Church visits : Fourth Sunday of Advent is Today

Church visits

Visiting: As a student of religion, I've seen how various factors in a church visit affect spiritual growth and religious attitudes as one searches for a church home. I visit churches to observe, firsthand, how they present themselves to visitors. My visits, with a few exceptions, focus on Christian churches. This blog contains accounts of those visits, and related posts. I look for the following in my visits:
• Friendliness and warmth
• Genuine welcome, true Christian hospitality
• Effective, well-delivered bible-based main teaching
• Music deepening the worship, not just entertainment

Map to churches I have visited.
My email: churchvisits@gmail.com

Contributors

Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson, an amateur biblical scholar and student of religions, is a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society for Biblical Literature (SBL). He enjoys AAR/SBL where he studies, first hand, with worldwide religious scholars. A management consultant, skilled in all aspects of 360-degree feedback programs and human resource management systems, he practices these skills as Workforce Consulting. He lives in Anchorage.

ON THE WEB

Google map with visited churches

As I visit churches, I'll post their locations on this map.

Fourth Sunday of Advent is Today

Posted by Chris Thompson

Posted: December 20, 2009 - 12:41 am

Today the three previously lit Advent candles are relighted, and joined in lighting by the fourth candle, whose theme is Peace. The following prayer, located on the noted website, is an excellent example of an Advent candle lighting prayer for 4th Advent Sunday.4th Advent Candles - First UMC

Lord God, we light this candle to thank you for your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace. We who live in discord and strife have found peace in the promise of eternal life, through Jesus Christ. We give you thanks and praise in Jesus' name, because he lives and reigns with you in your glory, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Rev. Ken Collins' Website

Often the candle is lit by someone other than clergy, but last week, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Fr. Dan lit the candles. When lighting the JOY candle, he noted how the term JOY would be used throughout the whole of the service. What a powerful illustration and introduction to the term he made! The next and final Advent candle lighted will be the Christ candle, usually the center candle which is white. It is lit on Christmas Eve.