We light this advent candle as we remember the ones God has never forgotten, the millions of refugees who have fled famine, war, and persecution. May the flame of this candle remind us that God’s enduring love is greater than corrosive evil and one day, at the second Advent, the flame of his Presence will make all things new and will right every wrong.
Dear Lord of the Forgotten,
Help us this day to remember those the world has forgotten — those who live in the squalor and desperation of refugee camps, those who continue to seek refuge from war and violence. May we learn from them endurance, patience, and eternal hope. Rouse us to mercy and compassion as we are reminded that our Savior, too, was once a refugee.
Amen.
Scripture Readings
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36
Suggested Hymns
People Look East 202 UMH*
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light 206 UMH
*The United Methodist Hymnal (© 1986 The United Methodist Publishing House).