Advent.

A time of waiting, watching, listening.
A time of remembering, anticipating.
A time of renewal and wonder.

The beginning of a new year.

Each year, we celebrate the season of Advent in the weeks leading up to Christmas. We read the words of the prophets, we tell the stories of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, the Magi.

We put ourselves back in that time and place of watching and waiting for the Savior of the world, expectant and hopeful. And then, we find ourselves here, in the 21st century, watching and waiting for the return of our Savior, expectant and hopeful.

Oftentimes, our worship services during Advent have a particular sequence to them: We begin with the prophetic words of hope and faith; then, the promise of peace in the world; the joy of God’s fulfilled promises; and the gift of love into the world.

It’s a story we never tire of telling and hearing, but sometimes, doing worship the same way year after year can start to feel a bit stale.

Feeling stuck? Today, I’m sharing a modern resource guide for your Advent worship planning—a collection of liturgies, Advent Wreath readings, reflections, prayers, and service guides to help you craft meaningful worship services and tell this old, familiar story in new and creative ways.

An Advent Worship-Planning Guide

Advent Themes

First, let’s talk about worship themes. As I mentioned before, many churches often use a series of themes in Advent, one for each of the four Sundays in the season. These are often tied to the lectionary readings (if your church uses a lectionary).

Traditional

Here are a few of the more traditional themes:

Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Light
Faith, Hope, Joy, Love, Light
Prophecy, Promise, Fulfillment, Faith
Expectation, Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment
The Patriarchs, The Prophets, John the Baptist, The Virgin Mary
The Prophets, The Shepherds, The Virgin Mary, The Magi

(source and source)

Modern

And here are a few more modern approaches:

Coming Home (source)
Watch, Turn, See, Dream, Peace (source)
Waiting, Preparing, Singing, Laboring (source) (tied to the RCL’s Old Testament readings)
Places in the Nativity Story & Our Faith (source) (non-lectionary)
Where Justice Gets Done (source) (this one is tied to the Narrative Lectionary)
Signs, Saviors, Serpents, Songs (source) (tied to the RCL’s Gospel readings)
Object Lessons (source) (non-lectionary)

Feeling inspired? Hopefully, this gives you a few ideas for themes for your Advent services. Now you’re ready to begin planning readings, music, and liturgy and other spoken elements.

Here are some useful Advent resources to help get you started: