Advent

The season of Advent is upon us. And I, for one, am VERY excited. Today, December 1, is the first day of Advent and the season will last through December 24. You may be wondering, “What is Advent?” Glad you asked…

Advent is a season in the Christian year that lasts approximately 4 weeks and is a season of preparation for and anticipation of the celebration of Christ’s birth. It has a parallel meaning in that Advent (in Latin – “coming’ or “visit”) mirrors the time of the Jew's anticipating and looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. So this time of Advent is a time of anticipation and excitement regarding the first coming of Christ and a keen awareness that we wait again, for His second coming. It is a time for prayer, meditation, repentance, and allowing the word of God to speak to us. For me, this is a very sobering and wonderful time of year. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the typical Christmas activities, it is a centering place. As I reflect on my Savior’s birth and look toward the future in anticipation of His return, I am able to find a place of joy and peace. Which brings me to the themes we observe during Advent.

The four weeks of Advent each focus on a theme. There is some variety regarding the four themes of Advent but for this blog, we will focus on the common themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. You may have also heard of or seen an Advent wreath. The wreaths have as much variety as one can imagine but the consistency is found in the candles: 3 purple and one rose colored candle. Some also add one white candle in the middle. The purple is a symbol of “seriousness, repentance, and royalty”. The rose color symbolizes joy in the midst of the season. Mark Roberts puts it this way, “The pink [rose], joyful color reminds us that, even as Advent helps us get in touch with our sober yearning for God to come to us, we know that he did in fact come in the person of Jesus.” Regarding the lighting of the candles: on week one, two, and four, the purple candles are lit. The rose colored candle is lit on week three. The white candle, symbolizing Christ, can be lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas day.

So for the rest of this season, we will focus on the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. My prayer is that even if you have not traditionally observed Advent, that you would investigate it this year and that your spiritual life may be enriched as you study.  In an effort to be brief, I have not written nearly enough to help uncover the beauty or the history of this season but I have provided resources below that can start you on your Advent journey.  Blessings to you!

 

An overview of Advent and some of what I've shared may be found here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/introduction-to-advent/

Advent devotionals may be found here: http://www.biblegateway.com/holiday-devotions