Sunday, December 17th, the 3rd Sunday of Advent.

This week we will light 3 candles in the Advent wreath. The purple candles represent Hope and Peace. The third candle is pink and represents Joy. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is usually connected with accumulating positive external worldly things and situations. Joy comes from within, proclaiming God’s magnificence and that all is well with our souls. As we light this 3rd candle, we pray that you may know much joy.

“O Lord, we confess, that joy is often fleeting in our lives. We get caught up in minutia and lose track of the big picture. Help us to rejoice in your presence, and we ask that as we wait for Christ to come again, we do your will by sharing your joy with all we meet. We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem. Amen.”