The Season of Advent - Advent
We prepare for the coming of our Christ as a baby. We wait and anticipate. We pray for the coming of Christ on the Last Day.
Meanings
Advent, a season of four Sundays, begins our church year. The season begins on November 30th, the Sunday closest to St. Andrew's Day, The observance of Advent originated in France during the 4th century. The duration of the season varied from four to seven weeks, until the 6th century Bishop of Rome set the season at 4 weeks. In ancient times Advent was strictly observed: every Christian was required to attend church services and to fast daily.
The word "Advent" combines the Latin words "ad" and "venire", and means "to come to". Advent's glorious message of good news proclaims that God in Christ is coming to the world. This coming may be:
- A past experience - God came to the world through Christ at Christmas. The prophets' promise was fulfilled in the Babe.
- A present experience - God may come to you this Christmas as a re-birth, either for the first time for you, or as a renewed birth in deeper dimensions of reality.
- A future experience - Christ will return unpredictably at the end of the world. "He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead."
When we celebrate Advent at Christ Church, we display the mosaic at right on the front of our altar.
Messages
Since Advent promises the sure coming of the Lord, its message is "prepare". The Lord is coming whether the world is ready or not. For the unprepared, His coming means judgment. For those ready, His coming means salvation.
How does Advent suggest that we prepare?
- Repent - Forsake the sins of the world for a godly way of life.
- Pray - Pray for the coming of Christ, for He shall save.
- Have Patience - Watch and wait, for his coming may be sudden.
Moods
Color
The mood of Advent is expressed in violet. Violet depicts quiet dignity, royalty, and repentance. Violet was the traditional color of a king's robe and the coming Christ is the King of kings. Like Lent, Advent is a time for solemn and sober thought about one's own sins, leading to repentance. Advent is a quiet time of watching, waiting, and praying for Christ to come again, personally and universally. The alternate Advent color, with which we celebrate at Christ Church, is blue, a color of hope.
Solemnity and Sobriety
Advent is a sober and solemn time to become aware of one's own sins. Traditionally, Advent is a penitential season once known as the "Winter Lent". This sobriety is expressed not only through color, but also in the music of hymns like "Come, O Come Emmanuel". During Advent, choirs may omit processionals or process silently. Weddings in this season are discouraged. Christmas carols and decorations are delayed until Christmas Eve.
Hopeful Joy
Advent does not stress fulfillment, but instead, the anticipation of fulfillment: the Lord is coming! Christians have great expectation for Christ's return. As a family looks forward to a son returning from war, and as a bride anticipates her wedding day, Christians joyfully look forward to Christ's coming. Yet, this is a different kind of joy - a joy of hope amid solemnity. This is the quiet joy of anticipation, not the celebration of a past event. This joy is expressed in the music of hymns: "Joy to the world, the Lord is come(ing)" and "O come Emmanuel... rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."
Observances
Increasingly, the church is beginning to seriously observe Advent as a vital and necessary time of preparation for a meaningful, spiritual Christmas. Observance is expressed in various ways:
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The Advent Wreath
Four candles are placed around the Advent Wreath:
- The Prophecy Candle announces the period of waiting.
- The Bethlehem Candle symbolizes the preparations being made to receive and to cradle the Christ child.
- The Shepherd's Candle typifys the act of sharing Christ. This candle is usually a pink color for joy.
- The Angels' Candle signifies love and final coming.
Traditionally, the candles have been white, but now the candles are usually in the color of Advent. And as mentioned above, the Shepherd's candle is often pink. When the candles are white, a red candle is often placed in the center and is lighted on Christmas Eve. When the candles are violet or blue, the center candle is often white.
- The Christ Candle sits in the center of the wreath. We light this candle on Christmas Eve, reminding us that Christ is the light of the world.
The wreath is plain, without ornamentation. The evergreen of the wreath represents the life that is found in Christ. The greens come from the out-of-doors where nature has begun its winter sleep. Midst the drabness of nature the evergreen branch symbolizes the continuation of life. In the home it is placed on a central table or near the hearth. In the church it is usually suspended above the altar or set on a high pedestal resting on the floor.
