This litany—appropriate for Advent—revolves around the theme of light and darkness.

Preparation

Assign students to search for Scripture passages around the theme of light and darkness. Duplicate pages of a Bible concordance that use the words light and darkness and give them to each student. Vary the pages of the concordance to include examples of light and darkness from several different books of the Bible.

Say something like:

Look for passages where light and darkness are used as symbols for good and evil. Skim down the concordance pages until you find a passage that seems to have symbolic meaning. Then look up the passage in the Bible to verify your guess. If you find that it is a meaningful passage for our light-darkness theme, copy it on a 3x5 card. Write down the Scripture reference and the parts of the passage that fit the theme.

Litany

Give everyone a taper. Dim the lights or darken the room completely. Light a larger candle and read Genesis 1:1-5. As each person reads his or her chosen candle, their taper is lit. Go around the room until everyone has read their passage. Conclude with the following prayer:

The light of Christ has been entrusted to us to keep burning brightly. May we always walk as children of the light. May we keep the flame of faith alive in our hearts. We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ who is the light of the world. Amen.

Play a reflective song with lyrics that highlight the theme of Jesus as the light of the world.