Sunday 7 December 2025
Advent and Christmas Resources
Join ‘Gifted’ with resources to support your worship, welcome, and witness.
Second Sunday of Advent
Hymns marked with an asterisk (*) are suggested for more than one reading
Lighting of Advent candles
Useful hymns (using verses as appropriate).
*Advent candles tell their story (StF 165)
‘Christmas is coming!’ The Church is glad to sing (StF 166)
God whose almighty word (StF 106)
*Light a candle in a darkened place (StF 174)
Light of the world, you stepped down in darkness (StF 175)
Like a candle flame, flickering small in our darkness (StF 176)
Longing for light, we wait in darkness (“Christ, be our light!”) (StF 706)
Round orange, round orange (StF 184) a Christingle carol
Also see Advent hymns in the hymns section of the resource hub
Isaiah 11: 1-10
Father of everlasting grace (StF 378)
Long ago, prophets knew (StF 178)
Make me a channel of your peace (StF 707)
Spirit of God, unseen as the wind (StF 394)
The prophets’ voice comes down the years (StF 162)
There is a new heaven; there is a new earth (StF 738)
We pray for peace, but not the easy peace (StF 719)
Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19
Hymns echoing psalmist’s theme
Father in heaven, grant to your children (StF 4)
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed (StF 228)
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun (StF 328)
Lord, your Church on earth is seeking (StF 410)
May the God of hope go with us every day (StF 411)
Send down the fire of your justice (StF 413)
Sing we the King who is coming to reign (StF 185)
Romans 15: 4-13
Being of beings, God of love (StF 490)
Brother, sister, let me serve you (StF 611)
Come, all who look to Christ today (StF 678)
Come, and let us sweetly join Christ to praise in hymns divine (StF 646)
Community of Christ, who make the Cross your own (StF 681)
Fill thou my life, O Lord my God (StF 73)
Let us a build a house where love can dwell (StF 409)
May the God of hope go with us every day (StF 411)
Not far beyond the sea nor high above the heavens, but very nigh (StF 159)
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy (StF 416)
Matthew 3: 1-12
Day of judgment! Day of wonder! (StF 732)
Into the darkness of this world (StF 173)
My God! I know, I feel thee mine (StF 390)
O come, O come, Immanuel (StF 180)
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (StF 182)
Praise to the God who clears the way (StF 183)
We wait in hope for hope to come website only
Wild and lone the prophet’s voice (StF 189)
A prayer for peace and justice
Come as a dove flying
over still waters of hope,
putting peace into the hearts of people
who would wage war.
Come to the captives and the refugees.
Comfort all people who wait for freedom
and all people who wait for them to be free.
Come as the sound of silence
to hear the cries of people whose lives
are limited by gender-based violence
and domination. Stir up the hearts
of all who abuse their power and privilege.
Come as flames of justice
to a world where children are hungry;
a world ripped apart by untruths and greed.
Come as water cascading down a mountain
washing away the inequities of wealth and poverty.
Come change the story.
Come Holy Spirit, come now.
Amen.
Penny McCulloch, worship leader, Balsall Common Methodist Church, West Midlands
Prayer for those affected by cyclonic destruction in parts of Asia
Separate Cyclonic systems have caused flooding, mudslides and devastation across Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. As part of the response the Methodist Church is in touch with its partners to prepare Solidarity Grant funding from the World Mission Fund.
We hold the situation in our prayers:
Loving Creator God,
We pray for the people of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
May those who have lost love ones and homes know your comfort.
May those working in essential aid know your strength and support.
May those managing operations know your guidance.
We pray in particular for churches in the region as part of their community, caring and responding first to people in need.
Help us to work and pray in solidarity with them.
We hold in prayer all those in Britain worried about family and loved one, that they know your steadfast love.
In the name of Christ we pray,
Amen.
Prayer for those affected by cyclonic destruction in parts Asia
A contemplative breath prayer - Alternative Prayer
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
(Breathe in) Lord, you are faithful,
(Breathe out) I hold fast to hope
A contemplative breath prayer
Sunday 7 December 2025
"Bear fruit worthy of repentance." (v. 8)
Alternative versions of You are a gift
Other versions coming soon
Cantonese with BSL
Dubbed into English with BSL