From darkness into light—thanks to the Son of Man, and for all of humankind. These are the string lights that run through the divine services in December 2025.
It all started on the last day of November, the first Sunday of Advent. “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people,” it was said in the divine service. But the prophet Isaiah heralds a radical change: a light will arise and everything will change.
Stepping into the light
The light, Christ, has appeared in the world. And this event calls for a decision from every person: for or against Jesus, for the light or for the darkness. “For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. “But he who does the truth comes to the light.”
Those who step into the light must allow themselves to be measured by the truth. There is no place to hide. The darkness can become so habitual that we barely recognise that we have made a choice. Walking safely in the light is what the divine service on the second Sunday of Advent, 7 December 2025, will explore.
Growing in the light
Stepping into the light is just the beginning. But the journey continues. And Jesus Christ remains our reference point. “He must increase, but I must decrease,” John the Baptist describes the process.
This does not mean that we should completely renounce ourselves and abandon all our personal desires and interests. Rather, it means placing Christ at the centre of our thoughts and actions. The divine service on the third Sunday of Advent, 14 December 2025, will explain where this leads, both now and in the future.
Hoping for the light
Jesus Christ will return. “I am … the Bright and Morning Star,” it says in Revelation. The promise will be fulfilled again, but again in a different way than expected.
The Messiah, a child in a manger, persecuted and on the run? This is not what the Jews had envisioned. And His return will also come as a surprise: He will repair all damage and all wrongs, but not here. He will give us eternal life. This is the focus of the divine service on the third Sunday of Advent, 21 December 2025.
Transmitting the light
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” it says in Philippians. Or to put it another way: the light of Christ’s love should also shine in the actions of the believers.
Doing good can start small: listening instead of talking, yielding instead of asserting ourselves, getting involved and contributing instead of expecting others to do so. Because the goal is not only to be saved ourselves, but to contribute to the salvation of others. The divine service on Christmas Day explores this idea in greater depth.
Viewed in the light
As the year draws to a close, it is time to pause and reflect. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,” the Psalms encourage us to look back in the light of gratitude.
It is crucial to consciously recognise all the good and not to stop doing good. And what’s more, perhaps we can do some introspection and resolve to do better in the new year than in the old one. Because the best time to do good is still to come. The divine service on 28 December 2025 will reveal when that is.
Photo: KrzysztofBubel/envato