Know much about Advent? If not, don’t worry. You’re not alone. But if you do, know that we will be focusing on Advent during the coming days.
So, just what is Advent anyway? You might have seen or even used one of those clever Advent calendars. You know the ones. Where a door is opened each day in December and a surprise awaits you behind it.
But for the church as a whole, Advent used to be the beginning of the Church Year for most Christians in Western civilization. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, (the Sunday after Thanksgiving), and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24).
Advent has colors too. I have an Advent wreathe in my house. Yesterday, the 1st Sunday of Advent, those of us who follow this tradition lit the first candle in our advent wreathes. (There are four candles in those wreathes by the way.) Three are purple. One is pink You light one candle each Sunday. This past Sunday’s candle was called the candle of HOPE. I’ll tell you more about the 4th candle and the Christ candle in time.
The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” The focus of the entire season is to be on the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ – his first Advent – and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.
Basically, it is about anticipation. Anticipation of the coming King. The Anointed One. The Messiah. And the hope He would bring. To Christians, that Hope is the assurance of eternal life.
Light a candle this week won’t you? And be reminded: He has come.
Just my thoughts.
S.
