Hanukkiyah Liturgy
A Judeo-Christian observance of Hanukkah would not be complete without highlighting that YHVH, in the Word, is our light. It is His presence in the Temple that matters (regardless of whether one speaks of the physical Temple or the temple of our hearts); and so this liturgy incorporates this concept into traditional observance.
Hanukkiyah on first night of Hanukkah with shamash in center
First, one lights the shamash, or ‘helper’ candle. This is the candle in the center branch of the hanukkiyah; it is used to light all the other candles. The traditional way to light the candles of the hanukkiyah is to start with the first candle (the rightmost candle) on the first night (using the shamash), and increase the number of candles lit each night until all eight (plus the shamash) are lit by the eighth night. As each candle is lit, read the corresponding blessings and Scripture. One of the nights of Hanukkah will obviously encompass a Shabbat; depending on the strictness with which you observe Shabbat, you may want to adjust your discussion and ritual accordingly.
For the shamash:
Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah; she'asa nissim la'avoteinu ba'yamim ha'heim ba'z'man ha’ze; shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higi'anu la'z'man ha'ze.
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your Word and has delivered us from the hand of our enemies; who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time; and who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
Read: Ps. 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path."
For the first candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." (Suggestion: Dreidel game night)
For the second candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: 2 Sam. 22:29-30 "You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light. With Your help, I can advance against a troop; with my God, I can scale a wall." (Suggestion: Maccabee story night)
For the third candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: Ps. 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?" (Suggestion: Dedication Night)
For the fourth candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: John 1:14 and Isa. 9:2 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” “The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Suggestion: Jesus’ conception story night)
For the fifth candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (Suggestion: Jesus as the Light of the World and in the Temple Night)
For the sixth candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: 2 Cor. 6 "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God .in the face of Christ." (Suggestion: Family Blessing Night)
For the seventh candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: Matt. 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Suggestion: Good deeds Night)
For the eighth candle:
She-asah nissim, shehecheyanu. You performed miracles, and have kept us alive.
Read: Rev. 22:5 "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the LORD God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever." (Suggestion: discuss how all the Feasts tie together in the theme of deliverance and how it will culminate in the New Jerusalem [the final Sukkot])