ADVENT

Image result for clipart of advent wreathSeveral years ago when Tommy Teague was our pastor at our church, he used an Advent wreath with 3 purple candles, 1 pink candle, and 1 larger white candle.  I don't recall the Sunday, but a purple candle was lit and the procedure continued until the week of Christmas, the large white candle was lit. By then, all the candles were lit. It was a mystery to me, and I wanted to know. Then, a teacher friend of mine, posted her Advent wreath on Facebook.  Finally, I made my own Advent wreath after some Googling. 

 There is no "rule" about the color of the candles.  In Googling Advent wreaths, I found that several colors and even all white was used. On December 3, the first candle is lit and it symbolizes hope.  On the 10th, the second candle is also lit and it symbolizes peace.  On the 17th the third candle, a different color, pink in my case, is also lit and it symbolizes joy.  On the 24th, the fourth candle is lit and it symbolizes love.  On Christmas day, the large white candle is lit and it symbolizes Christ as the Light of the world.  All candles are lit.  

Advent is the celebration of the first coming of the Lord Jesus as a human infant.  The word, Advent, means coming or arrival and suggests watching and waiting.  The Advent season is four weeks in length beginning usually, the first Sunday in December.  This year the first Sunday is December 3.  The time is to be focused on preparing for Christmas. Advent is meant to be a time of celebration rather than frantic and an agenda of "have to".  

I have decided to use a rather lengthy booklet, titled "Seasons Enter The Story of Jesus".  The material is produced by The Village Church, where Matt Chandler is pastor.  It covers several holidays with suggestions for Scriptures and devotional for each week.  It is a lengthy PDF but I have a commercial printer and wanted it all...180 pages for my own personal use. The same church has a PDF of Advent only, and shorter, which you can download with resources for family worship.  I wanted a stronger emphasis for Dick and me this season during our personal prayer and praise time.  There are many resources, on line, should you choose to focus on Advent.  I wanted you to have the info early if you are interested.  ( I know that this may be heretical, but I am not an advocate of the traditional Santa and all the hoop-de-la focus that it gets which often trumps the Reality of the season.  We are all free to differ....no legalism...Celebratory only!)  In process.  Forever learning.  #IHAVETHREESONS

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