Advent Devotional - Compline for Families

Reader: The Lord Almighty grant us a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen.
Reader: Our help is in the Name of the Lord;

Everyone: The maker of heaven and earth.

Reader: Let us confess our sins to Almighty God.

Everyone:
Almighty God and Father, we confess to you,
to one another, and to the whole company of heaven,
that we have sinned, through our own fault,
in thought, and word, and deed,
and in what we have left undone.
For the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins,
and by the power of your Holy Spirit
raise us up to serve you in newness of life,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Reader: May Almighty God grant us forgiveness of all our sins, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Read one of the following Psalms together)

Psalm 31:1-6

1 In you, O LORD, have I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion; deliver me in your righteousness. 2  Bow down your ear to me; make haste to deliver me. 3  And be my strong rock, and house of defense, * that you may save me. 4  For you are my strong rock and my castle; *
be also my guide, and lead me for your Name’s sake. 5  Draw me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my strength. 6  Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me, O LORD, O God of truth.

Psalm 134

1       Behold now, praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD. 2  You that stand by night in the house of the LORD, even in the courts of the house of our God. 3  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary* and sing praises unto the LORD. 4  The LORD who made heaven and earth * give you blessing out of Zion.

Everyone: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

(Read the Scripture for today’s devotional)

(At the end of the reading …)

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

Everyone: Thanks be to God.

(A period of silence may follow. A suitable song may be sung. )

Reader: Let us pray together..

Everyone:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Reader: O Lord, hear our prayer;

People: And let our cry come to you.

Reader: Let us pray. Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Reader: Let us bless the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

Reader: The almighty and merciful Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us, this night and evermore. Amen.

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Advent Devotional 2018 Introduction

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USING THE DEVOTIONAL

This devotional contains daily devotions and reflections for the entire season of Advent as well as a reflection and compline prayer to help families worship and discuss our Advent themes together. The family portions is designed to work for families of all shapes and sizes and does not require extensive preparation. The Advent study walks through the theme of “The Word Made Flesh” exploring the incarnation of Jesus Christ and his embodiment of Word, truth, grace, and love. No matter what your experience is with devotionals and Advent, this is a great opportunity to focus in personal discipleship and growth and extending that to the whole family. For all of us, we pray that this Advent would be one that is marked by hope, expectation, remembrance and worship. The King has come and is coming again and there is much to celebrate!

A NOTE FOR FAMILIES

Christmas is such an exciting time, especially for the smallest members of our family.  But all of the good things the season has to offer can take our focus off of the best thing, the whole reason for Christmas – Jesus coming down from his throne to be live among us, putting into action the great rescue plan for his people.  If you, as a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or other influential person in a child’s life are wondering how to recapture the meaning of Christmas this year, this devotional may be the stepping stone you need to begin meaningful conversations and change in your home.  To help toward that end, we have provided a family portion each week that will help you create intentional time to talk about Jesus. We wrote the family portions of the guide with preschool and elementary-aged children in mind. If you have older children, consider having each person work through the “Personal Study” section in place of reading the family commentary, and then come together to talk about what you learned.

If you are new to home worship or feel overwhelmed by using this whole devotional, choose one part to engage in as a family.

  • You may choose to just focus on doing Compline together in the evenings during Advent.  Repeating these prayers together plants them in the hearts of our children faster than you can imagine.  Questions about words or phrases can spark beautiful conversations.  The use of candles to signify a holy time, set apart from the rest of the day can bring much needed peace before bedtime.

  • Some families choose to do devotions during dinner, when everyone is seated and already gathered.  Ears are wide open for readings when mouths are full of food.  You could even share something you learned earlier in the day when you studied the daily passage or reflected on the devotional questions.

  • Do a combination of the two. Children’s Pastor Mikah shares part of her own story where “one of the most meaningful (albeit initially odd) things my Dad did when I was in high school was to read scripture to me as I was getting ready for school (literally doing my hair in the bathroom).  And, if for some reason he missed me in the mornings, he would tell me about his time with God in the evenings as I got ready for bed and close the night with a prayer from Compline.”

Whatever way you choose this year, involve your family, and pursue your children.  Take them with you to pick out a candle to light while you say compline or have them help decorate an Advent wreath.  If you choose to use the Advent wreath as the guide suggests, put it in a special, visible place in the house to serve as a reminder of Jesus’ coming. Set aside a place and a time for your worship.  If you find yourself at a loss of what to say, use the guiding family prompts to help you talk about the Bible passage, and see where the Spirit takes you. 

Above all pray.  Pray for this time of preparation.  We, in turn, will be praying for you.  May the Lord bless you in this wonderful season, may Jesus be present in your homes, and may the Spirit guide and embolden you as you lead your families in worship.  Amen.