Advent Day Twenty-Eight

 We hope that as you have journeyed through Advent with us you have experienced the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ. Today, we want to invite you to join us in the pages of God’s Word as we reflect together on the birth of Christ. If you have an Advent wreath in your home, we’d invite you to use the following as a guide to lighting the candles on the wreath. If you do not have an Advent wreath, we’d invite you to locate a candle (or if you’d like to have one for each reading, 5 candles) and light it as you reflect upon the Advent reading.

Luke 2:1-14

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 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 clothes 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 clothes 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.”