We come from many places—along different paths, bringing different truths.

We pause on this night of mystery, to tell the stories, to sing the songs, and to bring more light into the world.

What if sometimes it’s about sparking potential into possibility, and possibility into existence?

We light this chalice, the symbol of our faith, knowing that this morning many others across this land and around the world are doing the same. For us and for our far-flung kin it is a light of peace, of justice, and of love....

Fire consumes, and casts a bright light. May our chalice flame consume our regrets for the past, our fears about the future, and our worries about today. May it light for us a path of joy and peace.

If ever there were a time for a candle in the darkness, this would be it. Using a spark of hope, kindle the flame of love, ignite the light of peace, and feed the flame of justice.

Out of the flames of fear We rise with courage of our deepest convictions to stand for justice, inclusion and peace Out of the flames of scrutiny We rise to proclaim our faith With hope to heal a fractured and hurting world Out of the flames of doubt We rise to embrace the mystery, wonder and awe...

In honor of those who have served, And those who continue to serve, At home and abroad, for peace and in war, We light our chalice, And we offer our thanks.

For this one hour, Spirit of Life we let go. For this one hour, may we let go of our anxieties, our fears, our anger, our self-doubts, our regrets, our petty grievances, and our distractions....

Joy and grief Health and sickness Light and Darkness Peace and anger Life and death Wholeness and brokeness We each bring all of these here to this sanctuary of unity in diversity For this one hour of this one day And pour them out Commingling the oil of our lives To become the flame of this chal...

All that we have ever loved And all that we have ever been Stands with us on the brink Of all that we aspire to create: A deeper peace, A larger love, A more embracing hope, A deeper joy in this life we share.

We light this chalice Symbolic of the warmth of community and The brightness that love brings to the world Illuminating our search for justice and peace Light, that force that nurtures all living things Here in our midst in this flame, So tiny and so significant...

We light this chalice to find inner peace, love for each other, and faith in ourselves. Also, to be welcoming to whomever we meet and kind to all living creatures. So gather around this light of hope as we share this time together.

Let there be light The light of joy, the light of happiness, and the light of contentment May it illuminate our paths and fill our lives with peace And let there be dark For it is from our dark places that we are brought forward Tried and tested And impelled toward growth It is in these places th...

In sightless night, terrors draw near Nameless fears of talon and tooth Hopelessness yawns before us—an abyss Alone and unknown in the gloom, longing for the dawn O sacred flame blaze forth—wisdom brought to life Guide us— With the light of hope The warmth of love The beacon of purpose and...

Fire and water, ancient opposites Sun and ocean, the cradle of life Dancing flame and dancing river— We invoke them together today As we kindle our chalice flame.

Deep calls unto deep, joy calls unto joy, light calls unto light. Let the kindling of this flame rekindle in us the inner light of love, of peace, of hope. And "as one flame lights another, nor grows the less,” we pledge ourselves to be bearers of the light, wherever we are.

We light our flaming chalice To illuminate the world we seek. In the search for truth, may we be just; In the search for justice, may we be loving; And, in loving, may we find peace.

To face the world's shadows, a chalice of light.

Advent, adventus, means waiting. And the holiday season is nothing if not waiting—to get done the chores; to find the right gift; to find time for quiet moments; to accept that our loved ones will not be as we wish them to be....