If you're looking for a fresh way to make lighting the Advent wreath a meaningful and relevant part of the worship service, this is just what you need. Richard Hull has written brief conversational dialogues that relate the wisdom of the prophets found in the Advent lectionary readings to modern life. In each "conversation" two people reflect on the assigned reading and talk about life and faith, leading to the lighting of the candles. The presentations are accompanied by an informative essay explaining the background and history of the Advent wreath. Covering all three lectionary cycles, this is an excellent resource for any size congregation -- and they're also great for devotional use by families in the home. Best of all, the informal tone of the writing will make worshipers feel like participants instead of observers. Use these dialogues to discover ancient truth in a contemporary setting.
Richard J. Hull II is pastor of Riverside Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Jacksonville, Florida. The Riverside Cast, a theatre group in his present congregation, makes regular worship presentations. A graduate of Bethany College (West Virginia) and Yale Divinity School, Hull has also pastored congregations in Indiana and Pennsylvania. While in Indiana, he co-founded the Tipton Community Theatre. Hull is the author of the three-volume Lenten worship series "Symbols Of Sacrifice" (CSS). Robert G. Alexander, who contributed the background essay, is a retired trial attorney and a freelance writer from Jacksonville, Florida. He is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Florida College of Law.