Two candles are now lit each day. The second candle provides another week to prepare for Christmas and focus on the reason Jesus came. Bethlehem means "House of Bread." Bread is very significant in the Bible. Use bread and talk about it in the second week of Advent.
Bread Meanings
Moses and the Israelites ate manna, a type of bread rained down from heaven, daily for 40 years while wandering in the desert. Once the people came to Israel, God required the priests to always keep 12 loaves of bread, called showbread or the Bread of Presence, on a table in the tabernacle. Read about this bread in Exodus 25:30. This bread served as a daily reminder that God provided for his people.
Jesus referred to himself as the Bread of Life, performed miracles of feeding crowds of people by multiplying a few loaves of bread, and gave his followers the gift of his bread in communion on the night before he died. Read parts of John Chapter Five where Jesus used the analogy of himself as bread. Chat about communion in your church.
Bread Activities
While the candle is lit one evening, share bread as an agape meal. Agape is a Greek word that refers to the love of God. Buy the bread, make warm, make bread from scratch, or buy refrigerated dough and cook it. Serve the bread warm and break off pieces by hand, passing it from person to person. As each person breaks off bread, let the individual give a reason to be thankful that Jesus came.
Make bread as gifts for neighbors and buy bread mixes t give to a food pantry. Make and freeze a Christmas bread to enjoy on Christmas day. Sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and talk about how God chose a town that means House of Bread as the place for Jesus to be born.
Recite the Lord's Prayer and discuss how Jesus told us to ask for daily bread. What did he mean? Is it just for food or are we also asking for Jesus to be in our life? In Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph found no room for Jesus. Talk about how we make room in our hearts for Jesus and room for reading the Bible each day.
Peace Activities
The candle is also called the candle of peace. In Isaiah 9:6, the Messiah, of Jesus, is called the Prince of Peace. Peace within our hearts begins with forgiveness and letting go of negative emotions of anger and jealousy. Pray together for inner peace. Forgive one another of any hurts.
Peace begins with loving others. Think of acts of love to do for one another and for neighbors this week and then do them. Peace also comes with treating others with kindness. Practice complimenting one another with honestly. Before speaking, consider if the words will be kind. If there's a problem, peace doesn't mean avoiding it, but reminds us to discuss differences and listen calmly and find a solution that benefits people without hurting anyone. Practice listening skills and discussing differences. Pray for world peace and peace with the people you see each day.
This week continue other preparations for Christmas. Shop for gifts that will bring a smile to others, and write Christmas cards for family members with a message of love as that builds unity and peace.
Karen Whiting - Professional freelance writer with ten published books and hundreds of published articles. My books are for women (time management and ...
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