhopeisthatyou’llgivethisatry,knowingthatwhenweengageinsuchthings, wemeetsomeofourdeepestspiritualneeds–tobeconnectedtoGod,andto oneanother.
GraceandPeacetoyouandyourfamilythisseason,
Pastor Tina
Evening Prayer for Advent Week One
Savor the Sacred: Available
Lighting of the Candle for Week One:
The youngest person at the table lights the first candle, the Candle of Availability.
All: May Jesus be the Light by which we see.
Call to Worship:
Leader: Walk in the light, the beautiful light. Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright.
All: Shine all around us by day and by night. Jesus, Light of the world.
A Reading of the Word: The Magnificat Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be mercifulto Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God for His Word.
Prayer:
Leader: For what do the people pray?
(Take turns naming your prayer for this week. Each person lift up a prayer to God.)
Please end this time with the words: Lord in your mercy: All: Hear our Prayer
Song for Reflection: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art, Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
Come to earth to taste our sadness, He whose glories knew no end; By His life He brings us gladness, Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend. Leaving riches without number, Born within a cattle stall; This the everlasting wonder, Christ was born the Lord of all.
Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all-sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
The Collect:
All: Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
Benediction:
Leader: May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Practice for the Week:
Create a daily quiet moment each day to respond to God with, “Lord, I’m listening.”
Evening Prayer for Advent Week Two
Savor the Waiting: Patient Trust
Lighting of the Candle for Week Two:
The youngest person at the table lights the first candle, and the next in age lights the Candle of Patient Trust.
All: May Jesus be the Light by which we see.
Call to Worship:
Leader: According to God’s promise, we wait for new heavens and new earth where goodness will dwell.
All: But they who wait upon the Lord shall see their strength renewed, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not faint. We wait for you, Oh God.
A Reading of the Word: Luke 2:22-38
Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon himand had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
That day the Spirit lehim to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years.
Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God for His Word.
Prayer:
Leader: For what do the people pray?
(Take turns naming your prayer for this week. Each person lift up a prayer to God.)
Please end this time with the words: Lord in your mercy: All: Hear our Prayer
A Reading for Reflection:
“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books now written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
The Collect:
All: Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
Benediction:
Leader: May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Practice for the Week:
Create some margin in your schedule this week, an hour or an evening without screens, create an intentional family moment.
Evening Prayer for Advent Week Three
Savor the Slow: Enjoy
Lighting of the Candle for Week Three:
The youngest person at the table lights the first candle, and the next in age lights the Candle of Patient Trust, and the next oldest lights the Candle of Enjoy.
All: May Jesus be the Light by which we see.
Call to Worship:
Leader: Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among all the nations. I am exalted in the earth!
All: The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.
A Reading of the Word: Luke 2:8-15
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heavenpraising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God for His Word.
Prayer:
Leader: For what do the people pray?
(Take turns naming your prayer for this week. Each person lift up a prayer to God.)
Please end this time with the words: Lord in your mercy:
All: Hear our Prayer
APoemforReflection:SmallKindnesses
I’vebeenthinking abouttheway,whenyou walk downacrowdedaisle,peoplepull intheirlegs toletyou by.Orhowstrangersstill say “bless you” whensomeonesneezes,aleftover from thebubonicplague.“Don’tdie,” wearesaying. Andsometimeswhenyou spill lemons from yourgrocery bag, someoneelsewill help you pick them up.Mostly,wedon’twanttoharm eachother. Wewanttobehandedourcup of coffeehot, and tosay thank you tothepersonhanding it.Tosmile atthem andforthem tosmileback.Forthewaitress tocall ushoney whenshesetsdownthebowl of clam chowder, andforthedriverintheredpick-up truck toletuspass. Wehavesolittleof eachother,now.Sofar from tribeandfire.Only thesebrief momentsof exchange. Whatif they arethetruedwelling of theholy,these fleeting templeswemaketogetherwhenwesay,“Here, havemy seat,” “Goahead– you first,” “Ilikeyourhat.”
~ DenushaLameris
TheCollect:
All:LordJesus,staywithus,foreveningisathandandthedayispast;beour companionintheway,kindleourheartsandawakenhope,thatwemayknow youasyouarerevealedinScriptureandthebreakingofbread.Grantthisfor thesakeofyourlove.Amen.
Benediction:
Leader:May theGodof hopefill uswithall joy andpeaceinbelieving throughthe powerof theHoly Spirit.Amen.
PracticefortheWeek:
Noticethejoy-filledmoments Practiceafewminutesof daily awarenessata meal together,sharing whatbroughteachpersonjoy intheirday.
Evening Prayer for Advent Week Four
Savor the Moments: Quiet
Lighting of the Candle for Week Four:
The youngest person at the table lights the first candle, and the next in age lights the Candle of Patient Trust, the next oldest lights the Candle of Enjoy, and finally, light the Candle of Quiet.
All: May Jesus be the Light by which we see.
Call to Worship:
Leader: Walk in the light, the beautiful light. Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright.
All: Shine all around us by day and by night. Jesus, Light of the world.
A Reading of the Word: 1 Kings 19:9-13
There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God for His Word.
Prayer:
Leader: For what do the people pray?
(Take turns naming your prayer for this week. Each person lift up a prayer to God.)
Please end this time with the words: Lord in your mercy: All: Hear our Prayer
A Song for Reflection: Winter Snow
You could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of heaven in Your flame
But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the Earth below
Oh, You could've swept in like a tidal wave
Or a big ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things that we've scarred
Oh, but He came like a winter snow
So quiet, so soft, so slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the Earth below,
Ooh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning
No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind
It was still, so small
It was hidden, ooh
You came like a winter snow
So quiet, so soft, so slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the Earth below, ooh, oh
You came falling
From the sky in the night
The Collect:
All: Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
Benediction:
Leader: May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Practice for the Week:
Spend five minutes or more in silence each day this week – no agenda, no requests – simply be present to God.
Morning Prayer for Christmas Day
Savor the Savior: Christ Candle
Lighting of the Christ Candle on Christmas Morning
The youngest person at the table lights the first candle, and the next in age lights the Candle of Patient Trust, the next oldest lights the Candle of Enjoy, next light the Candle of Quiet and finally, Light the Candle in the middle, the Christ Candle.
All: May Jesus be the light by which we see.
Call to Worship:
Leader: Good and Gracious God, at the dawn of this Christmas Day, we turn to you.
All: At the rising of the sun, our eyes look to the morning light, we sing your praises, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
A Reading of the Word: Luke 2:1-21
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God.
Prayer:
Leader: For what do the people pray?
(Take turns naming your prayer for this week. Each person lift up a prayer to God.)
Please end this time with the words: Lord in your mercy: All: Hear our Prayer
A Poem for Reflection: BC/AD
This was the moment when Before Turned into After, and the future’s Univented timekeepers presented arms.
This was the moment when nothing Happened. Only dull peace Sprawled boringly over the earth.
This was the moment when even energetic Romans
Could find nothing better to do Than counting heads in remote provinces.
And this was the moment When a few farm workers and three Members of an obscure Persian sect Walked haphazard by starlight straight into heaven.
~ U.A Fanthorpe
The Collect:
All: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil- for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Benediction:
Leader: May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
