The Angel Candle:
PEACE FILLS
Needs met
Emptiness filled
Lives made whole
Peace Quotes
“There is peace even in the storm.”
-- Vincent Van Gogh
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.”
-- C. S. Lewis
“Christ died. He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to the soldiers, and His mother to John. But to His disciples, who had left all to follow Him, He left not silver or gold, but something far better—His peace.”
-- Matthew Henry (Bible Commentator)
Opening Questions
Listen to the lyrics of “The Twelve Pains of Christmas” as a modern-day lament
Which Christmas preparations would you most like to change or eliminate in order to bring more peace to the Advent season?
What vital part of this lament is missing?
Discussion Questions
1. If we want to be filled with peace, we need to make sure we aren’t already filled with something else. What things tend to crowd out peace in our lives?
2. Read Luke 1:1-20
What ritual was Zechariah performing in this passage?
What fears or doubts do you think Zechariah was experiencing during his encounter with the angel?
3. The angel proclaims ‘good news’ to Zechariah, that something wonderful is being done in answer to his prayers. His wife is going to have a baby in their old age, something they are physically incapable of doing on their own.
What fears or doubts do you think this situation could cause?
How does the knowledge that it is a miracle of God, being done on their behalf, bring peace into this otherwise stressful situation?
4. The Greek root word for ‘good news’ is euangelion, which we see in the word evangelism. The same root word is used again when the angels proclaim good news to the shepherds in Luke 2:10. The root is the foundation of the word that we translate as gospel, a message that someone is interceding on our behalf.
What did Jesus come to do for the people living at that time?
What does Jesus come to do for us today?
Spiritual Practice:
Traditions
What: Remember the meaning behind the rituals of the Christmas season
How: Allow the preparations for the Christmas holiday to serve as reminders of the Good News of Jesus’s coming (Hanging lights, Giving presents, Singing carols, etc.)
Why: Focusing our attention on the gospel message of peace
Discussion Questions
How can focusing on Jesus as the true gift of Christmas allow peace to fill our lives?
Personal Devotionals
Daily Scripture readings and meditations